Educating the Public re: nursing shortage

formernurse · Jul 1, 2002

Just let one of them be a patient and find out for themselves. :eek: EricaCCRN---then maybe they will believe that the shortage is for real!!!

thisnurse · Jul 1, 2002

some of these ppl have a lot to learn dont they?

so how do we teach them?

i guess thats the million dollar question.

i tried to post there but for some reason my post didnt go thru...ill try again later.

you know it galls me when the public says things like we are sitting on our fat azzes at the desk. i never sit at the stupid desk unless i have to chart which im sure as most of you i HATE.

the public sees things and jumps to conclusions. "nurses standing around gossiping" great sterotype...

do they know they are nurses? do they know if they are on duty? do they know if they are indeed gossiping?

NO...they just know what they think they see.

just like what they "think" we make.

we are really doing ourselves a disservice by not setting them straight...but how?

how do we describe our jobs in simple terms?

EricaCCRN · Jul 1, 2002

Yeah, they irritate me too with their inaccurate generalizations. As far as I am concerned, everyone here should give them a piece of our minds. They really need an education. Remember the thread "welcome to the Hilton don't forget to tip your waitress"? These people are straight off of that thread, I swear. :rolleyes:

oramar · Jul 1, 2002

The average person does not have the slightest idea what a nurse it. One patient reported the nurse that yelled at him. Turned out it was housekeeping. Another complained about the nurse sitting at the desk all the time on her bum. Turns out it was the unit secretary.

SmilingBluEyes · Jul 1, 2002

I think once again, a few bad apples can ruin it for the whole bunch. They probably truly witnessed gossipy and lazy nurses in the hospit while visiting a loved one and decided "all nurses" are that way.

Going over to another board "en masse" I am afraid, won't change minds. It will more likely just sound very defensive, but not be helpful in educating these minds. I agree with the poster, formernurse, who said it may take them being a patient and at the "mercy" of healthcare to see what we do. That even may not do it. I say, pat yourself on the back, know you do good and let it go. WE KNOW WHAT NURSES DO! They will learn, sooner or later.

thisnurse · Jul 1, 2002

i like the person over there that blames the nurses for the death of his mom.

im still trying to understand him

i wonder how long mom would have lived at home with sonny boy caring for her by himself?

stupid nurses...lol

EricaCCRN · Jul 1, 2002

Yeah, that guys' posts make no sense. He said at one time she had a broken back & ribs. Could it be that she died of pneumonia? He keeps saying that he can't get a straight answer on what caused her death. Uh, maybe he has selective hearing loss like so many families and is turning an innocent death into a blame game as part of his grief.

I disagree with the poster about not heading over there to defend ourselves. If you people saw what they were typing you would be compelled to defend our profession. You don't have to do it in a defensive way. Just be factual & those with half a brain will see the truth. If we don't get the word out about us, then we have no one to blame but ourselves when these people march into the hospital with all of their self righteous demands. Seize this opportunity. It may not come again.

I for one am not willing to let 60 minutes speak for me.

SmilingBluEyes · Jul 1, 2002

Wait a minute here....No one said let 60 Minutes speak for you..but i wonder what real purpose will be served going to a board of people we don't know and flooding it. i more prefer to let ACTIONS speak louder than words. how? by voluteering in my community, being a conscientious and hard-working nurse where I work and letting them see this. or sending an editorial to my newspaper about the subject and educating them a bit about what we do.

but, hey, whatever. if it helps you to do so, have at it. i prefer to save myself the aggravation it would bring me. life is WAY too short. good luck.:stone

EricaCCRN · Jul 1, 2002

Debbie...

That's cool. It's a free country so let's just agree to disagree on how to handle this one.:)

EricaCCRN · Jul 1, 2002

Oramar......

Where in Pittsburgh are you? I am doing a travel contract here now. Very nice city...clean.

Nurse Ratched, RN · Jul 1, 2002

Oh my, Erica - read the thread and I wouldn't dream of posting there. The level of ignorance evident in the postings of "Bob" is enough to shoot my blood pressure through the roof. He is definitely a http://www.winternet.com/~mikelr/flame21.html . I have no patience to deal with people like him in my off hours - we have to listen to that crap enough *ON* the clock .

More power to you if you choose to engage him, but you are clearly dealing with an EXTREMELY *thick-headed* individual. Hold no hope that you will ever convince him of anything.