Do I LOOK Like A Nurse To You?

bahamaboiRN · Jan 7, 2005

I really didn't expect many (if any) others to agree with me. I just stated my opinion. Yes, I feel a lot of nurses do have a 'look' to them. I never said in my post that ALL nurses look alike. I am not sure where you got the impression that I was comparing Nurses in Kenya with those in the U.S. I specifically stated in my post that I was looking at Nurses in various regions in the United States.
Anyway, the reason I didn't go into detail in my original post was because I knew it would be a matter of time that my words would be twisted because someone didn't agree with my observation.

Oh come on aren't we taking this a bit too serious here,"Lifeisbeautiful" just made a comment expressing their opnion FREELY. They did not make it seem as though it was the law...

Betty_SPN_KS, LPN · Jan 7, 2005

Not sure what a nurse is supposed to look like.

I hear a lot of "You don't look old enough to be the mother of eight children." Totally unrelated, but I don't recall hearing anyone comment on whether I look like a nurse or not.

bsnrnoh · Jan 7, 2005

short, fat and proud of that......just like pooh bear:chuckle :chuckle

kenni · Jan 8, 2005

it sounds to me like a party of snobs if they're asking what car you drive and laugh about what you do for a living. I can relate to this. I've been told that I'm a fairly attractive black woman and most people don't take me seriously about nursing. one woman I know brags about her God-daughter jasmine becoming an excellent nurse but when she spoke about me said, "well, everybody isn't meant to be a nurse." what nerve! then when I meet new people and tell them I'm in nursing school they all ask the same questions: "LVN or RN?" then "associate degree or bachelor's?" when I inform them I am in a BSN program they say "really?" with a look of shock on their faces. smart people don't have to be unattractive!

riern · Jan 8, 2005

I can remember as a new nurse looking at some of the more seasoned nurses, not necessarily older than me but more experienced, and thinking they looked more like nurses than I did. As I've gotten older and more experienced I look at myself and think, yep.....I'm there. It's not really our appearance as much as the way we carry ourselves, the way we quickly assess most situations, the way we care for everyone, even the kids on the other team when our kids are playing sports, the way we always have a pair of gloves, bandaids, alcohol wipes and neosporin, the way we can read between the lines when the doctors talk, the way we put other peoples feelings and needs before ours, the way we change a diaper then go eat lunch without a thought. The list goes on and on.

When someone tells me I look like a nurse I remember 13 years ago thinking I didn't and wondering how I could or if I would ever get there. I think like most everything else in life it's a personal thing.

The bottom line is we all come in different shapes and sizes, different hair styles and colors, etc.... but we all work hard, and care about our patients.

As my mama says, "it's not the way you look it's the way you work."

Rie

ldynwht · Jan 8, 2005

I have been told I look like a school teacher, whats a school teacher look like? Could never understand how you can look at someone and tell what they do for a living, of course there are those who claim they can look at you and tell if you are gay or have aids, yeah right

BabyChainus · Jan 8, 2005

With my 3 inch boots on???? you'd gotta be kiddin' if they'll mistake me for a nurse.:rotfl:

MzKittenRN · Jan 9, 2005

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?

...hmmm...to me, there is no 'typical' image of what a nurse should look like....nurses come in all shapes, sizes, ethnicities, gender,etc. when i tell some people @ a party what i do, some are merely surprised and amazed @ what i do and the majority of them tell me that they would never have guessed i am a nurse...now mind you, i am not a blond 'chrsitina aguilara' either! :nono: but i do have my own style.... don't let their 4 o'clock 'shadow' comments disturb you!mzkitten

celeste7767 · Jan 12, 2005

Now you got me worried; when I'm not in uniform and the discussion gets around to what do you do and I reply that I'm a nurse, there's ALWAYS one or two who will tell me something like, "Yeah, you know I can see that. Something about you looks like a nurse." And I'm 5'6", green eyes, strawberry blonde hair, on the slim side. So I don't know what the heck that means. Maybe its an attitude or something.

Beats me.

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?

kaseysmom, LPN · Jan 12, 2005

I agree with a previous post that said that nurses have a certain look to them. When I was in school, I was at a diner studying (lol yes, a diner) and the waiter asked what I was taking in school - so I told him I was in nursing school, he replied with, "Yea, you look like a nurse" and just walked away. For a loooong time I was always looking at nurses trying to figure out how i resembled them. I think a nurse (catagorically) looks clean, and you can always tell because they look very well educated (not to say that anyone here doesn't - and that any other profession wouldn't) Nurses always have that confident look in them..and if you mention that your tummy hurts, they start asking about your bowel regimen =) haha.

MzKittenRN · Jan 18, 2005

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?

tell them to watch that show 'e.r' (one of my fave. tv shows!) and take a hike!

mzkitten

ALynnRN · Jan 18, 2005

tell them to watch that show 'e.r' (one of my fave. tv shows!) and take a hike!
mzkitten

i am a senior nursing student and through school have always found that no one seems to take me seriously enough as a nurse. not because of my behavior...but because i "don't look old enough" is always my response. i admit that i look very young and most don't think i look old enough to have graduated high school when in fact i'll graduate from college in a few months. and to add to add insult to injury...i'm tiny, too. i'm 5'5" and weigh about 105 lbs. so that more than anything comes up too. "you sure will be a tiny nurse." i hate that phrase. will anyone ever take me seriously as a nurse? i mean...will me being little and looking young hurt chances of me getting a job or getting respect from co-workers?