Are you my waitress today?

Nurses General Nursing

Published

:madface: I work in an oncology clinic and this was the question ask to me. How would you have responded? :nono: My response was "I did not go to school for 10 years to be called a waitress. I am now 4 courses away from my second master's degree in nursing so I can provide you the best care possible. What do you need."

Tell me how you deal with these kind of comments.

This is assuming, as most people do, that waitresses are somehow inferior. My mother was a waitress her entire working career - and she was a professional!!:)

She worked in nice restaurants, made decent money, and everyone knew her. I wish some of the people today that look upon their jobs as 'just a stepping stone' to something else, could act one half as professionally.

Specializes in LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych.

I would avoid "shooting from the lip", and use such an occasion to educate the patient (and by extension, the general public) as to what nurses do, what it takes to become a nurse, and so on.

As tempting as it is to deliver a smart-alecky comeback, it demonstrates a certain lack of class, and does nothing to enhance the professional image most of us want to project. IMHO, the best way to change public perceptions is to lead by example, and behave the way we would like to be seen.:)

Specializes in Education, Acute, Med/Surg, Tele, etc.

Actually it would be a funny opening line for me! I would tell the person this...

"Funny you say that! When I was younger I worked at a restraurant and took on all the jobs there EXCEPT for waitstaff! I figured it was too much work running around to help and please so many people! Ironic isn't it! Now I am a nurse...I picked a career where I do just that! LOL!".

Then I would go on to describe how nursing is different using humor! LOL!

Man...it is so funny that this is absolutely true...what was I thinking! LOL!

The funny thing is that we nurses are part waiters/waitresses (especially with primary care nursing and not having CNAs to assist). In one minute I can be serving a patient a tray of food, assisting them with their meals, getting coffee, etc - then a second later I can be attaching a defribillator to them, doing CPR, and pushing Vasopressin.

What a career.

Do you think maybe it has something to do with the invisibility of the nursing profession?

Haven't heard this one before.

Angie, can you explain this more?

(Hey, that rhymes! :rolleyes: )

Specializes in 66H.
Do you think maybe it has something to do with the invisibility of the nursing profession?

ok all this is going to do is show how much time i have to waste even with being in nursing school. there is actually a reason why there is a connection between waitress and nurse. go figure it has to do with flight attendants. When the airlines first hired flight attendants they hired nurses because people were scared to fly, etc. Because of the job they performed by serving the people on the plane this connection was made and has carried over from the older generation who would actually refer to the nurses on the plane as their waitress. So maybe it has nothing to do with people thinking less of a nurse or that they think we do a job that is somehow a low position. Well that is what i would like to think anyway, i just go off of the idea that everyone respects my and my desire to become a nurse.

I'd have said, "Waitress?" and waited to see where the conversation went from there.

I probably would have explained the difference in the 2 lines of work and the education preparation for them at some point. Of course, I might have just brought her some cold coffee and handed her a bill. LOLOLOLOLOL

Specializes in Utilization Management.
haven't heard this one before.

angie, can you explain this more?

(hey, that rhymes! :rolleyes: )

icon10.gificon10.gificon10.gif funny you should ask. the phrase is an accurate one, but borrowed from a book called

from silence to voice: what nurses know and must communicate to the public, second edition (paperback)

by [color=#003399]bernice buresh, [color=#003399]suzanne gordon

isbn: 0-8014-7258-x

if you are a nurse--no matter where you work or your area of expertise-- from silence to voice is for you! it explains why nursing so often has been silenced, and silent, about its contributions to the care of the sick and the health of the public. it offers communication how-tos that nurses can apply everyday to send positive messages about their important work.

http://www.silencetovoice.com/

Actually, I might say, being the ever placating, ever pleasing, ever trying to see humor in situations person that I am, "Yep, fasten your seat belt", and laugh heartily.

It is true that the first stewardesses on planes were RN's. It was to deal with any medical emergencies that might come up, I guess. So maybe this question was a little more innocent than it was taken. Maybe.

When the airlines first hired flight attendants they hired nurses because people were scared to fly, etc. Because of the job they performed by serving the people on the plane this connection was made and has carried over from the older generation who would actually refer to the nurses on the plane as their waitress.

Yeah, let people try to pull the crap they do with a stewardess that they do to us nurses on a daily basis.

They'd be in jail quicker than you can say 'thank you sir may I have another?"

Specializes in Hospital, med-surg, hospice.

Not only have I heard it, I have also heard "Where is the other maid?":angryfire

Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.
Not only have I heard it, I have also heard "Where is the other maid?":angryfire

I forgot, they must come in pairs lol.

+ Add a Comment