I spoke with a fellow nurse attorney this week and she was very rude and downright nasty over the phone. I was surprised and I laughed when I hung up the phone because I thought wow, this person has issues. I am never nasty to nurses, attorneys, clients, or anyone in my law practice. Now my personal life is a different story.
I have never met this women and you can best believe I will never recommend or refer anyone or anything her way.
I like what I do for a living and although everyone has a bad day here and there, I just don't feel the need to be nasty, rude, or short with anyone related to my law and consulting practices. What is the point?
I can say in my eleven years of law practice, this is only the second rude nurse attorney I have encountered. Most nurse attorneys I have met are genuinely excited about meeting another nurse attorney and discussing the practice of law with a nursing background.
Is it becoming the "norm" now in law practice to be rude and short with your colleagues?
I see the civility and courtesy going to the way side in some rare instances. It brings to mind an extreme case that frankly took all of my resolve to withstand. Because of a simple discovery issue and inability to agree on what should be disclosed to the other side, the attorney for the opposing side, in my estimation, went way overboard. Specifically,the attorney called me a liar , accused me of the most egregious things and slandered me and personally attacked me for no reason at all other than to intimidate and gain an upperhand. Never in all of my years as a nurse paralegal or attorney had my integrity, my word or my reputation been questioned and never had I been confronted with such blatant unprofessionalism or hatred. It was with a heavy heart that I stood toe to toe over issues that had nothing to do with the litigation and which did nothing to benefit the clients or the court. The judge immediately and in my estimation justly, ignored this lawyer's attempts to sanction me for only doing my job. I think your open question, therefore, is very relevant. I firmly believe in our legal system and I do believe in my heart that most attorneys are not like the one that I noted above nor like the nurse attorney that you encountered. I hope that this person understands that "Rambo" type litigation should not be tolerated and that nurse attorneys, in my opinion, should even be held to a higher standard of ethics by the very choice we have made to have two professions that help us not only practice ethically, but compassionately.
Joe A. Flores, RN,MSN,JD
Posted by: Joe Flores, RN,MSN,JD | August 29, 2008 at 01:22 AM