Comments about our choice of profession

northshore08 · Dec 15, 2008

My response is usually to ignore the comment.

Occasionally I respond with "I bet you could if you needed to."

morte, LPN, LVN · Dec 15, 2008

hmm i dont see it as quite that "left handed"

and my usual answer is "thank goodness we are all different, so there is somewone to do each job"

CABG patch kid, BSN, RN · Dec 15, 2008

I do see where you're coming from, I get annoyed by some of those comments too sometimes. But I also try and remember how ignorant most people are about what it is we really do. Some people think all we do is wipe butts and tuck people in to bed; but yea, there are a lot of people who couldn't do what we do, so just agree with them and take it as a compliment!

Trauma Columnist · Dec 15, 2008

My comeback depends on how its meant. Personally, I could never sit at a desk all day, dealing with numbers crunching gives me a headache etc..

racing-mom4, BSN, RN · Dec 15, 2008

I have a current step mother who every single time I see her says "Ewwah I dont know why you are a nurse---I couldnt see all that blood and guts every day"....my response is "I dont work in surgery, I have never seen guts and rarely do I see blood."

or when somepeople say "oh I couldnt do that" i will respond, "i couldnt imagine doing anything else"

FA to CRNA2b · Dec 15, 2008

My moms' initial response, "Why"? And she really meant it.

oldiebutgoodie, RN · Dec 15, 2008

My moms' initial response, "Why"? And she really meant it.

My brother and his daughter both told me that they thought my becoming a nurse was a "bad idea". My good friend could not understand it, either, and has finally stopped giving me a hard time about it (I have been an RN now for 3 1/2 years).

I was in the IT field for 25 years, and then went into nursing at age 50. I couldn't stand to sit in front of a computer for hours like I used to.

Oldiebutgoodie

Atheos · Dec 15, 2008

All my friends thought nursing would be a bad idea for me when I first entered the profession. My mother and grandmother think it's a wonderful idea.

I do get the comments but that is usually because I don't 'look' like a guy that could take care of vulnerable patients.

mmutk, BSN, RN, EMT-I · Dec 15, 2008

Well I hope there is one of us around when you need help oneday.

gonzo1, ASN, RN · Dec 15, 2008

As patients and or their families see me carrying urine or other disgusting things across the aisle I just laugh and say "yes, I am a one of those "glamorous ER nurses"

jjjoy, LPN · Dec 15, 2008

Well, I can feel bad sometimes that I didn't take to clinical nursing. I hear things like "It takes a special person to be a nurse" and think "Hey, I'm special, too, aren't I? Am I a lesser person for not practicing nursing?" And I hear again and again people saying how they can't stand sitting in front of a computer all day, and how much more meaningful and satisfying nursing is for them. So what to make of the fact that more often than not I dreaded going to work as a nurse and honestly don't mind going to work in my cubicle? If I'm in a down mood I might start to wonder if I'm lacking in some way... and I don't want to be "just another paper pusher."

It's certainly annoying when people make pointless, uninformed comments. But just how annoying those comments are also depends a lot on how we feel about ourselves. Maybe your reaction to such comments is telling you something. Maybe it's telling you that you're not giving yourself enough credit for your accomplishments. Maybe this reflects an unconscious desire to take on a new career challenge.

Or maybe you just need a few good zingers to shoot back at those annoying people who never seem to learn how to be tactful.