As a preamble. I have no disrespect for nurses' aides, since I was one myself what 3 years ago. It's a very difficult and financially unrewarding career (disrespected and belittled).
Lately, I do note, at my new place of work I've been mistaken for being an aide and not an RN. Perhaps since I don't hesitate to help out my people to save time with hygiene duties, with meal trays, with vitals...since our aides are lumped with 11 patients each mind you.
An aside note. I don't like it when a nurse over burdens or should I say monopolizes an aide on our unit with everything under the sun...so that when I make a request it gets placed down to number 9 on a list of 8 requests from that SOB (not short of breath) nurse.
Anyway, getting back to the issue at hand. Do we define nursing as wielding power and not lifting a finger to assist patients and chart away me maties? Or do we define it as making the care of our patient's swift and let charting go by the wayside? I hate overtime, please don't get me wrong.
I hate when an aide promises to do something and doesn't deliver. So I find I'm having to follow up with her/him. I don't like being someone's parent. I have patient kiddies to look out for.
I also hate it when I feel picked on by the charge nurse as I'm charting. Get this, answer this call light, where did so and so put this, do you know or could you find so and so....etc etc etc. Sheeeessssh!:argue::argue::argue::sniff:
When I'm working the floor I'm always recognized as a nurse. I wear starched whites. I swear, it's an image burned into the hippocampus of even the most demented LOL.
When I've been in the hospital, I had no clue who was who unless I asked. Even housekeeping wears scubs.
Anymooo...yes. A lot of our CNAs are older than me (LOL...everyone guessed my age to be 24-25) and I tend to do ADLs, toilieting, feeding etc when I have time. Funny is that I always introduce myself "Hi.Michelle and I will be your nurse tonite" Since I only work every other weekend, I do this every time I work. Even in the ltc environment.
I don't hesistate to take someone to the bathroom or help them to bed or help with denture cleaning, etc. and more than once the patient or family has told me when I was done to go get the nurse.
I've also been mistaken for housekeeping or the cafeteria lady, doesn't bother me.
Ok, I have to ask this question. What would be considered dressing to misrepresent yourself?
I still wear all white, with my stethoscope around my neck, more so that I can find it than anything. that and it does not fit into my pockets.
Would that be a case of somehow misrepresenting myself? It was how I was taught to dress as a nurse even though I am an LPN.
Others I work with wear white, some people different colors, alot wear scrubs of some kind. So call me confused by that statement.
Heck I am confused as most anything on any given day. It all depends on the patient. We need bigger name badges so that patients could actually read them. They do not seem to equate our names on their room boards with our titles next to the name.
I don't hesistate to take someone to the bathroom or help them to bed or help with denture cleaning, etc. and more than once the patient or family has told me when I was done to go get the nurse.
I've also been mistaken for housekeeping or the cafeteria lady, doesn't bother me.
i'm with you, mama.
i have been mistaken for others (no, not a pt...j/k about that:p) and it doesn't bother me in the least.
I'm mistaken for an CNA, medical assistant, lab...pretty much anything under the sun. I look young for my age, and people don't realize that I have 5 yrs of college under my belt (most people think I'm 19-22 yrs old when I'm actually approaching 30).
I can't fault patients for that though; we all wear scrubs (including housekeeping), and there isn't one thing that defines us as a nurse (such as nursing caps, which I don't care to resurrect).
Hey, Leslie, I see you are a Guide. What does that mean? Looks nice and sunny next to your name!
I also note having seen the Guide thing by Earle's name. Gosh, of all the folks to have died been translated back again it would have had to of been her!~! Pure angelic sense.
Really! If I'd had a hammer as precise as hers my nails would not be so bent half way as I attempt to hammer my argument.
She deserves that heading of Guide with the golden star. Thank you allnurses.com!
When I was doing my psych rotation, they told us to make sure the doors closed behind us because they had those folks who wanted to get out. So, I'm going thru a door, and here comes this scruffy, dirty, disheveled woman storming the door. I squeaked and jerked the door shut, with me on the other side. The scruffy woman fishes around in her clothes and pulls out an ID, and says, "I work here, open the door." She doesn't look anything like the picture, and as far as I know, she's just strangled a nurse and took her ID. So, of course, I don't let her out, and she starts yelling at me that she left her keys, let her out.
I swear, I didn't know she was the DON.
Turns out, she'd come in to help on her day off, got into a tussle with a violent pt, and helped staff restrain the person ---and in the course of things, got her hair disheveled, food spilled down her front, etc., and left her keys on the wrong side of the door. And of course, the picture on her ID was 10 years and several hair colors ago...
Gee, and they never interviewed me when they came for career day, wonder why....:imbar
:sniff:
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SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN
10,263 Posts
When I'm working the floor I'm always recognized as a nurse. I wear starched whites. I swear, it's an image burned into the hippocampus of even the most demented LOL.