I have, in my time, been privy to statements made by fellow forensic nurses that make me grind my teeth (or in the case of #1, stick a fork in my eye). I heard a new one today, inspiring this brief rant. So without fanfare, I give you my latest 10 Things post (in no particular order): Statements I’d Prefer to Never Hear Again.
- I can’t hold a speculum and a patient’s hand at the same time (What?!)
- I’m too busy seeing patients to keep current with the literature.
- I only come in if the patient wants to make a report to police.
- We’re not going to keep seeing her if she continues to come back over and over again.
- If she doesn’t care what happens to her, why should I?
- I’m just a nurse.
- …because that’s the way I was taught. (Variation: …because that’s what our protocol says.)
- We’ve always done it like that.
- I was tired of being a nurse, so I decided to go to SANE training.
- We just come in to collect evidence.
Thank you for letting me get that off my chest. That is all.
3 replies on “10 Things: Statements I’d Prefer to Never Hear Again”
I am grieved to hear these things come from my fellow nurses’ mouths. I consider it an honor and a privilege to work with individuals who have been sexually assaulted (I’m not so keen on the word “victim”).
Methinks these nurses have lost their calling or purpose and it has just become a job or another check in the block instead of working with another aching human being.
Thanks, Mary, for the comment. I am also grieved. It’s difficult to convey just how much statements like these diminish us as professionals and as experts. And burnout is certainly a very real issue for us. I hate for patients to bear the brunt of it, though.
Great comments…..I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard some of those. I just shake my head – I personally like the one that said “I got into this by drawing the short stick” They actually drew straws to see who would do the training. Pittiful.