"You look tired"

pinkfish333 · Sep 16, 2012

My god, people are so rude to say something like that, that kind of thing really offends me as people will say the same thing to me.

Lynx25, LPN · Sep 16, 2012

My god, people are so rude to say something like that, that kind of thing really offends me as people will say the same thing to me.

If this is the worst thing that happens to you in a day, you have had an excellent day.

TobeRN4 · Sep 16, 2012

I am not a nurse yet but I am a full time Pre-Nursing student and I also work most of the days I am off of school in Food and beverage. I get this comment a lot! But I just roll it off my back and say I had a huge test to study for or I havent had my coffee yet :)

AZMOMO2 · Sep 16, 2012

Wow you look tired = Wow you look like crap... in my book.

I have dark circles and puffy eyes all the time and have tried everything to cover them except the $100 or more make-ups at the expensive stores.

Music in My Heart · Sep 16, 2012

[h=1]"You look tired"[/h]
How do you all respond to this comment from patients?

I usually respond with the truth: "I am..."

Music in My Heart · Sep 16, 2012

Wow you look tired = Wow you look like crap... in my book.
I have dark circles and puffy eyes all the time and have tried everything to cover them except the $100 or more make-ups at the expensive stores.

I've finally just accepted them as a sign of the fact that I live by day and work by night.

There are much worse things that could be said of my appearance.

mamatara · Sep 16, 2012

Whether it annoys me or not depends on who says it and how it is meant. I work 12 hr nights and no matter what I do I never look good by morning. Some nights I mean to go to the bathroom and touch up my makeup, but then I am so excited that I finally got a chance to pee that I forget! If it is that nurse who has been sitting on her behind looking bored while I am running around 1 really sick pt and another one who is confused and plays in her poop, then yes I might be annoyed. Most of the time it is a patient trying to find a way to connect or be concerned. If it a sweet older pt fretting that they are too bothersome I usually avoid telling them I'm tired. With most patients I joke that it is my 4 kids not them that make me tired especially my two teenagers. I look young for my age so this statement usually totally changes the subject. Now if it is that patient/family member tha is so concerned about their stool softner/apple juice/adjusting HOB (hello I showed you how to do it yourself!) during an obvious Code/emergency next room down, it is more a backwards way of stating "Don't be so tired you don't meet my needs" (however petty and demanding they are) . You know that family that stops people who are running in & out of the code patient's room to ask when they can get a glass of water I usually say something very sweetly like "I found you that snack/juice etc you wanted , I'm so sorry it took so long. I was stuck in an emergency but I came as soon as I was done. I didn't want you to think I had forgotten about you. Give me 1 second to catch my breath and I will go get you that cup of ice" The truth, said in a nice tone of voice . After that most of the time they are usually a little more respectful. I am usually very patient and cordial with my patients so this works very well.

Love that response someone posted of joking for them to scoot over so you could take a nap!!

Creamsoda, ASN, RN · Sep 16, 2012

"oh do I?, Well I got plenty of sleep and feel fine, and I put on makeup, I wonder why I look so tired"? Make em feel dumb, haha. Thats such a bad question to ask anyone.

OCNRN63, RN · Sep 16, 2012

If you're tired, you're tired...there's nothing wrong with that. I really dislike this idea that nurses are supposed to be super-human and not have days when they don't feel well, don't have a lot of energy, don't have perfect hair and makeup. If you're working 12s and have a baby, odds are you barely have time to sleep, let alone glam up. Try not to let insensitive comments like that get to you.

I think this is a terrible thing to say to someone. You could be feeling fine, be having a perfectly good day, and then someone says that to you and takes the wind right out of your sails. It's a left-handed way of telling someone they look like cr@p.

You could be mean and come back with something like, "Yeah? Funny, I was just thinking how stupid you look." That might not endear you to a few folks, though.

SCSTxRN · Sep 16, 2012

But I have a job I love and patients kind enough to care, so I'm a lucky nurse.

mariebailey, MSN, RN · Sep 17, 2012

A patient's guardian said to someone I supervise (paraphrasing), "I didn't want to bother 'MarieBailey' about it b/c she looked so tired all week", when asking for help with a patient care issue. I felt as terrible as I probably looked when she told me.

Catzilla · Sep 17, 2012

At the end of a shift my hair is usually flying in all directions, i'm sweaty, mascara (if present) is smudged, make-up worn off. I guess looking "tired" (or "tore back" in my case!) just goes along with the territory in by book. It shows all that I've gone through on the shift! :wacky: