Biggest Misconception about nurses you've heard

Nurses General Nursing

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Mine was when I met a good friend of mine on the bus on the way to clinicals while in school and she was SHOCKED that they allow lowly nursing students to "work with real, live people"

Naw, we just come out of nursing school with nothing but textbook knowledge and yet can mysteriously do skills well....... :lol2:

Probably due partially to the fact that her dad is a physician:uhoh3:

Specializes in psych nursing.

My favorite since I work in a psych facility, "Wow, you must be really scared." Yes, I work with all the crazy ax murderers (note the sarcasm).

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED.

People that think that I must have failed out of med school because I am an intelligent guy in nursing... ugh

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Specializes in Aged Care.

Oh you work in aged care (LTC in the US)? What a cushy job - you get to hear all those lovely old folks' stories

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Specializes in Nursing Education, CVICU, Float Pool.

Some people are just so misinformed.

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Specializes in Nursing Education, CVICU, Float Pool.

This is a question someone with a masters degree in biology asked me:

"Oh, you can get a Doctorates degree in Nursing? What do you have to do, be perfect and butt wiping? haha!"

And this person is a prime example of why having years of "higher" education, doesn't necessarily make you smarter.

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Specializes in ER, cardiac, addictions.
This is a question someone with a masters degree in biology asked me:

"Oh, you can get a Doctorates degree in Nursing? What do you have to do, be perfect and butt wiping? haha!"

And this person is a prime example of why having years of "higher" education, doesn't necessarily make you smarter.

You just reminded me of the program director of an addictions program I used to work for.

This woman should never have worked in mental health: she was dishonest, VERY controlling, hostile toward the patients, and clearly had some serious mental health issues of her own. She also had an issue with us nurses, because she couldn't control us. (As hospital employees, we had our own nursing supervisor, and answered to her, not this program director.

Apparently she decided that the only way to have 100% control over "her" staff was to become a nurse herself. So she phoned the local community college, for information about getting into the ADN program there.

The representative on the phone explained the curriculum to her, including the heavy clinical schedule, and suggested that going to nursing school AND running an addictions program might be a little much.

She kept interrupting with, "But you don't understand! I already have a MASTER'S DEGREE. Why would I need to take clinicals? Couldn't I just take the classes that I don't already have?" Apparently she thought that, as long as she didn't care about doing bedside care, she could pick up a nursing license within a semester or so, in her spare time!

Kind of shows you just how much knowledge (and respect) she had for nurses. :uhoh3::banghead:

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Specializes in LTC, med/surg, hospice.

The nursing assistant's do all the hard work.

I can save your life outside of the hospital. (umm..yes I can do CPR but I'm otherwise useless without a crashcart and Code Team)

That we are like maids/waitresses...just there to wait on patients.

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When a private nursing school counselor tells you, "Nursing is always in demand. Don't worry about the loan, you will be able to pay it off once you start working as a nurse. We'll help you find a job." :uhoh3:

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Specializes in LTC/Skilled Care/Rehab.

That there are a lot of nursing positions. Just because a hospital has 50 positions on their website...it doesn't mean they are actually HIRING for those positions.

That we have all the time in the world to listen to families complain about any little thing that goes "wrong" aka "the cable going out". Sorry I have a patient in respiratory distress right now....not watching cable for a few hours will not kill you.

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Specializes in Tele, OB, public health.
You just reminded me of the program director of an addictions program I used to work for.

This woman should never have worked in mental health: she was dishonest, VERY controlling, hostile toward the patients, and clearly had some serious mental health issues of her own. She also had an issue with us nurses, because she couldn't control us. (As hospital employees, we had our own nursing supervisor, and answered to her, not this program director.

Apparently she decided that the only way to have 100% control over "her" staff was to become a nurse herself. So she phoned the local community college, for information about getting into the ADN program there.

The representative on the phone explained the curriculum to her, including the heavy clinical schedule, and suggested that going to nursing school AND running an addictions program might be a little much.

She kept interrupting with, "But you don't understand! I already have a MASTER'S DEGREE. Why would I need to take clinicals? Couldn't I just take the classes that I don't already have?" Apparently she thought that, as long as she didn't care about doing bedside care, she could pick up a nursing license within a semester or so, in her spare time!

Kind of shows you just how much knowledge (and respect) she had for nurses. :uhoh3::banghead:

:uhoh3: oh my- although I must admit I would have loved hearing about her trying to make it through nursing school......;)

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Specializes in L&D, Same Day Surgery.

My friend, "When I was in the hospital recently, I was shocked to see how busy the nurses are. They don't just pass meds."

My patient, "You shouldn't have to empty my bedpan, don't they have a maid that comes to do that?"

A doctor, "What did you study at the university?"

My reply, "Nursing."

His reply, "They actually give a bachelors degree for that? Wow, you can get a degree in anything."

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That I am available 24/7 to give medical advice at any time or place. That perfect strangers can walk up to me on the street, show/tell me their disgusting medical problems and then get angry when I tell them to talk to their drs. and huff and puff "I thought nurses were supposed to be compassionate!"

That I want to hear their horror stories about being in the hospital and all the "lazy" nurses who didn't do their jobs. One person i met had been a patient at a hospital I actually worked at (before she was there) and that I ran screaming from because of the absolutely critical short staffing. Those nurses worked their fingers to the bone, there just weren't enough to go around, and it simply was not possible to stay on top of patient care. It's so upsetting to hear people complain about lazy nurses who don't do their jobs when the truth is, the nurses simply don't have the resources or support to actually do their jobs. i always do what I can to set them straight...then on to the next.:mad:

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