I kicked the nurses off the unit

Mostly, the student nurses have been very sweet. They take client vital signs each morning, reporting any areas of concern to us from the night before. Some sit in on our yoga and meditation classes. Mostly the sit at the nurse’s station studying their lessons.

However, we get a new batch rotating through every couple of weeks. This last group was awful. They would come on the unit while we were in session, sometimes 10-15 of them, loud, social, and insensitive.

On this particular day, it had occurred on several occasions. We had spoken to their supervisor, twice. I was taking the yoga class. (We have had our clients teaching the afternoon yoga and meditation classes for two weeks or so. We want them to feel confident in their practice and able to share what they have learned with family and interested friends. In family meetings, family members sound excited about having their husbands, brothers, etc. teach them what they have been learning. This follows Yogi Bhajan’s model, “I’m here to build teachers, not gather students.”)

They walked on the unit while we were meditating. (The door is loud enough. All noise echo’s badly on the unit.) They were talking; they walked straight back to the client’s art/game room and began playing games, loudly. I was furious. I walked back there and asked them if this was their work. Answering my own question, “I think not!” Followed by a raised arm and a finger pointing toward the door, “Get out!” They were shocked. (I was a little surprised.) “Get out!” I said again. Some started walking toward the nurses’ station. I was like a sheep dog, following them redirecting them, pointing toward the door. As we got near the class, some tried to ‘peel of’, and blend into the class. “Ruff, ruff, bark, bark, herding them toward the door. “Get Out”. I felt good, protecting our “guys” from disrespect. If you want to work or if you want to learn, you are welcome; if you are just here to be social and are disrespectful of the needs of those we are here to serve, “Get Out!”