[Trauma-tizedRN]

Did ya catch the article in July AJN called "I'm No Angel" written by Margaret C. Belchers MSN, RN, CCRN ? Alot of follow-up opinions in this October issue as well. If you read it....what's your opinion?
She sure gets bashed for the article in follow-ups. I agree with her totally. I smile and cringe when I get called an angel. Sorry folks. I'd take solid, reality-based praise like "You are so competent" or "You are so smart" or "I trust my family member in your hands because you are so knowledgeable" over being an "angel" any day of the week. It is such an outdated notion. So Florence Nightengale-ish. We've come along way baby. It takes away from what we really are doing as nurses and what we are capable of, and how much responsibility we carry. Nice yes, caring yes, compassionate yes....but here on earth as a fellow HUMAN BEINGS....not magical angels. YUCK. EEK. SAPPY. This to me is not bad to feel this way. It is not a gruff, old, burnt-out nurse attitude. To me it is enriching thought and a foundation for a more pleasing and rewarding career platform for the future. We all need to work towards eliminating the Doctor=God and Nurse=Angel mentality built in to this profession. It is a dysfunctional illness that only serves to make us loosen our grasp on reality and to minimize our true worth. It makes for poor doc/nurse relationships. Our patients see us as pillow-fluffing angels of the past...as if the docs are in the hall 24/7 handling every ticking moment. And we, as nurses are OK with that? Feel good and valued about that? Public education....long overdue. But to get the right message out, we have to LIVE the part. EDUCATED NURSE. NOT ANGEL. I am a good nurse and that is what is necessary to do a good job. (Besides, wings and halos tend to get all tangled up in privacy curtains) Tell me i'm thoughtful, sweet, caring...just don't put me on the Angel pedestal.
Thanks for this hour of your life. I will step off of my soapbox now.
Nurses Rock!

[NeuroICURN]

Gawd, it is sooooo weird you posted this today!!! I didn't see the article, but I was discussing this EXACT thing with one of the women at work today!!!

I agree totally that we are no angels! I am there to do a job and that's it! I do NOT believe that it is a "calling" or anything romantic like that! I refuse to get all involved in my pt's lives and families.

When I'm there, I care for them as a person and that's it! I have a job to do...and that's to keep them alive and on the road to recovery or a peaceful death, whatever. Once it's time for me to leave, I'm outta there. I don't give those people a second thought! Sure, I rarely might wonder about how someone turned out (i.e. a young woman who just had a baby and had a head bleed)....but other than that, I don't care.

I've found that the people who get all wrapped up in the job and their patients usually don't have much of a life outside of work....their job IS their home. Their home life is pathetic. Personally, I have a rewarding life outside of work, and I don't need to live through my job.

The one thing my job does do for me is make me thankful for every day that I am given with myself and my family.

It's a job people.....not a "calling". We are not angels, we are nurses, we are human.

[talaxandra]

I'm with you - labelling nursing 'a calling' and nurses 'angels' reinforces the nurse/nun archetype and underscores the idea that the job is, in itself, really reward enough.
"No, there's no need to pay me - I'm an angel who was called to nursing, and fulfilling my life's destiny is payment enough. Please let me stay late tonight, so that I may glow with the inner happiness of a duty fulfilled."

[Trauma-tizedRN]

Originally Posted by NeuroICURN

Gawd, it is sooooo weird you posted this today!!! I didn't see the article, but I was discussing this EXACT thing with one of the women at work today!!!

I agree totally that we are no angels! I am there to do a job and that's it! I do NOT believe that it is a "calling" or anything romantic like that! I refuse to get all involved in my pt's lives and families.

When I'm there, I care for them as a person and that's it! I have a job to do...and that's to keep them alive and on the road to recovery or a peaceful death, whatever. Once it's time for me to leave, I'm outta there. I don't give those people a second thought! Sure, I rarely might wonder about how someone turned out (i.e. a young woman who just had a baby and had a head bleed)....but other than that, I don't care.

I've found that the people who get all wrapped up in the job and their
patients usually don't have much of a life outside of work....their job IS their home. Their home life is pathetic. Personally, I have a rewarding life outside of work, and I don't need to live through my job.

The one thing my job does do for me is make me thankful for every day that I am given with myself and my family.

It's a job people.....not a "calling". We are not angels, we are nurses, we are human.

Amen Sistah...

Don't get me wrong....
I do care about these people....they aren't just a unit of workload to me....I care about outcomes and feel proud of myself and the skills I bring to the table to have positive outcomes...I don't entangle and overcare neurotically...I just like to know the outcomes of a job well-done. I DO give em a thought or two on the way home or at home...but not ANYWHERE close to the point that the lines between job and home fuzz.
It IS a HUMAN services job. Some nurses go robotic...I am not there....I REALLY do care...as a human, as a nurse professional....but NO ANGEL.

[GoLytely]

Actually, I think what FN did in her day was probably a lot more trying and difficult than the way we nurse today.

[Trauma-tizedRN]

Originally Posted by talaxandra

I'm with you - labelling nursing 'a calling' and nurses 'angels' reinforces the nurse/nun archetype and underscores the idea that the job is, in itself, really reward enough.
"No, there's no need to pay me - I'm an angel who was called to nursing, and fulfilling my life's destiny is payment enough. Please let me stay late tonight, so that I may glow with the inner happiness of a duty fulfilled."

Good point Tala-
This outdated Angel archetype also keeps the wages down. I truly believe if the public REALLY knew what our roles were...they'd agree hands down that we are not even getting paid CLOSE to what nurses are really worth.

Such a same old song and dance tho.....what we need is a real nurse revolutionary attitude to drag this role from the history books into the light of present day.

[plumrn]

Very thought provoking. I had never thought about it quite that way, but what you said does make sense to me. Good post.

[Trauma-tizedRN]

Originally Posted by plumrn

Very thought provoking. I had never thought about it quite that way, but what you said does make sense to me. Good post.

Thank you Plum....spread the bug.

[sharann]

I work in PACU as you may know and have been called a "beautiful angel " on occasion. I take it as a complement and say "I must be giving you the right drugs!" But this is serious now. I am called to nursing. I am a professional and competent and intelligent(and angelic at times ha ha), but I don't take offense in being thought of in a positive light. ANY positive light is good nowadays. The naughty nurse thing doesn't fly wi/me though!

[Trauma-tizedRN]

That any nurse reading this thread knows the author....
Direct her to this post.... I would sure like to chat professional philosophy with her or to find any other articles she may have written. I am always interested in discussing issues with fellow nurses who are progressive thinkers....a good spark for creative, positive change. Long shot, but you never know!