Why Are Nurses In General So Mean To Medical Students Rotating At Their Hospitals?

This question was originally posted on Quora.com and was answered by Banshi Kat, Registered Nurse (2011-present)



I once had a resident follow me down the hall trying to tell me how to insert a suppository. I'd been a nurse for 7 years. I've inserted more suppositories than he has hair on his nuts. He wasn't even finished with HIGH SCHOOL when I started my career.

This same resident also starts telling me about how I should tell him "if she still hasn't urinated" in a certain period of time. While I was helping my cna take a patient off of a very full bedpan. And how he thought he should start "her" on flomax to help her pee. HE WAS TALKING ABOUT ANOTHER PATIENT, IN FRONT OF THE ONE I WAS CURRENTLY WITH. A) violation of HIPPA. B) this is how mistakes are made. Do not give orders about one patient in front of another.

This SAME GUY later tells me when and how I should give benedryl. And that I shouldn't give it with a narcotic, because it might be too sedating. Narcotic over sedation is a big deal because it comes with an inability to breathe as well (respiratory depression, to be precise). Benedryl makes you just plain sleepy. Different types of sedation. Dude can take a nap as long as he's still breathing adequately. Narcs plus benedryl are kinda a staple.

Now, I'm not generally mean to students or residents, but they do also need to know that a good nurse will either make or break you. Do NOT belittle or underestimate his or her skill, knowledge, and experience. Just saying.

*** Note added later: we are mean sometimes because it can LITERALLY be life or death. And we kinda like our patients alive.

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