Stop being so miserable

Published

I have to vent a little on this issue guys.

I am in nursing school and during almost every clinical, its guaranteed that I will see a nurse that is miserable, that looks like this is the last place he/she wants to be. I am sorry, but no one is holding a gun to your head and forcing you to be here.

Nobody likes being in a hospital, and it really brings you down. Seeing someone who is positive and overall happy helps the healing process IMHO. If a patient is sad and depressed, and then sees a nurse who is miserable and just not happy, it doesnt help the overall mood of the patient. I know this first hand because my mom was in the hospital for over 3 months and her biggest problem was negative nurses. She even yelled at a couple of them saying why are you miserable, your not the one in the hospital bed.

I know we are all human and nobody is perfect, but at least try to mask some of it or try not to let your emotions show. I get it, nurses are underpaid and overworked and underappreciated. Well, that can be said to almost every other profession out there. So please, for the sake of our patients, try to be a little positive and look at the big picture, it can always be worse!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Assisted Living Nurse Manager.

All I can say is "wow"!!!! I hope you are prepared for battle;)

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych.

And all I'm going to say is: Please don't judge "miserable" nurses until you've walked a few hundred floor-miles in their broken-down Danskos. :)

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Medical Surgical Orthopedic.

I thought nurses were lazy while I was in school.....why would anyone give an 9AM med at 8:15AM instead of just going back at 9AM? :lol2: Your perspective will change a bit when you're actually put on the floor to work :)

Having said that, seeing how cranky some nurses can be also inspired me to go to nursing school. Buuut, I never thought about yelling at them as a way to cheer them up!:uhoh3:

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Acute Care.

Yeah. Try actually BEING a nurse first. Then you can judge us!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Yeah. Try actually BEING a nurse first. Then you can judge us!

By no means am I judging anyone here. I see what my nurses have to go through and its not easy and can be quite stressfull. I am just writing what I am observing. I guess deep down it comes down a glass half full or half empty type of statement.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
I am in nursing school and during almost every clinical, its guaranteed that I will see a nurse that is miserable, that looks like this is the last place he/she wants to be. I am sorry, but no one is holding a gun to your head and forcing you to be here.
Your words are similar to the ones spoken at a recent "customer service" meeting by the CEO at the small hospital where I work PRN. He was telling us, "Smile, act like you're happy, and use scripting when speaking to patients and family members so that our Press Ganey customer service survey scores will improve."

There are a few problems with his demands. It is hard for nurses to keep phony smiles on our faces when shift cancellations are rampant, when working short-staffed is a daily reality, and when a demanding patient is yelling at us about being more positive. It is hard to speak to our patients and families with scripted phrases because that insults their intelligence, since a reasonably intelligent person knows when they're being fed a prepared script.

Also, how do you really know if I am miserable or not? My coworkers and I are not miserable, and we very much want to be there. However, my personality and temperament does not allow for many fake smiles or scripted conversations. I've been the patient in the hospital bed before, too. I think that the most reasonable patients can understand and appreciate honesty far more than a phony image.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I am new here but I will add my two cents, I dont think the op meant to judge anyone. Many other professions are stressful and underpaid, police officers, teachers etc.

I have ran across a few nurses in my lifetime as a patient that put the profession to shame, some are so rude, wont bother to even answer me when I ask a question etc. However, there are always people like that in every profession. I do agree that you can only have an excuse for a bad attitude for so long, if you are that miserable switch jobs or do something else. Again, that goes for every profession though not just nursing. And if that isnt you, the op's opinion shouldnt bother you :)

Up Vote Up Vote ×

OP should stop telling people how to act, especially if it is to be phony. OP's mom needs to stop yelling at people. That's not nice. IMHO.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in CVICU, Obs/Gyn, Derm, NICU.

. I know this first hand because my mom was in the hospital for over 3 months and her biggest problem was negative nurses. She even yelled at a couple of them saying why are you miserable, your not the one in the hospital bed.

!

Can I ask why your mother thinks it's appropriate to yell at nurses?

Does she yell at any service provider who looks 'miserable'?

What if her doctor looks 'miserable' because hasn't had any sleep and has an overworked day? Does she yell at him/her if she feels like it?

Does she yell at the TV repair guy, the plumber, the guy doing her taxes, her hairdresser?

Quite possibly .... your mother's nurses are miserable looking after someone who yells at them. Nobody looks genuinely happy when they are being treated like a piece of dirt. They could fake it though ..... but it would be fake 'happy'

Up Vote Up Vote ×

We're nurses- We are not working for tips.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Can I ask why your mother thinks it's appropriate to yell at nurses?

Does she yell at any service provider who looks 'miserable'?

What if her doctor looks 'miserable' because hasn't had any sleep and has an overworked day? Does she yell at him/her if she feels like it?

Does she yell at the TV repair guy, the plumber, the guy doing her taxes, her hairdresser?

Quite possibly .... your mother's nurses are miserable looking after someone who yells at them. Nobody looks genuinely happy when they are being treated like a piece of dirt. They could fake it though ..... but it would be fake 'happy'

She was on Fentanyl pain patches, and some of the nurses left the old patches on, not bothering to take them off. When she asked about them, they told her it was ok. After almost overdosing, she was a little more careful. I hope that is reason enough to "yell" at someone. Plus, add to that the fact that she was supposed to have day surgery, and ended up over 3 months in the hospital because the anesthesiologist ruptured her esophagus when placing an endo-trach tube for her surgery.

But this conversation isnt meant to determine why my mother was yelling at people. When any of us are mistreated in any profession, from nursing to plumbing, we tend to get angry.

I think my overall point is being missed here. EVERY profession has crappy days. I used to work for a cell phone company, and it was great pay, but I hated my hours, my co workers called in, and if you think people treat you badly when their sick, try dealing with them when their cell phone isnt working. Sometimes i would swear to god that people would love money more than their own health. I am just simply saying that a little kindness goes a long way IMHO.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion