[weetziebat]

I've seen this before, and take it simply as a joke. Been in nursing 30 years, and can see myself, when I first started, as the 'graduate' nurse. I never sat down - ran to answer everyone's call lights! Nowadays, I am definately the 'experienced' nurse. Personally I find this both funny and true.

[DutchgirlRN]

It's a joke. I think it must have just hit you the wrong way. Read it again tomorrow and maybe you'll laugh, Cheers!

[nurse4theplanet]

Like someone posted earlier, this email is simply a satire geared towards the differences in new nurses and more experienced nurses....just like Saturday Night Live does in their skits about politics, cheerleaders, performers, etc. etc. etc.

IMO, I thought it was hilarious and sent it to all my nursing buddies and others who are not in the nursing profession, but are certainly not "lay people". They too found humor in it.

I get emails all the time about policeman, politicians, women, men, etc. poking fun in a stereotypical/satirical fashion. Nothing to get your underwear in a wad about

I don't think this email has anything to do with the 'bad' image nurses are given, nor do I think it will contribute to persuading others not to join the profession. We have a nursing shortage because it takes a very special person to be a nurse, as we all know. And because we have a shortage of nursing instructors. Not because of this email.

Maybe this message just caught you on a bad day. I certainly don't think that the posters on this board are not advocates for bettering the professional image of nursing as you suggested in one of your posts. I think they just found the humor in it. You should try to take it a little more light heartedly and if it bothers you, just delete it and tell the person who sent it to you how you feel.

[lavahawaii]

You must be the grad.. it is unfortunate that this has upset you.

A Graduate Nurse doesn't find this funny.
>An experienced nurse does

It is humor, and not meant to be at anyone's expense. This may be a clue for you to thickin your skin or you may be quickly burning out. There will be many pot shots taken at you and your credibility along the way. I know this from experience. How you react to it will determine how many will be thrown at you..
Remember, Respect is earned.

Aloha

[sandiixx]

I am sorry that this upset you but I have to admit that i thought it was pretty funny!! I think in nursing we need to lighten up and learn to take a joke cos nursing itself can be pretty darn serious. We need to have humour to balance the serious I LOVE MY CAREER!! I consider my self the luckiest person to be doing something i love and feel passionate about And i love to see the light side of almost everything
Have a great day!!!

[nursemary9]

Sorry, but after 40 yrs. in this job, I find this mostly funny!!
I just can't get really excited anymore about things like this.

Mary Ann

[justmanda]

Originally Posted by MomBSN

First of all, I have been an RN for over 10 years and I still believe that Nursing is an amazing profession (its not just a paycheck) So, I should find this funny…it started out as humorous but then I noticed that this email was not just going to nurses. By the way, I do have a good sense of humor (I am surprised by the personal attack but then again don’t they say that nurses eat their young?)



My point is that this is being sent to lay persons (at least the email that was sent to me was also being sent to lay people). Can you see the message that this is giving to the lay person? It portrays nurses as pretty jaded, lazy and incompetent. Everyone knows that we have a nursing shortage. Is this the kind of advertising that is going to entice people to become nurses?



“Graduate Nurse carries reference books in their bag. An experienced nurse carries magazines, lunch, and some "cough syrup" in their bag”.



I have worked with nurses who brought “cough syrup” to work. Not exactly “Cracker Jack” nurses and not the kind of nurses I want to represent me (or working on me for that matter).



I just wish I could articulate this better. I am not trying to be nasty. Honestly, I was surprised that I was not supported by my colleagues (well, there were some of you ). I wonder if the response would have been different from the nursing advocacy site?

I found it funny and, in some cases, very true. I don't quite get the cough syrup reference....are we talking about hitting the sauce? You honestly have to not worry about what other people "lay people" think of the nursing profession since I find it rather irrelevant. This is one profession where you have to learn to let things roll off your back. Trust me, and this may be a different point altogether, no matter how good a nurse you turn out to be...someone out there will think you are a crappy nurse. Whether it be a patient who thinks you didn't do something you were supposed to do or a nurse who thinks you should have done this or that. It just comes with the job. Accepting this can prevent a lot of sleepness nights.

[Fuzzy]

There are jokes like these for many professions as I have received them. There was one awhile back on small animal vs large animal veterinarians. I wish that I would have saved that one because it was a giggle. While some laypeople may not get it and some parts of the joke might be in poor taste, they are quite funny and sadly sometimes true.

Fuzzy

[TexasNS]

Benn an RN for exactly 2 months now and I find this HILARIOUS!!!!

I have even laughed at my self for some of the things that I find interesting while others sigh and pretend to be busy.

Keep it light ya'll!!!

[steelcityrn]

Maybe we should send this joke to Jay Leno ! Sure beats his boring monologues !