Are We "Glorifying" Nurses?

[nynursey_]

A fellow nurse (and near family member) shared this article on Facebook the other day. Initially, I was furious while reading through it, but then I took a minute to think about it. I still share some of my initial shock and disgust, but it's subsiding. I'm curious to hear what some of my fellow nurses think!

So .. discuss!

Article: We Need To Stop Glorifying Nurses | Thought Catalog

[allheartnewRN]

First of all, I don't know who this author is or where they work. But nursing is different in almost every place you will go. In my hospital, we do primary nursing. Which means I DON'T delegate all the crappy stuff to the CNA's. I do everything for my patients: bathroom, dressing, baths, meds, etc. And as for it being a thankless job, I'm not sure where most people get that impression. If you are doing your job right, patients are constantly grateful. I've never once had a patient who didn't appreciate all that I did for them. And if nursing is "just a job" for you... you should probably look into a new career path. Nursing is more than a job to me. It's a passion.

[OCNRN63, RN]

First of all, on a superficial review, her grammar ("sicker") and punctuation tells me she is in need of English 101. Poor form, author!!

Now, for a real review!

How dare you.

How dare you, as a nurse, feel it is about the bi-weekly paycheck and not about soul, experience, knowledge, countless hours, and sacrifice? Are you so removed from the nursing profession that you have forgotten what a true nurse is?

Any college student could do this? Do you remember those who could not retain their GPA that were asked to leave the program? How about the prospective students who were not able to pass their entrance exam?

I think it may be time for you to reflect on your life. Because you need to.

Nursing is a calling. Sure, there are those who do "do it" for a paycheck, but most of the fine nurses I have had the honor of working with are stars. And I count my blessings.

No. Just...no.

[OCNRN63, RN]

I'm 42 and a recent ADN grad from a school that accepts 10% of applicants. I passed NCLEX on first try with 75 questions. I found nursing school to be very challenging. I also find that many people in every walk of life are a little too self congratulating for my taste... That's just people, who cares? Not me. Smile and accept each other. ������������

None of you want to be concrete finishers!! Haha!! (My first profession)

Congratulations on passing NCLEX. FWIW, it doesn't matter how many question you answered to pass NCLEX; your license doesn't say "Grillmister, RN-75 questions.

OCNRN63...who took the exam at a time when we had to answer all the questions, two days in a row no less.

[rudecat]

The doctor is not amd cannot always be there and we nurses have the education and experience to assess our patients locate a physician and explain what we feel.is needed for our pt. I had a pt in homecare with a post op wound uncontrolled bleed. Speaking with the physician I was told to apply pressure (this I had been doing) and no need to send to Emergency. I sent her anyway and she reqired more surgery and transfusion. I'm certain I'm not the only one to make this potential life threatening decision. We have the knowledge and background. This is what we have been trained to do .

[Grillmister]

See? Self congratulating. Lol.

[klone, MSN, RN]

How dare you, as a nurse, feel it is about the bi-weekly paycheck and not about soul, experience, knowledge, countless hours, and sacrifice? Are you so removed from the nursing profession that you have forgotten what a true nurse is?.

And this is a great example of "glorifying" nurses and portraying nurses as martyrish angels of mercy.

Do tell us, what is a "true nurse"?

[imbatz, BSN, RN]

The person who wrote the original article is embittered and if they are a nurse, are probably in an awful situation. However, the odds are they are not a nurse. Nursing attracts all types of people. Some are brilliant, amazing, compassionate people and some you wonder how they tie their shoes much less how they passed their boards. Those individuals that martyr themselves and need gratitude as nurses would also martyr themselves and need gratitude in whatever professional field they chose. That is a personality thing not a nursing thing. No one that works in nursing (on any level) believes that the profession is without issues. Nothing is perfect and healthcare is changing, and nursing will change with it.

As for the assessment about nursing school, I think everyone has a different level of what they thought it would be like. I was surprised. I have a BS in biochemistry (one of those hard science degrees that the original author erroneously believes is harder than nursing school). My biochem program was tough and I had a 3.8, and therefore, foolishly believed that nursing school would be no big deal. Yeah..., not the case. Biochem was a great foundation for passing pharm but nursing school is about application of knowledge not just acquisition. Assessment blew my mind, and it is a skill I still practice everyday. Furthermore, in nursing school I dealt with the nurse "B", which is a 90-92, and would have been an A in my biochem program.

Lastly, with my degree in biochemistry, I could have gone to work in a lab, gone to medical school, taught or done any number of different things, but none of them involved the level of responsibility that being a nurse entails. A nurse, regardless of the degree status they possess, is responsible for the care of another human being. A doctor diagnoses a problem, but a nurse cares for a person. I chose to become a nurse understanding this responsibility. I don't want gratitude, but I deserve respect. The path of nursing is hard, and not everyone can or will take on that responsibility, the responsibility of caring for a perfect stranger. The author of the original article obviously forgot about what it means to be a nurse, if they ever were one in the first place.

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

First of all, I don't know who this author is or where they work. But nursing is different in almost every place you will go. In my hospital, we do primary nursing. Which means I DON'T delegate all the crappy stuff to the CNA's. I do everything for my patients: bathroom, dressing, baths, meds, etc. And as for it being a thankless job, I'm not sure where most people get that impression. If you are doing your job right, patients are constantly grateful. I've never once had a patient who didn't appreciate all that I did for them. And if nursing is "just a job" for you... you should probably look into a new career path. Nursing is more than a job to me. It's a passion.

The "Grateful Factor" is closely correlated with your patient population. I'm sure the hundreds of AN members who work in inner city ICUs and ERs are doing their jobs right, but I'm not so sure they get much gratitude. The patient who gets Narcan because they can't stay awake and are breathing 3 times a minute is probably not going to be grateful for having their "high" ruined. (At least the ones I've met aren't.) The 15 year old who is in the SICU (because his victim is in the PICU) isn't going to be grateful for the dressing change you just did on his knife wound. After all, he got SHOT last year, and they gave him the GOOD drugs then -- what kind of a (bad word meaning female dog) are you to do that without giving him the GOOD drugs?

On the other hand, I got lots of gratitude when I was working in a midwestern farming community or a Pacific northwest suburb.

[klone, MSN, RN]

And as for it being a thankless job, I'm not sure where most people get that impression. If you are doing your job right, patients are constantly grateful. I've never once had a patient who didn't appreciate all that I did for them. And if nursing is "just a job" for you... you should probably look into a new career path. Nursing is more than a job to me. It's a passion.

AND.....ANOTHER example of martyr nurse.

Totally agree with Ruby Vee. Curious, how long have you been a nurse?

[remotefuse]

I think that article is ridiculous and I would be very surprised if it was actually written by a nurse.

[FlyingScot, RN]

Curious, how long have you been a nurse?

Hasn't actually started her first job yet.

[kidfloat]

Nurses used to be respected by the general public and by patients and their families, and folks were grateful. Not that I expect to be thanked profusely for doing my job, but calling me a bad word meaning female dog because I didn't bring your sixth ginger ale fast enough probably means you don't understand or aren't grateful for the interventions I've made that kept you from getting sicker, alerted the physician to a negative change in your condition or made your recovery a bit faster.

But don't you think it's because people have just lost respect and have become ruder in general. Sad to say, but I find less respect in dealing with anything these days not just work