Now here's a small concern that I have whenever I go to the hospital. I have found nurses to be rude to me.
I dont give it back because they're the one's who will be taking care of me and I want them to care for me.
I have a lot of respect for nurses, they are angels for the kind of compassionate work they do, but some experiences here and there create a long lasting memory. Only friendly people in hospital to me were the nuns and priests, during communion time.
Sometimes, I have even tried to avoid going to hospitals.
Is this because they want patients to be submissive and obedient ? I have never come across a friendly nurse till date.
Rude patients do exist, is this why they put the foot down first?
Btw, I am a colored(brown) person, so I wonder if this is a reason.
Once when I was admitted, there was a senior nurse who at first was rude. But then I told her that she was like my mother and I felt hurt that she was rude. I told her nicely and she was nice to me after that.
But, as a patient we go to hospitals emotionally and physically down, the last thing we would want is to get intimidated by the nurse.
What's the best way to tell a nurse that it hurts when they're rude without getting them angry.
Specializes in Psych, Addictions, SOL (Student of Life).
Well that's crap. I just wanted an opinion about my experiences, that was it. The Healthcare industry is rude.
Perhaps if you could give a specific example of what you call rudeness. There can be cultural considerations as what is considered rude by one culture may be entirly acceptable in others. Simply not responding to how are you today is not outright rudeness - nurses have a lot of thimgs going on in their heads when they are providing care.
I always try to be friendly and have a smile for my patient's still there are days when my patience is stretched to the limit or I am way behind in my rounds. At those times I can't stop and be chatty. You keep talking about needing sympathy and feeling needy when you are ill. If I am ding something that is causing pain or discomfort I will often often say "I'm sorry" . Still there are some people who want or need a lot more sympathy than I have time to reasonably give. That doesn't make me rude just busy.
Specializes in Psych, Addictions, SOL (Student of Life).
Ok so I imagine that you were in an ER. Compared to what may be coming through the back door your sprained ankle may not be a priority for a busy triage nurse. Most sprained ankle's don't require ER treatment unless you think it may be broken. even then it could most likely be handled in an urgent care reletively quickly. There may be several critically ill people in the back who are on deaths door. I agree that the nurse could have used a different choice of words instead of wait or leave but you have to put things into perpective. I once waited 6 hours in an ER waiting room with my son to get three stitches. When he was finally seen I talked to the nurse practioner and asked if they were having a busy night. He rolled his eyes and said "you have no idea". I have spent my fair share of time in ER waiting rooms when I was quite ill a few years ago and I have never been treated rudely. Because someone is busy doesn't make them rude.
I did not know about these things and wonder if I could even think especially with that pain. But I am coming to know things I wouldn't know had I not posted here. My ankles still remain swollen despite being cured.
Hmmmmm - another case where I think education of the public regarding triage is in order. Ankle pain would almost certainly get tagged code green. As in, bottom of the list of concerns, as in why are you in my ER? All that would be done in my ER would be check for perfusion and deformity, X-Ray, apply the RICE method, a couple of NSAID's, and instruct to follow up with an orthopod if there was a fracture. In other words, nothing that couldn't have been done at an orthopedic or urgent care clinic.
To clarify and help clear up some of the confusion about priority: it's not 1st come first serve. It's the truly sick and dying (codes yellow - may die if not helped in a few hours, red - will die unless seen in minutes, and blue - will be permanently dead unless seen NOW) that get to the front of the line (in order of priority: Blue > Red > Yellow > Green). If you've been waiting for hours and you're the last one in the waiting room, you will still get bumped to the bottom of the list in favor of a fresh code red trauma that just came in. Your skin color has nothing (hopefully) to do with it, just the color of your triage code.
Some hospitals have a Redi-Care system in their ER: it's like a clinic for people who wind up in the ER for a clinic-worthy complaint. If you have of those hospitals in your town, it might be worth looking into. In some hospitals, it has decreased the wait-time in the ER from 3+ hours to
OP, your screen name is mathboy - I assume that means you're good with numbers. Here are some numbers to make sense of some of the irritation healthcare providers have with the ER being used for a clinic-worthy complaint. I'm sorry you had an unpleasant experience - unfortunately the attitude you were met with, while perhaps impolite, isn't entirely unjustifiable.
I'm rarely rude, even to family members. Just...abrupt because I'm generally very busy at work and I don't even work in a hospital. Just rehab.
Yet, I understand that 'abruptness' could be perceived as rudeness.
Tips for the nurse?
Pretty sure you're not comparing the (male) doc or an attorney to your 'paw-paw'. Don't compare me to your mother or 'nana'. It's mildly insulting. I'm here to do a job, not kiss boo-boos and butts and it's something that I strive to be good at.
If you make it home w/o a change of status, trip to the ICU or prolonged hospital stay, in general, thanks to some HAI?
YOU'RE WELCOME.
-- Signed,
Your rude a*** but clearly attentive and proficient ER nursing staff.
Anyway, I'm black. I'm not one to diminish "racial concerns" but there are far more racist/prejudiced pts/visitors out there than staff members, in my opinion. I've been called every variation of n--- and never once by a nurse, aide or provider. People aren't abrupt or rude because you're "colored". Shut up. They're abrupt because there's too many of you, not enough of them, mountains of work to be done and constant interruptions and situations going on. It's enough to make anyone run screaming for the exits.
I doubt that you're a "person of color", anyhow. Most would just outright call themselves 'black' or 'PRican' or 'mexican' and whatnot.
'Colored'? How old are you, 82?
Overall, there's room for improvement on both sides. I'd say. The majority of these pt visitors should stop coming to healthcare facilities behaving as though they're putting in orders at Burger King.
ESPECIALLY, the freakin' ER.
People are trying to die in there. Walk through the doors damned near dead. Wouldn't a rational person seated in the ER waiting room assume that the staff is tending to things of that nature?
No - because the nurses are all just shooting the breeze, ordering shoes off the internet while they make the pt's wait for no good reason. (sarcasm)
I don't even work the ER - I work SNF/rehab - but that attitude irritates me all the same. I don't care if you are trolling, certain things need to be said.
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
But here I am unwell looking for some compassion. Yes, every profession does have its fair share, but here I am sick and unwell. Why be rude to a weak person.
Again, the common denominator is you. If EVERY nurse you've encountered is "rude" to you, either you're the problem or your definition of rudeness is the problem.
So much of bashing just for raising a issue I thought was valid. Anyway, I am done. Next time I guess its best to talk to the Manager or be patient as you say. And for all who said I wanted sympathy, I meant in simple terms that being rude is unsympathetic/heartless. In other words be polite and politeness doesn't mean being sympathetic. I don't know what goes on in an ER as much as you guys do but I do know it now. I cant list each and every instance of rudeness, but I know I was very polite. Good Night .
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
Thanks for your post, many do share the same experience as me, so a lot of common denominators actually. But if I were a nurse, I would treat everyone well and would never be rude. After all I know how sicknesses can drain a residents mental and emotional well being.
In some cases patients are all on their own with no immediate family present and being rude at that point is quite heartless and belittling.
How in the world to you know what you would do if you were a nurse? Most people don't know exactly what they would do in a situation until they're IN the situation, and if you've never been a nurse then you have absolutely NO idea how you'd be. I'm sorry you've been ill and that your mental and emotional well being have been drained . . . but that is not the fault of every nurse you've ever come across. It sucks to be sick, as I'm in a good position to know. But you cannot possibly know or understand the stressors on nurses or how you would react to them.
And I reiterate -- if you encounter one jerk in your path, you've just encountered a jerk. If everyone you encounter is a jerk, then perhaps the problems isn't them; it's you.
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
Well I don't think there is a cultural/communication style difference. Some don't like being spoken to, they wouldn't even reply to a 'How are you doing' comment.
You know what -- I find it rude and overly familiar when I'm trying to elicit a list of home medications or symptoms of the current problem and the patient keeps asking me how I'm doing or wants to discuss my marital status, the number and gender of my offspring, my age or where I'm from. I intensely dislike it when someone I barely know throws his arm around my shoulder to inquire about my day or asks me if I know the lord. So if you're asking your nurses how they're doing instead of providing information on your problem, that is indeed a cultural/communication style difference.
And if you're repeatedly finding that "some don't like being spoken to, wouldn't even reply to a "how are you doing" comment," then why don't you just stop speaking to them like that?
How in the world to you know what you would do if you were a nurse? Most people don't know exactly what they would do in a situation until they're IN the situation, and if you've never been a nurse then you have absolutely NO idea how you'd be. I'm sorry you've been ill and that your mental and emotional well being have been drained . . . but that is not the fault of every nurse you've ever come across. It sucks to be sick, as I'm in a good position to know. But you cannot possibly know or understand the stressors on nurses or how you would react to them.
And I reiterate -- if you encounter one jerk in your path, you've just encountered a jerk. If everyone you encounter is a jerk, then perhaps the problems isn't them; it's you.
Yeah, that's about as relevant as me saying what I would do in a plummeting airplane if I were a pilot. I have no idea what I'd do. Which is why I am not a pilot, and why my insight on the subject is of limited value.
hppygr8ful, ASN, RN, EMT-I
4 Articles; 5,212 Posts
Perhaps if you could give a specific example of what you call rudeness. There can be cultural considerations as what is considered rude by one culture may be entirly acceptable in others. Simply not responding to how are you today is not outright rudeness - nurses have a lot of thimgs going on in their heads when they are providing care.
I always try to be friendly and have a smile for my patient's still there are days when my patience is stretched to the limit or I am way behind in my rounds. At those times I can't stop and be chatty. You keep talking about needing sympathy and feeling needy when you are ill. If I am ding something that is causing pain or discomfort I will often often say "I'm sorry" . Still there are some people who want or need a lot more sympathy than I have time to reasonably give. That doesn't make me rude just busy.
Hppy