What to Do When Meeting Unreasonable People (An encounter with the Unreasonable)

Earlier today, I prepared for my evening shift with so much enthusiasm. I am positive that this day will go steady and light. Few minutes after I started my shift, I was asked by our acting head nurse to assist a certain doctor when patients come because the assigned nurse is still not around. I said yes, of course.

While I was attending on a patient for Direct IV push antibiotic, our acting HN informed me to assist the doctor. I asked her if she could insert the IV and do the procedure so I can go to the doctor (of course when you relay a task, it simple means you have to start and finish it completely).

But low and behold! This is not what happened. After I assisted the doctor, I returned to my area and she was not there, but the patient is! All of a sudden she appeared, told me that she already inserted the IV line and I have to continue and finish the procedure! If you're me, at this point, how will you feel? Annoyed, angry, pissed off? Name it, I felt like a gush of blood ran into my head in a second. So I asked her calmly why she didn’t do the "pushing" by herself. You know her answer? Guess what? It's because she had to check her precious phone left opened somewhere, and go to the toilet for a very urgent pee! Hahaha. You just can't imagine how much I wanted to scream and say bad things. But the goodness in me prevailed and did otherwise. Thanks goodness!

I continued the procedure and finished it in a matter of 45 seconds. A lot of time to skip the toilet, right? (Insert sarcastic face here please!)

From my experience earlier, I came to a realization that they (the unreasonable people) are plenty, everywhere.

They hide themselves in white uniforms, black suit, or even on a friendly smile.

So just in case you meet this kind of creatures in unexpected moments in the future, here are some tips on how to deal with them. (Though some I forgot to do, honestly.)

During the Encounter:

1. Keep it still.

If you have to breathe in and count up to 10, and breathe out slowly, do it! It will be a chance for outburst and angry mood but don't get caught on the trap. Keep it cool! Coz most of the time, unreasonable people don't know that they did something unreasonable.

2. Don't talk too much.

Yes, for the sake of peace and quiet, don't try to enlighten him/her. Never explain nor tell him what the right thing to do is. He'll always reason out even to the most unbelievable rationale. (Remember the "my-phone-was-left-open-outside reason?) Moreover, not talking too much will save you from headache and high blood pressure. The act itself is already so much to taken in. Save yourself from drowning into madness because of other people. Who knows, he might figure out he did something wrong because of your silence.

Immediately after the encounter:

1. Take a break for a minute or two.

When you're a nurse, or at work, it's difficult to escape anytime to calm yourself. But try anyway. If you have to go outside and breathe some fresh air, please do so. It's difficult to concentrate with your tasks at hand with a heavy heart. A minute or two of delay is far better than continuing your job but not putting your mind fully into it. Don't get distracted, especially when you still have to run 7 hours of an 8-hour shift.

2. Give her the benefit of the doubt.

Analyze the situation holistically. Who knows, what is 'unreasonable' to you might be very reasonable for her.

In my case, who knows if she has some urinary problem that she really needed to prioritize nature's call than a patient assigned to her. Or her phone, maybe worth 3 months or more months of her savings that makes it more precious than the rest if the world. You'll never know.

Still try to understand the situation. It's not easy, believe me, but it will make you feel better. Especially when you could come up with a more out-of-this-world slash magical slash amazing slash unreasonable explanation.

Hours or a day after the encounter:

1. Share the incident to someone you trust, if you must.

Maybe, an hour or two after the encounter, when you have calmed yourself and your back to your momentum, you'll have the urge to talk about it to somebody you trust. But I must warn you, when you do so, make sure that it's not with a gossip girl. After all, it's a hot flash news at your workplace. Others may play at it like a blind item (which before the day ends, is revealed to everybody on the floor).

2. Forgive, Forget and Move on.

I know, it's better said than done, but come to think of it. If you hold on to it for a very long time, you'll just feel heavier  While the one who did it to you continue with her unreasonable, cool life. So, will you allow her to ruin the rest of you day? Of course, not! Forgive her anyway, it's not worth your time. Forget about it, there's still a lot of better things to deal with. And move on, a lot of more reasonable deeds can happen in 24-hours.

3. Hope and Pray.

Hope that better and more rewarding things will happen after the encounter. Yes, it was unreasonable and it's like 0 (zero), but from there, we can go to 1, 2, 3 and eventually 10 or more reasonable acts. Hope also that it was just a hump on the road, and that you'll not be stocked up with the same person again and again.

Pray. Thank God you did not freak out, and you becoming more reasonable in dealing with the situation. Pray that she may do better next time, or if not, at least pray that your path won't cross again.