There are a lot of things that bug me about how other people practice nursing. But I’ve been a nurse long enough (more than a dozen years!) and through enough failed relationships (plus one marriage!) to know that you can’t really change people. Plus, at least in nursing there are actually a lot of ways to get the job done.
Some RNs will always be better talkers than doers. Honestly, those nurses get assigned to the patients who literally need someone to just listen to them, while more organized self-starters are going to take the busy potentially unstable post-ops.
I’m ok with this and try to value each nurse on my unit for what they’re good at— and help them both grow and deepen current strengths as appropriate.
There are 2 problems with this laid back philosophy: first, there are always some nurses who want everyone to be like them—and these are usually the very Type-A quick & bossy types. These nurses are usually very good at their jobs, earning them coveted roles such as float nurse or RRT or frequent 1:1 assignments.
But as I mentioned, there are many ways to nurse. And sometimes you need the quiet and patient (read: slow) nurse for a patient who reacts badly to too much change. Sometimes you need a nurse with social skills to smooth things over. Sometimes you just need the biggest strongest guy on duty to make sure the sexually inappropriate young male patient with a TBI doesn’t act out with the female nurses. This list goes on and on. Patients develop specific tastes or show preferences that we try to accommodate in order to prevent resistance to treatment. It’s both ridiculous and sensible when you think about it.
But I digress. So what is the first problem with my laid back attitude to the variety of skill/methods in nursing? Well, that one groups of nurses I mentioned who are particularly type A and like all the other nurses to be like them? Well, let’s call them the A Team.
The A Team terrorizes all the other nurses. In their misguided desire to “improve” the unit, which to them means make everyone like them, they bully all the other nurses and often managers too.
Then I have to follow behind them saying “don’t worry, they’re just being dramatic.” And trying to unruffle everyone’s feathers. This can reach crisis proportions when the other nurses start fighting back. It’s really hell on my days off, though, as I get flooded with text messages from both sides.
Oh, and what’s the #2 problem for my laid back ways? Sometimes people develop bad habits. And bad habits are hard to break. IV med bags in the patient’s sink is one of my biggest pet peeves. Also leaving your trash for someone else to clean up in med room. Here’s one I found while sending a nurse on break. Note: I did nothing. I’m not your nurse mom & I’m not gonna clean up your mess.
