Does Everyone Actually Hate Nurses?

[Casha9]

I am about to begin nursing school in a few weeks, and everywhere I turn I feel like I hear a bunch of negativity towards nurses. It seems like nurses are the bottom of the food chain, but is that really true? People keep saying to me, "why would you only want to be a nurse?" - like it's a bad thing. I realize that you have to earn your own respect, and that it isn't easy. Maybe it's just a mix of media and too many fears swimming through my head. Are nurses really as disrespected and disliked as everyone makes it sound?

Every nurse should have malpractice insurance.

To anyone reading who chooses to not have it, get it. It doesn't just pay out malpractice suit losses... You have lawyers to assist in actions against your license. Get protection for this. It's stupidly cheap so there are no excuses.

I've a colleague whose previous employer file complaints against him to the BRN and his case is presently being adjudicated. It appears nearly certain that he'll be OK but for what the attorney is costing him out of pocket, he could have paid for malpractice insurance for the remainder of his career (at present rates, anyway).

[vintage_RN, BSN, RN]

I've received nothing but respect from my family, friends and strangers regarding my profession. I agree with others that it seems some people even over glorify nurses, like I am some amazing, God-given selfless angel...or some professional hard-working people I know will talk to me as if my profession is much better and more important than theirs. I never understood this, all professions, jobs, goals and dreams are important and serve a purpose.

Sometimes it seems patients don't treat us with respect. But patients are sick, dying, in pain, lonely...and their family members are dealing with a loved-one who is sick, dying, in pain or lonely....so naturally they may take it out on the first person they see = the nurse. I never try to take it personally.

[Wrench Party]

Hmm. The only negative comments I heard were from my own mother, also a nurse, and she was more stunned than anything else. "You're doing what?" was what she said when I announced my intention of going to nursing school. Otherwise, I'm friends with various professionals and hardly anyone batted an eye. Second career changes aren't the shockers they used to be, particularly in circles where everyone is highly educated and holds multiple degrees.

[sistrmoon, BSN, RN]

I've heard mostly positive things from my friends and family(although I *have* heard "You're so smart, why don't you become a doctor?") but I wouldn't say everyone is in our fan club. I've heard plenty of negative stories about nurses from the general public. Also, we had this happen in our area. Check out the comment at the bottom. I don't know if this guy is a troll who goes around making similar comments on all the articles, but I saw a lot of comments like this on this story on different news sites: Sheriff: Albany Med nurse, boyfriend stole IDs from at least 50 victims - Times Union

If you don't want to click, he says, "Not at all surprised. Lazy, know-nothing nurses have lots of free work time and this type of nurse criminal behavior is more common than ever reported. Nurses that think they are doctors, and having a problem with doing exactly as they are told, and nurses think they are invulnerable to security. Over-paid and unprofessional nurses are prevalent at more than just the AMC."

[la_chica_suerte85, BSN, RN]

Like I previously mentioned, nurses are not paid for what we do. We are paid for what we know. If the knowledge base is unimportant and the physical labor of a job is so important, these folks with the 'factory worker mentalities' can arrange for their acutely ill loved ones to receive all their care from medication aides and unlicensed caregivers with 9th grade educations. After all, the med aide and unlicensed caregiver are busting their butts to do 'real work,' right?

This is what drives me crazy about these people who don't know that it's the knowledge that is the basis for the profession. They compartmentalize it like this: the docs know everything and are 100% in the know about labs, conditions, status, diagnostics, etc., etc. The RNs give meds and do bedside care and nothing else. They know nothing about the assessments, the updates we are required to give, the coordination of care we have to do, pt teaching, the paperwork, the paperwork, the paperwork............

I'm in agreement with a couple of my cohort mates that laypersons should be nationally mandated to do 6 mos-1 year of volunteer work in some kind of medical setting (I just want to take some pre-diabetic family members through a med-surg floor to show them their future....). I wonder what kind of national change in chronic conditions we would see if people knew that the effort of prevention was miniscule compared to the work of having to be in and out of the hospital. /rant.

[guest798886]

I've heard of negative comments about nurses everywhere. even in the hospital i volunteer at. Its sad. People who are nurses themselves tell me not to pursue nursing and tell me about their experiences and what I'll have to deal with in the future, etc. And some ask why dont i become a doctor instead... The best thing to do is to be polite while their bashing nursing in my face and ignore. I know exactly WHY i want to become a nurse and I'll never let anyone or their stories scare me away from this profession.

[gcupid]

I just had an experience today in which the company's policies just abuse nurses. Nursing is a challenging profession and it appears that no one really cares to make it easier for us. They just bully and dump all kind of irrational and illogical demands on us. If the providers have a problem with something that can be fixed easily, I bet that it would change with in a few months; however, if it is something that affects the nurses it may never change or better yet it may become worse.

You deal with a lot of unnecessary harassment from family, coworkers, subordinates, supervisors, doctors, and other ancillary staff. Anything that goes wrong is always the nurse's fault. Nursing has the potential to be the best profession but it's just too much other bs and hoops that you have to go through in order to do your job.

I would not recommend nursing to anyone unless their plan is to go straight into being a nurse practitioner. Get your bsn, then enroll in your masters by next semester after graduating...Work part time or full time or prn to get some experience while you pursue your masters NP. DO NOT WASTE TIME....Go straight back to school.

[rita359]

Was in nursing for 45 years. Nowadays there are sooooo many opportunities once you have your RN. I don't think family and friends can appreciate the opportunities that degree can open up for you. If nursing is what you want go for it.

[tarotale]

As I am a nurse with intent of absolutely not staying in this career, I will have an opinion and that is this: if my own child wants to do nursing as his/her career, I will highly advise against it.

Is it because people disrespect me? No. Well, I don't have doctors or lawyers in my family, but both my parents have double degrees, my mother was a nurse, my brother graduated from UT CS major and makes little short of $90,000 in his mid-late 20s, all my relatives have university degree, a ton of phDs at my church, etc, and everyone of them goes "oh, you're a nurse? nice going for you."

But at work, it's the opposite. I feel like I am basically a "work ant" and minion. Thinking? What's that? It's all task, task, task, and charting charting charting. Then there comes those "floor clickers" with heels making stupid expectations while they just sit at their desk, administration, stupid satisfaction scores, presganey, social unjustice of our tax money being poured into bunch of fools, etc etc. You are only respected as RN if you get up high enough to some fancy executive or administrative spot.

The least I am going for in this field (if I stay in it) is NP, and I am not going to be a staff nurse all my life, that's not going to happen. Imagine you're in your good 40s or 50s, still cleaning butt, can't snap back to pts who are being idiotic or disrespectful for crazy reasons like narcotic addiction or plain rudeness, and you just have to suck it up b/c you are a staff nurse, the bottom pole? No No No. If my child really wants healthcare career, okay fine, but just not nursing. I recommend her PT or speech patho before doing nursing.

[SunnyNP]

Be proud to be entering the nursing profession. Smile politely, nod and walk away from negativity.

Maintaining adequate ventilation and hemodynamics of a critically ill human in flight is not for everyone. The weight of someone's attitude does not fit into my calculations for this mission or my job.

[Vwpenn]

As a veteran nurse I can't tell you how many times I have been disrespected by the patients and other staff. If I had it to do it over I would have never chosen this field. Maybe I have worked in the wrong hospitals or floors. But when it comes to being respected, I don't believe nursing comes to mind.