Dear Journal,
I am pissed off right now with the kind of attitude that a senior nurse showed. I went inside her patient's room because I wanted to relay to the patient that his wife called and asked about him. This nurse told me that I shouldn't be inside her room because her patient is an open-heart case and she doesn't want me to give her patient infection.
Basically, this nurse has this little-knowledge-is-a-dangerous-thing syndrome where she feels she knows everything already, thus, thinks with exaggeration. Yes, I know for a fact that she is already an expert when it comes to open heart surgery cases here at IMC. And yes, she is already a senior staff at that. But here are 2 of the things that she forgot:
First, Open-heart surgery doesn't compromise the patient's immune system. Though it is a major operation, which involves the heart (obviously), it is like any other surgical operation out there where the patient has this POTENTIAL risk for infection because of the surgical incision. If she's thinking that since her patient is an open-heart patient and is at more risk of acquiring infection compared to other post operative patients, she should have implemented reverse isolation already. But the thing is, she can do that only in her dream, for facts will always remain facts. She's good, but she is not that good to change the way things are.
Secondly, she is a senior staff talking to an orientee. I mean, she should at least have the courtesy to show the new staff how things should be done properly without showing them any superior attitude that she may have. No matter how good a person is, no matter how much knowledge she knows or how excellent her skills are, but if she doesn't have the right attitude to handle situations, she will fail big time.
First, Open-heart surgery doesn't compromise the patient's immune system. Though it is a major operation, which involves the heart (obviously), it is like any other surgical operation out there where the patient has this POTENTIAL risk for infection because of the surgical incision. If she's thinking that since her patient is an open-heart patient and is at more risk of acquiring infection compared to other post operative patients, she should have implemented reverse isolation already. But the thing is, she can do that only in her dream, for facts will always remain facts. She's good, but she is not that good to change the way things are.
Secondly, she is a senior staff talking to an orientee. I mean, she should at least have the courtesy to show the new staff how things should be done properly without showing them any superior attitude that she may have. No matter how good a person is, no matter how much knowledge she knows or how excellent her skills are, but if she doesn't have the right attitude to handle situations, she will fail big time.
In school, we have been taught that attitude plays a major role in nurses' professional life. Yes, I completely concur. It is indeed a very significant element in our part as angels of the sick room. We cannot just be nice to our patients and be rude to our colleagues, right? You always have to walk your talk and practice what you preach. Because at the end of the day, when all else fail, you will still ask the help of others no matter how top-notch and marvelous you may think you are.
Remember, lightning could strike anytime...
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