i keep reading these posts about nurses getting treated unfairly, getting fired, licensed revoke, unfairly accused of things... why? how come nurses are treated so badly sometimes... arent't we angels ? many nurses that i know have been working for a long time, they've been through a lot... all starting with school.... test after test, paying for everything, finding time to study and be with their family ya know try to have a life, then they have the nclex studying for that... the anxiety of passing, maybe failing. then we have to find a job, pay back all that money we owe from school, still find time to be with the family we love so much, possibly deal with a stressful job, bad hours, and then there is the fear of losing a license that we've worked so hard to get...
mean people suck!
well, to all the nurses out there... no matter what anyone says, no matter what anyone tries to do to you... remember you are an angel and there are people out there that need you.
Thanks for undertanding Crystal. I truly do not believe that nurses fabricate hostile work environments. More and more violence is going on inside of hospitals today than ever before in years past. To take these situations lightly is to show disrespect for the healthcare staff (nurses, docs, CNAs, other healthcare workers) who have already endured physical and emotional attacks while on the job. Hospitals better be taking each case seriously UNTIL proven otherwise. What patient wants to be admitted in the hospital with the stress of worrying about assaults going on there? What staff member wants to go to work everyday knowing she/he may suffer an assault at the hands of a hospital visitor or deliberately violent natured patient? I've been through it, and am now uneasy about working in a hospital ever again. It was frightening to have my person violated in that way while.
So are very right. I know that if I were a patient in the hospital I would not want to be there if the enviroment itself was hostile. It makes not sense, and who wants to WORK in a place like that either. But many nurses sacrifice their feelings for the good of the patients because we've always been taught that patients come first. Well, cheerfuldoer, I hope you find a place were you can be safe because TRUTHFULLY, you deserve it!
The very truth about this discussion board is that it allows for different "points of view" and I think the original poster expresses the frank frustration that nurses today are feeling. When we are in the trenches and touching others, when we ease pain and sooth suffering it can be extremely self serving. We do give so much of ourselves and have sacrificed so much to be in this position. It appears that nurses lately have begun to really eat their own, the strongest survive in this very emotional and competitive environment.
We forget the fact that we are truly angels at heart and would willingly leave our warm beds, the comfort of our hearth and home to drive down a shell shocked road to ease that suffering and work side by side the way we were trained, with the ideals that brought us to that exact point in time.
What I see are cultural diversities that divide us, administrators who outsource our talents, the power of MD's so overwhelmed that they would willingly put our license and life on the line and a media that potrays us as Christina Aguilara in a tight fitting uniform that society has no option but to see us as Scut workers, scabs who cross a picket line, oportunistic back stabbers who are called "refrigerator nurses, I had an instructor in nursing school refer to registry nurses with that disdain" and the reduction in our ancilliary support that further adds to our work load. We are now functioning as Social Worker, Physical Therapist, CNA and Pharmacist and have lsot sight of the function that brings us all to this place, we are NURSES.
Hopefully the day will come when we are no longer CENSORED and our views are not diverted or stifled due to political reasons, when we can freely speak out on behalf of those that we care for, including each other. When nurses can acknoweledge and respect one another for the sacrifices we have made to do this job that so many are reluctant to do, then we can effect change.
Did you know that in many parts of this world GARBAGE COLLECTORS make more that the average nurse??? Where does this end? Are we born to be the ultimate caregiver or is it a life choice? And who is to blame if our decisions have soured our personal futures. Can we take it out publically here with fear of persecution and recrimination? I hope we maintain an open forum here loaded with very special and distinct people who can voice an opinion with those fears as they venture forth into this very noble, very needed choice, to become a nurse.
Thank you Crystal for supporting me and not even knowing it!! I am one who is going through a very depressing situation right now. My license has been temporarily suspended due to a very long and drawn out soap opera of events. I would not even care to continue to go through all this hurt and depression that I have endured if I did not care about being a nurse. I cant help but love the profession and love taking care of people, thats why we are nurses, right? I will meet with my BON on Monday of next week to discuss what allegations have been brought against me and how I can get my license back. I hope everybody can learn from my lesson. I know I have because right now there is no where for me to go but up.
LISA
Hello, Lisa. Well, you are welcome for the support!!! I hope that everything goes well for you, try to stay positive through this tough time. WE are here for you!! :icon_hug:
I am electing you PRESIDENT.:yelclap: :yelclap: :yelclap: :yelclap: :yelclap:
~Emma
The very truth about this discussion board is that it allows for different "points of view" and I think the original poster expresses the frank frustration that nurses today are feeling. When we are in the trenches and touching others, when we ease pain and sooth suffering it can be extremely self serving. We do give so much of ourselves and have sacrificed so much to be in this position. It appears that nurses lately have begun to really eat their own, the strongest survive in this very emotional and competitive environment.
We forget the fact that we are truly angels at heart and would willingly leave our warm beds, the comfort of our hearth and home to drive down a shell shocked road to ease that suffering and work side by side the way we were trained, with the ideals that brought us to that exact point in time.
What I see are cultural diversities that divide us, administrators who outsource our talents, the power of MD's so overwhelmed that they would willingly put our license and life on the line and a media that potrays us as Christina Aguilara in a tight fitting uniform that society has no option but to see us as Scut workers, scabs who cross a picket line, oportunistic back stabbers who are called "refrigerator nurses, I had an instructor in nursing school refer to registry nurses with that disdain" and the reduction in our ancilliary support that further adds to our work load. We are now functioning as Social Worker, Physical Therapist, CNA and Pharmacist and have lsot sight of the function that brings us all to this place, we are NURSES.
Hopefully the day will come when we are no longer CENSORED and our views are not diverted or stifled due to political reasons, when we can freely speak out on behalf of those that we care for, including each other. When nurses can acknoweledge and respect one another for the sacrifices we have made to do this job that so many are reluctant to do, then we can effect change.
Did you know that in many parts of this world GARBAGE COLLECTORS make more that the average nurse??? Where does this end? Are we born to be the ultimate caregiver or is it a life choice? And who is to blame if our decisions have soured our personal futures. Can we take it out publically here with fear of persecution and recrimination? I hope we maintain an open forum here loaded with very special and distinct people who can voice an opinion with those fears as they venture forth into this very noble, very needed choice, to become a nurse.
Not a nurse, but would like to add my 2 cents :chuckle .
I think that aside from perspective point.......you see it here a lot because well it is a nursing site. This goes on everywhere in every field etc. You see it in discrimination (although it is illegal, ppl can tweek things), racism, sexism (women especially), ageism, etc.
You are suseptible to negative treatment anywhere. There will always be someone who will think they are superior in whatever way to another.
The best thing you can do is not allow it. You can protect yourself, and stand up for yourself. Unfortunately, at some instances you might have no choice other than leave the situation and look for a happier place elsewhere.
This is just my opinion. Although, I read lots of negative things, it still doesn't change my mind and desire to become a nurse. :)
We are not angels. We are, for the most part, hard-working individuals who have learned how to blend technical skill, decency and nurture. We chose a profession that asks much and, in return, allows us more connection than almost any other. By virtue of our nursing roles, we are given access to our patients' most intimate selves--their bodies, their souls, their hopes and fears. I'm sure many would like to see us as angels. Such romantic thinking may help to diminish their sense of vulnerability at our hands. Who wouldn't, in their time of need, want to picture themselves surrounded by a flock of ministering hosts. But the the dewy-eyed vision of nursing comes at a price I'm not willing to pay.
I am human. I have a stomach that growls when I forget to eat and feet that squawk when I'm on them too many hours in a row. I have a family and friends and a life apart from the hospital. They restore my perspective and give me most of my purpose for living. I like to learn, not only about metabolic acidosis and advanced pain management, but also about literary fiction and conversational Spanish and Cantonese cooking.
I want to be paid a living wage and to have my boundaries acknowledged and respected. Unfairness riles me. Victimization makes me see red. In general, I will try to reach out to a difficult person, but if they are truly toxic and intend to stay that way, I'll back off and try to love them from a distance. Poison in the workplace is never easy to contend with. I don't have all the answers but I think beat-up nurses can have much in common with battered spouses. It's hard to see other options when your vision and your self-worth have been hammered by abuse. If ever the celstial role were tempting, it would be the chance to become an avenging angel.
As nice as it sometimes seems to have someone tell me how wonderful I am, I am all too aware that if I climb up on someone's kindly-offered pedestal, it's just a matter of time before I'll be viewed as a target and someone else (maybe even that same person) will feel, not only justified, but obligated to knock me down.
My sense of worth comes from taking the time to know how God sees me and doing my best (with much help) to be the person he designed. I feel alive and strong when I work at being honest and capable, but also when I can acknowledge the flawed and dysfunctional areas of my life and soul without lapsing into morbid introspection and self-loathing.
The angel image has always rankled in my spirit because it doesn't allow me to be real. I wasn't called to nursing like a nun hearing a summons to the novitiate. I was attracted to the inseparable blend of art and science that it takes to care for human beings. Nursing paid better than many jobs, and I thought it would be fun. I wasn't wrong. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't see or hear or learn something facinating and useful. I like the smorgasbord of job choices available--everything from prenatal to geriatrics, acute care, clinic and school settings, even behind-the-scenes positions that don't involve any patient contact at all. For the most part, I enjoy co-workers and patients alike. There are always those who make the world a gloomier, doomier place, but they are the exceptions.
I think I understand the temptation to cast nurses in the role of angels. Who doesn't want to appear noble and self-sacrificing and admirable? I'd like to be all of those things and more but not if I have to cast aside my hard-won humanity and become an icon.
The great resistance I have to being an angel is that, far from being elevating, I find it limiting. If a patient needs to be held while she cries, I want her to know that the arms around her are those of another person who has known suffering and triumph, sadness and joy, not those of an angel who, by defninition, is beyond those human emotions. In the Bible, angels couldn't understand the tribulations of men. They were God's messengers but they were limited in their ability to empathize because they were a different kind of creature altogether. And they were perfect.
I'm not perfect and I treasure empathy. I don't qualify as an angel. But I work diligently to stay real and function as a competent, caring nurse.
We are not angels. We are, for the most part, hard-working individuals who have learned how to blend technical skill, decency and nurture. We chose a profession that asks much and, in return, allows us more connection than almost any other. By virtue of our nursing roles, we are given access to our patients' most intimate selves--their bodies, their souls, their hopes and fears. I'm sure many would like to see us as angels. Such romantic thinking may help to diminish their sense of vulnerability at our hands. Who wouldn't, in their time of need, want to picture themselves surrounded by a flock of ministering hosts. But the the dewy-eyed vision of nursing comes at a price I'm not willing to pay.
I am human. I have a stomach that growls when I forget to eat and feet that squawk when I'm on them too many hours in a row. I have a family and friends and a life apart from the hospital. They restore my perspective and give me most of my purpose for living. I like to learn, not only about metabolic acidosis and advanced pain management, but also about literary fiction and conversational Spanish and Cantonese cooking.
I know that if I climb up on someone's kindly-offered pedestal, it's just a matter of time before I'll be viewed as a target and someone else (maybe even that same person) will feel, not only justified, but obligated to knock me down.
My sense of worth comes from taking the time to know how God sees me and doing my best (with much help) to be the person he designed. I feel alive and strong when I work at being honest and capable, but also when I can acknowledge the flawed and dysfunctional areas of my life and my soul without lapsing into morbid introspection and self-loathing.
The angel image has always rankled in my spirit because it doesn't allow me to be real. I wasn't called to nursing like a nun hearing a summons to the novitiate. I was drawn to the inseparable blend of art and science that it takes to care for human beings. Nursing paid a lot better than many jobs, and I thought it would be fun. I was right. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't see or hear or learn something facinating and useful. I like the smorgasbord of job choices available--everything from prenatal to geriatrics, acute care, clinic and school settings, even behind-the-scenes positions that don't involve patient contact at all. For the most part, I enjoy co-workers and patients alike. There are always those who make the world a gloomier, doomier place, but they are the exceptions.
The greatest resistance I have to being an angel is that, far from being elevating, I find it limiting. If I need to be held while I cry, I want the arms that go around me to be those of another person who has known suffering and triumph, sadness and joy, not those of an angel who, by defninition, is beyond those human emotions.
I think I understand the temptation to cast nurses in the role of angels. Who doesn't want to appear noble and self-sacrificing and admirable? But in the Bible, angels couldn't understand the tribulations of men. They were God's messengers but they were limited in their ability to empathize because they were a different kind of creature altogether. And they were perfect.
I'm not perfect and I treasure empathy. I don't qualify as an angel. But I work hard to stay real and function as a diligent, caring nurse.
I appreciate your post.
My experience in nursing comes at a later age and I have to say that all the things mentioned in the op's post and haunted's post happen in all walks of life.
I also don't see nurses who take much crap - to put it bluntly. Where the heck do some of you work where nurses are not standing up for themselves? I don't see it. I see strong, outspoken people who aren't afraid.
When we see ourselves as victims, it limits us. I'm not a victim.
People can be assaulted anywhere . . .a grocery clerk, a postal worker, a teacher, a social worker, a computer salesman, a politician . ... it isn't exclusive to nursing.
Most of the stories you read here are venting . . . we do tend to talk about the things that pizz us off - that is human nature. However, there are most likely more positive things going on.
Look for good in people, expect the best, strive for better things.
I refuse to accept the notion that nurses are downtrodden poor souls with no spunk, no backbone, no courage, no self-worth. Nope, that isn't me and it isn't most of the nurses I know.
The angel image has always rankled in my spirit because it doesn't allow me to be real. I wasn't called to nursing like a nun hearing a summons to the novitiate. I was drawn to the inseparable blend of art and science that it takes to care for human beings. Nursing paid a lot better than many jobs, and I thought it would be fun. I was right. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't see or hear or learn something facinating and useful. I like the smorgasbord of job choices available--everything from prenatal to geriatrics, acute care, clinic and school settings, even behind-the-scenes positions that don't involve patient contact at all. For the most part, I enjoy co-workers and patients alike. There are always those who make the world a gloomier, doomier place, but they are the exceptions.
Thank you for the POSITIVE that you bring to your post. As a nursing STUDENT, it is somewhat discouraging to read some of the posts here. While I understand we all need a vent--as it is commonly notated: Complaints are more often heard than Compliments......so I understand a lot of the negativity in postings. It DOES become disheartening to read about "nurses eating their young" among other things. HOWEVER, I guess people don't post about their particularly uneventful days. Or their good days. I've seen posts about their exceptionally great days, that's helped my perspective a little.
Sometimes I force myself to not view negative postings, not because I don't want to be supportive, but rather I want to experience nursing school with a somewhat positive attitude. Hey, stuff happens, as was said above, in any field. I guess that helps to keep in mind, too.
Thank you for the POSITIVE that you bring to your post. As a nursing STUDENT, it is somewhat discouraging to read some of the posts here. While I understand we all need a vent--as it is commonly notated: Complaints are more often heard than Compliments......so I understand a lot of the negativity in postings. It DOES becoming disheartening to read about "nurses eating their young" among other things. HOWEVER, I guess people don't post about their particularly uneventful days. Or their good days. I've seen posts about their exceptionally great days, that's helped my perspective a little.
Sometimes I force myself to not view negative postings, not because I don't want to be supportive, but rather I want to experience nursing school with a somewhat positive attitude. Hey, stuff happens, as was said above, in any field. I guess that helps to keep in mind, too.
Emma
Stay positive!!
"Nurses eating their young" . . . .is a myth.
The fact is there are people in every profession who have little patience for teaching, who are just meanspirited, who don't care about others. It is not exclusive to nursing.
Mean people exist everywhere. Can we just bury this old wive's tale please?
:balloons:
NurCrystal22
302 Posts
So are very right. I know that if I were a patient in the hospital I would not want to be there if the enviroment itself was hostile. It makes not sense, and who wants to WORK in a place like that either. But many nurses sacrifice their feelings for the good of the patients because we've always been taught that patients come first. Well, cheerfuldoer, I hope you find a place were you can be safe because TRUTHFULLY, you deserve it!
~Crystal