Health Profession & Wacko's

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Anybody else noticed how many "wacko's" seemed to be attracted to this line of work? I have some theories about this phenomena.

You could be right and I'm willing to give the original poster the benefit of the doubt. He's a male btw, and has started a couple of threads that could go badly and I'm suspicious.

Well thats very kind of you Mr Tweety.

Specializes in Education, Acute, Med/Surg, Tele, etc.

Oh I definately relate more to the wacko! LOL!

I really do think it takes all types to handle the stress of dealing with people in general! To be well rounded and able to handle different types of people, especially given that they are not typically at their best...takes all types of techniques and personalities to achieve the potential!

Heck, some of the best medics I know are in the wacko territory! Their sense of humor is great but slightly morbid, the odd nature of the job at times doesn't phase them one bit, and well...they can really talk down the psych cases/druggies pretty well if you don't act all 'medic' on them and seem more like someone they can relate to...LOL!!!!!! And sometimes they can really see outside the box and come up with solutions that really work better or illnesses missed!

Now I am just talking about the definition of wacko I know, which is left of center not necessarily "certifiable crazy"! LOL!

People think I am a wacko because I am always smiling at work, use humor, don't get ruffled to easily by odd things, calm in emergencies, and have that slightly morbid sense of humor (I was trained by fire and paramedics..so..LOL!). I love it! You just have to watch out for pts that don't appreciate that...then you have to change gears, but I am good at that too! LOL!

Specializes in Pediatric Pulmonology and Allergy.
I was wondering if perhaps this profession is so stressful that you enter it pretty much intact but then after so many years it makes you that way

I was about to post something to that effect. Maybe nursing (and health professions in general) bring out a side of the person that wouldn't come out under ordinary circumstances, especially since you're dealing with things that most people don't encounter in a lifetime, let alone on a daily basis.

Specializes in Long Term Care.

I consider myself a "wacko" I'm just different. I am too sentimental and entirely too emotional by half. I have some pretty hardline conservative views and a few that are way to liberal to talk about here too. I think that there are "wackos" everywhere, not just in nursing.

I have read twin studies done on identical twins were one had schizoprenia and the other did not, and it was decided that the different stressers usually were evidenced in the pt with schizophrenia so maybe nurses follow the same idea certain stressers lead certain nurses to be the "wachos" which if they went into another profession would just be "normal" ( I do not like the term normal, I believe that normal is always relevant").

Specializes in Med-Surg, Trauma, Ortho, Neuro, Cardiac.
Well thats very kind of you Mr Tweety.

Sarcasm aside, is there anything else you'd like to add?? Such as a clarification of what you meant by "wacko". Do you mean just a little off, or mentally ill, or somewhere in between? What are your theories that you spoke of in your original post.

Still suspicious.

I have been in many professions before nursing, thankfully this is my 'niche' and I'll be here a long time if I have anything to say about it.

Having said that, I've seen the gamut of strange behavior in *every* job I've ever had. I think it could be easily stated that there are 'drama queens', enablers, eccentrics, drug addicts, mentally ill persons that are apparently off their meds, those that can't communicate and 'play nice' with others, those that like to continually 'stir the pot' and watch the ensuing fireworks (a classic Borderline Personality Disorder trait) in every position I've ever held. And don't even get me started on the legal profession. I have TONS of war stories there.

So, as Tweety mentioned, what exactly are your theories that you alluded to in the OP?

Specializes in Med-Surg, Trauma, Ortho, Neuro, Cardiac.
Why? Are you a "wacko" ? Then why dislike, or take offense?

I can be offended by certain terms/names even if they aren't directed at me. One doesn't have to be a wacko to be offended by the idea that our profession is full of "wackos" or be offended that persons with mental/emotional issues be labeled such.

We should just respect Smilingblueyes for her position. If you personally aren't bothered, that's o.k. I respect that, just as she deserves respect for her position as well.

Specializes in ICU/PCU/Infusion.
Sarcasm aside, is there anything else you'd like to add?? Such as a clarification of what you meant by "wacko". Do you mean just a little off, or mentally ill, or somewhere in between? What are your theories that you spoke of in your original post.

Still suspicious.

I agree wtih Tweety's post 100%. I've been watching the OP's threads and their subject matter, trying to decide if "he" is here to stir up trouble, or if the threads are genuine questions or contributions to this forum.

As to the OP, you said you could elaborate. How come you aren't? Just enjoying the fodder, are you?

Specializes in Education, Medical/Surgical.

Y'anno there is a certain personality I call a 'tater.

This use of this word comes from the mouth of one of my 'taters AGITATOR.

What kind of professional gets on a professional board and posts this dreck?

And to ask the members if they personally were a Wac** you need to get a dictionary or a thesaurus and read up on synonyms, and get an etiquette book and read up on how not to hurt people's feelings.

This is a bogus argument. And a waste of time, mine and the other thousand or so people who read this.

I've worked with my fair share of physicists, chemists, and ceramists that qualify as being "out there". Perhaps it's a function of higher intelligence and not a profession.

Specializes in UR/PA, Hematology/Oncology, Med Surg, Psych.

Personally, sometimes the WHOLE WORLD seems a little wacko. But honestly, I do not think there are more crazy, or unstable, or mentally ill people in nursing. That has not been my experience. If you watch your patient population, you will see that there are a lot of people, in all professions and walks of life, that have difficulties of one kind or another. To the OP, maybe the people that you view as wacko, just have different opinions, ideas, and/or ways of life that you just don't understand, you do need to respect them though.

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