Entitlement/ superiority attitude of some nurses?

[Infofreak411]

I work alongside nurses and am in the process of becoming a nurse myself.

While I have great respect for the profession and my coworkers as well as a passion for it (hence my reason for going to RN school), I've noticed nurses (many but not all) have this superiority attitude like their job is the only job in the Healthcare field that matters. They talk down to all the other professionals (respiratory therapists, social workers, occupational therapists, etc) and disregard any of the hard work they do and just expect a pat on the back for every little thing. I've even heard some nurses say they should get paid more than the doctor because their work is more important.

Also, I hear many nurses complain that they have too much to do, and then when anyone tries to give them a hand they have this turf battle and think everyone is trying to take over their job and isn't competent enough to do so even if it's something as simple as helping bathe a patient.

What's your opinion?

[LuvScience]

I was once a CNA. After I had worked as a CNA for a few years, I began to feel experienced and knowledgeable. I watched the nurses at my facility and came to the conclusion that I worked harder than they did and that their jobs didn't look overly difficult. My conclusions were very wrong. At the time, I didn't know what I didn't know. When I became a nurse I was in for a rude surprise. I learned that nurses had infinitely more responsibilities than I had been aware of before. When I was a CNA I worked hard but I also regularly received lunch breaks, went home when my shift was over and was able to leave the stresses of my work at work. Everything changed when I assumed the nurse's role. The obligations and responsibilities towards my patients became never ending. I actually started to miss working as a CNA because everything had been simpler then.

As a CNA I couldn't understand why nurses didn't give my judgment or opinions the weight that I felt they deserved. However, at that time, my opinions were not based on a through understanding of anatomy, physiology and pharmacology. I didn't have the necessary body of knowledge to draw upon in order assess the needs of patients. As I said earlier, I didn't know what I didn't know.

I know other former CNAs who have become nurses and they describe similar revelations. Of course, I agree that we should all treat our coworkers, fellow healthcare workers and fellow human beings with respect and civility. However, I suspect that the OP will also come to see his/her experiences in a different light if he/she continues on to become a nurse.

[jadelpn, LPN, EMT-B]

OP, there is a huge difference in being direct and being superior. There is a huge difference in critical thinking and priorities as opposed to entitlement.

Superior and entitlement are subjective words.

In actuality, you really do not know what a nurse's job entails until you actually become one in practice.

Sometimes techs get the impression that nurses believe themselves to be "too good" to do "tech work". It is usually never about that. If I had a dime for every single time I needed a techs assistance and one was hiding, left the unit, I heard a bell go off continuously when I was in the middle of a wound dressing change, or have a tech say "you can do that, I don't have to, its my break" I could retire today.

But, OP, you will soon realize that when your role changes. There are amazing techs, and amazing tech teams. But just as many when the licensing bodies come around they are running around, looking busy, as to not get "caught" gabbing in the hall whilst bells go off unanswered.

And yes, perhaps at times a frustrated nurse attempting to get ahold of a doctor to get orders could make a comment about "they should be paying me the MD salary" or some other catty comment, but we can't do much without an order. And we have to be sure that the charting is up to the minute current, as the MD will ask.

It is akin to looking up a medicine/dosage in a book and saying a nurse is reading a magazine.

Not everything is as it appears.

[jadelpn, LPN, EMT-B]

Highbanks said:

I have only worked in Corporate America (thinking of switching to nursing) and I have seen these 'jerks' in action over and over.

Health care IS Corporate America.....

[they_see_me_rollin]

LuvScience said:

I was once a CNA. After I had worked as a CNA for a few years, I began to feel experienced and knowledgeable. I watched the nurses at my facility and came to the conclusion that I worked harder than they did and that their jobs didn't look overly difficult. My conclusions were very wrong. At the time, I didn't know what I didn't know. When I became a nurse I was in for a rude surprise. I learned that nurses had infinitely more responsibilities than I had been aware of before. When I was a CNA I worked hard but I also regularly received lunch breaks, went home when my shift was over and was able to leave the stresses of my work at work. Everything changed when I assumed the nurse's role. The obligations and responsibilities towards my patients became never ending. I actually started to miss working as a CNA because everything had been simpler then.

I know other former CNAs who have become nurses and they describe similar revelations. Of course, I agree that we should all treat our coworkers, fellow healthcare workers and fellow human beings with respect and civility. However, I suspect that the OP will also come to see his/her experiences in a different light if he/she continues on to become a nurse.

Great comment! When a certain CNA in our med surg floor complained "these nurses do nothing but just give medications all day!", I was just shaking my head (and rolled my eyes sometimes). And OP complained about nurses being in cellphones all the time.. I like this poster's comment

SmilingBluEyes said:

Those "cells phone they are playing on" MAY be the ones they are required to carry to keep in touch with doctors or other ancillary staff to keep up on labs or be contacted at any time, etc. They also use them to do drug calculations or look up meds to become familiar with them before adminstration.

But yes, I think the OP needs to go to nursing school, get more education, pass NCLEX, become a nurse and experience what it is to be like a nurse.

Extra Pickles said:

When I first joined I posted something about how when I was a student I thought I knew all about how the nurses I saw during my clinicals were mean or rude or lazy ... The nurses I was calling rude or lazy or whatever weren't but to my uneducated eyes I thought they were... Maybe after spending some time as a nurse you will see the difference between what you see now and what you will know then. Experience changes your perspective!

[APRN., DNP, RN, APRN, NP]

I think we have a *** and Ditch on our hands. The OP is nowhere to be seen.

MIA.

[Hoosier_RN, MSN]

DeLanaHarvickWannabe said:

Yep. When I was a unit clerk "I ran the floor like a well-oiled machine." (Manager's words, not mine.)

If the unit clerk ain't happy, nobody's happy.

Nowadays, many units/specialties don't have a unit secretary. So it wouldn't matter. Hospitals in my area are doing away with them

[NuGuyNurse2b]

®Nurse said:

I think we have a *** and Ditch on our hands. The OP is nowhere to be seen.

MIA.

HAHAHAHAHA b and d. I like that.

[RescueNinjaKy]

Well let's look at this situation. A RT decided it was his place to tell one of the nurses that the patient needs to get up and move around and He proceeds to get the patient up by himself and sits him on the chair. A safety report was put in on that RT and he was spoken to by the charge nurse and his manager.

Let's look at what was missed by the RT. The patient has dementia, his gait can be described as similar to that of a newborn baby deer, he had a tavr reccently and is extremely weak at the moment. Oh also we had a bed alarm on him. The RT overstepped his duty and placed a highly unsteady patient onto a chair with no alarms what so ever. The RT did not know how the patient normally gets up nor did he ask anyone. The RT did not tell anyone he was getting the patient up. Had the patient fallen, no alarms would have gone off. And who do you think will be blamed for the mistake? Nursing. So no, we are not clutching desperately to our territory. We are ensuring patient safety. You do what you are trained to do.

[NutmeggeRN, BSN]

Nurse Leigh said:

Why is it no one raises an eyebrow at the thought that a partner in a law firm might not be all fuzzy and warm to a new associate but nurses are expected to be saints???

I was watching "Suits" the other day on Netflix, the lawyers are BRUTALLY mean to the newbies and from what I have seen, this is expected and anticipated.

[Horseshoe, BSN, RN]

NutmeggeRN said:

I was watching "Suits" the other day on Netflix, the lawyers are BRUTALLY mean to the newbies and from what I have seen, this is expected and anticipated.

My D has a friend who interned in a fairly male dominated industry (paid internship). One day, near the end of his assignment, he walked into the break room and saw a drawing on the white board. It was of a member, and written at the top, it said "Suck on this, Rookie!"

I'm sure it was meant somewhat jokingly, (the intern told my D that he was actually treated quite well there), but I imagine there will be more of this to come for awhile (intern received a permanent job offer from corporate, which he accepted). Hazing, while illegal, still happens in many industries.

[flying_ace2]

ambobam said:

Nurses take an oath and vow to care for others.

Treating people like dirt doesn't fall under the scope of caring and healing.

And being treated like crap by patients/families/doctors/other coworkers without standing up for myself and putting a stop to it doesn't fall within the scope of my nursing practice.

[Kiki1970]

Wow!!! I am so stoked I don't have to go back to nursing school!! I can do everything you RNs do and be a CNA... Nice.

OP- a good tech should be running around, but I assure you, we're not doing everything for the nurses!