You won't believe.....

cjdmomma · Oct 11, 2013

I don't condone what the student said, in fact, I am pretty mortified for her...

That being said-- I feel bad for her, too. I am just finishing up with schooling and can easily place myself in her shoes. I can picture her all excited to start clinical, but very nervous to be intruding in someone else's space. You squashed her and then bragged about it here... I don't care if I am reading a freaking memo from Jesus himself... if a stranger is invading my space, I expect an introduction of some sort. "hi I am CJ student." A proper response wouldn't have killed you.

DedHedRN · Oct 11, 2013

If that nursing student thinks that was a example of nurses eating their young, just wait till she really gets chewed on, shes going to think that she been chewed up, spit out and ground into little pieces in a meat grinder.

PacoUSA, BSN, RN · Oct 11, 2013

True story from this morning--- I'm in break room reading document student comes in to use computer to preview pts for clinical tomorrow Hi I'm Sally student Me - still intent on document--mumbles hi *silence * Student --I guess you don't like students I've heard about nurses eating their young Me: still reading--huhh? Really? Give me a break[/quote']
I had a similar interaction as a student with a nurse like you. I vowed to never be like that when I became an RN. I see students on my unit now and I make sure they feel welcome, if it is at least with just a smile. I know and remember what it is like to be in their shoes. Common courtesy is so rare in this profession unfortunately, at least I know I won't contribute to the lack thereof regardless of how long I am a nurse. This is my 2nd and last career, I love what I do and it shows.
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SubSippi · Oct 11, 2013

Maybe the student was joking, possibly suffering from foot-in-mouth disease?

Clearly the OP could have been a bit friendlier, but it's not like he/she was mean to the student! And if this student wasn't joking...then she probably needs to get used to people being rude to her anyway. That girl is going to get her a** handed to her with that kind of attitude.

On my floor, most nurses would have ignored a comment like that. But if it had been made to the wrong person, waaaatch out!

lola-mac · Oct 11, 2013

OP I would be interested to hear what you think the student should have done?

Her comment in response to your coolness was ill judged certainly however she probably felt foolish having greeted someone pleasantly only to be mumbled at.

Would you rather she had turned around and left when she found you in the break room, thereby being underprepared for her clinical the next day? Or on seeing you busy should she have gone ahead with her prep without speaking or introducing herself to you, which would no doubt have brought accusations of rudeness down on her head.

Seems to me she couldn't win and had annoyed you simply by being there. Which makes her observation about you disliking students seem not far off the mark.

RNperdiem, RN · Oct 11, 2013

If these two nurses were men, would that conversation have even happened?

Women carry a heavy burden to be "nice" all the time. We have to be extra nice to our patients these days as well as to everyone else.

Harsh judgement is heaped on a woman who lets that slip.

nrsang97, BSN, RN · Oct 11, 2013

I don't think that the OP was rude. She was engrossed in what she was reading, and mumbled a "hi" and went about her business reading the document.

I think the student over reacted for sure. Not all people are warm and fuzzy.

LoriRNCM, ADN, ASN, RN · Oct 11, 2013

With all due respect, OP, you were in the break room--not at the desk. So really would have little way of knowing you were engaged in work.
Not that you necessarily needed to get up and throw confetti around the room and blow a party horn, however, "Hi, how are you I am _____, welcome to work!" or some other hey, how are you thing.
With all the ins and outs, comings and goings in the break room, that is the last place I would want to be engrossed in something work related that I needed to concentrate on and/or complete.

What she said.

CrunchRN, ADN, RN · Oct 11, 2013

You shouild have told her "only the tender and tasty ones"............ :roflmao:

Sugarcoma, RN · Oct 11, 2013

Hmmm, perhaps I missed something here? I didn't read every response. What I got from the OP was that she was in the BREAK room, reading. Break room as in taking a break. A student comes in and introduces herself and apparently takes umbrage at the fact the OP didn't give her an enthusiastic enough greeting? I don't get the chastising of the OP. Could she have given her a warmer greeting? Of course. Did she need to? Not in my opinion.

The way I read this situation is that the student took it upon herself to interupt the OP's private time without needing to (she wasn't asking for help or anything.) and then got miffed that the OP didn't gush all over her. To make matters worse she felt it was o.k. to take a shot at the OP on top of it. To quote my italian nana "the b&@!$ on that one!"

If I had overheard my child talking to someone like this I would tell them to get over themselves! Break time is precious! Never interupt someones break unless you have to!

p.s. I am totally jealous of the OP!

tiddles · Oct 11, 2013

Hilarious storm in a teacup, people!

I'd love to see how this poor sensitive student reacts when patients and family members are rude to her, and doctors cuss her out for calling them in the middle of the night, and her manager berates her for some nit-picky crap...and that's on a good day! She's going to have to develop a thicker skin if she wants to make it in the world.

Amnesty · Oct 11, 2013

Posts like this are always fun :3. Lots of different perceptions and opinions being tossed around. Lots of people getting heated and annoyed over piddly things.

My take: The "break room" on my floor is behind the nurse's desk, directly to the left. It's where all of our cubbies are. Not all floors have private break rooms behind the desk -- we're lucky. Often, nurses receive documentation on the fax machine or need to copy documents using the fax/copier, which is in the break room, and they'll just pull their stuff off the printer and plop down into a chair to peruse it. There are always more nurses than there are seats at the desk, and the break room catches the overflow.

I imagine it's like that in a lot of places, where there aren't enough seats and people default to a quiet break room in order to find some reprieve for those weary feet. Either way, OP shouldn't have to justify being engrossed in her work (ever, really, but especially while she is at work). She didn't glare at the girl or start muttering under her breath or act rude in any way. What's so bad about a distracted "Hi"?

In the US, particularly in my area (the deep South), some people seem to think you owe it to everyone to be all smiley and ask how everyone is regardless of anything you're doing, and if you don't you're rude or tactless or don't have manners or weren't "raised right". And it's pretty ridiculous, especially considering that it's often faked. People from other places find this really tiring/annoying, as do I.

Oh, and I'm a student, first semester in the nursing program and fresh to clinicals. I would probably go out back and just shoot myself in the foot for having said something so stupid. I'd certainly find the nurse and apologize.