You're Supposed to be Compassionate!

Nurses General Nursing

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I get this crap all the time, mostly off the job. Somehow, I'm supposed to be this sweet, squishy stereotype. The other day, I was expressing some of my political views, and someone told me, "I can't believe that you're a nurse. You're supposed to be compassionate." I work at a Nurse Aide school, and I had to tell a woman that her grades were not sufficient to enroll. Her daughter huffed, "She has a hard time with English, and you were rude. You're a nurse, you're supposed to be compassionate," even though her I had indeed patiently explained things to her mother. The daughter wanted me to basically sit alongside her mother and pretty much spell out the test for her. Also, my compassion lies with the people who she will be assigned to take care of that she will not have the ability to do. I refuse to get a diabetic woman ice cream for liability reasons, and she huffs, "Let me enjoy life. You're supposed to be compassionate." Uh, does risk of sending someone into diabetic shock count as compassion?

I'm a darn compassionate nurse. On the job, I will not say a word or judge others, even if there are 5 potential babydaddys in the delivery room with a crack-addicted mother. I will give indiscriminate care. I will never be above wiping butts, and I will always be willing to give kind words. However, I am also entitled to my opinions, and I separate work from personal life. These opinions do not define me as a nurse. There are many different types of nurses, liberal and conservative, strict and sweet, loud and quiet, type A and type B, etc. The job does not totally define the person. For example, comedian Mike Myers is actually quiet and reserved in real life.

Then again, I have doubts about how a lot of people define compassion nowadays. I just read an article about how you should never say no to your child. Apparently, it's bad to stop your child from weighing 150 lbs by age 4 by letting him eat as much as he wants, it's abuse to make your kids attend school and do their homework, and a teacher is automatically horrible if she flunks students for their obviously shoddy work.

Sounds more like common sense than fatigue, to me. Maybe I'm not as compassionate as I think I am, because there's a side of me that would be tempted to ask, "Has he had a check up, recently? Because last week we had a patient with a glioblastoma, and he developed a sudden craving for Thai food. Probably just a coincidence, but you never know..."

Unfortunately I work NICU so she'd know it was a lie... Plus, then I'd just have to listen to that new saga "And he needs a checkup and I'm so worried and what if he has cancer? Why does everything have to be so hard?":lol2:

Specializes in Rodeo Nursing (Neuro).
Unfortunately I work NICU so she'd know it was a lie... Plus, then I'd just have to listen to that new saga "And he needs a checkup and I'm so worried and what if he has cancer? Why does everything have to be so hard?":lol2:

I feel your pain:uhoh3:.

Specializes in OB, M/S, HH, Medical Imaging RN.

I would have to say "I'm a compassionate nurse, I'm a real person, I have all kinds of emotions and opinions just like you"

Specializes in ortho/neuro/general surgery.

I have an in-law who is diabetic, insists he's controlling it with diet, yet has sky-high blood sugars when he gets around to checking it. He can tell when it's high, and he says it happens at least every day or more. Yet he refuses to take any oral meds or insulin for it. I don't even bother saying anything to him about it, he's so stinkin' stubborn, I've just told myself there's nothing I can do. Screw it! Because of his non-compliance, I have little compassion for him. He's the type who's "always right" and doesn't listen to anyone else. I just wish he'd take care of him self long enough to see his grandkids grow up. :uhoh3:

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