Re: Hit Right smack in the face with the "Nursing is a CALLING not a job" crap today Originally Posted by Tony1790 
Fella's
I'm now vice president of the local chapter honor society ( I know, whatever) I'm retired military and 42 yo. I'm less than 2 months from graduating and I get smacked in the face with the "nursing is a calling" BS by my instructor, because I made the mistake of sharing my recent work experience of talking to a lady who was having neck pain while laying in bed and then coding a few minutes later. What my instructor was mad about was that I a) did not instantly recognize a MI, run over and check her vitals as she was having a MI and b) that it was while I was doing my CNA job (trash, etc) right at shift change.
I'm really down in the dumps today, she spent 10 minutes berating me in front of the class for missing this sign, even though the class we were having that day was recognizing s/s of MI as a LPN student, but when I "missed" the MI happening was while I was I was working as a CNA taking the trash out just before shift change. The woman was lucid, her ONLY complaint was a stiff neck, then the code. I totally did not connect a neck pain with MI, even if I was a "nursing student" at the time, I still would not have noticed it, as we are just now doing CV in class. And at the most I would have called for the nurse if I had noticed it, the monitor tech saw it on telemetry and called the code.
What I'm worried about, besides missing the MI, is being flunked out of school, for something that happened at work as a CNA. The instructor said in front of the class, "I don't want you as my nurse" and you will never make it as a nurse. I'm kinda bummed out, I totally wish I had kept my head out of my arse and went into another field besides this woman dominated one that I'm currently in.
Bummed in TN
p.s. I HATE that saying, "Nursing is a calling, not a job". NO, the Clergy is a calling, Nursing is a job, just like janitor, electrician, cop, military, etc. It really, really helps any job if you enjoy it, but to say it's a calling for everyone that's in it is a bit of a stretch.
This calling phenomena is also a part of the wage issue with women, a calling doesn't have to pay as much as a job, does it??
If my CNA thinks there is a patient with a problem, the last thing I expect him/her to do is start performing an assesment and trying to figure out what is wrong. I expect them to come and tell me so I can do my job. I do expect they can recognize that something is "not right, or different" about Mr. So and So but that is all.(unless it is something like patient needing heimlich...)
As for nursing being a "calling", I got into nursing for the money and am a good nurse. My original and primary motivation has had zilch influence on my ablity to be a good nurse. It is funny how when people that got into nursing as a calling dont get a raise they complain just like everyone else. I recall that most of those people failed out of my program. I suspect because they had unrealistic expectations as to what it requires to become a nurse. It is not about being all touchy-feely I care. You have to be technicaly proficient, be able to learn alot of "book stuff" and even more difficult, apply it in the real, and unglamorus, world. And of course you do need strong people skills or you will have a harder time, but you could still be a nurse without them. Personally, I think there might be some people out there that got into it as a calling but I have never met them in person. I find it difficult to believe that is anyones only motivation.
Finally, as for really bad teachers, they are like any bad person in any field. You just have to learn how to deal with them. a people skill that takes alot of patience and biting your tounge. It is really hard to treat someone you have no repect for with respect.
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