Too many know it "allnurses"

[TigerGalLE]

Who are these "know it all" nurses that frequent this forum? Are you here just to drive me crazy? I hate that we are no longer allowed to vent about our bad day or complain about annoying patients. Heaven forbid we say something negative or we will be labeled as "heartless" and "unprofessional." Are these people who know everything really nurses? Do they really deal with the public day in and day out like I do?

Sometimes patients need to be put in their place. That doesn't make me a bad nurse for telling them so. Yes I do have negative thoughts about my non compliant patient who doesn't have insurance and frequents my hospital 4 times a week for the same thing. Yes, getting your prescription filled and taking your medicine would save everyone a lot of time and headache... Whoops maybe I shouldn't have said that... that makes me a "complainer" and "uncaring." I guess I AM "what is wrong with nursing today."

And heaven forbid I wear my Tom and Jerry scrub top to work.. That makes me "brainless."

I bet now I will be labeled "cruel" or "harsh" for starting this "hateful" thread.

Oh and I better not use too many smileys!!

Tiger

[jrbl77, RN]

I have often felt that certain patients need to be put in their place also- however- most employers are not real keen on that. In this day and age of consumerism- we are supposed to smile and be nice. Having been a nurse for sometime, I'm usally able to take it in stride and be glad that my life and health are as good as they are. If I need to vent, I wait until I'm home and vent with other nurse friends. I must say that it does irk me when a patient says to me- are you waiting on me today? I want to tell them that I am not a waitress. I work in a very small community hospital- everbody knows everybody else. It is often just best to smile and keep going. :)

[blueiwahine]

I think that was well said.

[southernbeegirl, BSN, RN]

i KNEW all you guys were jealous of my brains and my gorgeousness and this thread proves it!

[elizabeth8503RN, MSN, EMT-B, NP]

I agree with the OP.

Too many times have I wanted to add something that I thought would be helpful, but have refrained, because for fear of the reprecutions of what the 'too many know it "allnurses"' may say.

Granted this site is completely and totally anonymous...but...I would prefer to not to open my mouth in such cases.

But that is only my worth.

Lizzy

[TigerGalLE, BSN, RN]

i KNEW all you guys were jealous of my brains and my gorgeousness and this thread proves it!

you caught us!!!

[traumatizedRN]

All of us have to be able to vent our frustrations in regards of patients, doctors, family members, management, nurses, students, etc. I've made plenty of mistakes in my life, I have done "the bare minimum" at times, and I have acted like a "know it all a#&ho*@" to others. All of us are human working in a stressful environment, but instead of using that as an excuse, we have to try to correct those mistakes and have enough decency to admit them and ask for forgiveness. The thing that disappointed me when I became a nurse was the lack of professionalism I found in our field. How can we expect doctor to respect and value our insights when we use negative and immature words and actions? It is also important to mention that some physicians think of nurses as nothing but "glorified urinal carriers" regardless of our actions. But, instead of giving them more ammunition, we have to prove them wrong by performing our duties safe and efficiently. Us (experienced nurses) should not give new ones a hard time, humiliating them in front of others. New nurses, although idealistic, should not act as if the old nurses are self-centered heartless dinosaurs. Instead, wait until you walk in our shoes for a few years, and then you will realize that some "evil things" we do or say are not as bad as you think they are right now. Finally, to the ones that think they "know it all, do no wrong and have no blemishes in their soul", I have only one thing to say: ......come on, there is one person you cannot fool with your pure, right and perfect bleeding soul, .....the one that stares back at you in front of a mirror.

[gardengal1, ASN, RN]

I have vented on this forum. There are always the ones who tell you to suck it up but then, there are those who have walked in my shoes, understand why I need to vent at that particular moment. And, by venting to those who understand, the pop-off valve has now ceased it's shrill noise in my head and I feel better. I have mostly had support from this forum but there are those who want to give advice on how I should have handled something better. If the situation needed better handling, I would have done that instead!!! But, patients, families, physician's and co-workers occasionally get on your nerves and you need to let the steam off somehow and this forum allows you to do it with more people offering understanding than those who criticize. Do not stray away from us because of a few do-gooders!

[schugagirl2]

You stated things very well. Graduating nursing school did not automatically give us new super powers that elevated us above any of the patients we would be taking care of-----it just acknowledged that we care enough to educate ourself about caring for others. We need to support each other on a daily basis------because one day we will be that patient.

[LadysSolo]

I agree. Whenever someone posts a "vent", I just wait for someone to come up with "you aren't therapeutic/kind/understanding/etc. enough." To the patient's face, they are! Sometimes you just need to blow off some steam. But the requisite "miss perfect" always comes along on schedule. Honey, get a grip. You haven't been in nursing long enough if you don't want to vent sometimes.

[lani030509]

hey guys is there anybody knows where are all those hospitals whose hiring for volunteer nurses?pls reply thanks and Gobless to all

[diane227, LPN, RN]

Everyone has the right to express their opinion. If what someone says offends you, send them a private email or just blow it off. Some of the people here have more experience than others and have a different way of dealing with stressful situations. Sometimes people are just trying to give people ideas on ways they can deal with situations to reduce their own stress levels when dealing with those situations in the future. People have been rude to me on this site. I have even received what I would consider VERY nasty private emails. I either had to blow it off or argue with the person. Getting into a conflict was useless.

[Bubbles]

I've seen changes in the last couple of years (I've been a member since 2004 and a mod since 2006).

Tougher economic conditions have created an undercurrent of tension that wasn't there before. Students used to endure hard times in school, but they had the hope that as soon as they crossed the finish line, they'd find good jobs and the sun would shine again. Now people worry that they're knocking themselves out and may end up with nothing to show for their efforts but big loans.

Some seasoned nurses may have come back to work or increased their hours when a partner or spouse was laid-off. Lots of folks have watched their retirement savings shrink.

Paying sky-high housing expenses, keeping the cars running, putting kids through school, heck, just putting groceries on the table--it all adds up.

It's tough sometimes to go to work with all of this gnawing at you and then have to put on a happy face and take care of folks who don't seem to have a clue. It can be especially challenging when you're caring for people who appear to feel entitled to perfection.

There will always be conflicts between students and seasoned nurses. And between those who see nurses as angels of mercy and those who see them as pretty good people who try their best to do a challenging job. And between those who need to blow off some steam and those who are trying to keep their optimism alive. But any time you have a national sense of apprehension and stress, the individual struggles intensify.

Three things could help keep things calm here on the board--

We could all try a little harder to separate the post from the poster and stay connected even when we disagree.

We could remember that we're all carrying some kind of load and for some, it's almost more than they can bear.

And we could agree to disagree with respect. There are ways to have a good rip-snorting argument that still follows the rules of logic and decency and doesn't tear down those who disagree. A good debate is invigorating. "As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend." A vicious smack-down, on the other hand, leaves everybody bruised and battered to no good end.

It saddens me to see what could be a good discussion degenerate into petty, defensive name-calling and snarkiness. I wish that folks knew how to side-step the mud-slinging and focus on the parts of the argument that really deserve attention.

I hope the economy improves enough for nursing to be the shining employment beacon it once was. And I hope all of you can find what you need to make life work for you and those you care about.

That's as close to Kumbayah as I can get without needing insulin.

Thank you! I have been on this site since early on and sometimes I feel dismay at what is written. As professionals in health care it is our responsibility to be civil to others in our field. And that applies whether the poster is an experienced RN or a CNA or a student. Because of some of the negative comments most of the time I don't log in. I just read and it can be very enlightening what is going on in the hospitals and in the job market! Sometimes it is hard to believe what is expected of some hospital nurses! No wonder new nurses leave the profession after only a year or two!! What a shame!!! I have never understood the expression of 'eating our young'!!!! So, I agree, let's be supportive of one another and realize that communicating on line leaves out our ability to incorporate all the other aspects of communication such as hearing the tone of voice and seeing the person. When someone has had a really bad day and needs to vent it is hard to see their good qualities. Thanks again!