The Type of Nurse I Don't Want to Become

Nurses General Nursing

Published

After completing numerous clinicals and working as an EKG tech, I have observed and often dealt with nurses that are a prime example of what I don't want to be when I graduate. I also concede that I am a mere senior nursing student with no real-world experience.

1.) Night shift nurse who sits on facebook: Since when did it become acceptable to go on a computer and use social networking sites whenever you don't have work to do. In the time that you have sat on facebook you could have filled charts, done further research on your patients' needs, read nursing journals, assisted another nurse or CNA, or just do something that might help the morning shift. Instead, you sit on facebook trying to see if anyone you haven't seen in a few years got fat.

2.) The "thats not my job nurse": This kills me because as a tech I constantly hear this. "Mrs. Smith needs to go to the bathroom can you help her so I can do the EKG?" The reply from the nurse, "Ask the CNA...thats not my job." The nurse should really take a step back and re-evaluate your career choice because by not helping me you are not helping the patient.

3.) The nurse who openly criticizes patients or gossips with other nurses at the station: Guess what, people hear what your saying. You are making a fool of yourself and instead of complaining how so and so didn't bathe this patient during their shift, why don't you do it yourself? Be a professional, do your job to the best of your ability.

4.) The nurse who uses personal problems as an excuse to not care: I'm partial to this because I'm young but I don't care that you have kids, I don't care that your child has the snuffles and you were up all night. If you are unable to successfully complete the tasks of your job DO NOT COME INTO WORK. I have no sympathy for you. If I was out late partying and had a hangover and used it as an excuse would you care? An excuse is an excuse, either do your job right or call out, you are only hurting the patient.

5.) The nurse wearing winnie the pooh scrubs in an adult acute care setting: Your an adult. Dress like a professional, talk like a professional, and people will treat you like one.

6.) Nurses who always apologize to doctors when they call them: It is a doctor's job to take your call, listen to what you say, make decions based on the information you give them. Get some backbone, speak intelligently, and stick to the facts. If you show them you are serious, they will take you seriously and not blow you off as some stupid nurse who bothers them at home.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ICU, ER, EP,.

:grn:

oh my oh my, how interesting it must be to already know what you'll do and say. Especially the calling the doctor bit. You may not know that a nurse missed looking up labs earlier and apologizing for the late call that should have been handled sooner.... A nurses conversation with a doctor is possibly not for you to coment on until you have to make the same calls as yourself.

As for the rest, look me up on facebook in a few years while at work.... we'll compare nursing stories.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ED, ICU, Education.

I'm so sorry you feel this way.:crying2:

At this time, (0300 on Saturday night in the CICU) I am sitting at the computer, reading posts on *ALLURSES.COM*, just after having a cake smashed in my face because tonite is my last shift at this particular hospital. I opened presents, took pictures, laughed, cried and washed my face.

My patients have been bathed, turned, medicated, all their mouthcare done (every 2 hours), fed and educated. My charts have been checked, blood has been drawn, and families have been updated on the plan of care. I have not apologized to the doctor I paged...simply thanked him for calling back.

I now know the type of EKG tech not to become.:twocents:

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I think a few of you totally missed what I was saying. You seem to have taken general situations and made them specific to yourselves. You you can't honestly say you've never experienced the frustration of what I've described.

I wasn't describing the type of nurse who does a great job and then spends a minute checking her email or looking at some forums. It is reasonable and appropriate to apologize for a mistake, I thought it was obvious that I wasn't talking about that.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Um, you've been a nurse for all of never and here you are saying what type of nurse you'll never become. Try having some experience under your belt before attempting to criticize. While I agree with some of what you have said, you obviously have no idea what being a nurse is or what we do. You think you do, but you have no idea. Just sayin....

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in neuro/ortho med surge 4.

Some of the Doctors are terrible to deal with. That may be why some nurses act meek and mild on the phone with certain MDs. Some of them are downright obnoxious. I do have to say that most Docs are great but those few bad apples make one a little nervous when having to call them.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I'm surprised by the response I've been getting. In my post I openly state I have no experience and I'm just naming a few things that are unbecoming in any type of employee...from my experiences as a hospital employee and a student. I guess knowing that I want to work hard and learning from the poor habits of others should make me want to change professions. Allnurses.com seems to be full of outstanding nurses, I'm taken back by the responses to my post which had nothing to do with clinical nursing practice. :confused: I never said I'm annoyed when someone isn't great at placing an IV or performing wound care, as I know these can be challenging nursing tasks.

In five years if I'm guilty of blowing off other staff members telling me about my patient while I sit on facebook, I am not a good coworker or employee. Agree to disagree I guess.:)

I hope these responses aren't fueled by, "I've been on facebook at work once, and I'm a good nurse...that jerk." If so, your misreading everything I've said.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
I'm so sorry you feel this way.:crying2:

At this time, (0300 on Saturday night in the CICU) I am sitting at the computer, reading posts on *ALLURSES.COM*, just after having a cake smashed in my face because tonite is my last shift at this particular hospital. I opened presents, took pictures, laughed, cried and washed my face.

My patients have been bathed, turned, medicated, all their mouthcare done (every 2 hours), fed and educated. My charts have been checked, blood has been drawn, and families have been updated on the plan of care. I have not apologized to the doctor I paged...simply thanked him for calling back.

I now know the type of EKG tech not to become.:twocents:

Your not the kind of nurse I'm referencing at all. You performed outstanding patient care, and celebrated your last shift with your coworkers. I'm talking about people who don't perform their job duties out of laziness or apathy. Your actually a good example of how to be a good nurse. I study hard to become the kind of nurse you are, having a solid clinical foundation that enables you balance the time needed to complete your obligations with fun. When you can do that work is great. Don't take what I said out of context by personalizing it.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I'm a care aid that is working towards going back to school for my RN and I've thought a lot about the kind of nurse I want to be. The RNs and LPNs I work with are amazing but I do think there are two different perspectives, some are more task oriented and others are more go with the flow (spending more time interacting with residents). I respect both ways and I hope I will find a balance between them. Everyone brings something to the table. Maybe you should look to your coworkers for examples you want to follow rather than for negatives to avoid.

As for the Winnithepooh scrubs, I think people should present them selves in a way that makes them feel good about themselves. Although I work with a woman that wears dangling glittery gold earrings that make me cringe,(we work with residents with dementia, but they haven't been ripped out, yet...)

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ICU, ER, EP,.

My point was, see #1 on your post, you may come to do an EKG, see all of us sitting on the computer and think of all we can be doing instead. What you lack the understanding of, is that we ALL work together, we all sit together. So our work is done at the moment and what I do in those few moments in my career that you may glimse is not a fair picture of what is done the other 11 hrs and 45 minutes. I don't mean that I am taking this personally, only that you may not realize what is really going on behind the scenes. I did not take your post to be directed at me at all, it ISN'T. Only trying to give you perspective that you're lacking.

You mean well, and I"m not taking that away from you:) But I promise you, you'll look back at your pre-RN posts and smile. That's all I'll say.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Tele Step Down, Oncology, ICU, Med/Surg.

As someone who has not had a full nights sleep in 15 years because of her children sleep habits, I must say while I may complain from time to time, I've learned to live with it. We should cut new parents some slack. In many ways mothering with little reserves has taught me to be a better nurse and critical thinker. Mothering has helped stretch me into being a better nurse. If I were to miss work every time my kids had sniffles I would never work.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

OP, your intentions might have been good, but your post came across with a bit of a "know it all" tone.

Once you are actually working as a nurse and have experience under your belt, I can guarantee there will be days that you WILL do some of those things on your list. And you'll probably do even more, that you never imagined you would.

There will be good and bad days, and everything else in between. You will learn that it's impossible to be "super nurse" 24/7. You will find that it is okay to have down time and let off some steam. You will also see that many times you'll be too busy to help others. And I can bet that you'll even apologize to a doctor or two, throughout your career, for whatever reason. And when you finally have children, you'll realize that sometimes things are out of your control, and you just can't abandon your sick child.

Nurses work hard, they get overwhelmed, they make mistakes, and they are human. Anyone can stand there and criticize. But until you have actually walked the walk, you really can't point the finger.

Sure there are lazy, unprofessional nurses out there. But the same goes for EKG techs or any other profession. You have no idea what you will do when you find yourself in the heat of the moment. It's always easier when you're on the outside looking in. You will soon find out.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment