How do I confess my impatience with others?

[dalesmom]

I am a nurse in an ICU. I usually have the patience of Job and know all of the right things to say to families to make them feel better. BUT… This week we have had some unusually impatient, untrusting, hostile, demanding families. Tonight I let them push me to the end of my rope. I tried to answer their questions and demands, but nothing seemed to please them. I finally told them that they needed to call the doctor and get the answers to the questions that I could not answer for them.

I was rude and became a smart alleck. I felt frustrated. I was emotionally unable to be the caring nurse that I usually am. I’ve had 18 years of experience at this job so I know how to play this game with the families. How could I let them push me over the edge? I went outside and told God that I was sorry and to please give me patience.

I am so upset with myself for letting the frustration overtake me! I will go to confession on Saturday. I am a new Catholic and this will be my third confession. How do I tell my priest about this in confession? What should I say to him? I am truly sorry. I never want this to happen again.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Michelle_Arnold]

The way to confess a sin is simply to state it: “I was impatient with and rude to (insert number) families of patients in the ICU at work.”

That said, try not to be so hard on yourself. Anyone who has dealt with the public on a regular basis can sympathize with how difficult it is to always be calm, cheerful, and helpful to people who apparently do not feel the same obligation to treat you with respect and courtesy. Yes, in your case, the people with whom you dealt were also dealing with stress and worry over their family members. While that may mitigate their culpability, it does not excuse them from the obligation to treat you kindly.

I have not worked as a nurse, so I do not know what options you have to remove yourself from a situation when it is becoming overheated, but perhaps you can look into that and determine if you do have some options. What I can recommend is that if you do occasionally lose your cool with patients or their families that you apologize for it. A deep breath and a “Please forgive me, I didn’t mean to say that,” can go a long way toward restoring peace and may inspire the patients and/or families to offer apologies of their own.