What Is The Most Disrespectful Thing A Colleague Has Said To You?

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

The recent thread started by a CNA who left work after clocking in because she was "disrespected" has left me curious about what could possibly be disrespectful enough to have someone shoot themselves in the foot by just leaving work. I've been wracking my brain, trying to come up with something and have no answers. But I do remember a few times when I've been disrespected at work, and it's far enough in the past now that I find myself laughing about the incidents in question. So I'm wondering -- what is the most outrageous, disrespectful and funny thing a colleague has said or done to you?

I met my husband at work, and for four years watched him date every travel nurse, RT or nursing colleague who crossed his path. We were friends, belonged to the same group of friends, and I liked him, but I had a boyfriend. Then I watched him date this woman I'll call Elsa, a charge nurse on our unit who was in her late 20s and twice divorced. Elsa wanted to marry every man she ever dated, and shortly after she came to work and told everyone she was marrying Matt, he dumped her. Shortly thereafter, she started dating Willy, one of Matt's close friends and a member of our group. Willy was also divorced twice at 28 and wanted to marry every woman he ever dated. The two were married within six months. Meanwhile, I broke up with my boyfriend and went out with Matt just for kicks.

Matt and I dated for four years, which surprised the heck out of me, because I wasn't really looking for a relationship and didn't think he was either. At the five year mark, we got married.

I was standing at the Pyxis one day shortly after Matt and I got married, and Elsa walked up to me and said "I could have Matt any time I wanted. The only reason he married YOU is because he couldn't have ME."

"That's not how I heard it," I replied.

"Oh, you can't trust your husband to tell you the truth about old girlfriends," she said.

"I heard it from YOUR husband," I said. And walked away. It wasn't until hours later that I realized that I had inadvertently come up with the perfect response. And it was the absolute truth!

So what's the most outrageous thing a coworker has said to you?

[llg, PhD, RN]

Gee, Ruby. I'm having trouble coming up with an example. I've had a lot of people denigrate higher education in general or say bad things about nurses who have graduate degrees, but not directly about me, personally. Usually, they say something mean and nasty about education ... and then realize I am in the room and get all sheepish and say something like, "Oh, llg, I didn't mean YOU personally. I guess some people with higher education are OK." And I'll remind them not to generalize about groups of people -- as there are "good" and "bad" aspects within every group.

[Alex Egan, LPN, EMT-B]

Everytime I leave here someone screws something up. So I'll just work 7A to 11p everyday. My boss just said that today. I have rarely felt more cut down.

[jeijeap]

On the first night by myself at a new job which happened to be the first job I have had in a hospital, one of my co-workers stated to me " Vicky left some big shoes that you will never be able to fill."

That burn still stings a little, but right now I feel like my own shoes are pretty big themselves =)

[OkieOBRN, MSN]

"Oh, that is SO cute!". When the newish grad/new on my unit nurse found out that I was the NRP instructor for the hospital. To be completely fair, she started while I was out on maternity leave, and I only came back PRN, so maybe she didn't know me? I am one of the more experienced nurses on our unit (heck, in the hospital), and certainly know what I am doing.

She did apologize the next time she saw me (a few days later), so its a by-gone now...

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

"Oh, that is SO cute!". When the newish grad/new on my unit nurse found out that I was the NRP instructor for the hospital. To be completely fair, she started while I was out on maternity leave, and I only came back PRN, so maybe she didn't know me? I am one of the more experienced nurses on our unit (heck, in the hospital), and certainly know what I am doing.

She did apologize the next time she saw me (a few days later), so its a by-gone now...

Out of couriosity, what is an NRP instructor? Not that the story doesn't stand up by itself . . . .

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

Neonatal Resuscitation Program. There's ACLS for adults, PALS for peds, and NRP for newborns.

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

Neonatal Resuscitation Program. There's ACLS for adults, PALS for peds, and NRP for newborns.

Ah, thanks.

[A.Robins]

After I had to take a couple of weeks out of student placement for depression related to a history of it and the added pressures of my brother being evaluated for bipolar and only feeling able to talk to me about how he felt.

"Are your parents disappointed to have two children with mental health issues?" From my mentor.

I was so shocked I just answered no, and that they were supportive and left it at that. My friends were fuming when they heard about it though. That woman was hard on me about everything and was the one who brought up the idea I might need time off because she was worried about me being so down beforehand, so I think it was more her being tactless than deliberately mean maybe.

[BuckyBadgerRN, ASN, RN]

I think that poster's definition of "disrespected" may not fall in line with what I define it as. Choosing my words carefully, but I'm willing to bet that there are posters here who may understand my thoughts.

[nursej22, MSN, RN]

Many years ago my med/surg unit was going to be transitioned to a progressive care unit and take on cardiac tele, including post-op OHS. The ICU nurses were totally against this and told us it wouldn't work because "floor nurses work with their backs and ICU nurses work with their brains"

[nursej22, MSN, RN]

Another time working in cardiac recovery with a non-nurse manager was told that I had to stop thinking like a nurse because it wasn't a nursing unit. No need for assessments, just do what the MD orders, you are covered under his license.