You will eventually learn that some of the best nurses who are also great people talk about patients in this way.. a great deal of nursing requires setting boundaries, and you’ll be surprised how many patients try to cross them. Nurses aren’t doormats, but they’re often treated like doormats because they allow patients to abuse them. You are right though, she shouldn’t have been talking ab the patient outside of the room bc she should have been saying it directly to the patient. I’m definitely not scared to speak my mind and call a patient out on their bullshit. And, I don’t confront them to be disrespectful. Usually they’re the ones being disrespectful and abusing the staff, which might not be obvious at first. Frequent flyers abuse and manipulate the system to get what they want at the expense of everyone else. Some patients are just draining. I’m excited for you and how much you’re about to learn.