WWYD -- Noisy Nurses at the Next Table

[jdb in AZ]

Tonight DH and I had dinner at our favorite Mexican food place. It's not fine dining, but the food is great. The place is about half a mile from a hospital so a lot of their workers eat there. I'm from a medical family (dad was a doc, mom a nurse, etc) so I'm familiar with a lot of the terminology, but growing up, we didn't have graphic discussions at the dinner table.

Tonight two nurses were seated at the table next to ours and one of them mentioned a leaky colostomy bag (at the hospital) that was getting smeared all over. Really NOT something I wanted to hear about while eating refried beans. I managed to not projectile vomit into the nurse's food, but maybe in hindsight I should have asked them to tone down the rhetoric. I wasn't eavesdropping but they were loud and the tables were close together -- overhearing them was unavoidable.

What would you have said or done in the situation?

 

[Queen of the WDW Scene]

My mom is a retired nurse as are several of her friends.
Nurses talk about all kinds of medical things over meals.
Sounds like since you easily recognize terms it probably caught your ear more.
It doesn't bother me a bit. If it did I'd just try to ignore it. People can talk about whatever they please.
Oddly enough when I was young and at my mom's work often for about a month because my grandma had a stroke and was a patient there until she passed and actually was on my mom's floor I'd have lunch at the cafeteria with my mom and her fellow dr's and nurses and the only conversation I can recall clearly is one that a gay dr was having with them about lettuce lol.

 

[Jennasis]

If it bothered me that much I would have asked to be moved.

 

[kimblebee]

I would have said eww, meaning to or not. Hopefully they’d get the hint.

 

[cluvsdisney]

If I couldn’t ignore it, I would change tables or finish up quickly and just go. People can talk about what they want to talk about.

 

[Elle23]

I’m a nurse. One of my best memories from nursing school was getting to gross everyone out at dinner talking about what I did or saw that day. (It’s a family joke...no one was mad about it).

If I was bothered so much i would just ask to be moved to another table. I think they have a right to discuss what they want to (assuming patient privacy, of course).

 

[lovin'fl]

I'd be grossed out at their wearing dirty scrubs in the restaurant. That's a pet peeve of mine. Though I wouldn't say or do anything, even hearing that convo. I'd just hurry to finish or hope they finish quickly.

 

[sonnyjane]

Hearing people talk about politics or religion at a restaurant offends me far more but I’d never tell them they couldn’t say something. Can’t imagine telling someone what they can and can’t talk about while they’re grabbing a bite to unwind after work.

 

[sam_gordon]

I'd be grossed out at their wearing dirty scrubs in the restaurant.

I missed it. Where did the OP say their scrubs were dirty?

 

[QueenIsabella]

DH and I were very guilty of this, back in our firefighter/EMT days. If asked, we would have toned it down, but if I were on the receiving end, I probably wouldn't ask. I might have asked to be moved, though, if it bothered me. Which, it probably wouldn't have--in your case, I might well have joined the conversation! But, I recognize that people have different tolerance levels.

 

[anniemae]

I would just try to tune them out and concentrate on something else. If that didn't work, I would maybe try to make eye contact. That usually lets people know you are tuned into their conversation and may make them think, "oops people can hear us and probably don't want to listen to our conversation." They probably didn't even realize that others could hear them.

 

[Summer2018]

Tonight DH and I had dinner at our favorite Mexican food place. It's not fine dining, but the food is great. The place is about half a mile from a hospital so a lot of their workers eat there. I'm from a medical family (dad was a doc, mom a nurse, etc) so I'm familiar with a lot of the terminology, but growing up, we didn't have graphic discussions at the dinner table.

Tonight two nurses were seated at the table next to ours and one of them mentioned a leaky colostomy bag (at the hospital) that was getting smeared all over. Really NOT something I wanted to hear about while eating refried beans. I managed to not projectile vomit into the nurse's food, but maybe in hindsight I should have asked them to tone down the rhetoric. I wasn't eavesdropping but they were loud and the tables were close together -- overhearing them was unavoidable.

What would you have said or done in the situation?

OMG. I'm feeling queasy just imagining it. I don't know what I would have done except maybe give them a look expressing my distaste. That's rough.

 

[Soldier's*Sweeties]

I missed it. Where did the OP say their scrubs were dirty?

If they didn’t change before dinner and came right in from work, their scrubs are considered dirty.

 

[Soldier's*Sweeties]

I’m a nurse. One of my best memories from nursing school was getting to gross everyone out at dinner talking about what I did or saw that day. (It’s a family joke...no one was mad about it).

If I was bothered so much i would just ask to be moved to another table. I think they have a right to discuss what they want to (assuming patient privacy, of course).

I'm a nursing student now. The wound care unit was awesome!

My husband doesn’t share my enthusiasm.

 

[LSUmiss]

I agree it’s impolite & I wouldn’t do it. But, I would never tell anyone anything & the subject matter wouldn’t bother me. Heck, DS used to have. colostomy bag & I’m sure DH & discussed it while eating back then ...just not in public.

 

[a1tinkfans]

Well if the tables were too close for ur comfort to Overhear their “ private” convo, you re stuck .. just like you were. Had I just been seated, I might be asked to be moved if possible.
However there are Many conversations, typically Political garbage that make me wanna , spill. So I suppose it’s filter it out or ask to be moved.
Hope u got to enjoy the meal regardless.

 

[Skellingtonj]

If I couldn’t ignore it, I would change tables or finish up quickly and just go. People can talk about what they want to talk about.

All this. To them it’s just work talk.. you think everyone wants to hear your conversations??

 

[Disneylover99]

I would have showed them my refried beans and asked if the poop on the leaky bag looked like this.

 

[goofy4tink]

If they didn’t change before dinner and came right in from work, their scrubs are considered dirty.

I find it very hard to believe that any nurse would go out to eat with 'colostomy remains' smeared on their scrubs. At least none of the nurses I know would!
I would probably have said pretty loudly 'You mean like these refried beans???? Ewwwww!!!!'

 

[lovin'fl]

I find it very hard to believe that any nurse would go out to eat with 'colostomy remains' smeared on their scrubs. At least none of the nurses I know would!
I would probably have said pretty loudly 'You mean like these refried beans???? Ewwwww!!!!'

No but they are worn used scrubs...worn in a hospital/medical setting. Blech. I know its silly but it grosses me out. Just like I need to change after giving the dog a bath...clothes smell of wet dog.