Do I LOOK Like A Nurse To You?

Nurses General Nursing

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Thanks Christina Aguilara! This past week end I attended a holiday party and the discussion moved on from "what kind of car do you drive?" to "what do you do for a living?" . When I replied that I was a Registered Nurse I was met with gasps, a few snickers and some lewd comments, along with "funny, you don't look like a nurse!". Now folks, I am not some blond bombshell busting out of my scrub top, teeting on 6 inch Manolos while applying lip gloss. I present a clean appearance and a conservative outward appearance.

This leads me to ask....what the heck does a nurse look like anyway? Anyone else get a goofy reaction like mine?

Although I have heard the comment a time or two myself, I laugh at it on the inside now and think..............It is what is in your heart that makes you a Nurse.

Much Peace

Billy

:coollook:

I am glad you guys always have pens in your pockets - my pens all seem to grow cute little legs while I am at work and use them to jump into the pockets of RTs, STs, PTs, MDs, or anyone else passing by. More recently however, with the shift to computer charting, I find I do not need them so much, so I leave them in my purse where they can't escape. HA!

:Snow:

Way back when, when I was still waffling between majors, I was still trying to decide whether I had what it takes to be a nurse.

One day, while standing in a grocery store line the man behind me asked me if I were a nurse. I told him no, and he said "Well, you look like a nurse." He smiled, then got out of the line, saying he forgot something.

Never did see the man again, and he never explained what a nurse looked like, but here I am.

Specializes in Home Health Case Mgr.

I don't know about you guys and gals, but sometimes when I am doing patient care, a visitor or family member who is a nurse always sticks out to me. I can spot them....allbeit, not always a nurse, sometimes a doctor, medic, whatever, but you just get a gut feeling by the way they are watching you, asking you questions...hey....this person is a nurse. I had one last night,,,a nice lady, asked all kinds of questions, and about the time i pegged her for a nurse....she fessed up that she was a retired nurse of 35 years. She was curious about all the telemetry stuff and IV fluids,,etc...It bothers some nurses to treat these people...doesn't bother me...keeps us honest and professional I think....Take care folks......Chuck

Specializes in NICU, Infection Control.

I do think it "looking like a nurse" has to do more w/behavior than appearance. I had to have a nuclear med study once. The ?tech had to give me the contrast or whatever IV; as I watched her prep the site, tourniquet, perform the venipuncture, etc., she asked me if I was a nurse. I admitted it, and asked jokingly if it was stamped on my forehead. She said it was just the way I watched her do the proceedure so calmly, she figured I had to be in the medical field, just guessed nurse.

Another time I was with my son in another hospital as he recovered from surgery. There was another pt in the room; his doc came in, turned to me and said the pt's name in a questioning tone, like did I know anything about that pt (I was NOT dressed in scrubs, just a Tshirt and pants, my "Mom" uniform); I said, "no, I'm his", gesturing towards my son. The doc started complaining, "why do they put a nurse in the room and she only has the one pt, why doesn't she have both, yada, yada..." I waited for him to stop, then said, "I agree w/you, but in this case, I'm the MOM." "oh." I really did feel that it was stamped on my forehead that day! I got a good laugh out of it, and shared it w/the nurse who was assigned to the room.

I have never had pretty legs, but after a few years of nursing in the hospital, I love the feel of those calves as I put lotion on now, they have changed so much! ha! And, I do believe it is the carriage, doing Christmas shopping I noticed it in myself, no time to stand around and wait, weaving in and out of people with the pace of a nurse! And, the odd thing, one day at Walmart, a woman from India who could barely speak English comes up to me with cod liver oil in her hand, asked me in her broken English if it would help with the scars on her face. I could not help but wonder why out of the crowds she chose me to ask! Wish now I had asked her.

Specializes in Labor and delivery, NICU, PP.
I figure if people are sick enough they won't notice I look 12.

A pt's husband once asked me upon introducing myself: "Can we get a nurse that's not twelve?"

When I replied that I was a Registered Nurse I was met with gasps, a few snickers and some lewd comments, along with "funny, you don't look like a nurse!". Now folks, I am not some blond bombshell busting out of my scrub top, teeting on 6 inch Manolos while applying lip gloss. I present a clean appearance and a conservative outward appearance.

I get the same reaction, but probably due to the fact I am 6'1", 270 lbs, bearded and bearing the scars of a previous career in the Marines as a self defense instructor, freestyle wrestler and professional football player. Have been told I have a "unique" attitude for a nurse, but I always get the job done.

A pt's husband once asked me upon introducing myself: "Can we get a nurse that's not twelve?"
Some people are so rude, it is just amazing

:icon_roll

Don't get me wrong, it's nice to look young and for others to recognize the youthful appearance, but the tone of the statement "Can we get a nurse that's not twelve?" - that jerk should be grateful that ANYONE was willing to put up with him long enough to care for his wife.

Specializes in Renal, Haemo and Peritoneal.

I'm a hairy bloke that doesn't like to shave too often. Do I look like a nurse..............no! Am I a nursing professional.............yes!!!!!!!!!!!

Well, I have no idea why, but...

in the "older students" club I'm VP of, whenever we go around or introduce ourselves to a new member and tell our major, people always tell me, "oh, you look like a nurse."

Huh? What's that supposed to mean? :)

I am working on my BSRN and I had a gentleman stop me on the university campus and told me "are you lost? you look like you are an artist you are in the medical building"!

Specializes in NICU, Infection Control.
Some people are so rude, it is just amazing

:icon_roll

Don't get me wrong, it's nice to look young and for others to recognize the youthful appearance, but the tone of the statement "Can we get a nurse that's not twelve?" - that jerk should be grateful that ANYONE was willing to put up with him long enough to care for his wife.

I would have taken that as a joke, because I think that's the way he meant it!

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