Why do some people think they are God's gift to nursing?

anotherone, BSN, RN · Feb 5, 2013

sometimes . i do hate listening to useless reports and if they get too much of a waste of time i will interup to speed it along. i really dont like wasting time on nonsence. i will ask questions to help me function not to see what the nurse knows or not . queations like how they swallow pills, get oob, does the dr really want ngt suction off because it is still ordered? etc

CABG patch kid, BSN, RN · Feb 5, 2013

It's funny you posted this; I was just reading through some of my old threads and saw that the common theme was venting about coworkers who didn't treat me as equal in some way. I can't stand when people try to make you feel like less of a person by asking you why you didn't do something. Do they really think you didn't do something because you're just a terrible nurse and don't care? Because that's how some people come off. As you can see its one of my pet peeves and a complex I have because I've had so many issues over the years with people talking down to me in one way or another. I think my skin is finally getting thicker.

DedHedRN · Feb 5, 2013

I try not to take anything personal. I just try to realize that different nurses prioritize things differently, and accept the way the give or take report without taking offense. I don't think I have ever felt personally attacked, I just see things as a learning opportunity and learn and grow from conversations, see how things fit with my nursing style, and if it could help me to be a better nurse. As my goal is to hold my self to high standards and put my pt well being as my highest priority.

jadelpn, LPN, EMT-B · Feb 5, 2013

And that is why is it really important to have a good patient report sheet ("brain") with all of this pertainent information on it. Then whatever said nurse believes you/they did not cover in your report, the information is right in front of them/you. I just want to know are they A&O, medicated for pain, can they move, if not how many assist, is anything nasty brewing ie: surgical wound, lungs sound like garbage, no BM in days, pain meds not working, weird labs, or they haven't peed in 12 hours, their VS are in the toilet, or their blood sugar is. Hitting the highlights. Otherwise, I am good and can find the info out myself. It is awesome that you believe the little old lady is soooooo sweet,yes, it does suck that the family is a pain, that the brother in laws cousin's wife's daughter is a nurse (well, not a nurse, a MA in a pediatrician's office) and says she's not ready to go home......not my need to know in detail--just did ya call and leave a message for social work? If not, I will, duly noted, and moving on.....

This is not a personal affront. It is hitting the highlights, knowing where to find information when and if you need it, and making the patient as functional and comfortable as possible.

DoeRN · Feb 5, 2013

I tell the important information while giving report. If you want to know if the patient had a soft bm 2 months ago then you can look that up yourself. I don't need all that fluff either. If someone starts asking me a ton of questions I tell them let me finish what I have to say then they can ask after that or look it up.

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KelRN215, BSN, RN · Feb 5, 2013

Sometimes there are questions that HAVE to be asked... like "this patient is ordered for q 6hr Vanco but his last dose was given at 5pm yesterday- he got his q 6hr Benadryl as a pre-med but did not receive any Vanco. Do you know why?" Though that question may make the nurse on the receiving end feel stupid, it's an error that needs to be addressed and an important one in an immunocompromised patient with a significant infection.

Barring things like that, I just want to know anything outrageous that happened that perhaps wasn't listed on the report sheet because you don't want it noted in the chart that the mother is the worst person you've ever met in your life.

I couldn't stand giving report to a few select people who asked questions about EVERYTHING. "What IV fluid is he getting?" "Where is his IV?" "What size is it?" Look at the Car-Dex, this information is all right there for you!

allnurses Guide · Feb 5, 2013

Nursing report has always interested me. Nurses are actually very good at giving a report that appropriately describes the patient, despite a lot of questions. I wouldn't take it to mean other nurses are asking questions to make you look stupid, just to make sure they know everything for the patient. I often wish I could get a nursing report from the house staff or attendings when coming on shift.

Guest343211 · Feb 5, 2013

They are such a huge pain in the orifice. It is the epitome of disrespect when they continue asking questions, when you have indicated that you want to give sign out, and will come back to individual questions. This is only logical. I mean you end up tolerating their BS interruptions, but at some point you just want to stop and say, "Read my ******* note you disrespectful orifice." Of course you can't do that. I think it's especially important to let those people that have been up all night get out report, and then get back to any questions. They come in all refreshed, and their bodies and brains haven't been jarred around by working God-awful nights.

Seriously squatmonky, what you describe hits the nail on the head.

They should teach both in school and nursing orientation to respect the person signing out such that they have delivered the bulk of the report, and then ask all you freaking questions after they are done. If you have a question, make a note, but then address it when the person signing off is done. Any person that has every had to teach a class or give a press conference knows that it's logical to let the person get through the bulk of their bit, and then Q&A follows. It's the same damn principle.

Whatever. People can just be damned ignorant and disrespectful. I just love working with insecure types that always have to try to make other people feel like shite so that they can make themselves feel special or worthwhile. Shut the duck up and stop quacking until the person gets through report already. At the end of the day, it reflects poorly on them, even if they are trying to make the other person look like crap. Thing is this. It's tough to with people in a team that are selfish. It's all about them--what they deem is this or that. They have to get all the glory. They have to have all the fresh post-ops or kids on ECMO or somehow in some role where they are seen as the supershite. And then some people are just a freaking bundle of nerves, it's like they just can't help but interrupt you, b/c they are so fearful with their OCD or whatever they have. You are doing internal eyerolls in your brain. God it's enough the whole system and the needs of patients and families keep you stressed. Needlessly stressing nurses make the job suck. Insecure, self-centered nurses that kill true teamwork, they make the job suck. I wish there were a hospital where we could lump all these folks together and get them the heck out of our hair. Sadly, there wouldn't be one big enough to contain them all. You try to lead by example, but some days your patience get tried. And then one day something happens.

One day, you just don't give a crap anymore. I mean you care about what you are doing and the quality of what you are doing. You care about people; but you just let the d-bags be d-bags, b/c they just seem to like being d-bags. It sucks for them and whoever has to live with them, but I just tell myself, "Hey. I don't have to sleep with them." Thank you Lord! I mean I feel for them, but if a person wants to be a devilish jackorifice, well, since I believe in freedom, I have to leave them to their devilish, jackorificedness. If it gets bad enough, I always have a backup job, and well, even if you hate to leave, if there are too many of them, or one that just has seemed to take over, I just leave them to their false-sense of power. Eventually other people get tired of it too. It's usually just a matter of time. If I have to jump ship, well, it may be for my own life and what I am doing at the time.

I have been picking up more home care lately, b/c I'm back in school again, and I don't need to be so stressed it adversely affects my GPA. I'll take the pay cut at times in order to have some peace.

OP, do your best to give report, answer their questions, do your job well, and then FORGET THEM when you are done. Seriously. All their toxic, ignorant, disrespectful stuff, just pretend you are flushing it down the toilet before you go home--and leave there--in the sewage system where it belongs. Think about all the other great and important things you have to do that day or morning, and do NOT allow them to live in your brain. It will wear on you, and you can't allow it to do that to you. Let their toxicity go right back to them. Be impervious to it.

Sometimes I've stopped report and looked at the other person and said, "OK. I can continue to try and give you report first, or you can ask all your questions first, and then I will give you report. Either way, I want to get through report without being inundated with questions. I don't mind the questions, but I do mind them constantly interfering with my train of thought as I give you report. Does that make sense? How would you like to proceed? Q&A first, or report, then Q&A?" Some people don't like it; but I feel like if they don't have enough tolerance to show proper respect, and that seems to be the way things roll in that particular unit, then I don't need to work there. After over 20 years, I just don't feel the need to subject myself to needless disrespect and toxicity. If that is the tone there on a regular basis, that's a hint for me to look elsewhere. I just really don't care about that crap anymore.

jbluehorseh · Feb 5, 2013

It is golden to give a complete report, however i have been on the resieving end of a nursing tring to make me look stupid. I told one male nurse to shut f$% up one morning. I was frustrated at him by the second report because he kept interruping, peppering me with questions as i was giving report. this patient was not in good shape and he had many issues that i fix that night. the point was if he would have listen to the information would have been given. ( on a off note he did this a lot to other nurses) I did not want to leave out important information because he got me off track. My after though was thou the languge was not the best, but it got his attention; he never did that again. communication is golden between nurses, If there is a nurse who spends more time making one look or feel stupid, then he or she is covering for his or her own inadequacies. the big picture is that patients can be harmed by nurses egos, so it is important to keep it in check. one thing I leaned over the years is to to be a better listener and any unanswered questions can come at the end of the report.

NotMyProblem MSN, ASN, BSN, MSN, LPN, RN · Feb 5, 2013

My only gripe is when the nurse comes in bright and refreshed and proceeds to tell me what happened with MY patients during the night while she was fast asleep at home in her bed. Frustrated, I actually told one nurse that I was gonna go ahead and go home since she already had all the answers....no need for me to ride the clock since I never gave a flip about overtime anyway!

proud nurse, BSN, RN · Feb 5, 2013

What frustrates me are the nurses who want to be spoon fed report. They come in early for their shift and instead of looking up their patient assignments they start chatting and getting their coffee or eating. Don't they understand I want to give report and go home? So instead of listening to me give them the report I've prepared for them, they want to ask 1,000 questions and get the report they want, like custom made for them.