Nurse talking rude or just different dialogue?

[RichTeaShite]

I accompanied my grandmother to a nurse appointment today. Before nurse started she said “can you excuse me for a minute, I must nip to the bog”. I know it’s not exactly swearing but I was a little taken back by it. She had a student nurse in the room with her and the student started the appointment whilst the nurse was out of the room. When she came back in the student said “another one?” And the nurse replied “yep, that’s 3 today now, my arse feels like it’s on fire”. They both laughed. My grandmother laughed too and the nurse looked at her and said “god I’m so sorry, ignore my potty mouth” and they started joking about the nurses swear jar (actually set up near the computer!!)

Obviously I’m not looking at complaining or anything daft like that but is this really acceptable now? I remember thinking the other day watching nurses on tv covered in tattoos and piercings with bright pink/blue hair - at uni we were told stuff like this would never be allowed. Assuming times have changed?

I would be more worried a nurse had diarrhoea tbh

I hope this wasn't a qualified nurse (actually I wouldn't find it acceptable from any level nurse/nurse assistant - but you would assume the training a qualified nurse gets they wouldn't do this)
ditto with pp - she shouldn't be working with tummy upset

I think this seems very unprofessional .However as you say not worth reporting .I wanted to be a Nurse when I was younger, and we were not allowed to have pierced ears even! Let alone pierced noses or tattoos /coloured hair!Always assumed to do with hygeine .When on a hospital stay ,the Nurse appeared like an Angel in the night, with an anti sickness pill for me .Smelt beautiful and all jewellery /make up on .Wonder why this has changed nowadays?

If true then I think it is very unprofessional and extremely disrespectful.

Very unprofessional language. Shame you didn't think quickly enough at the time to turn it into a "joke" - e.g. "oo-er, missus!" You could also have had a quiet word with her boss as you left, to say something like, "My grandmother was bit taken aback by the language" (yes, I know, bit of a fib, but it does move it one step away from being an actual complaint). I have had to speak to assistants in a school setting about saying "oh my God" in front of children - not swearing but certainly inappropriate.

Bog and Arse are perfectly acceptable words where I live, especially if the patient had used those words to describe their symptoms.

However, it was very unprofessional to have discussed her digestive issues in front of the patient and I’d be concerned what the student must have made of her bedside manner.

I think you should mention it to someone as the nurse could probably do with a refresher training opportunity.

Unprofessional and certainly wouldn't want her touching me after hearing that. But I've heard far far worse said in front of patients.

I’m a nurse, 15 years trained.

Our uniform policy is quite strict. Only wedding band. No other jewellery - work with babies/kids so can be easily caught/grabbed/fall out etc. Perfume allowed as long as it’s subtle. Bare below elbows, hair off collar etc all must be adhered to. Can have pink hair as long as it’s tied up. No one has other piercings (facial anyway) so not sure what would happen with that. I think it’s fine to have some individuality but that language is not appropriate, banter is fine if it’s friendly and appropriate to the patient you’re seeing, I look after a lot of kids/teens With chronic conditions so we see a lot of them and build relationships with them and their families. It’s also important to maintain professional boundaries.

People have diarrhoea for lots of different reasons and are safe to be at work. I have crohns for instance so inconvenient yes, no I would not be telling patients though or speaking like that with a student, it’s not good leadership or mentoring to make a student think that’s an appropriate way to speak in front of anyone in a work situation

@dottydodah

I think this seems very unprofessional .However as you say not worth reporting .I wanted to be a Nurse when I was younger, and we were not allowed to have pierced ears even! Let alone pierced noses or tattoos /coloured hair!Always assumed to do with hygeine .When on a hospital stay ,the Nurse appeared like an Angel in the night, with an anti sickness pill for me .Smelt beautiful and all jewellery /make up on .Wonder why this has changed nowadays?

What do tattoos and hair colour have to do with hygeine?

my face after reading the Ops post! I just can’t believe it, I mean I do believe the op but!!
Not appropriate in any way , just awful behaviour. I would have complained. If no one mentions it then that nurse will carry on thinking this her behaviour is ok and her student will too! Absolutely not appropriate at all.

regthetabbycat Hair colour is more with maintaining a professional image I would think (Although doesnt bother me personally). Tattoos the same .I am probably a bit old fashioned here, but when I was looking at Nursing in the 80s these things were not allowed then .Just wondering how it had changed so much .Only wedding bands ,no pierced ears (earrings to be left at home) In my next job at that time in a large Insurance Office ,we were not allowed coloured hair or facial piercings/Tattoos either!

@RichTeaShite

Oh no we got the full run down - she was banging on about a dodgy curry she’d reheated for her breakfast 😳

😲😲😲

I wouldn't like that. There are some patients that they would know very well that this would be acceptable too, not many though.

@ValidUser

I'd be worried she had something contagious!

Same

I just can't imagine a nurse saying that and using that specific language in front of a patient and a student nurse.

@neverknowinglyunreasonable

Florence Shiteing-Tale.

😂😂😂

I think bog is fine. and tattoo and hair fine.

The arse on fire but although not swesting I do find inappropriate in the setting they were in. No issue if it was friends having a glass at wine at each others house but not in a professional health care setting

Not professional, and if she has food poisoning, possible stomach bug no way should she be seeing patients! You have to be at home until 48hours post last symptom.

Urgh that’s a vile way to talk full stop let alone to a patient!

Tattoos and hair colour not an issue.

But I wouldn’t like her comments, it’s just not professional. Just politely excuse yourself like most adults do! Also, like PP I would be worried she had something contagious.

@Honks

Retired nurse here. Totally inappropriate behaviour IMO. Nurses have worked long and hard to be viewed as professionals and this is deeply unprofessional behaviour. Please complain, especially as this is someone who had a student nurse with her. This is not appropriate training for the next generation of nurses.

Couldn't agree more Awful behaviour from both a professionalism and hygiene viewpoint

I just googled
"Can I work in a hospital with diarrhoea? - stay off work until they have 48 hours symptom free" - so similar to kitchen staff.

I would complain formally about this lack of care, and probably comment on the bad language as a separate issue. Combining the two will mean less attention focussed on the more serious matter.

Yuck she definitely should not have been at work if her curry had upset her stomach. I’d definitely get in touch with the practice about that. I’d be mortified if that was one of my colleagues

I think I'm the only person sat here laughing at this 😂😂.

It is 100% unprofessional and I would be taken aback if this happened to me, however it is also the sort of conversation that would make me feel at ease pretty quickly (possibly just that fact that I still have the sense of humour of a 5 year old).

I would be howling about it telling my friends later on in the day.

But yes, COMPLETELY unprofessional and a big gobsmacking that this would happen in that sort of environment!

Appearance standards have definitely changed in 17 years - my last NHS contract stipulated the following to be deemed capable of typing letters and answering the phone in an office three corridors away from any members of the public;

'Only biologically feasible hair colours'

'A single lobe piercing'

'Skirts must be on or below, not above mid knee'

'Appropriate heeled shoes and hosiery in black or skin tone only'

'A tailored blouse and blazer, no sleeveless, sheer or uncollared tops'

It did occur to me at the time that they'd accidentally pasted in the uniform code for somebody's convent school, but it was only 2004. They only introduced a 'no drinking alcohol at lunchtime' rule the following year and I was still being bollocked for walking in or out of the building from/to the bus stop across the site wearing trainers, rather than tottering out of a car in the seemingly compulsory red soled stilettos the department manager clacked up and down the corridors in by the time I jacked the job in late 2006. Apparently, it was terrible that somebody might see me wearing footwear recommended by physiotherapists when they didn't have a scooby who I was and whether I worked there.