Thank You

MedChica · Feb 14, 2013

I have two opinions:

1.

I understand feeling picked at. Some people on this board (I can't say how many) actually DO have a problem with nursing students and... *ahem*...uh, new nurses? LOL But it's their issue not mine. I don't have a problem with my coworkers. They're great. They take care of the new nurses. They don't let us flounder.

Nurses at my facility tend to stick together. Young and old, we've banned together against the real enemy: Management/corporate! LOL

The aides have joined in on the fun, too!

Yeah, it's not perfect but look at it this way: We could be pointing our proverbial guns at each other. This is progress, people! Progress! LOL

So, if I say anything about nurses not being supportive of new nurses? I'm only talking about the nurses that I see on here.

Do nurses eat their young?

Uh, no...more than other seasoned professionals tend to chew up and spit our theirs.

I also don't care for the ways in which nurses will mistreat clinical nursing students.

...and no - I don't have to put myself in anyone's shoes. I've worked in teaching hospitals and trained + supervised students. Plural. As in, 'several at once'. I never asked for them and, sometimes, never cared to train...but I never took my frustrations out on them, either.

That's unprofessional and inappropriate, if you ask me.

Now - are nurses the only ones to treat their students so crapp-ily?

No...more than other professionals. LOL It's just that nurses tend to ignore the behavior and, when called to the carpet for it? Go out of their way to excuse this ugly behavior in others away. They blame the student, not the rude nurse.

...because they didn't ask to train a student.

...because they're tired and overworked.

It's a bunch of b/s, really. No matter the cause, it's never 'ok' to treat others like dirt.

2.

I understand feeling picked at but some practically court it.

'Some' nurse aspirants on allnurses are just annoying as hell. LOL

There's no other way to put it. It get under my skin when pre-nursing school students, nursing students and STNA's gripe about how nurses 'don't love their jobs' and this, that and the other. "Oh, the board's so negative."

No, it isn't. Some people are idealistic and can't handle the reality that nursing isn't all roses. (neither is healthcare, for that matter)

As I've stated elsewhere on here? I don't mind it when posters just push them towards the 'kiddie table', so to speak. That's where they belong.

Now this:

Somehow, life experience abounding, my perspective means nothing. Zip. Zilch. Nada. My competencies in conflict resolution, or 'glass-half-full' attitude, or skilled navigation in the professional world have proved to mean nothing here. I am sometimes even spoken to as though I am completely clueless about being completely clueless...
... The thing is, how does anyone know anything about me to decide whether or not I can handle a given situation? How does anyone know whether or not I've spent a lifetime in psych units, with a violent deaf-blind? Can you imagine a world like that? How does anyone know I haven't had to take care of a quadriplegic most of my adult life? How does anyone know that I haven't experienced failed health care on many levels to pave a better road for my patients? Why am I automatically presumed to know nothing of healthcare, just because I'm a student?

Well...do you?

LOL

...and it's not about 'how much you know' about healthcare. Secondly, it's not about healthcare. It's about nursing.

Third-ly, I was an xray tech and CT tech...and a rad floor manager...and a rad dept manager. An untitled 'combat medic' (the nat'l guard tries to turn it's hospital personnel into combat medics. Yes, even 'medical support'...). I was also a CNA for 2 years. Now I'm an LVN...going for RN in a year or two.

I'm 32 and I've been in healthcare since the age of 19. Radiology was my first job. Healthcare... is all that I know.

Big deal. Big whoop.

We have posters in here with healthcare exp+knowledge that could easily trump mine. EMTs, respiratory therapists, psychiatrists/ologists, healthcare management, Surg Techs, longtime CNAs/PCTs (not the student aides), health insurance personnel, U/S techs and everything else on the site.

However, we ... don't even pretend to know crap about each other's healthcare-related occupation...let alone, 'all there is to know about nursing'. LOL

Even those hlthcare professionals who probably could point a valid finger in judgement at nurses, i.e., our EMTs and paramedics...don't really go there much. They'll criticize the curriculum but that's kind of it.

We have 2nd degree types (lawyers, teachers and such) and even they don't come on here throwing their weight around.

That's the difference.

... and that's about half of the problem with some of these 'know-it-all, new to healthcare and nursing/ 'I took care of 'a' quadriplegic'/ 'I've been a STNA for one whole month and I know it all' type nurse aspirants, if you ask me.

We ...despite our exp understand that, where nursing's concerned, we are 'outsiders-looking-in'. For the most part.

Some of these nurse aspirants? Don't. That's why they're always getting shut down by one or more members of this site...and, frankly, that's why they deserve to be.

Neither do they 'get' that some knowledge/experience isn't applicable. Transferable.

If you don't bear the title, aren't a part of the culture and don't do the work? You actually can't speak for the goings-on of the profession. Few in any profession would stand for that.

I don't know what the heck inspired this backhanded compliment of a thread, but...LOL... I've read one or two of your posts. You catch a lot of flack for what you say which is fair...because you tend to have to coming. LOL Seriously...

Your ignorance, as you say, doesn't come across as all that innocent. You are clueless about being clueless. I've seen you dishing out incorrect advice to an OP and, when corrected (more than once, mind you, because you tried to argue the point), you had the good grace to get all obnoxious about it. LOL

Now you're in here with your passive-aggressive 'thank yous'? Really?

"Oh, to the nurse posters that don't bully me..." LOL

Dude -- whatever.

If you can dish it? You can take it. For someone that notes the 'limited amt of forums that trumpet the profession', why would you go out of your way to sully the Nurse's Rock section of the board with your PETTY drama?

(and it IS petty.)

In closing...LOL

I don't have a 'problem' with you. This isn't about me getting my jollies from making another feel bad, either. It's more like: You're soliciting for opinions...and I'm giving you one. You want feedback? Here it is.

Welcome to the internet.

mclennan, BSN, RN · Feb 14, 2013

This thread needs to be moved to General Discussion.

And, I agree, HEARTILY, with MedChica. Beautiful response.

TheBlackDogWaits · Feb 15, 2013

MedChica, thanks for that... After I wrote it AND submitted, and went in to edit, I decided it would be nice to just delete it altogether. I could've even edited all the completely irrelevant crap, but it was too late. Maybe because I'm not a member, who knows. My original post wasn't intended to be a backhanded compliment, but I know that it came across as one. I worked in a facility for almost 5 years, with a staff that had the sink-or-swim mentality with new recruits. They were brutal. They weren't brutal to me, because I had "chops", I guess. Soon, I found myself glomming into a culture that I hated, but did nothing to stop - and I treated all the newbies the way I learned from my predecessors. I guess I am being somewhat of a hypocrite. Right now, when I see posters in their frustration, I think to myself, "It's really not that serious.... why the hate?" Honestly, though, I wonder if I will be you in five more years, with a very obvious reason to be frustrated.... Thank you for the feedback. My original post was a genuine outreach to the members who somehow keep their cool and articulate their bias without snagging the line, even though some of us have posting issues.