To the nurse who was belittling and condescending to me today

Published

Background:

I am a dietary assistant in a long-term care setting. This means I am responsible for preparing and serving meals daily. During lunch today I was treated very rudely by a registered nurse who visits some of our residents on a regular basis. I have not held this job for a long time, but it is giving my family some extra income during the summer breaks between nursing school semesters.

To the nurse who treated me as though I am incompetent because I was unaware that a certain resident needs to have prune juice with every meal. This had not been communicated to me.

I know, I work in a kitchen, so I must be incompetent.

Little did you know, I work, take care of two kids and just got an A in Medical Surgical Nursing II last semester.

Little did you know, I've earned A's in nearly every core nursing class I have taken.

I must be so stupid and incompetent --because there is poor communication where I work. It must be all the stupid cook's fault.

/End Rant

Thank you for listening.

Please treat all staff and support staff with dignity and respect. Please do not be condescending and rude. Most of us are really trying to do a good job.

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Specializes in Oncology.

I doubt you're stupid and I'm not trying to be condescending when I say this, but please try and let some things roll off your back a little easier. She should have been polite ans professional about it. But you will encounter a lot of jerks on this journey you're on and it will be a lot easier if you don't view things as personal attacks.

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I doubt you're stupid and I'm not trying to be condescending when I say this, but please try and let some things roll off your back a little easier. She should have been polite ans professional about it. But you will encounter a lot of jerks on this journey you're on and it will be a lot easier if you don't view things as personal attacks.

Agreed. At the end of the day, does what this random person think of you really matter in the grand scheme of your life? Rude people are everywhere.

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Specializes in Trauma, Teaching.

Eh, come on in and vent when you need to. Sometimes a remark just hits you wrong on a day, whereas on another you might not have even noticed.

Vent, forget, move on.

Welcome to AllNurses!

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Specializes in Medical-Surgical/Float Pool/Stepdown.

Try your best not to let that interaction take up space in your head. People like that usually have major insecurity issues and unfortunately this one just happened to be a nurse.

Learn the lesson even earlier of how not to treat others when you pass your NCLEX when the time comes!

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Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.

If you think that was bad, just wait until you meet the doctors, patients ' family members. They are a joy!

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You don't deserve to be treated rudely. I appreciate the dietary staff at my hospital so much--they look into dietary restrictions, they double check how much fluid or how many carbs my patients can still have, and they alert me of when patients have ordered food so that I can get blood sugar checks done in a timely manner. Dietary is on top of it, and it makes my day go smoother!

Not having prune juice is nothing to fuss about. I would be a little upset if my patient couldn't have fluids or needed thickened liquids and those needs were not met, but a missing drink? I can handle that.

Save this memory. You'll be a nurse soon, and you have first hand experience of how it feels to be treated poorly. Residents, nurse aides, RT, PT, OT, chaplains, dietary, ultrasound tech, transport, environmental: all vital components to the team.

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

((HUGS)) Come and vent any time ((HUGS))

No one deserves to be treated poorly. I have found that people who make it a point to make other people feel bad do so because they feel bad about themselves.

Chin up!

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Just address things that really bother you, and move on. Some people need to be put in their place, some times you can't let it roll off you back but some times you can. For you to post this, it tells me you should have addressed the person. I pick and choose my battles but their are some things I won't tolerate and if I feel I can't move on from it, it usually means I should have said something.

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Specializes in Travel, Home Health, Med-Surg.

Nobody should be treated rudely. That being said, how many times have you said a harsh word etc to people and then regretted it, we all do! We are all human and I wouldn't get too upset re: one rude remark from someone. It doesn't excuse it, but I try to think about the other person and just think that maybe there is something going on with them that I do not know or understand, and just let it go. If you are going to be an RN then you better prepare for this kind of rudeness cuz it happens all the time!

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Specializes in CVICU, CCRN.

Listen, sometimes you got to learn to not let it get to you. You will be much happier in the long run. Every night I have work I encounter such attitudes at least 10 times or more a day. I have two options: be angry/sad or forget about it and focus on your dreams. I choose the latter.

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You don't deserve to be treated rudely. I appreciate the dietary staff at my hospital so much--they look into dietary restrictions, they double check how much fluid or how many carbs my patients can still have, and they alert me of when patients have ordered food so that I can get blood sugar checks done in a timely manner. Dietary is on top of it, and it makes my day go smoother!

Not having prune juice is nothing to fuss about. I would be a little upset if my patient couldn't have fluids or needed thickened liquids and those needs were not met, but a missing drink? I can handle that.

Save this memory. You'll be a nurse soon, and you have first hand experience of how it feels to be treated poorly. Residents, nurse aides, RT, PT, OT, chaplains, dietary, ultrasound tech, transport, environmental: all vital components to the team.

She had not been informed about the prune juice. That's why the rudeness was not only hurtful but doubly so - because of the unfairness of it.

OP - what was your response to this rude person?

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