Rude nurses. How to deal with them?

[mycrofft]

How to adress rude nurses: learn and do the job well, don't respond to perceived insensitivities, and press onwards. As long as it's ok for the pt, it's ok.

PS: they aren't being paid to be sensitive.

PPS: I'd be more scared of the quiet smiling nurse who watches you leave, then sits down and takes half an hour writing a detailed memo (accurate or not) about "those terrible dirty unprofessinal ambulance drivers".

 

[medichopeful]

My confidence level is low at the moment with barely any experience and I know I keep bringing this up but it's true

The confidence will build with time, but only if you let it. Until it's there, act confident (but not arrogant, which I don't think is the problem) even if you're not.

But I'm doing my best.

Which is what matters!

 

[Dan216]

Play some grab arm and they will come around.

 

[Clipper1]

Play some grab *** and they will come around.

Yes nurses do read these forums for amusement and then may have an attitude for the next poor guy who walks in with good intentions.

The EMT/Paramedic or several EMTs/Paramedics who came in before the OP may have been real jerk just wanting to play grab *** and that can set the mood for the shift or about EMTs/Paramedics in general.

Conduct your self as a professional with your report ready and eventually you won't have any problem.

 

[usalsfyre]

Yes nurses do read these forums for amusement and then may have an attitude for the next poor guy who walks in with good intentions.

Some of them even troll it on occasion

 

[DesertMedic66]

We have one hospital that we hate transporting patients to. Most of the nurses are rude and look down on us. Registration can also be rude to us. What do we do? Get in and leave as fast as possible to avoid issues. The nursing staff at the hospital even give our supervisors :censored::censored::censored::censored: for no reason.

With our other 2 hospitals it's completely different. All the staff are really nice to us. Never give us any issues. We will spend a lot of time at these hospitals talking to the nurses, doctors, registration, PAs, etc.

 

[Clipper1]

Some of them even troll it on occasion

Some EMTs even troll on nursing forums. Do you think rolling your eyes at my post makes you better?

You roll your eyes at a doctor, nurse or patient in the hospital, you will get noticed especially if it is just to impress your partner or other EMTs. Conduct yourself professionally and no one will have to roll their eyes at you either.

 

[MSDeltaFlt]

Nine times out of ten the nurses who are rude are generally over worked and under staffed. Not going to address that one out of ten, just the other nine. They're irritable. They're pissy. Not necessarily at you, just in general. It happens. Some may not care. Some might and not even realize they're coming off as rude. Sometimes what you say and what people hear you say might not be the same thing.

Get upset over, don't get upset over it. Be offended. Don't be offended. The choice is completely up to you.

All that it amounts up to being is interpersonal dynamics. That is all.

You're not there to win any popularity contests, though it would make things run more smoothly if everyone was nicer. Granted. So you be you. Stay open minded. Be the patient advocate you want to be and let the attitudes take care of themselves.

 

[VFlutter]

Play some grab arm and they will come around.

I would like to see you try that with me :glare:

 

[STXmedic]

I'll grab your butt, Chase...

 

[usalsfyre]

Some EMTs even troll on nursing forums. Do you think rolling your eyes at my post makes you better?

You roll your eyes at a doctor, nurse or patient in the hospital, you will get noticed especially if it is just to impress your partner or other EMTs. Conduct yourself professionally and no one will have to roll their eyes at you either.

So then how should I react to the eye rolls I get when I treat my patients using current guidelines rather than something from the 1980s?

Professionalism goes both ways. Implying that EMS forums are only good "for amusement" is a serious lack of professionalism on some people's part as well. But when you hide behind one or more aliases online I guess it's easy to lack professionalism.

As for the OPs question. Try to chat with the nurse outside of the patient's room and find out exactly they're upset about and take it into consideration. Having a good relationship with the receiving staff makes everybody's life better. However, if they're asking for stuff that is detrimental to the patient, stupid or illegal....forget it. You're accountable to your medical director and management, not the nurses.

 

[MrJones]

I would like to see you try that with me :glare:

I suppose you'll take this the wrong way, but I sincerely hope you don't....

How long have you been out of Nursing school?

 

[the_negro_puppy]

Welcome to EMS!

 

[titmouse]

Kill them with kindness and a faux olde English accent.

 

[Miscusi]

nurses.

At the Emergency Dept, where it is always busy, and patients are always coming, and no one ever gets a break...

your job gets whittled down to the essentials.

being nice is not essential, therefore each second used to be nice is a second that can be used to save lives...

an EMT who is using more time than he needs would get on people's nerves. and when you do, and nurses are not diplomats, they may allow their emotions to show.

it is stressful, but it is what it is.

I never expect niceness at the ER.

but when it isn't busy for some blessed reason, I find that some are actually nice. Especially when they remember you as a regular EMT that works her ER.

 

[Aidey]

being nice is not essential, therefore each second used to be nice is a second that can be used to save lives...

This is just.... Ugh. I say please and thank you during a code. Unless someone is elbow deep in an open chest "seconds" don't mean jack crap. In 10 years I am extremely hard pressed to think of a case that was so life and death there wasn't time for basic decency.

 

[Miscusi]

This is just.... Ugh. I say please and thank you during a code. Unless someone is elbow deep in an open chest "seconds" don't mean jack crap. In 10 years I am extremely hard pressed to think of a case that was so life and death there wasn't time for basic decency.

you are not a nurse, I was referring to the nurses that are rude to the OP. You prob get to sit and watch TV and browse the internet for most of your tour...

 

[Tigger]

you are not a nurse, I was referring to the nurses that are rude to the OP. You prob get to sit and watch TV and browse the internet for most of your tour...

So being busy means you get to be rude?

 

[JPINFV]

Yes nurses do read these forums for amusement

Seems fair... I read AllNurses when I need a little humor in my life.

 

[firecoins]

Yes, being busy entitles ER RNs to be rude. It doesn't matter. Give them the info they want, get their signature and move on the next call. I don't have time to contemplate whether the RN has good manners or not. In the end, I just don't care.