Why do some nurse's act like they have just ate some sour grapes?

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I am a nursing student and have noticed that some of the nurses look like they just ate sour grapes. Do they really hate their jobs to the point they look sour or are they just that stressed out? :confused:

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Could be both. Nurses are no different than other people.

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Some nurses do hate their jobs, and those are not meant to be nurses, but then again every job out there is stressful.

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Nursing can be stressful at times. Maybe he/she just had a bad day. Maybe they are just a pissy person. It exists in every field of work. Sour grapes isn't unique to nursing.

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They are at work. This is not a hobby for most of us. They might look sour, but they are carrying a heavy weight of responsibility that you cannot imagine yet.

A friend of mine once remarked on how upbeat and friendly nurses were in the USA compared to her country.

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Specializes in Trauma acute surgery, surgical ICU, PACU.

An awful lot of people don't look merry while at work. Not just nurses. It might mean nothing - it might just mean they are serious about the work. It might mean that they have more responsibility than you did as a student and it makes the work that much more stressful.

Honestly, you can't judge a book by its cover, and you can't judge a nurse by her facial expression.

I had a patient snarl at me once "You could at least SMILE."

Once I explained to him that my serious expression wasn't directed at him personally, and that it was because I was concentrating on not making a mistake as I programmed his insulin IV pump, he was a lot more reasonable.

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Specializes in ED, ICU, Heme/Onc.
I am a nursing student and have noticed that some of the nurses look like they just ate sour grapes. Do they really hate their jobs to the point they look sour or are they just that stressed out? :confused:

Hmmm... maybe that nurse just had the chart she was looking at go missing for the fourth or fifth time that hour, not to be replaced in the proper spot, or there are no available chairs or computers at the nurse's station, and she just got report on her seventh patient - a fresh post-op that probably should have gone to the unit, and oh yes, the 1:1 for the patient who tried to commit suicide needs to use the bathroom and there is no one available to cover the break, none of the students on the floor are available to help out because their instructor told them to "be the nurse" and "delegate"... management is bringing the linen representative to the floor to inservice the nurses about how they should only be using one pad under the patient at a time AND no incontinence briefs, rectal bags or tubes, JCAHO is coming through so she can't get to your water bottle without going through two locked doors...

So I guess I mean to say is that there is a lot that goes on that undermines even the cheeriest of people, and while I enjoy having students when I get pulled to the floor (I usually work ICU, but I'm pool, so I float where ever I'm needed that day), some days just stink and I've snarled a few times when I couldn't find a chart to get an order because it was being used for research. I gave up my chair and chart quickly and willingly for the sweaty, harassed looking nurse who came looking - and I expect the same in return without judgement.

I've been feeling burned from all ends these days, and it seems like no matter what we nurses do, we can't please everyone. Either our "attitude" isn't cheery enough, or our patients are laying on too many pads, or whatever.

So I guess my mouth can now resume the pucker from that bunch of sour grapes I just ate...:lol2:

Blee

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YOU GO, BLEE!!! You said it best!

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Hmmm... maybe that nurse just had the chart she was looking at go missing for the fourth or fifth time that hour, not to be replaced in the proper spot, or there are no available chairs or computers at the nurse's station, and she just got report on her seventh patient - a fresh post-op that probably should have gone to the unit, and oh yes, the 1:1 for the patient who tried to commit suicide needs to use the bathroom and there is no one available to cover the break, none of the students on the floor are available to help out because their instructor told them to "be the nurse" and "delegate"... management is bringing the linen representative to the floor to inservice the nurses about how they should only be using one pad under the patient at a time AND no incontinence briefs, rectal bags or tubes, JCAHO is coming through so she can't get to your water bottle without going through two locked doors...

So I guess I mean to say is that there is a lot that goes on that undermines even the cheeriest of people, and while I enjoy having students when I get pulled to the floor (I usually work ICU, but I'm pool, so I float where ever I'm needed that day), some days just stink and I've snarled a few times when I couldn't find a chart to get an order because it was being used for research. I gave up my chair and chart quickly and willingly for the sweaty, harassed looking nurse who came looking - and I expect the same in return without judgement.

I've been feeling burned from all ends these days, and it seems like no matter what we nurses do, we can't please everyone. Either our "attitude" isn't cheery enough, or our patients are laying on too many pads, or whatever.

So I guess my mouth can now resume the pucker from that bunch of sour grapes I just ate...:lol2:

Blee

*gives Blee a hug* I'm not a nurse yet, but have volunteered on a couple of floors, and nurses have to deal w/ so much, and those charts always go missing. Fake smiles are exhausting.

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Specializes in Geriatrics/Family Practice.

Yes I realize that nurses do carry alot of responsibility, but we a providing a service to the publice. That should account for something. Even when I'm having a bad day, I will vent to co-workers, but as of yet you will never hear someone say that I look like I just ate sour grapes. I'm also never rude to anyone. My instructor taught us that kindness and a smile will go alot further especially if an error is made. If you are rude you are pretty much guaranteed to get sued, whereas if you were kind, considerate and smiled, you probably wouldn't be sued if am error was made. Of course I'm alking about small errors. I realize that we are human, but we are in a very human demanding profession and I treat everyone how I would like to be treated. If you don't mind being treated rudely then keep eating sour grapes. Speaking of eating sour grapes, one of my biggest pet peaves is when I smile at someone and say hi, and they don't have the common courtesy to return the gesture, especially among coworkers. Yes there are days that I want to scream, but the day I'm rude repetitively then I need to get out of nursing.

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Specializes in ortho/neuro/general surgery.

I've been feeling burned from all ends these days, and it seems like no matter what we nurses do, we can't please everyone. Either our "attitude" isn't cheery enough, or our patients are laying on too many pads, or whatever.

So I guess my mouth can now resume the pucker from that bunch of sour grapes I just ate...:lol2:

Blee

I think I need a shot of sugar myself to go with my sour grapes. You're right, Blee, it's always something that we're not doing right. A pain reassess was 3 minutes too late, we left a laptop computer in the hallway, we didn't get the pre-op pt ready in time cuz we didn't have orders until 15 minutes before they came and got him...

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Specializes in ITU/Emergency.
Honestly, you can't judge a book by its cover, and you can't judge a nurse by her facial expression.

I had a patient snarl at me once "You could at least SMILE."

I have a tendency to look like a mad women at work when its busy and I am running around trying to do 3 peoples workload, my hair no matter what I do, goes all wispy and i look like I have stuck my finger in a socket and I also get a very intense face and maybe I do look a bit nuts and like I have just ate sour grapes but caring after 8 acutely ill patients (all on monitors, needing meds and treatment, regular observations and basically good nursing care) in the ER with more pouring through the doors, does not a happy nurse make! I don't mean to look like I am a sourpuss but I am aware that is how I look. I don't feel like I have eaten sour grapes, I am just concentrating and overworked and tired and ready for a break(as I have not sat down for my whole shift yet) and aware that I am not giving great nursing care and I am thinking about the orders I have backed up.

i have also done this job for 10 years so maybe that sour look is just my wrinkles!!!!!;)

Anyway, as others have said, in every walk of life you meet people who look like they have eaten sourgrapes (cashiers in a supermarket spring to mind....not all I hasten to add before someone gets upset!!) but at least we nurses have an excuse!

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