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

smk1, LPN · Jun 17, 2007

Over the last year, the students we have had have been so bad that I just do not have the patience for it anymore. I used to enjoy precepting and teaching. I did it for a long time. But now we are being judged for the most picayune things. And I don't have the time to worry about how good my smile looks, to be honest. I am pleasant to people, but there are days when yes, the stress does get to me and I don't smile as much as a student might think I should.
This was an example of the sort of "last straw" stressor that lead me to stop taking on students. It doesn't mean I judged the whole group based on that coment. But I did hear those sorts of judgemental comments coming from brand new students who had no clue; the same ones who came to clincial ill-prepared to work with patients then wondered why we were frustrated with them.
Hopefully they will mature and learn that nursing is a lot more than plastering on a cheerful visage for the benefit of passersby.

This is a shame. Sometimes I think the system is set up to cause dissention but what can you do. It is hard when you are the nurse with brand new students because they really can't do much unsupervised. They slow the whole process down. Anyway it is always the bad apples who you remember.

2benurse2008 · Jun 18, 2007

WOW! I want to thank everyone who posted a response. It has shed some light :idea: on why some nurse look like they have just ate some sour grapes.

The next time I see one looking that way I will now have some idea how to

handle them. ( I will just smile bigger and be more helpful) Thanks

Everyone.....

grace90, LPN, LVN · Jun 19, 2007

Actually, I'm lucky with my (night) coworkers, I would get away with wording it that way too "what's with the bug up your butt?" lol. If I tried that with day shift, I'd probably get a look that'd turn me to stone!

I think I would be able to do that with a lot of the nightworkers, too, but not all of them. And there are a handful of 2ndshifters that I could say that too, too. It all depends on the person. Other times just a single raised eyebrow and an "ok?!" says it all.

reesern63, RN · Jun 19, 2007

WOW! I want to thank everyone who posted a response. It has shed some light on why some nurse look like they have just ate some sour grapes.
The next time I see one looking that way I will now have some idea how to
handle them. ( I will just smile bigger and be more helpful) Thanks
Everyone.....

Honestly, we don't need to be "handled."

pebbles, BSN, RN · Jun 19, 2007

Honestly, we don't need to be "handled."

I agree! Maybe just work on being less judgmental - do your work, be yourself, and don't get so bent out of shape about how the nurses LOOK, etc. How they look when they do their jobs is nothing to do with you. "Smiling bigger and being more helpful" is not the way to go. Just be yourself, and stop taking stuff like that so personally. And rest assured that one day, you will know how it feels.

stpauligirl · Jun 19, 2007

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?

Just think you have to put up with them being the patient....I've had a couple of those

Athenas83 · Jun 19, 2007

I'm gonna be a student starting in August, and this thread is funny. I'm never worried about the look that people have on their faces. Every human looks like they've eaten sour grapes at one time or another, some more than others, especially at work.

People used to analyze the look on my face in the past, and I hated it! It's like...you don't know what I'm thinking about. Do you need me to smile more to make you more comfortable?? I tend to think deeply sometimes, and I'm not a fake person.

Nurses are dealing w/ life and death! Who cares what look they have on their face. It's a serious job they have. I would hope they're not laughing and smiling big all the time on the job. As a nurse, I certainly won't because I'll be thinking critically a good part of the time. Really, the patients are the only ones who deserve a nice warm smile, and who wants a smile that isn't from the heart anyway.