What is your opinion of nursing and positive illusions?

[jwalker03]

Let's just start by saying that I am but a mere nursing student but I genuinely am curious about this subject. We all hear that nursing school is the hardest thing in the world and that nursing is so much harder than other professions. Now I have no doubt that nursing school and the nursing profession is hard but let us not get too carried away or embellish the truth. Is this not the same thing that other majors and professions do that irritates most people. This leads me to ask; why do the majority of people think that they (almost WANT to) have it worse than others? With that being said-

1) Do you all think that the majority of students and nurses are utilizing positive illusions?

2) If so what do you all think could be some of the reasons for doing so?

3) If so what would you say are some of the positives and negatives to these?

4) Are the ways in which nurses view themselves any different than other professions? (i.e. there are many professions where many members have a sense of illusory superiority; I'm sure you all can think of at least one)

[jwalker03]

Maybe if I rephrase my question. Why is there a group (not saying it's small or large because let's be honest I don't know) of current nurses that talk down to future or junior nurses? I have already experienced it. It doesn't make sense to me due to the nature of the profession. I feel like my question got dissected without ever getting anyone's thoughts on the actual question. I tried to present the question in a tactful way that didn't mesh well with some and I apologize for that. I haven't always been the best at communicating and tone is very hard to convey in word form. See I'm already learning things; less words, more direct.

[SionainnRN]

Maybe if I rephrase my question. Why is there a group (not saying it's small or large because let's be honest I don't know) of current nurses that talk down to future or junior nurses? I have already experienced it. It doesn't make sense to me due to the nature of the profession. I feel like my question got dissected without ever getting anyone's thoughts on the actual question. I tried to present the question in a tactful way that didn't mesh well with some and I apologize for that. I haven't always been the best at communicating and tone is very hard to convey in word form. See I'm already learning things; less words, more direct.

It wasn't tone but calling us narcissists, that's not being tactful in the least. So other than calling us names, maybe you could give examples of nurses "talking down" to other nurses. You also have to realize that nurses are people too and have off days. Just because we're nurses doesn't mean we're perfect and don't have off days.

[Whispera, MSN, RN]

I think experienced nurses talk with students, in a way that can be taken to say, "This is HARD work! PLEASE consider if it's what you really want before you spend your life savings, yet-unearned, plus all your emotional health getting through school, passing NCLEX, and then landing a job, if you're lucky these days, only to find out the work can be back-breaking and emotionally exhausting." How's that for a long sentence?? They're trying to say this is not an easy road to get to, nor to be on.

I don't think people are having positive illusions about nursing when they say it's extremely difficult. I think they're venting steam that needs to go somewhere. It's not to make their choice more admired. It's emotional release.

Despite all the cognitive, physical, and emotional energy nursing school and nursing-as-a-profession requires, for me, most of the time, "it's the toughest job I'll ever love."

[jwalker03]

You two nailed it. Thanks for your thoughts. Remember though that the word narcissis is often taken as always negative when it is not always. I meant no offense. Thanks again!

[LadyFree28, BSN, LPN, RN]

Maybe if I rephrase my question. Why is there a group (not saying it's small or large because let's be honest I don't know) of current nurses that talk down to future or junior nurses? I have already experienced it. It doesn't make sense to me due to the nature of the profession. I feel like my question got dissected without ever getting anyone's thoughts on the actual question. I tried to present the question in a tactful way that didn't mesh well with some and I apologize for that. I haven't always been the best at communicating and tone is very hard to convey in word form. See I'm already learning things; less words, more direct.

Here's the deal; you are asking on an Internet board; so tone is absent, as well as choice of words are needed to convey something that would otherwise be spoken...no one can hear the "spoken down to" that you allegedly "hear"; more often, people are pointing out your perspective if what you think is going on, though not understood because of your greeness; I am sure most professions I have NO idea about, but because I have a profession, can understand some of the intangibles of what a profession entails, however, I don't profess the gravity of another's; the same can be applied to nursing, with the exception of the intimacy that it provides when dealing with people in their most vulnerable states.

I find more people in other professions state that THEY cannot do what I do, not the other way around, meaning, nurses stating that this is the hardest profession.

However, it is not for everybody; the same can be said for other professions, I agree with that assertion from another poster.

I will add that there are a percentage of people, including people that enter into this business have NO idea and continue to not have an idea of how empowering a nurse is; we do have a vast knowledge and unique skill set that, when done competently and understating the rationales of what we do, do some pretty awesome things; and so do other professions-it truly isn't a narcissism mentality, it's about knowing and the insurance of competency.

[enuf_already]

Maybe if I rephrase my question. Why is there a group (not saying it's small or large because let's be honest I don't know) of current nurses that talk down to future or junior nurses? I have already experienced it. It doesn't make sense to me due to the nature of the profession. I feel like my question got dissected without ever getting anyone's thoughts on the actual question. I tried to present the question in a tactful way that didn't mesh well with some and I apologize for that. I haven't always been the best at communicating and tone is very hard to convey in word form. See I'm already learning things; less words, more direct.

Hmmm. Experienced nurses are very good at cutting through a lot of extraneous material and getting down to the facts. "Unrealistic positive views," "narcissists" are not phrases used to win friends or get answers to questions.

Your first question appeared to ask why nurses thought they had it harder and were better than everyone else. Odd question for someone going into nursing if that's what you were asking. Your current question seems to be drifting toward the age old nurses eating their young complaint.

Communication will be a key factor in your career. Poor communication has been cited as a reason for increased medical errors.

[cracklingkraken, ASN, RN]

I, too, will begin nursing school in the fall! However, I have spoken with nurses I know and current nursing students. I think "difficult" is subjective. For some of my friends, they say nursing school isn't really that hard, and there are others who tell me that they literally have no free time and spend their lives at the library (no joke!). I think the same can be said about any profession. Some people may dislike their workplace and, therefore, consider it "difficult", or they may have trouble getting along with coworkers, which, I can definitely say, makes work more "difficult" than need be. I try to cut nurses I know some slack. They are around people ALL THE TIME, at least the ones I know, and a lot of those people aren't very pleasant to deal with. So I can understand if they snap every once in a while when someone presses the wrong buttons. They probably just had a bad day. I wouldn't really consider them as thinking themselves superior over other professions? At least, not the nurses I know. I find that a lot of what they do goes unappreciated, and generally people consider doctors the hoo-hahs of the medical field. However, I have the utmost respect for nurses, and I hope that I will be a great nurse someday. After I get through nursing school..

[ixchel]

Oh, my......

Okay, so as a new grad, I will tell you that nursing school destroys all confident. I believe that it is the nature of it to humble you. If you walk into nursing school, and then walk back out feeling you know ALL THE THINGS, you ARE going to kill somebody. That they take the time and effort to yank your soul out and make you realize just how much you don't know is honest to god a blessing.

Then you graduate. You pass boards (and spend several days analyzing a POP UP. Another reminder of just how much you really don't know. And your preceptor on your first unit gives you a patient and you realize.... Oh, ****. It's MY license I'm working under. This is where I am now. Took my own patient last week. This person was a neuro, GI, and cardiac patient, and probably added renal patient to the list the next day. What do you do with that???? Add another moment of realizing just how much I don't know. And on top of that, the feeling that I SHOULD know, but never had I imagined a person so complex. What do I do?

This is where "nurses eating their young" is born, probably. Quite honestly, given the complexity of this patient, maybe it would sting a little at first, but in the end, I would know a person rampaging on me a little if something had gone wrong would have probably been necessary, and would have helped me improve for the future. I think I'm realizing why new grads don't get critical care positions. It's hard. It's extremely complex sometimes.

I hope my been there, doing that perspective adds a story to what you are saying and helps you get the perspective down. When they say it's hard, it is. I have yet to see a code blue come back. I have watched people who could talk and fully function lose the ability to literally do anything, including eat. It's not just learning how to do stuff. It's learning why, too, but also, understanding the consequences of what has happened to these people. And then you clock out and go home. Some people can handle that. Others just can't. So when they tell you some people just aren't cut out for it, I believe with all of my heart that's true. It is not an insult. It is not a pat on the back. You can either do the job, or you can't. Unfortunately nursing school doesn't tell you if you can. I'm hoping to god I can do the job. Only time will tell.

[itsmejuli]

Your questions really aren`t anything new. I bet if you read the forums on AN you`ll find plenty of answers to your questions.

[Student Mom to Three]

Ha! I would never say that nursing school was the hardest thing I have ever done.....but finishing was definitely the biggest relief I have ever felt!

[jwalker03]

Okay thanks everyone I think I got my answer. Finally got this unbookmarked, those email notifications were filling my inbox haha.

[NRSKarenRN, BSN, RN]

Closing thread per OP last post.