I went to the local county fair last night and discovered a funny thing about myself:
As a nurse at a relatively small hospital, I find my uniform and my name tag give me certain privileges as I walk through the hospital. I can stop and talk to anyone I want, whether I know them or not, and people LIKE it. If I smile at visitors or patients that are not mine, they frequently stop to chat. I never really thought about it before, and am not sure if I am explaining it right. And this extends to kids, too. I can talk to any kids wandering around the hospital and it is fine.
Well, last night at the fair, I was smilling at and talking to kids, and it took a little while to realize that I was getting weird looks. It took longer to realize that it was because I am so used to being able to do it at work, that I for some reason carry that behaviour out the doors! Then I felt silly, cause all anyone saw at the fair was a crazy woman walking around talking to people she didn't even know. :chuckle
Have any of you ever had an experience like that? I must remember that I am not as "important" outside of the hospital as I am inside. LOL
I'm glad to know I'm not the only one who has done this! And it is sad that we can't approach our fellow man as just that, and not as a health professional, or some other helping profession. It does however, make me feel lucky to have chosen a career that allows me to be so close to other people. It's a big reason why I became a nurse in the first place. :)
Hi Laura! You should live in Oklahoma. Everyone talks to everyone here. I moved away for five years (and my experience in the new state was a lot like your experience at the fair). I knew I was back home when the woman next to me in line at the grocery store struck up a conversation (ah, heaven!) :kiss
I was living in a gated community. I had a peach tree that had all the peaches ripe at once. had to havest. I walked around the neighborhood. Knocking on doors and giving them away. So, I'm going down the street and see this kid and asked him if he liked peaches. BIG mistake. He looked at me even more strangely when I complimented him on his cautious behavior.
Yesterday, I had 3 people I know only casually approach me about some personal thing they had to unburden, (all unrelated) They chose me to confide in because I was a nurse and "knew I would understand."
And two days ago I argued (stupid) with a cop over "running a stop sign" on my way to work, he let me go because I was a nurse.
I don't know what it is about cops. I have head a lot have told nurses they will never ticket a nurse. They don't charge me when I get finger printed either "because I am a nurse." What is the deal on this. I am not complaining mind you. Just not understanding why this happens.
Specializes in CVOR,CNOR,NEURO,TRAUMA,TRANSPLANTS.
The one and only ticket so far ever written to me when I was a Nurse , I was called in to cover for a Nurse that also works in the OR / ER stall. Needless to say I could have been buck naked and he would have written me up! Well later that night there was a accident and an officer was involved. Low and behold who was my patient, Mr Officer that was quick with the pen. As I assisted the Plastic Surgeon stitch him up , and I cleaned his wounds and took care of him like I would any other patient. He told me I was just doing my job, I smiled and said Yes I know you were, and Im doing mine. I got a phone call at the end of the shift , it was Mr Officer, he had taken care of the ticket, He had mentioned to his Supervisor that he had written up a Nurse that night for speeding and his Supervisor chewed him out and told him that was bad luck.He said that Officers, Firefighters and Nurses are who we cover because they cover us. I think I like his Supervisor it saved me 210.00$
Zoe what a coincidence...sure taught him a thing or two hey.
We don't seem to have that affiliation here in Aus...the one and only time i got booked for speeding I was in my uniform. When i mentioned the obvious fact I was a nurse....he looked at me, said...."well you should know better than anyone not to speed" and wrote the ticket:(
Maybe just a cranky cop???? Any other nursing aussies been let off??
LOL got sidetracked and forgot to answer the orginial question....
I find when I leave work and go anywhere i am still in "work mode" like you say and talk up a storm with anyone. When I am on days off I do not seem to be quite the same.. a lot more shy.
For this reason I often make phone calls from work when need to be assertive.
Aus, I got distracted and forgot to answer the question also. (Actually, I had to give a kid a ride home-- he did some odd jobs for me for $$$, the least I could do was give him a lift.)
I always talk to strangers and kids also; but for some reason, all of my life I've been the one face in a crowd that kids (especially babies) always stare at. I always talk to the parents also and haven't ever been stared at like I'm a weirdo.
I volunteer to work 2-4 hrs. at our state nursing assoc. booth at the state fair every year. When I first started doing it (probably close to 20 years ago) the guy I used to do it with and I would take a bet that we could pick out the nurses in the crowd. We were right nearly 80-90% of the time! He has moved and I don't see him anymore; but we had a blast doing it for about 5 years together. We reached a point where we said "you could always tell who's a nurse." (I'm not sure if it was the comfortable shoes or the ever vigilant look in their eyes, LOL!)
when hubby and I were at our favorite restaurant "The OUTBACK" enjoying our anniversary evening over dinner.
Across from us were two different families....both had several children with them...all appeared to be less than 7 years of age.
I said to my husband...my, how quiet and well behaved those children are.
When we finished our meal, I got up from the table and went over to both families, and said to each one of them (separately)... Your children are so well behaved to be so young.
The first family (two parents and two kids) smiled and said thanks. The second family (mother only and three kids) were pleasant, and the mother said "Thanks for saying so, but this is NOT their typical behavior. They are usually monsters. I said, "Well, they are being very good tonight." The only boy at that table said "Who are you?" as he chewed on his tshirt. I said, I am Renee...a pediatric nurse. I use to take care of little people like you in the hospital. He giggled.
After I got in our car, I said to hubby, I really miss working pediatrics. Then, I had this moment of silence on the way home as I reflected on how much I miss working as a nurse, especially with kids.
I am always this way with people. If I see someone who looks especially nice...male or female....I pay them a compliment. Hubby is use to this. I don't flirt with the men.....NEVER.....I tease a lot on this BB with you guys and gals, but I do NOT flirt in real life with STRANGE men.
I think more people should extend themselves this way to warm up the world. It doesn't have to be a COLD icy place to dwell. :kiss :)
Nope, big city cops treat nurses special too! Zipped around for years in my 5.0 doing HHC day and night. All the cops knew my car. Sometimes they'd point and shake thier finger at me from the side of the road if I was going a little too fast. They watch out for us!!!!
I live in a large city and cops will hard pressed to ticket a nurse. I've heard it from friends of mine on the force. Think about it, if you hear your patient is a cop, don't you give him the extra mile?
I know we've coded a patient for one more mintue because he was a cop and for that reason alone. And I've bent over backwards for fire persons as well. Yeah, I should treat all patients the same, but these are people that will literrally die for me.
And isn't it a shame that we all can't be decent and friendly to eachother without geting odd looks?
:chuckle 
MQ Edna
1 Article; 1,741 Posts
I'm glad to know I'm not the only one who has done this! And it is sad that we can't approach our fellow man as just that, and not as a health professional, or some other helping profession. It does however, make me feel lucky to have chosen a career that allows me to be so close to other people. It's a big reason why I became a nurse in the first place. :)