"It must be nice to sit in front of a computer all day"

Nurses General Nursing

Published

THIS JUST BURNS ME UP!!!! :angryfire:angryfire:angryfire:angryfire

I work in a Level 1 Trauma Center. During visitation as I was charting, a visitor said to me "It must be nice to sit in front of a computer all day?" I was at a loss for words. During a 12 hr shift, I am lucky to even get a lunch break, or to even get to sit down and chart for 30 minutes.

Do people realize what nurses do? NO...I just don't clean up poop, take blood pressures, and push pills.

Specializes in MICU/SICU.

When I hear stuff like that, I just kill 'em with kindness, and talk 'em to death. Ultimately they end up apologizing for being a jerk. Stressed out family members are always looking for someone to take it out on. The nurse is the obvious place to start because of course, we are there.

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Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.

I would take all i had to avoid replying "Yeah it WOULD be nice to do that. ALL day long. Having a case of chatter's orifice (aka butt fell asleep). However this chair hasn't had a chance to get warm yet. And it probably won't because i won't get to sit here long enough to get it warm. Now if you'll excuse me, i need to finish this Freecell game before one of those pesky pts. wants something.

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I've had visitors say stuff like this to me, generally after watching me tear up and down the halls for hours on end. It's a joke, and I just give them a level look and then laugh. I'm hoping that was the case here, although there are many who are simply clueless.

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Specializes in CCU,ICU,ER retired.

I have had the same comment from a visitor. It just infuriates me. You are a better person than me cause I snapped. I told her that it would be nice to sit in front of a computer if I had some games to play instead of having to do all my meds signoff and charting, you know "work" and went back to charting. and rolled my eyes at her.

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Specializes in Travel Nursing, ICU, tele, etc.

I had a pt's family member ask me in the ICU if we were all playing computer games or what?? I calmly told him, that we have to chart on everything that happens with the pt so all the information can be communicated from shift to shift etc...he was standing right by me and I showed him the main screen (no pt info, obviously) and all the different areas we were responsible for... I don't know if he understood it or not, because he quickly changed the subject.... I got up and went to another computer, so I could get my charting done. I don't know what to tell you. People will see what they want to see...and understand what fits their reality.

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Some people just have a "stupid" sense of humour. They know darn well you run you behind off, but they either feel you get "paid lots of $ to do that" or they are just rude and always think they are being funny. My father-in-law used to ask why my lazy butt needed to sleep all day after "getting paid big bucks to sit at the nurses station and read Good Housekeeping all night while the patients sleep." Hmmm...next week he goes to have a major surgery done. I hope he doesn't interrupt the nurses' reading by needing to have some pain med, use the restroom, or have a life-threatening complication (that never happens after 5 p.m.). He will figure it out or not. You have to consider the source. It used to really upset me, but the older I get the more I realize that most people are pretty nice, but some are just downright ignorant and you won't change them.

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