Are We "Glorifying" Nurses?

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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

I agree that the "thankless job" claims get old very quickly. In my opinion, part of the reward that comes from nursing is internally, and I think that many nurses would be served well to remember this. Accountants do not asked to be thanked any more than teachers, police officers, nurses, doctors, and/or firefighters. We do what we do for a variety of reasons and the satisfaction for a "job well done" should come from your own pride in what you do, not anyone elses'.

It's never been a thankless job for me but even if it were what job gets gratitude and accolades it think it deserves? I've always been paid a respectable wage, if you don't bring in the inflated wages corp execs, pro athletes and celebrities etc.

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The comments...where oh where to begin? Apparently there are a lot of people out there who really hate nurses.

I think any opinion whether reasonable or not generates hateful comments, anonymous online hatred seems pervasive but if I ignore them and only take in face to face feedback, people don't seem to be so hateful.

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Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.
I think any opinion whether reasonable or not generates hateful comments, anonymous online hatred seems pervasive but if I ignore them and only take in face to face feedback, people don't seem to be so hateful.

I was just commenting on being surprised at how many harsh comments were directed at nurses. I don't take anonymous remarks on a website to heart.

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I was just commenting on being surprised at how many harsh comments were directed at nurses. I don't take anonymous remarks on a website to heart.

It surprises me, too.

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NOADLS, dude, fix your apostrophes if you are going to write a real live article.

And the missing commas.

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Specializes in PDN; Burn; Phone triage.
I was just commenting on being surprised at how many harsh comments were directed at nurses. I don't take anonymous remarks on a website to heart.

I think there is a small(ish) portion of nurses who have a very vocal martyr complex that bleeds out into other social media spaces. I have some FB friends who seem to post nothing other than nursing memes and #nurselife complaints about gross stuff, annoying patients, the hours, working conditions, etc. If I went by their FB statues alone, I would think of nurses as severely overworked, underpaid saints who are the only thing keeping you (the patient) from being actively killed by an incompetent doctor.

Although wander into /r/medicine and one would assume all bedside nurses are mindless, moronic pill-passing automatons with no capacity for independent thought or inquiry.

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Specializes in ICU.

I deliberately skipped the comments. I know they're just going to make me mad.

That being said... I actually agree with the author on 99% of the points. Granted, there no CNAs in my unit so I actually do the dirty work, so that part of the article doesn't apply to me.

Nursing school really is not that difficult. Most nursing students I feel are first time students and haven't gotten any other degrees, so they're just like, "Nursing school is soooooo haaaaard" when in reality, university education in general is hard. I had a much rougher time with my BA in Psych than I did my BSN. The intellectual level of that material made nursing school look like middle school - nursing school was just a lot more content, which is why nursing school took so much work.

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Specializes in MDS/ UR.

Someone's opinion.

Yawn.

1/2 hour internet fame/flame.

Yawn.

They get their cookie and the world moves onto to the next big internet thrill.

My thoughts on the matter.

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Specializes in public health, women's health, reproductive health.

Whatever.

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Specializes in Psych, Corrections, Med-Surg, Ambulatory.

The person who wrote this crap (Hilary Thomas, No Credentials) is not a nurse. Doesn't have the first clue what nurses do. Also is not a writer, as evidenced by the misplaced apostrophes. My guess? Someone who flunked out of nursing school and now has an axe to grind. IMHO.

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Specializes in Rehab, acute/critical care.

I think this author wrote the article just to get the attention and more "hits" to their post.

I understand that in the nursing field you don't expect to be thanked because you are doing your job. I enjoy being praised and seeing my patients smile when they see I'm their nurse for the day. But what makes me happy is when I see my patients getting better. When I have a patient skin and bones, NPO, turn into someone who is able to eat solid foods, gain weight, and walk out of the building to discharge home. I in no way have the hero mentality but I do view my work as my signature and I give it 110%. Replacing decanulated trachs, administering IM glucagon to a diabetic with BS of 20, and alerting the MD with changes in labs over the past month DO save lives. To think nurses only administer medications is not true. Sure, there are some awful nurses out there. But I'm the type the doctor goes to so he knows whats going on.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Oncology.

The entire article was based on the assumption that all nurses complain. There's not much journalistic integrity in that.

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