I observe that most go to Nursing School to earn big and not entirely motivated by the traditional "caring" personality.
is it true that some Nurses put on a facade on being caring in their workplace but have entirely have uncaring personality outside their workplace ?
For example, a Janitor employee mops and cleans around but it does not mean he enjoys cleaning or have a neat personality. He is driven by financial need and similarly a Nurses could be driven by financial gain while masking a facade of a caring image at her workplace.
is it true that some Nurses put on a facade on being caring in their workplace but have entirely have uncaring personality outside their workplace ?.
Ok, just not that simple, sorry!!
People are very complex, they can be caring to some and heartless to others! They can have very cold personalities but still "care" on a professional basis. I've known nurses who are extremely caring and competent to their patients yet on the same shift heartless and ruthless to coworkers.
We have a professional duty to "care". Not sure that means the same thing to me as it does to the general public or the OP.
Say what? If I am decoding this somewhat inchoate ramble properly, you think that you think nurses are nice to patients and not nice to their colleagues, is that right? Are you generalizing this to all nurses, some nurses, or ... ? Is this based on personal experience (limits of this?) or a selection of posts from AN, or a fever dream, or ... ?
There are so many holes in this it's hard to credit it, but do let me know what I'm missing.
Hello GrnTea,
My thread tries to question the existence of Nurses who put on a caring facade even if they maybe just a minority. Throughout this thread, I observe we are just humans who strive to make a living, regardless whether being caring is our personality or just a facade.
I have a nurse friend who is caring in her workplace but totally opposite at home.
Maybe because I have an unrealistic expectations of nurses?
Maybe I was wrong of placing her RN profession as her identity outside of work?
People are very complex, they can be caring to some and heartless to others! They can have very cold personalities but still "care" on a professional basis. I've known nurses who are extremely caring and competent to their patients yet on the same shift heartless and ruthless to coworkers.
We have a professional duty to "care". Not sure that means the same thing to me as it does to the general public or the OP.
Sent from my iPhone using allnurses
Thanks TiffyRN,
I think you describe that well, I am not sure if this is the right word but nurses are also working as customer service in professional healthcare way.
Honestly, there have been times where I have to put forth so much effort being nice and civil to rude and/or stupid patients, that I have little patience left over for some of my equally rude and/or stupid coworkers.
It's not a facade; it's called doing the "professional atmosphere" for our business.
I adjust to the audience in front of me; it's more like a life coaching stance I have with pts; some may think I am being "mean"; depending on the emotional state; however those who "think" I'm "mean"-and it happens, who knew? -appreciate the honesty and respect me; patients, nurses, and doctors-especially patients-most in my years of this business thoroughly enjoy me; very few don't-they are a distant memory...
For instance today-I had to inform one of my patients it's a two way street to better health; I care enough about you for you to meet your goals; I rather work with you than against you-your choice. and that was NOT said with a smile or a chipper attitude or an "angel of mercy" halo-open honest demeanor; the pt understood it and respected what I said and our interaction improved from the pts standpoint, despite the pts emotional status.
I've been like this for all my life-shoot straight from the hip-maybe it's from growing up around so many relatives that were a part of the military-I'm not fond of whining, and will confront it-then again, I adjust for my audience and there are many MANY creative ways to adjust and handle challenging personalities; however, I don't get into the stereotypical sappy J &J image of nursing; and those nurses who don't do "sappy" are not "cold" ; like another poster said, we are all complex; it is too overly simplistic to think that as well.
For instance today-I had to inform one of my patients it's a two way street to better health; I care enough about you for you to meet your goals; I rather work with you than against you-your choice. and that was NOT said with a smile or a chipper attitude or an "angel of mercy" halo-open honest demeanor; the pt understood it and respected what I said and our interaction improved from the pts standpoint, despite the pts emotional status. .
You had one of those days, too? I recently got to tell a family member that they were to leave the room until they could learn to keep their hands off the patient's medical equipment. I guarantee that "angelic" and "chipper" would not have described my demeanor, either.
Wanna know the funny part? I was irritated because I do care. I care about my license and I sure as **** care about my patient. How does my "Lieutenant Face" work into the "caring façade" conundrum, OP?
It's not a facade; it's called doing the "professional atmosphere" for our business.
I adjust to the audience in front of me; it's more like a life coaching stance I have with pts; some may think I am being "mean"; depending on the emotional state; however those who "think" I'm "mean"-and it happens, who knew? -appreciate the honesty and respect me; patients, nurses, and doctors-especially patients-most in my years of this business thoroughly enjoy me; very few don't-they are a distant memory...
For instance today-I had to inform one of my patients it's a two way street to better health; I care enough about you for you to meet your goals; I rather work with you than against you-your choice. and that was NOT said with a smile or a chipper attitude or an "angel of mercy" halo-open honest demeanor; the pt understood it and respected what I said and our interaction improved from the pts standpoint, despite the pts emotional status.
I've been like this for all my life-shoot straight from the hip-maybe it's from growing up around so many relatives that were a part of the military-I'm not fond of whining, and will confront it-then again, I adjust for my audience and there are many MANY creative ways to adjust and handle challenging personalities; however, I don't get into the stereotypical sappy J &J image of nursing; and those nurses who don't do "sappy" are not "cold" ; like another poster said, we are all complex; it is too overly simplistic to think that as well.
hello LadyFree,
thanks for sharing your thoughts and I think I was wrong to title my thread as facade. Overall, this thread deals with Nurse as a profession and their personality outside the workplace and its unrealistic expectations of nurses in our culture and at home.
thanks for sharing your thoughts and I think I was wrong to title my thread as facade. Overall, this thread deals with Nurse as a profession and their personality outside the workplace and its unrealistic expectations of nurses in our culture and at home.
Whose expectations?
See, that's where these "expectations" are open to interpretation and can be misconstrued by the unsuspecting public, where most people who put their dues in the trenches know otherwise..
I've NEVER thought nurses to be "angels of mercy" , and there are many who have taken the methodical, logical lens to the profession. Knowing the history of the professions and the evolution of what it is today, one can see it was done with grit, logic, and with a pioneering attitude; not by "fluff"
Those who place unrealistic expectations in their personal life needs a little soul searching, IMHO-as some posters pointed out, "expectation struggle" is not the premier cornerstone of nursing-that can happen in any career when one decides that their career will define them.
Me being a nurse is ONE, yes ONE aspect of me, not the be all end all; I found more nurses in my line of thinking-heck, they helped support my thinking in my 14 years of being in healthcare-the ones who struggle; probably 5-10 percent of my peers have had this "experience", maybe less.
You had one of those days, too? I recently got to tell a family member that they were to leave the room until they could learn to keep their hands off the patient's medical equipment. I guarantee that "angelic" and "chipper" would not have described my demeanor, either.
Wanna know the funny part? I was irritated because I do care. I care about my license and I sure as **** care about my patient. How does my "Lieutenant Face" work into the "caring façade" conundrum, OP?
Hello soldierNurse,
thanks for sharing your thought and blunt response,.
my thread aims question to the existence of minority nurses who put on a facade of caring nurses and base on your response, im sure you are not one of them. :)
-appreciate the honesty and respect me; patients, nurses, and doctors-especially patients-most in my years of this business thoroughly enjoy me; very few don't-they are a distant memory...
; like another poster said, we are all complex; it is too overly simplistic to think that as well.
MUCH more to the point than my loquaciousness. 
TiffyRN, BSN, PhD
2,316 Posts
Ok, just not that simple, sorry!!
People are very complex, they can be caring to some and heartless to others! They can have very cold personalities but still "care" on a professional basis. I've known nurses who are extremely caring and competent to their patients yet on the same shift heartless and ruthless to coworkers.
We have a professional duty to "care". Not sure that means the same thing to me as it does to the general public or the OP.
Sent from my iPhone using allnurses