Honesty Is the Best Policy by June Hannay Kosier

 “It does not require many words to speak the truth.” – Chief Joseph

I am not known for having a foul mouth. Nurses are sometimes like sailors with their colorful language especially in emergency situations. “God damn it, breathe!” and “Shit, stay with me.” or similar commands are often heard during a cardiac event. It is our way of dealing with stress. I have been known to get very bossy, but I never cursed. I guess it is just not part of my nature or is because I went to Catholic school for thirteen years. A male nurse I know once told some other nurses that I was a former nun and they believed him.

Then came the day when I told a nurse that she was a damned disgrace to the profession and she should lose her license. This was in response to the nurse not doing something that would have benefitted a veteran patient.
This nurse then went to my manager and told her I cursed at her. My manger came to me and said the nurse complained to her about what happened. She told me that she told the nurse she did not believe that I did such a thing—that she must have heard me wrong.

“Can you believe she said such a thing?” I confessed that I did because I really did curse at her and I told her why and was not sorry that I did. Those nuns also taught me honesty and Oprah once said that America will forgive you anything if you tell the truth and confess. My manager was speechless at first and turned red in the face. After she recovered her shock, she told me she was glad I finally grew some balls.

You see, my manager was not above using bad language.