Did ya catch the article in July AJN called "I'm No Angel" written by Margaret C. Belchers MSN, RN, CCRN ? Alot of follow-up opinions in this October issue as well. If you read it....what's your opinion?
She sure gets bashed for the article in follow-ups. I agree with her totally. I smile and cringe when I get called an angel. Sorry folks. I'd take solid, reality-based praise like "You are so competent" or "You are so smart" or "I trust my family member in your hands because you are so knowledgeable" over being an "angel" any day of the week. It is such an outdated notion. So Florence Nightengale-ish. We've come along way baby. It takes away from what we really are doing as nurses and what we are capable of, and how much responsibility we carry. Nice yes, caring yes, compassionate yes....but here on earth as a fellow HUMAN BEINGS....not magical angels. YUCK. EEK. SAPPY. This to me is not bad to feel this way. It is not a gruff, old, burnt-out nurse attitude. To me it is enriching thought and a foundation for a more pleasing and rewarding career platform for the future. We all need to work towards eliminating the Doctor=God and Nurse=Angel mentality built in to this profession. It is a dysfunctional illness that only serves to make us loosen our grasp on reality and to minimize our true worth. It makes for poor doc/nurse relationships. Our patients see us as pillow-fluffing angels of the past...as if the docs are in the hall 24/7 handling every ticking moment. And we, as nurses are OK with that? Feel good and valued about that? Public education....long overdue. But to get the right message out, we have to LIVE the part. EDUCATED NURSE. NOT ANGEL. I am a good nurse and that is what is necessary to do a good job. (Besides, wings and halos tend to get all tangled up in privacy curtains) Tell me i'm thoughtful, sweet, caring...just don't put me on the Angel pedestal.
Thanks for this hour of your life. I will step off of my soapbox now.
Perhaps you just have a skewed, microcosmic view and are missing the whole picture. I have worked as a traveler for some time now and have been in many settings......funny thing...I can spot em within the first day. They are at every assignment. Ever worked anywhere else? I'll forgive your naive opinion if that is the case.
BTW....if you actually DO work in an environment without all the "goofy ****" (which i doubt)....congratulations....a VERY rare occurence and not the general norm.
Well I guess you got me there, I was an agency nurse for 9 years and work all over Oklahoma and Texas. I see some of the things you mentioned in your post about does this sound familiar but I really don't see anyone striving for that "Angelic" title or sainthood.
Well I guess you got me there, I was an agency nurse for 9 years and work all over Oklahoma and Texas. I see some of the things you mentioned in your post about does this sound familiar but I really don't see anyone striving for that "Angelic" title or sainthood.
it's an interesting co-morbidity i believe....another characteristic is they like to portray the self-less, caring, giver giver giver..........just like the old world nurse was valued for......................BARF, excuse me but, BARF
If there is no NurseAngel stereotype.....then why all the nurse merchandise available with angel related rhetoric attached? Pins, coffee mugs, socks, greeting cards....yada yada....Look in any scrub catalog....the myth does live on and some nurses like to play the part, perpetuating the public image. Perpetuating the non-professional role of the nurse, perpetuating the crappy work conditions, perpetuating the low pay, perpetuating....anyone can take over here...feel free to jump in....
it's an interesting co-morbidity i believe....another characteristic is they like to portray the self-less, caring, giver giver giver..........just like the old world nurse was valued for......................BARF, excuse me but, BARF
Can a good nurse be a selfish, rude, insensitive, uncaring, person?
It is my opinion that you must be selfless to some extent in order to care, if we were only self involved then we could not provide care at all! I understand we do what we do as a profession and for a monetary reward but do we really have to have zero feelings for the people in our care? While performing tasks that releive pain, and sooth suffering, are we being completely self involved? Can we? Isn't it necessary to have consideration, and compassion for those you use your skill base to serve? Yes I said serve. Are you now going to tell me that we in no way shape or form provide a service? The more you attempt to make a case against the Angel sterotype you force me to wish that more nurses were providing selfless service. I guess the way I feel about the Pts in my care is that I do care I care if they live or die, I care if they feel better after I give pain medicine, I care that the nausea and vomitting stop. A post like this seems to advocate being completely uncaring, not just Non-denominational, not just attempting to be competent and professional but devoid of feelings at all. Should we have a non-committal relationship and serve as automatons? I know I can not. The deep bitterness at anyone even thinking that nurses care and have feelings and compassion, and that compassion could in any possiblilty be religion based is overboard to the extent of militant!
I know the next thing to follow will be to rebut that anyone ever said they did not care. However the posts seem to say it.
If there is no NurseAngel stereotype.....then why all the nurse merchandise available with angel related rhetoric attached? Pins, coffee mugs, socks, greeting cards....yada yada....Look in any scrub catalog....the myth does live on and some nurses like to play the part, perpetuating the public image. Perpetuating the non-professional role of the nurse, perpetuating the crappy work conditions, perpetuating the low pay, perpetuating....anyone can take over here...feel free to jump in....
It is called commercialization. You can also get betty boop, which by the way doesn't offend me either, if you look for it you can also get very professional logos portraying nurses as well.
Can a good nurse be a selfish, rude, insensitive, uncaring, person?
It is my opinion that you must be selfless to some extent in order to care, if we were only self involved then we could not provide care at all! I understand we do what we do as a profession and for a monetary reward but do we really have to have zero feelings for the people in our care? While performing tasks that releive pain, and sooth suffering, are we being completely self involved? Can we? Isn't it necessary to have consideration, and compassion for those you use your skill base to serve? Yes I said serve. Are you now going to tell me that we in no way shape or form provide a service? The more you attempt to make a case against the Angel sterotype you force me to wish that more nurses were providing selfless service. I guess the way I feel about the Pts in my care is that I do care I care if they live or die, I care if they feel better after I give pain medicine, I care that the nausea and vomitting stop. A post like this seems to advocate being completely uncaring, not just Non-denominational, not just attempting to be competent and professional but devoid of feelings at all. Should we have a non-committal relationship and serve as automatons? I know I can not. The deep bitterness at anyone even thinking that nurses care and have feelings and compassion, and that compassion could in any possiblilty be religion based is overboard to the extent of militant!
I know the next thing to follow will be to rebut that anyone ever said they did not care. However the posts seem to say it.
You are WAY out of line here to say that my definition of a professional nurse is one that is selfish and devoid of caring or kindness. I am completely insulted by your lack of good judgement and insensitivity.
You are WAY out of line here to say that my definition of a professional nurse is one that in selfish and devoid of caring or kindness. I am completely insulted by your lack of good judgement and insensitivity.
your post said "they like to portray the self-less, caring, giver giver giver..........just like the old world nurse was valued for......................BARF, excuse me but, BARF"
If this does not portray someone that feels that being selfless and caring and a giver is just some mindless idiot than I apologize whole heartedly, this is how it sounded to me.
Note I didn't say you were any of these things, I asked if you really beleived we should be these things, I did reply to the post because it was the catalyst that provided the thoughts.
Speaking of nurses being referred to as "angels"?........Some patients wrote the hospital where I work letters thanking the nurses for being "such angels"..."God-sends"....."angels in disguise"....and so forth. :)
Many people use the word "angel" to mean many things. So far, not one of those meanings offends me. I look at it as a "term of endearment" which is not a bad thing. I can think of worse things to be in life. :)
your post said "they like to portray the self-less, caring, giver giver giver..........just like the old world nurse was valued for......................BARF, excuse me but, BARF"
If this does not portray someone that feels that being selfless and caring and a giver is just some mindless idiot than I apologize whole heartedly, this is how it sounded to me.
Your ALL or NONE analytical approach here is militant and misguided.
Your ALL or NONE analytical approach here is militant and misguided.
Again, I apologize for any offense. Reading the posts seem to completely make caring and being selfless seem to be tools. If you are caring and selfless then these are genuine feelings not some act to portray for the benefit of the Pts in our care. You notice even the word care is so closely tied to nursing as to be the exact thing we are striving to deliver. So a post that states that nurses that are selfless and caring BARF. Is intended to demean caring. Barf is s derogatory remark used to make being selfeless and caring seem to be the last thing a nurse would want or be expected to be. It sickens you that a nurse sould be selfless and caring and a giver. This is how I take your meaning.
Again, I apologize for any offense. Reading the posts seem to completely make caring and being selfless seem to be tools. If you are caring and selfless then these are genuine feelings not some act to portray for the benefit of the Pts in our care. You notice even the word care is so closely tied to nursing as to be the exact thing we are striving to deliver. So a post that states that nurses that are selfless and caring BARF. Is intended to demean caring. Barf is s derogatory remark used to make being selfeless and caring seem to be the last thing a nurse would want or be expected to be. It sickens you that a nurse sould be selfless and caring and a giver. This is how I take your meaning.
There are the neurotic OVER carers, the completely selfless...there are the non-carers and completely selfish. I am neither. I strive for a happy medium between those continuums. And I recognize and value other colleagues that live in that place as well. It is very difficult to work with those of the other 2 groups mentioned. Climbing out of this sandbox now. Big concept, I know....
CCU NRS
1,245 Posts
Well I guess you got me there, I was an agency nurse for 9 years and work all over Oklahoma and Texas. I see some of the things you mentioned in your post about does this sound familiar but I really don't see anyone striving for that "Angelic" title or sainthood.