Are We "Glorifying" Nurses?

kmsussman · Jul 22, 2015

ITA w/you.

TO ALL-DID ANYONE CHECK OUT THE SITE THIS CAME FROM-I DID & was not a legit site like this...I felt like a "troll" started this to see what comments,etc..would occur.

Would love what others think about the origin of where this story came from-thanks.

Myst1977 · Jul 23, 2015

"There are "some" points I do agree with. It isâ€‹ our job and perhaps those who are complaining about their jobs could find a better outlet, though I haven't met many nurses who complain about their jobs. I hate office politics, but that isn't my job. Nursing is.

That's were the similarities end. I love what I do. I get to go hang with kids and act like one of the gang all day/ night.

There is so much more to nurses than complaining, crying, and bad attitudes. Doctors, good and wonderful as they are, do lean on nurses for information and input of the patient's needs. It is our job to be their eyes and ears. We do the assessments and evaluations. We take orders, do the math, and give the medications. And while the doctor sees the patient for 10 minutes, the nurse is the one who spends time with the patient. We don't JUST make their visits enjoyable. Studies show that laughter and patient satisfaction improve patient outcomes. Who provides that? Nurses do. We laugh with, we cry with, and we hold hands with our patients and their families. It isn't just our job, it's our hearts, our souls, and our minds. We don't just put in 12 hours shifts. We put in 13, 14, or even 16 hour shifts 3, 4, and 5 days a week. We ignore having to pee or pangs of hunger to be there for our patients. Is complaining the best option? Maybe not, but sometimes its the best thing we have to release our day so we don't become burned out and fatigued.

I don't know about anyone else, but I started in a nursing class of more than 150 students. We lost half of them in the first year. I graduated with 36 other hard working, intelligent, loving individuals. All of whom I would trust my life with, not just because we worked so closely with each other, celebrated triumphs together, and grieved losses together but our instructors were top notch and demanding. It was the best time of my life, but it was also trying and stressful.

I am a home care nurse. No other field will get closer to a patient. I see the same patient day in and day out. I know this patient better than nearly anyone else. When tragedy strikes we cry. When a patient learns to walk or talk for the first time we celebrate. When a patient is admitted to the hospital we are standing right next to the family in a show of solidarity.

Can others do what we do? Maybe. If they have the drive and the desire to do it. If they have a love and a passion for it. Anyone can do it. But there is a reason there is a nursing shortage, because not everyone has the characteristics to be a nurse. I don't have the characteristics to be a computer programmer or a lawyer. If you want to know what nurses do, read Florence Nightingale's Notes on Nursing. It's what we do. That's why I'm a nurse. I am honored and privileged to be so."

nursejoe1 · Jul 23, 2015

As a matter of fact it has been my observation that critical care nurses do tend to think they are 'special' and that they alone do the important work. They are generally not courteous toward any other RNs whom they consider little more than aides.

Miss Infermiera2b, BSN, RN · Jul 23, 2015

As a matter of fact it has been my observation that critical care nurses do tend to think they are 'special' and that they alone do the important work. They are generally not courteous toward any other RNs whom they consider little more than aides.

That's a bit of generalization. The critical care nurses and NPs that work at my hospital are wonderful people.

Ruby Vee, BSN · Jul 23, 2015

As a matter of fact it has been my observation that critical care nurses do tend to think they are 'special' and that they alone do the important work. They are generally not courteous toward any other RNs whom they consider little more than aides.

Then I'd invite you to get to know more critical care nurses, because none of the ones *I* know think they're "special." Except those special snowflakes we get right out of school . . . but they're everywhere.

FlyingScot, RN · Jul 24, 2015

Then I'd invite you to get to know more critical care nurses, because none of the ones *I* know think they're "special." Except those special snowflakes we get right out of school . . . but they're everywhere.

Ooooooooo. You said "special snowflake". Klone is gonna get you good. ðŸ˜ƒ

Been there,done that, ASN, RN · Jul 24, 2015

The author of the article was attention seeking. The "almost" family member that posted it on FB is jealous of you.

And that is as much validation as I want to give either of them.

Duttygal86, BSN, RN · Jul 31, 2015

As a SN right now, I will say that the majority of my complaining has less to do with the difficulty of the coursework AND more to do with the constant hoops that SN are made to jump through by faculty. Students in other majors don't seem to have to put up with as much BS/ red tape as Nursing students, regardless of their major.

As far as "anyone" being able to become a nurse, that is laughable. I watched several classmates fail Maternity last semester (despite studying constantly) because they simply couldn't connect the dots.

pgicus · Aug 10, 2015

And guess what? It took a doctor, also. We are a team. I tire of the narcissistic (martyr/insecure/arrogant) comments, complaining or super-glorifying nurses (or any profession) as if they single-handedly save the world or, singularly experience unfairness or burnout. There is no glory or health in advertising what a brave masochist you are, and there are difficult personalities in every profession. I haven't always been a nurse, and am not married to one, and am the only nurse in my family for as many generations as I've researched. But when it comes down to it, we all, regardless of profession, have challenges and opportunites; just in a different setting. Though yes, we deal with death more often. I'm really enjoying these balanced comments, above!

SYNTIA · Mar 11, 2016

I don't know what to think, it is really hard to read this without feeling sad, angry and agreeable at the same time. Of course nurses are not heroes. However, we are NOT just doing our job.

I am a Nurse because it is my Calling (monetary rewards aside).

It might not be the same for us ALL, but for many of us IT IS.

For some of us there is nothing else we rather do than to assist with the healing process by educating ourselves on a daily basis in multiple clinical areas.

We never stop learning and caring for our patients, assessing 15-22 pts during clinical rounds, 90% of them are clean by us during treatments, at the same time we are seeing things that we wish we could fix and practices we wish we could teach to do differently, but in the end we can only do so much. In the END, for many of US, Nursing is NOT just a job, it is a science, it is an Art and we LOVE Nursing not for what it is, but what it does for those in need of nursing care.

nutella, MSN, RN · Mar 11, 2016

To be honest - I find this "we are doing the harder nursing job" or glorification of some nursing areas plainly wrong and uneducated.

I have worked in intensive care/critical care, med-surg tele, supervisor LTAC, acute dialysis , home hospice ... so I guess I got to see my fair share of nursing areas. In addition I have collaborated with nurses in long-term care facilities when I worked home hospice.

All nurses work hard. All nurses no matter where they work are important and no one is more important imo. The focus is different but not less important. Being a nurse is just a demanding job. There is nothing wrong with working in long term care for example if this is what one desires (or needs to take because there are no jobs...).

missmollie, ADN, BSN, RN · Mar 11, 2016

The only nurses I know who don't save lives are Hospice nurses. They do something much greater.