sexual jokes in the workplace

[penguin2]

I'm all for having a few good laughs at work, but I'd like an opinion on this. We have a new male RN and he frequently makes comments that can be taken sexually. He has been there less than a month, so we don't even know him yet, and last Saturday he commented to one of our new grads who was about 15 min. late to work (car trouble), "Well I guess your husband detained you in the bedroom this morning, huh?" she laughed it off & seemed unoffended by it, but a couple of us found it inappropriate. Our charge nurse told us that unless the person he directed his comment to found it inappropriate that we should ignore it. ???? No matter how I look at this, it seems unprofessional to me!! comments??

[firstyearstudent]

so you are saying that behaving in a professional manner makes someone uptight? by your name i see that you are a student, well if you plan on staying for a while in nursing, you should probably learn what is appropriate behavior for work. nursing should be held to a certain standard, which is that of a professional, educated people. if i were your team leader you would be verbally reprimanded, a warning. even though why an educated person needs to be warned not to make sexual jokes in the workplace is beyond me, but i would still try to be fair and warn you that the next time it would be a write up. if you think i'm being an old prude and don't believe me, talk like that and make dirty jokes in front of the floor nurses the next time you are in clinical and see how good that goes over. the only workplace you should be making sex jokes is around the pole in a ti**y bar. take a note from us experienced nurses who have been at it for a while, if you want people to respect you and if you want to keep your job, cut out the nasty talk and act like a professional.

i don't make jokes to the floor nurses during clinical. i listen to the jokes they make and they are often very earthy or downright filthy and sometimes very funny.

i've only made one racy comment during clinicals. i was standing very close to the anesthesiologist watching open-heart surgery. he kept fiddling with the iv tubing so i asked, "would you like me to get out of the way?" he said, "you can stay if you don't mind me reaching around you." i said, "as long as you don't grab anything."

he looked at me kind of kind of shocked and then laughed. was this inappropriate? i'm just curious because it's the only thing i've ever said myself.

[jill48, ASN, RN]

I don't make jokes to the floor nurses during clinical. I listen to the jokes they make and they are often very earthy or downright filthy and sometimes very funny.

He kept fiddling with the IV tubing so I asked, "Would you like me to get out of the way?" He said, "You can stay if you don't mind me reaching around you." I said, "As long as you don't grab anything."

Yes, I do believe that was inappropriate.

[LZRN]

I don't really agree with what was said in the origional post and it was probably in the wrong place at the wrong time an in the wrong company! That being said, the one that is usually offended by these types of statements are not the receiptients, but the frustrated bystander that never gets any attention. Just my opinion based on past observation.

[anononurse]

I don't really agree with what was said in the origional post and it was probably in the wrong place at the wrong time an in the wrong company! That being said, the one that is usually offended by these types of statements are not the receiptients, but the frustrated bystander that never gets any attention. Just my opinion based on past observation.

or maybe they're just too emotionally healthy to tolerate bias & sexual innuendo ??? Believe me, people who make comments like that are probably doing other things that offend people- the intended AND the recipients. I've known a few "jokers" that lost their jobs over this very thing. (apparently admin. was "frustrated by no attn." & fired them to GET attn??) I admire anyone who defends our obligation to act professional. Not everything is open for discussion at the desk or within earshot of patients.

[Spidey's mom, ADN, BSN, RN]

I don't really agree with what was said in the origional post and it was probably in the wrong place at the wrong time an in the wrong company! That being said, the one that is usually offended by these types of statements are not the receiptients, but the frustrated bystander that never gets any attention. Just my opinion based on past observation.

Yeah, that is me . . . . I'm very frustrated that no one pays any attention to me. :monkeydance:

steph

[TazziRN, RN]

I've only made one racy comment during clinicals. I was standing very close to the anesthesiologist watching open-heart surgery. He kept fiddling with the IV tubing so I asked, "Would you like me to get out of the way?" He said, "You can stay if you don't mind me reaching around you." I said, "As long as you don't grab anything."

He looked at me kind of kind of shocked and then laughed. Was this inappropriate? I'm just curious because it's the only thing I've ever said myself.

Actually I thought it was funny!

[Spidey's mom, ADN, BSN, RN]

Actually I thought it was funny!

I thought it was cliche'd . . . .but then I'm married to a jokester husband who routinely tells corny cliche'd jokes. So, I'm jaded.

steph

[jill48, ASN, RN]

I don't really agree with what was said in the origional post and it was probably in the wrong place at the wrong time an in the wrong company! That being said, the one that is usually offended by these types of statements are not the receiptients, but the frustrated bystander that never gets any attention. Just my opinion based on past observation.

Frustrated bystander who never gets any attention? :trout: Gimme a break! Anyone who comes to work for "attention" is already an idiot. I feel it is the person who behaves this way is the one that is seeking attention. That's really nothing to be proud of. I am in no way frustrated, nor do I lack attention, but I prefer the attention I attain by being a professional, working my butt off, helping everyone on my team, and keeping things running smoothly AND appropriately. It's so much more rewarding to get attention for being an intelligent, hardworking, proud professional than getting attention for being a lewd, crass, and offensive individual who feels they have to get laughs by being innapropriate:jester: . We all know funny, nasty jokes - save them for when you are off the job. I see this type of person as completely unprofessional, which would make me question their character. I feel it is a privelege to be a nurse. I am proud of being a nurse and I hold it to a standard of absolute professionalism. I would not tolerate this behavior on my team.

[LydiaNN]

I don't really agree with what was said in the origional post and it was probably in the wrong place at the wrong time an in the wrong company! That being said, the one that is usually offended by these types of statements are not the receiptients, but the frustrated bystander that never gets any attention. Just my opinion based on past observation.

What's your point? If there are bystanders, they're the recipients of the remark, too. Do you work in a facility that allows crass behavior in front of people that you deem frustrated bystanders? If not, I fail to see why your observation, even if correct, mitigates unprofessional behavior.

[Hoozdo, ADN]

I've only made one racy comment during clinicals. I was standing very close to the anesthesiologist watching open-heart surgery. He kept fiddling with the IV tubing so I asked, "Would you like me to get out of the way?" He said, "You can stay if you don't mind me reaching around you." I said, "As long as you don't grab anything."

He looked at me kind of kind of shocked and then laughed. Was this inappropriate? I'm just curious because it's the only thing I've ever said myself.

I don't think it was inappropriate. It was something I could have maybe said. I don't think it was sexual harassment either.

Before I get slammed, I am a professional nurse. I also enjoy camarderie at work with my peers. If I work so very hard without ANY fun, then that is a job I do not enjoy. It is also an enviroment I do not care to work in.

[anonymurse]

I'm old enough to have lived through the whole politically correct thing and I don't want to go back there

To answer the question, Does anyone really think it is OK to say, "Well I guess your husband detained you in the bedroom this morning, huh?" Depending on the circumstances -- yeah.

As far as adressing a hostile work environment, I'd rather focus on actual hostility than on harmless and innane "racy" comments.

I'm old enough to have experienced "harmless" racist joking as well as the set of behaviors that kind of depersonalization gave permission to (and it's still going on). Well maybe you're too young to instantly recognize that "harmless" sexist joking is the same old ugliness in different clothing, but it certainly is, as is any endeavor to make objects out of people.

[LZRN]

I guess my point is that although I consider my self a respectful gentelman in every since, I'm smart enough to know there are plenty that aren't! I also know that I like to work, laugh, have fun and be a professional in a coloful environment with colorful people who aren't afraid to express themselve for fear of the self appointed PC police! It sure beats the "sterile", "clean room" environment that these thinned skined, self appointed, saviors of the nursing profession would like to see. People are just people and they come it all types and I prefer that to the rubber stamp robots some prefer. But, that's just me and I'm kinda the rebel type.:monkeydance:

What's your point? If there are bystanders, they're the recipients of the remark, too. Do you work in a facility that allows crass behavior in front of people that you deem frustrated bystanders? If not, I fail to see why your observation, even if correct, mitigates unprofessional behavior.