"How are we doing today?"

Nurses General Nursing

Published

I was at a friend's house the other day. This friend of her husband's was there. He had a similar injury to what I sustained last winter and I hadn't seen him since I was in the early stages of recovery. He said "How are we doing today?" LOL.

I knew he was referring to my injury, but ignored that and said "We are doing fine. and how are we doing?" I couldn't help myself, I just have decided to be a smarty pants from now on in life. Then he got more specific and had we had a nice talk about our injuries, comparing notes.

Yet, when I talk to my patients, I find myself just naturally slipping into the same vernacular. "How are we feeling today?" "We're going to need a urine sample" yadda yadda yadda...

Why do we just naturally talk this way to patients. It's like nurse baby talk. Any thoughts?

Once, I was helping a lady walk back from the bathroom to her bed. She grabbed my hand weakly, I switched to a more appropriate stabilizing technique and then said, "This is how we walk you." I have rarely been more disgusted with myself :nailbiting:...

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I have been guilty of the "doll" and "dear" thing as well as "dude" and "man"... It's like my mouth can't decide if it wants to offend by being nauseatingly southern or overtly hippie... I almost swallow my tongue every time those words slip out...

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Can't stand it. "Sweet pea" "doll" "honey" "love"

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As a patient, I just want to say STOP asking people "how are we doing today?" People hate it. It sounds condescending. It's highly annoying.

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On 8/9/2015 at 6:21 PM, OrganizedChaos said:

I will. I just started going to this doctor's office & didn't know if it was common for her.

And this is YOUR doctor, not your kid's? Is a child even present where it would at least be even somewhat understandable? That's just so bizarre.

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Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.
On 7/28/2019 at 3:39 PM, Orion81RN said:

And this is YOUR doctor, not your kid's? Is a child even present where it would at least be even somewhat understandable? That's just so bizarre.

No, it *my* doctor & I didn’t have my kids with me. Yeah, I have since switched to a lovely NP that doesn’t have anyone that calls me “mom”. ?

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Specializes in Trauma, Teaching.
On 8/9/2015 at 1:27 AM, Ruby Vee said:

I always answer that question with "I'm doing just fine; how are YOU?" It always gets a reaction.

LOL, my answer is usually "My half of us is fine, how's your's?"

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Specializes in ER OR LTC Code Blue Trauma Dog.

So how are we doing today?

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