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 It is such an outdated notion.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.
Ok I was looking through some of the post and want to hrow in my two cents. I may be a little late on this posting I didn't read the whole tread. I have been a ED nurse for 10 years. I have never been to a funeral of a patient, don't read the obituatries in the paper, and don't ever mention my job at home. Saying that I still don't think you can call nursing something other than a calling. I don't do this for the money. I could have went to Law school or been a plummer and made a lot more and had a lot less stress. I don't buy in to the whole your work is your life, but nursing can never just be a job. You will never last if it is. Just my opinon for what it is worth.
I think a lot of this angel crap is still sexual stereotying rearing its ugly head personally.
Male nurses don't get called honey, sweetie or angel in my experience.
But then I've always been the kind of woman who most appreciated comments about my intelligence vs my other attributes...not all among us think this way do they.
I'm a male nurse and get called stuff like honey, buddie, bubba, etc...
Who cares. What ever makes the patient feel good. I might even call them some of those back.
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.
Nurses Rock!
I found this article to be, in a word.... STUPID. To top it off, the person that wrote the article sounds like a real BI*CH. Obviously, she is not seeing things through the patient's perspective. I'm sure that if she had a relative, God forbid, that was in the Hospital....she would feel much differently. She would have appreciation above and beyond for that nurse if she was a decent human being. Besides, not all nurses are as compassionate with the patient's family members as others. I've seen this first hand. If someone calls her "an angel" she shouldn't feel like her abilities as a nurse are being confused with passion and niceness. She should be overwhelmed with satisfacion that she made a real difference in her patient's life as well as their family members and friends. After all, isn't that why nurses go into this profession to begin with? To make a difference in people's lives? Or is it for the money and the pride? :angryfire
I found this article to be, in a word.... STUPID. To top it off, the person that wrote the article sounds like a real BI*CH. Obviously, she is not seeing things through the patient's perspective. I'm sure that if she had a relative, God forbid, that was in the Hospital....she would feel much differently. She would have appreciation above and beyond for that nurse if she was a decent human being. Besides, not all nurses are as compassionate with the patient's family members as others. I've seen this first hand. If someone calls her "an angel" she shouldn't feel like her abilities as a nurse are being confused with passion and niceness. She should be overwhelmed with satisfacion that she made a real difference in her patient's life as well as their family members and friends. After all, isn't that why nurses go into this profession to begin with? To make a difference in people's lives? Or is it for the money and the pride? :angryfire
Well thanks for weighing in, I have been going at it for some time, OP could not believe I was offended by the article. It sounds as if you too thought the author was a little out of touch.
So now I guess you are not Wiccan but just a little wicked huh? LOL
Oh yes, I am.. wickedly wanting the best for my patient cuz it will reflect on me.. purely wicked at times w/ pts or colleagues or jus d same to minimize stress at work...
Perhaps, it wld depend how the term "angel" has been delivered to me in a situation.. id rather be called an angel (ulk!) after i did something wc pleased 'em... but caling me an angel to make me do things?.............. Make me!! hmp... jk:p
it is a way of talking...a lot of my pts at a psy ltc call all nurses and aides 'mama' funny they don't call the orderlys or male nurses 'dad' but it is one of those things, working with an 80 yo that calls you mama
i think that some of the patients think they will get better care if you ate 'buttered up' and flattered....when one of my pts start to be extra nice to an employee i start watching for pt abuse...
and by the way good ole florence nightengale took to her bed and became a tyranical hypochondriac...
Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.
it's just a way of talking, maybe. But they teach us in nursing school and even now, warn us, not to call our patients/residents "dear" "honey" "baby" what-not for a reason. It's about the respect (or lack of it) in some names.
Why can't we just come to an agreement. Some people don't mind----others do. For years nurses have been called many things----but not all appreciate it. Acknowledge why and agree to disagree. Let those who see a need for a change go about their business while you go about being called "angel of mercy" and liking it. No one will have to agree, here, after all, but we can acknowledge that it does bother some people and why.
it's just a way of talking, maybe. But they teach us in nursing school and even now, warn us, not to call our patients/residents "dear" "honey" "baby" what-not for a reason. It's about the respect (or lack of it) in some names.
Why can't we just come to an agreement. Some people don't mind----others do. For years nurses have been called many things----but not all appreciate it. Acknowledge why and agree to disagree. Let those who see a need for a change go about their business while you go about being called "angel of mercy" and liking it. No one will have to agree, here, after all, but we can acknowledge that it does bother some people and why.
Have a good day all.
hmmmmm you don't have to keep replying if you agree to disagree. Isn't an Angel of mercy one that kills the Pt I don't think that was the actual issue. I think that many of us felt that being called an Angel was/is not an insult and do not see an Angel sterotype perpetuating a decline or injury to nursing as a Profession. I think the original article says that a calling is not a valid reason to be a nurse which was the main point in which I take offense.
Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.
I don't agre about your take on the gist of the article. Maybe that is where we need to agree to disagree. Have a good day! I will let YOU have the last word here, I am not one who needs to!
I don't agre about your take on the gist of the article. Maybe that is where we need to agree to disagree. Have a good day! I will let YOU have the last word here, I am not one who needs to!
I apologize for any posts that may have offended or minimized or otherwise taken away from anyone reading these posts. I will end with a better understanding that perhaps there is a problem with stereotyping and leave it at that.
matt033174
27 Posts
Ok I was looking through some of the post and want to hrow in my two cents. I may be a little late on this posting I didn't read the whole tread. I have been a ED nurse for 10 years. I have never been to a funeral of a patient, don't read the obituatries in the paper, and don't ever mention my job at home. Saying that I still don't think you can call nursing something other than a calling. I don't do this for the money. I could have went to Law school or been a plummer and made a lot more and had a lot less stress. I don't buy in to the whole your work is your life, but nursing can never just be a job. You will never last if it is. Just my opinon for what it is worth.