Questioning Our Compassion

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Vent here.....I should repeat that this is a vent....

I get really tired of non-medical, non ER nursing, etc., questioning our (ER RNs) compassion because we vent and complain in a forum, where patient confidentiality is still upheld..... but where we can vent to our hearts content...... How we feel about the ER system, our not so enjoyable experiences in the ER...... How we hate some aspects of our jobs.

Don't we deserve to be able to complain without our compassion being questioned? It's not like I have ever seen any ER nurse complain about legitimate Emergency Care....I really have only seen the bogus stuff we complain about that makes our job of taking care of the true illnesses harder. I also think that if any of these people who complain about our compassion were a patient in the ER and required our instant care yet we said to them....listen, I have a guy here with a hang nail so you'll have to wait cause his hang nail is just as important as your heart failing.....we would get a whole new attitude.

These people who accuse noncompassion do not have a clue....and it adds to the frustration. I just want to have them shadow me someday.....Where I'm resuscitating a 5 year old, push all kinds of drugs, intubation, comfort the family, chart like I'm writing a novel, need a pee break only to get some attitude from your other nonEmergent patient and their family that they have waited 2 hours for an update. You're standing there with that full bladder and holding back tears from the previous patient's room and as a nurse you should keep your composure. So, if we want to come in this forum and vent about our bad day and the loser who jumped you and you still had to stand their with a smile on your face, use therapeutic communication to diffuse the situation...God forbid PressGaney gets a complaint.....I think those non-medical, non-ER nursing people who complain need to back the heck off. There is no other specialty like ER nursing....And I think ER nurses ROCK!:yeah:

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Specializes in Telemetry/Med Surg.

I'm not an ER nurse......but I hear ya!!!

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Specializes in ER.
Vent here.....I should repeat that this is a vent....

I get really tired of non-medical, non ER nursing, etc., questioning our (ER RNs) compassion because we vent and complain in a forum, where patient confidentiality is still upheld..... but where we can vent to our hearts content...... How we feel about the ER system, our not so enjoyable experiences in the ER...... How we hate some aspects of our jobs.

Don't we deserve to be able to complain without our compassion being questioned? It's not like I have ever seen any ER nurse complain about legitimate Emergency Care....I really have only seen the bogus stuff we complain about that makes our job of taking care of the true illnesses harder. I also think that if any of these people who complain about our compassion were a patient in the ER and required our instant care yet we said to them....listen, I have a guy here with a hang nail so you'll have to wait cause his hang nail is just as important as your heart failing.....we would get a whole new attitude.

These people who accuse noncompassion do not have a clue....and it adds to the frustration. I just want to have them shadow me someday.....Where I'm resuscitating a 5 year old, push all kinds of drugs, intubation, comfort the family, chart like I'm writing a novel, need a pee break only to get some attitude from your other nonEmergent patient and their family that they have waited 2 hours for an update. You're standing there with that full bladder and holding back tears from the previous patient's room and as a nurse you should keep your composure. So, if we want to come in this forum and vent about our bad day and the loser who jumped you and you still had to stand their with a smile on your face, use therapeutic communication to diffuse the situation...God forbid PressGaney gets a complaint.....I think those non-medical, non-ER nursing people who complain need to back the heck off. There is no other specialty like ER nursing....And I think ER nurses ROCK!:yeah:

DITTO!!!!!:bow::bow::bow::bow:

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Specializes in Emergency & Trauma/Adult ICU.

As I've said to my family member who has called me a "hard ass" since working in the ER ...

Yes, I damn sure do have compassion. My compassion means that even if you have just spat at me and kicked me in your cocaine-fueled rage ... 30 seconds later when your poor heart arrests I WILL NOT HESITATE to compress your chest, pull out all the stops, and work up a sweat trying anything and everything to bring you back. I will try to console your family, even when they insuinate that we didn't do everything. I will quickly check on my coworkers to make sure they're OK.

And then I will move on to my next patient, and give them my 100% focused attention too.

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Specializes in Neuro ICU and Med Surg.

I don't work the ER, but I completely understand. Vent away.

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Specializes in SNF-LTC; Gero-psych.
As I've said to my family member who has called me a "hard ass" since working in the ER ...

Yes, I damn sure do have compassion. My compassion means that even if you have just spat at me and kicked me in your cocaine-fueled rage ... 30 seconds later when your poor heart arrests I WILL NOT HESITATE to compress your chest, pull out all the stops, and work up a sweat trying anything and everything to bring you back. I will try to console your family, even when they insuinate that we didn't do everything. I will quickly check on my coworkers to make sure they're OK.

And then I will move on to my next patient, and give them my 100% focused attention too.

You ever had the families or PT's that want you to kiss their butt...

Makes me think of my favorite new quote... "I didn't become a nurse to kiss your @$$ I became a nurse to save your @$$"

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Specializes in ob/gyn med /surg.
As I've said to my family member who has called me a "hard ass" since working in the ER ...

Yes, I damn sure do have compassion. My compassion means that even if you have just spat at me and kicked me in your cocaine-fueled rage ... 30 seconds later when your poor heart arrests I WILL NOT HESITATE to compress your chest, pull out all the stops, and work up a sweat trying anything and everything to bring you back. I will try to console your family, even when they insuinate that we didn't do everything. I will quickly check on my coworkers to make sure they're OK.

And then I will move on to my next patient, and give them my 100% focused attention too.

amen to your post... i do like your avatar..:yeah:

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Specializes in ICU.

sounds like a typical day in the life of any nurse! :smokin:

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sounds like a typical day in the life of any nurse! :smokin:

I can only imagine what you guys through. Don' you agree it's nice to beable to vent without being called a bad nurse and questioning your compassion? Koodos to you in the ICU!:bow:

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I get the same reaction when I have a bad day and vent to my family or friends. I have tried to stop because I realize that its unfair to them, sometimes being a "downer" when its a bad/sad story. So I try to keep it to myself and get over it or talk to co-workers who can actually understand.

We are only human, but people expect so much from us. We can only do our best and sometimes it will never be good enough. When I vent, non-medical people always say, "I cant believe you said that, your a nurse, shouldn't you be more caring?" or "try a different profession if your so unhappy". And medical people say "well, that's nursing for you". I do enjoy nursing, its just some days are just so bad and I need to vent (not only about patients but the environment I work in, the politics, the management, etc) but when I do I am accused of "complaining" or judged. Its hard for other people to understand what we have to go through. My work is emotionally and psychologically draining more than anything and its what really gets me down. So I try to keep it to myself now and work out my frustrations on my own through working out, blogging or speaking to people who actually relate.

I am trying to keep it to a minimum because I don't want people misinterpreting what I say and making assumptions or judging me, without understanding. People will never understand no matter how much you explain. They have to be in our shoes to understand fully.

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I get the same reaction when I have a bad day and vent to my family or friends. I have tried to stop because I realize that its unfair to them, sometimes being a "downer" when its a bad/sad story. So I try to keep it to myself and get over it or talk to co-workers who can actually understand.

We are only human, but people expect so much from us. We can only do our best and sometimes it will never be good enough. When I vent, non-medical people always say, "I cant believe you said that, your a nurse, shouldn't you be more caring?" or "try a different profession if your so unhappy". And medical people say "well, that's nursing for you". I do enjoy nursing, its just some days are just so bad and I need to vent (not only about patients but the environment I work in, the politics, the management, etc) but when I do I am accused of "complaining" or judged. Its hard for other people to understand what we have to go through. My work is emotionally and psychologically draining more than anything and its what really gets me down. So I try to keep it to myself now and work out my frustrations on my own through working out, blogging or speaking to people who actually relate.

I am trying to keep it to a minimum because I don't want people misinterpreting what I say and making assumptions or judging me, without understanding. People will never understand no matter how much you explain. They have to be in our shoes to understand fully.

Meadow,

Vent in here.....it's what the thread is all about.

Trauma:D

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Specializes in ICU/Critical Care.

I don't appreciate it when people question any nurses compassion when they vent their frustrations about work. This has always come up, specifically in a recent thread about ETOHers. My compassion was questioned by another member and I didn't appreciate it at all. Yes, I realize those patients are sick and I do have compassion for them. I know their life sucks but dealing with them is difficult at times. How about some compassion for me and for the other nurses who are frustrated?

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