Nurses Station Etiquette

[CopperStripes]

This happened to me a couple weeks ago and I didn't think much of it, but the very same situation just happened again so I thought I'd ask for your thoughts:

I was busily running around the unit taking care of paperwork, putting in orders for my patients, etc, and didn't really notice that I walked in front of a nurse who happened to be having a conversation with someone way on the other side of the nurse's station area. As soon as I disrupted her line of vision to the other person, she scowled at me and and angrily said, "Excuse me!" which really meant Don't stand there you ignorant intern, you're in the middle of my conversation.

My question is, what is the etiquette when having such a long-distance conversation? I feel that if those two people wanted to discuss something without being interrupted, then one of them should go stand by the other at normal conversing distance. Especially at a bustling nurse's station / unit clerk's desk. Should I really have stopped before passing by this woman and said, "Pardon me, I'd like to retrieve a form from the desk on the other side of you. May I do so?" Good grief.

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[J-Rad]

Keep it simple. This isn't really a complex etiquette situation (nor is unique to a nursing station). If you need something that is in their visual line of conversation, merely turn to one or both and just say: "excuse me" or "sorry, I just need to grab something for a sec'" and smile. Then get out of the way. You can also drop a quick "thanks" on the exit. It's a polite and quick way to deal with it. Most likely that will be all that is needed.

Now, if you get the sense that someone is angling for confrontation then just be on your way and ignore it. Occasionally the really passive aggressive types that just want to get into it with something play the "Hey, Airman" game. When I was in basic training for the Air Force the Training Instructors would sit in the "Snake Pit" along the wall of the chow hall. You had to walk somewhere near or by the table to get to the exit. When there were a few recruits on the way out, sometimes they'd just yell "Hey, Airman!". If you were stupid enough to turn around it just bought you grief. The confrontations seekers are just playing the same game at times.

 

[J-Rad]

"You're excused," and move on.

I'm not recommending it, but I'm also not saying I've never done it...

In the right situation, I prefer the silent, otherwise expressionless, eyebrow raise. Done right, nothing else quite says it quite the same way.

 

[danielmd06]

Keep it simple. This isn't really a complex etiquette situation (nor is unique to a nursing station). If you need something that is in their visual line of conversation, merely turn to one or both and just say: "excuse me" or "sorry, I just need to grab something for a sec'" and smile. Then get out of the way. You can also drop a quick "thanks" on the exit. It's a polite and quick way to deal with it. Most likely that will be all that is needed.

Now, if you get the sense that someone is angling for confrontation then just be on your way and ignore it. Occasionally the really passive aggressive types that just want to get into it with something play the "Hey, Airman" game. When I was in basic training for the Air Force the Training Instructors would sit in the "Snake Pit" along the wall of the chow hall. You had to walk somewhere near or by the table to get to the exit. When there were a few recruits on the way out, sometimes they'd just yell "Hey, Airman!". If you were stupid enough to turn around it just bought you grief. The confrontations seekers are just playing the same game at times.

I agree completely. Being polite goes miles and miles further and any other option in a situation like this.

 

[J-Rad]

I always wish I could fart on command in situations like the OP's.

Imagine the sheer Jedi-like power of having the perfect eyebrow raise and on-command fart. Now that...that would be high art.

 

[braluk]

It also has to be long and high pitched like a balloon leaking air out of a closed valve. Just saying.

 

[michaelrack]

Etiquette for med students/interns at a nurse's station:

"Forgive me for existing. Here are some donuts."

 

[J-Rad]

It also has to be long and high pitched like a balloon leaking air out of a closed valve. Just saying.

I'm torn. Maybe this. But the eyebrow and an SBD? Might be a powerful combination.

 

[AbbyNormal]

Etiquette for med students/interns at a nurse's station:

"Forgive me for existing. Here are some donuts."

 

[wine thief]

"You're excused," and move on.

I'm not recommending it, but I'm also not saying I've never done it...

"If you keep making that face, it's going to stick that way." Silly cow.

 

[Mattchiavelli]

I have a special "get real, sister" look I use for situations like this that I have developed by working with a lot of drag queens in undergrad. That would apply here.

Honestly the person that got offended has an obviously skewed concept of interpersonal relationships and even if you wrote them a hand-written apology you will eventually end up on the receiving end of their personality disorder regardless. I try to be nice to people I work with and give them the benefit of the doubt but there is a point that it needs to stop lest you let crazy set the rules, and as I learned in psych that's not the best plan of action.

 

[Groove]

It sounds like a simple situation, but really depends on where you are in your training and who it is you're talking to. At this point in my training, I'd probably look her in the eye and say "excuse yourself" with a (dare you to say something else....) look, but the nurses know I can be moody and get a lip on me when pushed too far, so nobody pushes anymore because I just don't tolerate stuff like that and have earned their respect, and respect them in return. Charge nurses you might treat a bit differently.

That being said... I'd say I reacted differently as an intern. Academic institutions probably tolerate a higher degree of nursing "attitude" towards residents/physicians simply because you are new in training and they feel like they know more than you do. The truth is... that they do many times about their particular realm within the hospital, or what orders are typically given, or what algorithms are used in the contexts they are familiar with. If you piss them off as an intern, they can make your life miserable on the ward or ICUs so it's good to make friends. Intern year is not the time to bristle with the "I'm a doc and you're a nurse" attitude, especially in July when you really don't know anything yet. Just let it slide "within reason" and try not to make enemies with the nursing staff, you can learn quite a lot from them your first year. It'll all be over soon enough. Your first year, you're going to be working in a lot of new areas of the hospital with nurses who have never worked with you before. They have worked with terrible interns and great interns and have no idea which one you are. You have to earn their respect but it's unwise to piss them all off. Simple stuff helps. My first year, during each of my ICU months, I'd bring in a bag of chocolate and set one at each nursing desk at the start of the month. Instant star. They'd save up all the minor critical value calls for 3-4am and give them all to me at once so I'd have time to catch a few hours sleep without interruption.

I had a cardiology month where I bristled and snapped at a case manager on a couple occasions. She did her best to make my life uncomfortable during that month and in hindsight, it wasn't the best approach because it did indeed make that month more difficult than it should have been. You have to remember, with many of these people, you're only there a month and then somewhere else. I can deal with anybody for a month.

ALL that being said, you're just not going to get along with every nurse, period. When you identify which ones are always going to be a problem, I stop caring how I react.

 

[Thanatos]

Typical battered-wife nonsense.

They're going to make your life miserable anyway. You might as well stand up for yourself and keep your dignity.

Try utilizing their techniques: File a risk management report on this "workplace violence" incident, and make it clear how intimidated your felt by her aggressive tone and menacing body language. Suggest that you just don't feel safe around her unless she completes some formal sensitivity training, and ask if the hospital has an EEO rep you can discuss the situation with.

This FTW!

Can you imagine if we tried this though. Probably get in trouble for missing actual work....unlike everyone else in the hospital.