What's your relationship with the other nurses on your floor?

[mell260]

Do you all get along for the most part? Do you eat meals with them or just get away and use that for alone time? Could you see yourself hanging out with them outside of work?

[vivacious1healer]

They brag?? Docs are not celebrities, come on.

Tell me about it! They are just enthralled when a doctor calls them by name. I don't get it.

I just want to work with the docs that are respectful and return my pages. I don't have a desire to be in their fan club.

[HollyHobby]

We get along well for the most part,I don't however make it a practice to "hang-out",I feel it is not in my best interest to get too personally involved with my co-workers esp. subordinates.Work is work personal life is personal.

I see your point. I work with a few nurses who are more private and who don't socialize with co-workers outside of the hospital. This is respected, but even the most private of people at my workplace know they have the option to reach out to others. They know they have a psychological safety net if they should ever need it.

Personally, work is one of the most important things in my life. After all, the only thing I spend more time doing is sleeping. So it makes sense to me that whoever you are, it's important that your workplace is fulfilling to you. What's fulfilling is a very personal matter; only you know what makes you happy and helps you to meet your goals.

For me, being fulfilled at work means having meaningful relationships with my co-workers and being able to give great patient care. This is as important to me as earning enough to pay the bills. Years ago, money came first and the thrill of learning to take care of really sick patients came second. My priorities have changed. I still enjoy the challenge of taking care of desperately ill patients, but I don't need to do that every day. I still need enough money to survive, but I'm not out to make the most money I can. What's important to me now is that I enjoy my work.

Also, and maybe this is just me, I don't think of anyone as being my "subordinate". I respect each person equally, regardless of his/her role. I feel as comfortable being friends with my nurses' aide as I do being friends with another nurse. I recognize that a nurse fresh out of school has as much to teach me as a veteran nurse does. I'm eager to teach the nurses' aide what I know, and by god, that nurses' aide has a few things to teach me, too.

Sure, I have the right to tell the nurses' aide what to do. I have the right to tell the phlebotomist, or the Xray tech, or the dietary aide, etc. to do things the way I want them done. And on the rare occasions when I do give orders (for example during a code or near-code situation) you should see how fast people jump! Because if HollyHobby calmly says "You do this, You do that" in that tone of voice, it means business.

But I tend to think of every employee and physician as a team member. We all have the same ultimate goal: do what's best for the patient. I'm lucky to work at a place where this is what actually happens.

[NurseNinaFla]

Thank you HollyHobby (I remember her!) as far as subordinates go it has been my experience that getting too personally involved leads to problems at the workplace IE; expecting special treatment and being accused of showing favoritism,when in fact I strive hard never to do that (that is my point/issue

also I do know that I can reach out to other nurses/co-workers if need be and they know that they can do the same,nurses and healthcare workers are a special breed and for the most part the most compassionate,giving people on the planet,thank you all! :redbeathe

[TangoLima]

I work nights on a busy Telemetry unit. There are usually 6 or 7 units each night. I would say we mostly get along well. There is one who I don't care for and don't trust her any further than I can throw her. There are a couple who I tolerate. The rest I get along with very well.

We all support each other and cover for each other when we can. Got a new admit after the unit clerk has gone home? I'll put your chart together for you! Got a patient you need to transfer to the ICU? I'll give meds to one of your other patients! Just had a bad night and are behind? I'll do your flowsheets or check your MARs!

We celebrate birthdays, have pot lucks, baby showers, etc. There's only one I would probably do anything outside work with, but haven's so far.

[NeoNurseTX, RN]

Some I am friends with outside of work, some are just work buddies, some I am neutral to and some I dislike. At lunch I usually like to read and eat alone to escape the noise from the unit.

[Bill E. Rubin]

I once worked in an excellent hospital where I had more opportunity for advancement and better pay, and everyone there was nice, but there was no feeling of connectedness among the staff. At that time, I was going through a ridiculously horrible personal situation. I needed all the emotional support I could get. Now, the purpose of a hospital is not to meet the emplyees' emotional needs and I didn't expect my co-workers to help me. Of course I did not let my personal problems interfere with patient care, but I felt lost and alone every time I walked in the door.

On a whim, I decided to check out a hospital that was much closer to home. I applied, had an interview, and was taken on a tour of the unit. Immediately, I knew I had to work there. When I saw how the nurses and other staff interacted with each other and with their patients, I wanted to be a part of it. At the time I wasn't sure why; it was just an impression I had.

I've been working there for more than three years and I cannot imagine working anywhere else. My boyfriend has suggested I look for a job elsewhere; he believes it would be a good move to work at a place where I'd be paid more, get into management, etc. But for me, the relationships I have with my co-workers and patients are too priceless.

Every nurse, unit clerk, and aide on our unit is part of our family. When I walk in the door, these people are delighted to see me, and I am happy to see them. We know about each others' lives, our triumphs and tribulations, and our support for each other is absolute.

Even better, this happy atmosphere translates into superb patient care. Every day I work, at least one patient or family member comments on how much they love our hospital, how excellent the nurses are, and how they would not go anywhere else for their care. On our unit, our patients feel like we genuinely care about them, and they are right. It is not unusual for our patients to stop by after they are discharged, just to thank us and chat with us and let us know how they are getting along. What could be more rewarding than that?

We are all friends on Facebook. We go to each others' weddings, showers, and parties. Those who have little kids get together for play dates. We hang out at each others' houses. We call and text each other, go to museums and football games with each other. We cry together. Best of all, we laugh with each other and with our patients.

Tonight is Girls' Night Out!

HollyHobby, this sounds lovely. Most of my coworkers would probably say the same thing about our unit. Some of the newer nurses all went to Las Vegas on a trip together. Another group of veterans went to Puerto Rico. People are invited to each other's weddings, baby showers, have drinks after work together and whatnot.... I'm just not part of the club. I have gotten along famously with travel nurses who come through the unit from time to time due to the fact that we are all outsiders of a sort. A part of me wishes things were different. While I have worked in environments during my 20+ years in the corporate world where I didn't have any friends (just pleasant working relationships with my colleagues), nursing is a different kind of job... plus you're kind of cooped up with your colleagues for 12 hours at a time, only occasionally getting the opportunity to get off the unit during a shift with little opportunity to email friends outside of work since one is not sitting in front of a computer all the time like I was in my previous career. As I've said before, I get along great with most of my fellow RNs, and at times feel a great affection for them and always feel a sense of pride about the care we give our patients (I have told patients, and meant it that I would trust my life in the hands of any of my colleagues). However, nobody really knows me here, nor seems to care to. So at times, I feel, as you say, "lost and alone" and do wish that at least one coworker would show some curiosity to want to get to know me better.

[imintrouble, BSN, RN]

We aren't friends outside work. But there is such a bond when we're on the floor. I may have a team of pts, but I am never the only nurse. I have only to ask for help and the help is there. When anybody's pt crashes all the nurses are that pts nurse. We converge on that room in the best interest of the pt. Just writing this makes me proud to be one of them. I've worked at a lot of facilities, but have never worked with people I admire more.

[annmariern]

Wow, some of you are really lucky. Reminds me of my very first job, tough, tough floor, horrible staffing, very sick pts and yet I loved my job, loved the people I worked with in fact 20+ years later count 4 of them as still some of the best friends I ever had, and despite the years and miles, are always there. After 6 years at this job, its been a bit like a boot camp; I think management likes that just fine. Theres a core of hard timers, and we don't agree always, have zero in common, irritate the hell out of each other, but when it hits the fan, they muck in. A very dysfunctional family.But among them a wealth of knowledge, and talents. As for socializing out of hours, there are a couple of people; for the most part, official "the boss has decided where you will have your christmas party", no thanks. I think when you work with people who come to the place with a common goal (employ my skills take care of the patient), are supported by their managers, whose opinions count, then you get a great place to work, happy nurses= happier patients. Duh. Hcaps scores falling anyone? Adding paperwork and bullying staff , not so much. Sorry, bit off post there. Anyway, good to read that happy workplaces are still out there in nursing!