Why are some nurses so nasty?

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I am in my first semester of nursing school, and I am doing my clinical rotation at a smaller community hospital. The evening before clinicals, we all go to the hospital to pick up our patient assignments.

Tonight, there were 3 of us sitting behind one of the tables with a computer ( mind you there are approx 15 computers) doing our patient reports/careplans and gathering info from pt. charts. This nurse walks up and slams her folder onto the desk on top of our papers (scared the daylights out of us) and says in a really snide voice, " this is the computer I like to use, and that is the seat I like to sit in, so I will be sitting in it now. You girls will just have to find someplace else to go". WTH? am I overreacting? I don't know why this is bothering me so much, but I have been thinking about it all night long! Should I just let it go ( which is my first thought ) or should I tell my clinical advisor about it? If she would have rephrased it differently, I would have had no problem, but her tone was just SO nasty! Sometimes I don't think they remember the days of being students themselves. I just wish I could figure out why it infuriates me so much.

Yes, we are their guests so just smile politely, get up and move your things.

During my rotation at the nursing home some of my classmates hogged all of the chairs at the nursing station. All I could think was, "This isn't our place. We were invited here." No one got up until the RN finally complained (I could tell she tried to do it in a joking manner). Sometimes student's don't have the greatest manners either!! I would never sit in a seat under those circumstances.

Just smile and move on with your day......

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Specializes in LTC, Med/Surg, Peds, ICU, Tele.
Wow...that's something to think about! I know we all have bad days....

I try to think that way other times, like when someone cuts me off in traffic or tailgates aggressively. Like, maybe their sister just died or their on their way to take their son off life support. You just never know.

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maybe her husband just left her for a younger woman, her house in in forclosure, her teenaged daughter is pregnant, and she spent the weekend helping move here aging mother to a nursing home?

i agree eather she had a bad day or needs more fiber. eather way id let it go. patients may have the same kind of temperment because thats how they react when they are sick. dont let it bother you. her bad attitude is her prob.

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Specializes in Pediatrics.

That sounds like she has some personality issues and she may not be a people person. It may not be anything against you all as students. Sounds like she just be a you-know-what in general, in life.

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Some nurses are nasty because some people are nasty. It doesn't have to go with the territory. There are just a few folks out there who would be nasty if they worked in a bakery or a had a job testing feather beds and bon-bons.

Laugh it off, if you can. Don't take it personally. They usually don't even know you well enough to pick you out of a line-up. If you weren't the target, someone else would be.

That impersonal nastiness says a lot more about the giver than the receiver.

I wish you the best.

yes! yes! YES! I would have written this if you hadn't, rn/writer! It wouldn't matter what kind of profession she/he were in...they still would be nasty. The problem is hers/his...and I believe the best reaction to this is nothing...sometimes people are just bugging for a fight.

Kris

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Yes, we are their guests so just smile politely, get up and move your things.

During my rotation at the nursing home some of my classmates hogged all of the chairs at the nursing station. All I could think was, "This isn't our place. We were invited here." No one got up until the RN finally complained (I could tell she tried to do it in a joking manner). Sometimes student's don't have the greatest manners either!! I would never sit in a seat under those circumstances.

Just smile and move on with your day......

Some very valid points, Kathyz!

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Specializes in Home Health, Geriatrics.

Everyone has problems with work and outside of work. The hard part is knowing when to leave which problem where it belongs, either at work or at home. Not all nurses are cranky and hate students. There are some of us who really love having students around and teaching them things and watching the light in their eyes when they really connect the dots to see the big picture or have just completed a skill on a patient correctly. It is wonderful knowing you had a little part in helping that student. Every single nurse out there was a student at one time. Some seem to forget that time and can't remember how hard it was and how dumb you felt as a student. Hang in there, be the better person and walk away from someone who has a bad attitude. Just remember all of you students, that when you become nurses and students are on the floor, remember how you felt and act accordingly. Best of luck to all of you.;)

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Specializes in Ortho, Neuro, Detox, Tele.

True...but some things are beyond even a good nurses control...we have students coming in during the days from 8-1 and the ONLY nurse's role they perform is giving 8AM meds...when you have 25 patients 3 nurses, 2 techs and 8 surgeries for the day...it's a long morning....

So, it may not be you...just the situation you're coming into...the students in our BSN(mind you) program come in, give 8am meds, and give baths do AM care and that's it....wait til 2nd when you can actually perform the role of a nurse....

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I guess I have a different take on this issue. My interactions with the nurses have generally been good, but my interactions with the techs have been AMAZING. It's like they love to teach us students.

In our second semester we were on a med surg unit. There are about six chairs around a large table in the nursing station, the seats were ALWAYS occupied by the nurses reading magazines because we students were giving baths, taking vitals, giving meds, etc. If we needed to insert a catheter or NG tube, etc, our instructor would assist us. I don't hold the attitude that the students are the nurses guests because quite frankly, it isn't up to them weather or not students do rotations on their floor. The hospital and schools arrange that.

There is a back room that has ten chairs and ten computers that at any given time, only two seats are being occupied by the doctors. The nurses hold the opinion that this is the doctors area and we are forbidden to sit in there. Funny thing is, on the rare occasions I did see a doctor back there, he/she was as sweet as could be and told me that if I had any questions, feel free to ask. So for the entire semester, while my classmates were shaking in their shoes about how they were going to manage to chart while standing up, I planted myself in the doctors area and did my work quietly. Sometimes you do what you gotta do to get the job done efficiently.

This artificial doctor worship is something I'm just not down with. Of course they deserve respect, but no more or no less than anyone else I come into contact with. I treat everyone equally.

What always bothered me was that after a particularly nasty rotation with these nurses, we were expected to purchase them gifts (we did a basket filled with candy). Do you suppose any of us heard a "Thank you"? Nope. Do you think I ever contributed to the gifts again after dealing with nasty people? NOPE. Bad behavior does not get rewarded by me. As Dr. Phil (for what that's worth) says "You teach people how to treat you". I am never confrontational, but I refuse to cower under any circumstances. I am there to learn and if they aren't willing to teach, I dig out my text book and if needed, I go to my instructor. Meanwhile, the "real" nurses are at the station reading Vogue and/or gossiping about so and so. Of course this didn't happen everywhere, but at this particular place it did.

Let it go. If they had a bad day, still gives them NO right to take it out on others. If a loved one died, that's what bereavement time is for. If they argued with their spouse, they have to set that aside and focus on their job. Otherwise when nurses make major errors (like hanging the wrong blood type for a patient because the nurse was distracted by personal problems), how far do you think that excuse went with the BON? Not very far at all because they pulled her license for killing a patient.

In summary, treat others how you wish to be treated, but take no bull crap if you wouldn't give it. Play nice and if they don't play nice with you, steer clear of them and get your help elsewhere. If you see an open seat that is "reserved" for the doctors and no one is back there, give it a shot. My nursing instructors would see me back there and just shake their heads and laugh. I got the distinct impression that they admired my gumption.

Ain't nursing great?;)

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I hope it works out for eneryone. I am Looking at going to school to become a nurse and im going to go and get my BSN and become an RN im thinking of maby peds or ER. Everyone has their bad days hopefully the nurses who where mean wil be better the next time you go to your cilnical sites.

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Specializes in ccu cardiovascular.

Some nurses are just miserable to each other and some just don't like students. Don't worry about it, just remember when you are an experienced nurse to be kind to your young students.

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