I have been a RN for 11 years now, have seen much as many of you have. One thing that continues to irk me are nurses that think because they are a nurse are somehow a cross between Florence Nightingale and Jesus--and act like it. You know, "super nurse syndrome"
I was at my local gym and saw the a T shirt that said:
I sacrificed my life, so I could save your life. I am a nurse.
Really? You sacrificed your life to be a nurse? WOW, I never realized that going to nursing school and getting a job involved life sacrifice.( like so many 100.000's people that go to college to get jobs).
GET OVER IT ALREADY, your a nurse, your not mother Theresa, you don't walk on water and you DID NOT sacrifice your life to become a nurse.
Nursing school and how hard it is, another thing that people want to whine/brag about I get tired of hearing about. Really? I'll bet becoming a chemical engineer is very hard, I'll be learning computer coding is very hard, in fact I'll bet most any college degree--they just don't hand them out for showing up. You have to work for them and earn them---just like nursing school.
What I am saying is being a nurse does not somehow set you apart from the rest of the world, or make you a better person---just because your a nurse.
Doing your job, being courteous to patients AND coworkers AND people in general is what we and everyone else on the planet should be doing----we are all members of the human family.
" It's just that to me the statement implies that the general public owes the T shirt wearer some great debt of gratitude for their selfless act (of becoming a nurse). I'm not clear on what the sacrifice it alludes to actually entails? To me it's a job and I get a paycheck for doing it. How is it any more of a sacrifice than for someone to for example become an airline pilot who makes sure that I reach my vacation destination on some sunny beach in a speedy and comfortable manner?"
Amen, you took the words out of my mouth, couldn't agree more.
First, I don't wear those t-shirts, but for those who do, I'm glad they take pride in what they do.
Second, why does it bother you so much that they do? Aren't you assuming an awful lot about that person? As a previous poster noted, it could have been a gift or they could have thought it was funny.
Last, does that mean you also feel that way about vets, EMS, firefighter, police, etc wearing shirts that say basically the same thing? What about t-shirts of people who like to knit? Are proud grandparents? Like sports?
I'm sorry. A lot of posters who I truly love on AN have agreed with you but I just can't agree with the majority on this one. If that person is so happy with their life choice that they want to wear it, let them. It doesn't affect your life at all.
Personally I find a shirt that says something like that a bit condescending. "I sacrificed my life to save yours". It implies that you owe the wearer of the shirt something, because after all they sacrificed their life for you. Even though you did not ask them too.
It's not like wearing a shirt that says "I like to knit" or "proud grandparent" or "I am EMS" or a sports jersey--not comparing apples to apples. None of those types of shirts send the message the wearer sacrificed their life for YOU.
No one forced me to go to nursing school--it's a choice I made, no one forces me to go to work every day, it's a choice I make and I don't expect nor want any great praise for what I do, any more than any other HARD WORKING person that puts in an honest days work for an honest days pay.
Soooo what about as someone else stated the airplane pilot that gets us safely to our destinations?
Or the cop that risks their life, or military, or the truck driver that risks their lives driving all those miles all the time to deliver goods to us, or the welder or the mechanic (the list could go on an on)? ALL work has DIGNITY , all work involves some RISKS, ALL work has varying degree of SACRIFICE--not just nursing.
So I find a shirt that somehow implies "sacrifice and nursing" in the same breath condescending and misleading, because ALL workers sacrifice many hours of their lives working.--------When they could be eating chips!! :) :) :) :).
First, I don't wear those t-shirts, but for those who do, I'm glad they take pride in what they do.
Second, why does it bother you so much that they do?
Oh COME on. We all have pet peeves, things that others do that bother US that don't bother other people. That's part of the human experience. Admit it...something relatively harmless in the big picture annoys the hell out of you. Someone chewing a little loudly...the guy who always seems to know it all...the person popping their gum...the hick accent...people who write "nurse's" when they actually mean "nurses."
There's something going on out there that hurts NO ONE but nevertheless really sticks in your craw. I'd bet the farm on it.
Oh COME on. We all have pet peeves, things that others do that bother US that don't bother other people. That's part of the human experience. Admit it...something relatively harmless in the big picture annoys the hell out of you. Someone chewing a little loudly...the guy who always seems to know it all...the person popping their gum...the hick accent...people who write "nurse's" when they actually mean "nurses."
There's something going on out there that hurts NO ONE but nevertheless really sticks in your craw. I'd bet the farm on it.
Yep, I know I do! Mine is nonsensical yammering about personal crap by staff at the nurses station! It drives me up a tree! And then it devolves into peels of laughter, and families say "It sounds like you're having a party out there."
Personally I find a shirt that says something like that a bit condescending. "I sacrificed my life to save yours". It implies that you owe the wearer of the shirt something, because after all they sacrificed their life for you. Even though you did not ask them too.
It's not like wearing a shirt that says "I like to knit" or "proud grandparent" or "I am EMS" or a sports jersey--not comparing apples to apples. None of those types of shirts send the message the wearer sacrificed their life for YOU.
No one forced me to go to nursing school--it's a choice I made, no one forces me to go to work every day, it's a choice I make and I don't expect nor want any great praise for what I do, any more than any other HARD WORKING person that puts in an honest days work for an honest days pay.
Soooo what about as someone else stated the airplane pilot that gets us safely to our destinations?
Or the cop that risks their life, or military, or the truck driver that risks their lives driving all those miles all the time to deliver goods to us, or the welder or the mechanic (the list could go on an on)? ALL work has DIGNITY , all work involves some RISKS, ALL work has varying degree of SACRIFICE--not just nursing.
So I find a shirt that somehow implies "sacrifice and nursing" in the same breath condescending and misleading, because ALL workers sacrifice many hours of their lives working.--------When they could be eating chips!! :) :) :) :).
Plus I think it makes us look silly. I'd worry the general public would think this martyr complex is common among us.
I thought I hated nursing and I was making a sacrifice. Turns out I hated the administration at various former employers. I love my job now. There is no sacrifice on my part. Sometimes I wonder what other occupation I could possibly take up. Aside from bacon critic (and I would expect to be paid at least 20k for that) there is nothing.
I'm up there on self actualization on Maslows hierarchy.
I mostly opened this thread because I thought it would somehow involve Doritos.
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NotAllWhoWandeRN, ASN, RN
791 Posts
Now I want a t-shirt that says "This IS my sexy nurse costume."
I'm not all that, but I am a bag of salsa Sun Chips.