Rude nurses

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I used to be a nurse before I went into medical school. I have a BSN. I recently graduated and this is my first week as a physician. I swear the nurses are just not nice. I don't remember being so mean to doctors. None of the nurses know that I used to be a nurse and I don't know if it really matters but what would you do in my situation?

Maybe because of my age? I don't know. I am 26 years old but some people say I look much younger.

Should I mention my background in nursing?

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Specializes in Psych, Corrections, Med-Surg, Ambulatory.

If you entered a BSN program at age 18 you would have likely been 22 when you graduated. To have just graduated from medical school at 26 you can't possibly have spent much time nursing. So no, I wouldn't mention a nursing background since you don't actually have one.

As far as nurses being mean, to whom exactly are you referring and what are you describing as mean? You don't give a whole lot of information for us to be able to help you. Maybe your first intern rotation landed you in a particularly toxic unit. Maybe your attending is an ******* and has already set the tone. Is there any possible way you've rubbed people the wrong way without realizing it?

I used to work in a teaching hospital. Some residents and students were a delight to work with; some a nightmare. Hope your next rotation goes better.

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You are assuming a few things I see.

let me give you some more background.

I graduated from high school early and began college when I was 16 years old. I have 2 bachelors degrees (biology and nursing). I worked as a med-surg nurse for 3 years before medical school. While I was in medical school, I worked as a home health nurse and during my final year, I worked a 6 month contract (full time) on a med surg unit at a teaching hospital.

#Iknowmy****.

So actually, I do have experience as a nurse.

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Specializes in Psych, Corrections, Med-Surg, Ambulatory.
17 hours ago, rnbsn2md said:

You are assuming a few things I see.

let me give you some more background.

I graduated from high school early and began college when I was 16 years old. I have 2 bachelors degrees (biology and nursing). I worked as a med-surg nurse for 3 years before medical school. While I was in medical school, I worked as a home health nurse and during my final year, I worked a 6 month contract (full time) on a med surg unit at a teaching hospital.

#Iknowmy****.

So actually, I do have experience as a nurse.

OK. Thanks for the clarification. So, any thoughts on why the nurses are mean to you?

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I don't think it is just me. Other interns have mentioned it as well. Might just be the culture here.

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I’ve welcomed our new residents with open arms this week. Maybe it’s the culture of the unit? I’ve never been rude to a physician even when they were completely derogatory to me.

We are all a team working towards the same goal.

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Specializes in Cardiac, COVID-19, Telemetry.

Maybe give it a little longer than a week, so they can see how you are. Does that make sense? We had an intern that seemed stuck up and then truth be told she was just shy and quiet.

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Specializes in ER.

Really? You went to nursing school, worked as RN AND got your MD at age 26? hmmmmmm

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yup and I will be a practicing dermatologist in 4 years.

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It'll be okay. Focus on what you're there to learn. Tell them you used to be a nurse or don't - - that information isn't what's going to make the difference in the long run, but I suspect you already know that, and also that you know how to develop rapports with others.

Congrats, Happy belated July 1, and good luck! ??

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My experience has generally been the opposite. Despite being grossly overworked and understaffed, the overwhelming majority of nurses I have worked with have been amazingly collegial. Even under great stress, rarely would I describe anyone as rude, although I admit some are not friendly.

A few bring their personal problems with them to work. The very occasional nurse seems to have some type of strange personal agenda.

A couple of nurses over the years seemed to have a character disorder, which I don't take personally.

Rude? Generally no. Mixed up? Sometimes.

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13 hours ago, rearviewmirror said:

Really? You went to nursing school, worked as RN AND got your MD at age 26? hmmmmmm

Can't imagine a real doctor wasting the time to come here to troll, no matter what their age. To have to bring age up just shows a deeply embedded insecurity, if in a different universe, this could even be true. SDN material.

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