Thursday, July 10, 2008

Another case of NETY (nurses eating their young)

I think I'm the unlucky one.

The other day I was asked to escort a monitored patient to a diagnostics lab. No problemo. However he needed a transfusion of Fresh Frozen Plasma after his initial blood transfusion had been completed. Well I wasn't sure what the procedures were 100%, so I quickly looked it up on the computer at the diagnostics lab before I went to prepare for the transfusion.

A nurse goes to me and says "hey, is Mr X your patient?"

"Yes," I reply. "Why?"

"His FFP (fresh frozen plasma) is there."

"Ok, thanks. I'm just reviewing how to hang it before I head in there."

"You're an emergency nurse and you don't' know how to hang blood products???" She asked in an incredulous voice, as if I was the worst ED nurse ever. That stung.

"I'm a new grad, and new to the ED" I fumbled, flabbergasted.

I then proceded to hang the transfusion appropriately, but that comment pissed me off.

She was totally and completely in appropriate for saying that to me. The other nurse at the lab clued in and tried to console me by saying that "we were all new at one point, how else are you supposed to learn?". I appreciated that, but still. Pisses me off that someone could belittle another person. I would NEVER do that to anyone. If I do, that's the time I need to get out.

Also, I really need to start thinking about what to say at the TIME of the incident, not afterwards. One day.


3 comments:

The loco days of locolorenzo said...

lhmmmm...a fellow RN being nasty to a new grad? Nah...that never happens. You know, I usually wake up saying the smart comment back....about 6 hrs too late...
Maybe take a improv class to improve your comeback skills...or go play the dozens at the playground with the high school kids ;)
get some rest...and relax. only you can choose how to respond to that stuff, not what they say.

miss-elaine-ious said...

Thanks loco. I get so frustrated when this happens. I'll try out the school yard soon :P

Anonymous said...

Good topic. The other morning an experienced nurse was telling a story of something that happened to her during the night shift. The details are not important. Her response was "Woah, do not talk to me like that". She stopped the person making the bad remarks, got their attention and told them to stop. In your situation, "Woah, do not talk to me like that. I am a new grad and new to the ER" would be sufficient and effective.