You'd be surprised how many nurses are 'stuck up' in a way that is generally found to be more acceptable simply because they are lower in the pecking order as it were, and so are allowed to be a bit rude about doctors... Not necessarily without cause, mind you, but it's just a natural human thing; when someone who is less experienced than you turns up but you know they'll soon be earning far more than you will after years of experience, you're bound to feel a pang of resentment, but it doesn't mean that nurses are all jealous... Just because you like the look of footballers' cars doesn't mean you wage a crusade of hatred and jealousy against premier league footballers
.
On the whole, though, I've never had a problem with nurses; though obviously my contact with them has been limited since I've only gone through one year of medschool so far, I've worked with them in both GP and hospital work experience and in nursing home volunteering, and they've always been very sensible. Indeed I've worked with one who was a school-friend of my mum's and we've even taught each other a few things, and she gives me her previous editions of the BNF every time she gets a new one (since she's a nurse practitioner).
Perhaps you were a bit on the sycophantic side? To be honest, when I've worked with nurses they've been perfectly nice people and I think we all sensed where we stood; we'd one day be the doctors and
in a sense their 'bosses', but we knew that they are far more experienced at this stage; they knew that too but they also respected that we probably had a greater understanding of the science and were still learning by no
fault of our own; so both sides respected each other.
I would expect if you are trying really hard to show that they are superior with regards to experience constantly it'd probably be obvious to them that you're doing it on purpose and whilst you may be meaning well, it may come across as if you are compensating for either your misconceptions about them, or that you're doing it to mask a belief that you are superior.Don't be obsequious I guess; they've been doing their job and putting up with med students for years; there's no need to actively try and make them feel respected and appreciated because if you go to pains to do so
you might be appearing patronising or false... Just behave normally; so long as you're
not an arrogant med student they'll be fine with you.