Terribly rude orientation

joyrochelle · Jul 8, 2002

oy....yeesh, YES.

I mean everyone on day shift stressed how the staff on MN are SO NICE and supportive....man...tonight it was anything but....

I am trying SO hard to not get into the swing of the mood by being just as snotty and irreverent and DISRESPECTFUL, but...I cannot sink to that level...no way.

It makes me feel like a completely better human being to just take a deep breath, and think to myself....

MY GOD YOU ARE SUCH AN IGNORANT A$$H*LE.

jschut, BSN, RN · Jul 8, 2002

Not a hospital postition, but in a LTCF. I am going to work there as a nurse after being licensed, and there are two nurses on my shift I am already going to ask that I NOT be placed with. They are disrespectful and mean. (Well, one of them is...the other is just plain moody and usually follows suit to the others mood of the night).

Trauma Columnist · Jul 8, 2002

I want to believe that most of us are polite and kind to the new people. However, I know that some people can be rude no matter what the setting. I've been a nurse for ten years and did public affairs before that - in the millitary and private sectors, so have had experience other than healthcare. Its truly an individual thing - some people are gonna be unhappy no matter where they are or what they do. Life goes on!!!

ruffhouser · Jul 8, 2002

Today will be my first night on the floor. :eek: I certainly hope that I don't experience what you have. I'll keep you posted. Take care and God Bless.

OrthoNutter · Jul 8, 2002

There's one ward that I get pooled to frequently....most of the staff are usually courteous and appreciative of my help. But there's one nurse who always acts like she has a broomstick shoved up you-know-where. I asked her how a patient was being mobilised....I had been on holidays for three weeks and it was my first day back on a ward that wasn't my own. Moreso, I wasn't familiar with the pt diagnoses that I was looking after. So here I was, no clue but trying to help out as best I could and she told me to ask the patient. I told her it was pretty obvious to me that the pt was confused so that would probably be a waste of time. She told me check the care plan. Told her the care plan hadn't been written up for a week so that's why I was asking somebody. She storms over to me and says "for F&*^s sake, can't you use your f*&^ing brain? Use a walker, wheelchair, like I give a f&^%ing s&^%"

I just shoved the chart in her hands and told her she'd just upped her pt load by six because there was no way I was going to stick around and cop that kind of abuse from staff. I went back to my own ward and phoned the manager and told her I would never pool to that ward again if that nurse was on shift. For a change, the manager was sympathetic to my cause and told me that the other nurse was frequently hostile to poolers and agency staff. That twit, who is a charge nurse, shot herself in the foot because the managers refuse to supply her ward with agency or poolers now because of her attitude towards them. I just feel sorry for the regular staffers on shift with her because they are really nice people and deserve to have a decent pt load but unfortunately, they end up wearing the extra load most of the time.

OrthoNutter · Jul 8, 2002

Good luck ruffhouser! May the force be with you! :)

thisnurse · Jul 8, 2002

good for you ortho!

if you dont stand up to them they will walk all over you!

i had one objective during orientation...learn to do my job

they had one objective during my orientation....make me feel incompetent

i had two great nurses orient me...it was the rest of the staff that sucked.

first two weeks out of orientation were hell. i was constantly fighting with staff members who yelled at me for things that were not even their business. they were looking thru my charts to see if i had left things undone. and oh man if i left something like a blood draw for next shift or an empty IV bag...might as well have killed somebody....i had some terrible pt experiences where ANY of them would have needed help and NOT ONE of them would help me. id ask a question..."im not answering any of your questions, im charting"...i got written up for standing up for myself...over and over and over....by the same ppl all of the time. it was obvious what was going on. mgmt called ME into the office but never them. i cried more than once. but i stayed because i am stubborn and would not let them make me feel incompetent. lol...one time when mgmt called me in the office i told them IM A DAMN GOOD NURSE AND THERE IS NO ONE HERE WHO IS GOING TO TAKE THAT AWAY FROM ME.

things finally settled down. i passed the audition. i get along with everyone now and i am oh so very very nice and helpful to all of our new nurses....and the staff rides me for that sometimes too.

fedupnurse · Jul 8, 2002

Best of luck tonight Ruffhouser! A lot depends on the staff of the unit you'll be working on but some depends on your attitude too. Go in there willing to learn, ask questions, be open minded. If you don't hit it off with your preceptor after a couple of shifts, talk to your clin spec or manager about a different preceptor. Sometimes people are just like oil and water.

I was very very lucky when I was a GN cause I had worked in my unit for a couple of years as a tech. I knew all the staff and where everything was. I knew who to gravitate towards and who to avoid. I now clue in new staff even if I am not their preceptor as to who they should avoid or be careful of. This list includes nurses and doctors. I try to give them a warm welcome and make them feel comfortable by telling them how scared I was when I started. Most appreciate the input.

You'll do fine!!!!

nella-pea · Jul 8, 2002

I am a "senior nurse", 21 years worth, and it's something that I'll never understand. New nurses aren't growing on trees, by any means, and the people who DO go into nursing are doing so usually because of their desire to help people. If we then tolerate these crochety old hags who have no empathy from THEIR first few nights on the floor to abuse these newbies, there will precious few new nurses in the future. I sincerly hope that you folks are reporting these witches to your supervisors, and if you are getting no response from them, report higher. That behavior shouldn't be tolerated at any level!

live4today, RN · Jul 8, 2002

the "orientations from hell" do happen from time to time to all health professionals...regardless of what occupation they hold in the health field. the best way to get through orientations like this is to take from it what matters...and can the rest. the experience will toughen you if nothing more...and a "tough skin" you'll need as a nurse...we all know this. :lol2:

here's a quote from albert einstein in regards to work ethics:

"the three rules of work are:

(1) out of clutter...find simplicity.

(2) from discord...find harmony.

(3) in the middle of difficulty...lies opportunity." :)

it's also a good thing to "get out of a bad situation" when you see it going no where but down! :kiss

colleen10 · Jul 8, 2002

Hi Kayzee,

I should be so lucky to find a job in the medical field. I've been looking for a Aide position anywhere just to get my feet wet as I am still a student.

I can tell you though that at my current position as a secretary I was told after I had only been here about 2 weeks that

"Is your husband going to be relocating or are you planning on starting a family in the near future because I don't want to bother to teach you anything if you aren't going to stick around."

Of course this was from a male boss.

My nickname for him is "piggy" as in sexist pig.