Being called a nurse is offensive??????

tridil2000, MSN, RN · Apr 15, 2005

HELLO out there!
Today at work on a busy Neuro ICU unit, a brand new resident sitting in chair was mistaken for a patients nurse. She quickly snapped that she was the doctor and stated that the confused physical therapist get her professionals right. The P.T. then continued to apologize for the mistake and that she didnt mean any offense by it.
Now why would that be offensive? i thought we were all working on the same team, though a brand new Resident with no experince is upset to be compared to a nurse. I find this HIGHLY OFFENSIVE! I work just as hard and feel walked all over with attitudes like this.

i might have said 'the pt thought you were a nurse bc drs don't actually sit down in chairs and talk to the patients!!':rotfl:

LOL

SmilingBluEyes · Apr 15, 2005

did you take this up with the individuals involved? You are preaching to a choir here.......you are right to feel insulted. It was insulting. But grab the bull the the horns and tell those who offended you how you feel. You have the right to more respect than that.

foxyhill21 · Apr 15, 2005

I agree with Smiling, be very professional and tell the resident how you feel. We work hard to be dedicated, professional, hard working nurses. I love my profession and would not change it for the world. I respect dr. and all, but they have to respect nurses, as well as others in the healthcare field. Being called a Nurse is not offensive; The resident has to realize that nurses work hard, if people really knew how hard it is to get into nursing school. They would probably appreciate the profession more. There are millions wanting to be a nurse. (in my opinion it is the "backbone "just like Dr. Phil said. Some dr. do not even take the time out to get to no the patients. Please do not be offended, be proud that u r a nurse and hold your head up high.

humglum, BSN, RN · Apr 15, 2005

HELLO out there!
Today at work on a busy Neuro ICU unit, a brand new resident sitting in chair was mistaken for a patients nurse. She quickly snapped that she was the doctor and stated that the confused physical therapist get her professionals right. The P.T. then continued to apologize for the mistake and that she didnt mean any offense by it.
Now why would that be offensive? i thought we were all working on the same team, though a brand new Resident with no experince is upset to be compared to a nurse. I find this HIGHLY OFFENSIVE! I work just as hard and feel walked all over with attitudes like this.

Just my opinion, but I wouldn't be offended by this. Chances are, the resident is tired of the sexist attitudes in the medical field that perpetuate the myth that all females are nurses and all males are doctors. I get just as irritated when my male nurse colleagues are called doctors, its an outdated, misogynistic attitude.

Perhaps -- just perhaps -- she was exasperated that her credentials were not clear and that the PT had to be corrected. If she said anything negative about nurses and why she wouldn't want to be mistaken for one, fine. If not, please don't turn a misinterpretation or miscommunication into an us vs them argument.

angel337, MSN, RN · Apr 15, 2005

i have seen the same behavior in nurses when they are mistaken for the cna. i have been mistaken for the cna and the doc numerous times. it really doesn't bother me. just politely correct the person because usually those asssumptions are not meant to offend you.

Hellllllo Nurse, BSN, RN · Apr 15, 2005

did you take this up with the individuals involved? You are preaching to a choir here.......you are right to feel insulted. It was insulting. But grab the bull the the horns and tell those who offended you how you feel. You have the right to more respect than that.

I agree, especially concerning "preaching to the choir". I bet the resident and PT involved did not even realize that they were insulting their colleages by their reactions.

I'd bring it up w/ them, if you can.

pixie-dust37 · Apr 15, 2005

If we're ALL working on the same team, then why is it that RN's look down upon cna's, tech's, ma's, etc?????????????????????????? They all work hard too. But are treated with NO respect by the RN's. RN's are the worst offenders of this. So, now you know how it feels!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

zacarias, ASN, RN · Apr 15, 2005

Sounds like a scene from the Grey's Anatomy premiere...

sharann, BSN, RN · Apr 15, 2005

Do you men nurses feel insulted when you are mistaken for physicians?

How many male physicians do you think are mistaken for nurses? Who can tell nowadays, everyone dresses the same, you could be guy(or gal) from maintenece for all they know....

Gompers, BSN, RN · Apr 15, 2005

Sounds like a scene from the Grey's Anatomy premiere...

Exactly - I think the show is pretty realistic as far as first year residents go, and this situation here just proves it. That's why I actually LIKED the show, rather than wrote to ABC to complain about it. It was VERY true to life. Almost every female resident I know gets offended when someone calls her a nurse. It has much more to do with the sexism that they face than with their feelings towards nurses.

But man, that resident that the OP wrote about needs to take a chill pill or something. Instead of freaking out and acting like "nurse" is an insult, she could have just said, "Actually, I'm a doctor" instead. Even if she used a snotty tone to say it, it still would've been a much more appropriate response.

fergus51 · Apr 15, 2005

If we're ALL working on the same team, then why is it that RN's look down upon cna's, tech's, ma's, etc?????????????????????????? They all work hard too. But are treated with NO respect by the RN's. RN's are the worst offenders of this. So, now you know how it feels!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That's a pretty big generalization.