This transporter looks as if he wants to punch me everytime I see him and Im scared

[willowRN]

well first off he always looked like an angry person, very angry

but esp. weird I think it started when he came to pick my patient and he had to wait some because I am dealing with a critical one. Ever since then when he sees me he looks like he wants to punch me. And he doesn't even make me sign back the patient which we do routinely. He's like acting out or something but quietly. I know an off behavior when I see one this is one. geez how do i deal with this guy. I've been ignoring but i want to confront him next time and say like "You look like you want to punch me" Idk this has to stop it makes me uncomfortable

[Bortaz, MSN, RN]

"Man, did you have a venti size cup of bastard this morning?" ;-)

Haha. Five stars.

[Mazee]

"Man, did you have a venti size cup of bastard this morning?" ;-)

I think this forum should have a thread dedicated to lines like these for everyday use.

[nerdtonurse?, BSN, RN]

Can I put that on my locker?

[CDEWannaBe]

It doesn't always work, but I've done well with cranky people to be polite and caring to them. When you see him ask how he's doing, if he's busy that day. Just be normal and nice.

A lot of people have crazy stressful lives. Be patient and friendly. My guess is that if he goes postal he'll skip you if you're decent to him. :)

[DemonWings]

We have one just like that at my hospital, most of the nurses ive worked with say stay away from him because he is mean and always looks angry. Well when I was on orientation, I had to spend some time with the transport staff to get to know the lay out of the hospital, and he was the one who I was assigned to follow. He tured out to be really nice, and I think its sad that I am the only nurse who realizes that. Turned out this guy had a hard life, and he was really quite, which some people seem to think that was weird.

[diligent-trooper]

What do you mean: "Signing back the patient." If this is required documentation of both parties, his action could mean trouble for you with your boss, and reflecting poorly on your job performance.

[nurseprnRN, BSN, RN]

every man has his secret sorrows which the world knows not; and often times we call a man cold when he is only sad. ~henry wordsworth longfellow

[brandy1017, ASN, RN]

You need to get a tougher skin! So what if he looks ****** off? Who cares if its because he's mad at you or just mad at life? This job is too stressful to worry about if everybody likes you. They don't! The stressful work environment of nursing tends to lead to conflicts between coworkers. I would just let it go and ignore him! Why lose sleep over it?

You don't hang out with your coworkers on your free time, at least you don't have to, so why let it get to you. I like working 12 hour shifts I might go a month without seeing a problem coworker! Wouldn't want to go back to the 5 day work grind and the cliques that can develop, much easier this way!

[Miller86]

We must know the same guy!! He even kicked a garbage can once because my patient was not yet on the stretcher....Sorry *angry looking* porter but I had a more critical thing happening.

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

You are experiencing a normal reaction to someone with aggressive body language.

If he has stopped using protocol (requiring you to sign the patient in).. this is unacceptable.

Calmly approach him.. tell him it is a requirement of both positions to perform this check.

If he does not respond appropriately , write him up!

You are the professional in the group, do not let him bully you with his actions.

And yes, you CAN write someone up for aggressive body language, sounds petty.. I know.. but it affecting patient care.

[dirtyhippiegirl, BSN, RN]

Most of the transporters at our hospital look like they're about ready to punch someone esp. when we (nursing) are behind when they show up. Learned pretty quickly not to take in personally. They're basically overworked, underpaid for the amount of physical labor that they have to do, and are often the butt of disparaging remarks made by all other staff and patients.

I try to be nice. Joking. Whatevs. Chatting with a few transporters gave me a better idea of their job requirements. If your hospital is anything like mine, the transporters have pretty crazy transport quotas and time limits. To do the job effectively almost requires a stern demeanor to get things done because the patient transport often ends up at the bottom of the priority list for the nurse unless it's an emergency, y'know?

[nurse2033, MSN, RN]

Well, definitely don't ask him that! LOL!

In addition to what mofomeat said, I would stick with the objective duties at hand. If he does not fulfill his duties during transport or hand-off, say "Could you please let me sign the patient off?" or whatever the issue may be.

You have grounds to ask that but not ask "Man, did you have a venti size cup of bastard this morning?" ;-)

One of the principles of conflict resolution is to handle the problem at the lowest level possible, i.e. between him and you. Try to engage him in a neutral way. Maybe his kid just died or something. Ask him if everything is OK. If he really is um.. off, at least you will know for sure. Good luck.