The Mockery of Nursing

Perpetual Student · Apr 12, 2012

I just encountered a couple of the above mentioned threads re: "bullying" and so on. I can't help but wonder why so many nurses are so weak and unable to stick up for themselves or tolerate a bit of a verbal smack down without it crushing their self image. I'm not trying to defend harshly treating fellow nurses, but to try to figure out why people let it bother 'em so much. Why does this issue seem to get so much more attention in nursing than in other disciplines?

Clearly when nurses are completely dismissive of others and refuse to give them assistance/advice when needed it's far from ideal. But I get the perception that many new folks don't want to hear anything negative ever. Even if it's someone saying "hey, don't push that KCl dummy!"

brillohead, ADN, RN · Apr 12, 2012

as stated this would be brutal, but i think it would go a long way toward fomiting the impression that this is a profession and not a cadre of high school freshmen discussing the latest episode of "jersey shore". afterwards, sit back and watch the nclex forum light up.
(oh, am i going to get smacked for this one.)

fixed that for ya.

RNsRWe, ASN, RN · Apr 12, 2012

(I can't believe that I've just discovered this thread. I totally missed out! )

Nah, you just have 1550 posts to catch up on! We've got some really funny crap here, and after finding something ridiculous elsewhere, scuttle back here to discuss :) Shhhhh......or we won't let you play with the cool kids!

RNsRWe, ASN, RN · Apr 12, 2012

I just encountered a couple of the above mentioned threads re: "bullying" and so on. I can't help but wonder why so many nurses are so weak and unable to stick up for themselves or tolerate a bit of a verbal smack down without it crushing their self image. I'm not trying to defend harshly treating fellow nurses, but to try to figure out why people let it bother 'em so much. Why does this issue seem to get so much more attention in nursing than in other disciplines?

I wish someone could show me another profession where the newbies whine about how unfair it all is, how the veterans are bullies and "eat their young"? Newly minted lawyers know from the get-go that as first-year associates they are the bottom of the legal ladder, and will have to work their way up while proving they know something--anything. They may b**ch about the hours but the fact is, that's the system. Get the job, shut up and observe and listen. If you're good at that and are capable of learning, you'll move up the ladder a rung at a time--eventually. Same goes for new doctors (ah, ever hear of residency going on for YEARS, my newbie nursies?).

But newly minted nurses, they believe that the veteran nurses should cuddle and coddle. Use quiet, soft tones and gentle smiles, offer lots of hugs and cookies. Never a cross word, even if they have to drag you off their patient before you kill him. Never a cross word if they catch you about to give the wrong med/dose/whatever, because after all, if you don't take them aside privately and give them gentle, constant reassurance that they are GREAT nurses, you're just a bad old meanie.

Sorry, most don't have time for this, and if they do, they don't have the stomach. If someone says MOVE, then MOVE. If someone says "I wouldn't do that if I were you" then try listening instead of arguing. And if someone doesn't feel like being your favorite Auntie because she's being paid to do exactly the same job you're doing (frequently for a piddly amount more than you're making because after 30 years the hospital figures you're nearly interchangeable, financially), GET OVER IT.

Whew. I feel better! Someone pass me a Diabetic Coma in a Glass....

RNsRWe, ASN, RN · Apr 12, 2012

For those of you who would be in favor of seeing a true nursing shortage, I have a suggestion. It's simple, brutal, and I believe, effective.
At the end of the NCLEX have the test taker compose a coherent paragraph using proper spelling, grammar, punctuation and syntax. Even allow the use of "spell check". Make it worth thirty percent of the test. For those with a GPA of 4.0, make it worth fifty percent. To further decimate the ranks of successful candidates, there can be no discussion of "Twilight", Justin Bieber, cheerleader camp, boyfriends, or the use of the word "unfair".
As stated this would be brutal, but I think it would go a long way toward fomenting the impression that this is a profession and not a cadre of high school freshmen discussing the latest episode of "Jersey Shore". Afterwards, sit back and watch the NCLEX forum light up.
(Oh, am I going to get smacked for this one.)

I have to write a complaint letter to AN, because it's totally unfair that I can "Like" a post only once.

Aurora77 · Apr 12, 2012

Oh, c'mon, RNsRWe, you must have missed the memo that nurses are kind, caring, and sympathetic. Sheesh. Somebody's an old biter nurse. Maybe you should retire so the newbies can take over.

RNsRWe, ASN, RN · Apr 12, 2012

Oh, c'mon, RNsRWe, you must have missed the memo that nurses are kind, caring, and sympathetic. Sheesh. Somebody's an old biter nurse. Maybe you should retire so the newbies can take over.

A nun I ain't. I guess I can't be a nurse, either, because I "dare" to speak my mind. Remember, if I have nothing nice to say.....oh, hell, that's crap and I call 'em as I see em!

Crazy thing here, really, is that I HAVE been a fave of nursing instructors who brought clinical groups to my floor. I remember once I had a couple of young 'uns riding along with me and I was showing them cool stuff and after awhile I had three....then four....LOL, I asked "who are you supposed to be with?!" I made them go tell their instructor they had latched onto me :)

OCNRN63, RN · Apr 12, 2012

I wish someone could show me another profession where the newbies whine about how unfair it all is, how the veterans are bullies and "eat their young"? Newly minted lawyers know from the get-go that as first-year associates they are the bottom of the legal ladder, and will have to work their way up while proving they know something--anything. They may b**ch about the hours but the fact is, that's the system. Get the job, shut up and observe and listen. If you're good at that and are capable of learning, you'll move up the ladder a rung at a time--eventually. Same goes for new doctors (ah, ever hear of residency going on for YEARS, my newbie nursies?).
But newly minted nurses, they believe that the veteran nurses should cuddle and coddle. Use quiet, soft tones and gentle smiles, offer lots of hugs and cookies. Never a cross word, even if they have to drag you off their patient before you kill him. Never a cross word if they catch you about to give the wrong med/dose/whatever, because after all, if you don't take them aside privately and give them gentle, constant reassurance that they are GREAT nurses, you're just a bad old meanie.
Sorry, most don't have time for this, and if they do, they don't have the stomach. If someone says MOVE, then MOVE. If someone says "I wouldn't do that if I were you" then try listening instead of arguing. And if someone doesn't feel like being your favorite Auntie because she's being paid to do exactly the same job you're doing (frequently for a piddly amount more than you're making because after 30 years the hospital figures you're nearly interchangeable, financially), GET OVER IT.
Whew. I feel better! Someone pass me a Diabetic Coma in a Glass....

And then after you coddle, cuddle, give them cookies and a hug, you, as the veteran nurse, are supposed to step aside so they can your position. Because even though you have coddled, cuddled and cookied them, you are clearly too old to be competent.

PS-I apologize for the overuse of commas in the above post. I just got back from reading another thread and beat my head against the wall for a full fifteen minutes. I think I must have knocked out the "grammar function" part of my brain.

RNsRWe, ASN, RN · Apr 12, 2012

And then after you coddle, cuddle, give them cookies and a hug, you, as the veteran nurse, are supposed to step aside so they can your position. Because even though you have coddled, cuddled and cookied them, you are clearly too old to be competent.
PS-I apologize for the overuse of commas in the above post. I just got back from reading another thread and beat my head against the wall for a full fifteen minutes. I think I must have knocked out the "grammar function" part of my brain.

LOL, I thought you were about to apologize for the overuse of the letter 'c'! Coddle, Cuddle, Cookies, Clearly not Competent......ah, I'm a bit punchy myself just now.

Had a nice giggle over SnowPrincess.....would love to know WHICH of us (and you know it was someone from here, c'mon) did it! Snowflake....snowprincess.....silly but funny. The only thing missing, I think, was that as a Satanist SnowPrincess she was being discriminated against.

OCNRN63, RN · Apr 12, 2012

LOL, I thought you were about to apologize for the overuse of the letter 'c'! Coddle, Cuddle, Cookies, Clearly not Competent......ah, I'm a bit punchy myself just now.
Had a nice giggle over SnowPrincess.....would love to know WHICH of us (and you know it was someone from here, c'mon) did it! Snowflake....snowprincess.....silly but funny. The only thing missing, I think, was that as a Satanist SnowPrincess she was being discriminated against.

A little alliteration never hurt anybody.

RNsRWe, ASN, RN · Apr 12, 2012

You're just saying that with your fishy eyes. Is you any other concerns? Sigh.

rubato, ASN, RN · Apr 12, 2012

Now this is a great idea! I just had about 50 pages of posts to catch up on here and on the NCLEX thread. I have certainly missed out.

You ladies and gentlemen think you have it hard reading this atrocious cr*p, try going to school with these people. When did I become i? When did the end of a sentence become a suggestion? When did spelling stop counting?

Oh wait. My beer is empty. Be back in a bit!