A little advice sure would be nice!

Nursing Students General Students

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I Went to have a physical and get my tdap and TB skin test done this afternoon. The same doctor who asked me a year ago "are you sure you want to be a nurse?" did nothing but talk about my weight! "if you are going to be a nurse you have to he healthy" " are you exercising" " you're going to be a role model" " you are not at a normal weight for a nurse!" i had gastric by pass surgery a couple years ago and have lost 105lbs! I am still losing weight! I know everything she said is true, but DANG! Why not a big " HEY! Congrats on getting accepted to the nursing program! Good luck" ? I know in Nursing we have to deal with A LOT of people who are going to make us feel inadequate or talk to us like we don't know what the heck we are doing or just simply be mean. Learning to let it roll off my back and move on may turn out to be harder than I thought! For some reason my dr visit has put me in a funk I can't seem to get out of! Any suggestions for putting emotions on lockdown while in nursing school?

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Specializes in Labor and Delivery.

Awwww Im sorry to hear that especially because you are losing weight! I am overweight myself and trying to lose it but have never had anyone say that to me other then a classmate that Im friends with :/ Just let it go, don't let someone like that get you down! You know doctors are known for their exceptional people skills, hahhahahah. I've seen your many posts and can tell you are very excited to start so don't let him get the best of you :)

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I've seen heavy doctors and heavy nurses. Shake the ignorance by having confidence and knowing you surely wont ever be the biggest nurse/nursing student around. By the way, im overweight too, actually im considered obese, but at least you are working toward change. I have yet to get started yet. Goodluck and kudos on your acceptance!

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Specializes in Nursing Assistant.

You may find this thread interesting.

https://allnurses.com/general-nursing-student/theres-nothing-worse-717602.html

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Specializes in Neuroscience/Brain and Stroke.

It sucks to hear stuff like that but you have to look at like this.... Your doctor isn't your cheerleader (that role is for your support system), doctors are there to look after your health, while you may be taking every measure to work on it, they don't know that and feel that they need to continue to push you towards your optimal health. While I think his personal opinions about your weight regarding nursing weren't needed or asked for, doctors can be socially stunted because of the frankness of thier field, just do the best you can and let it go. I had a tough time letting things role off my back during my first year of nursing school. The best thing I did for myself was take a 3 dollar pay cut to be an nursing intern in local hospital, you learn very quickly that your emotions have no place in patient care. People are very blunt, borderline rude, and condescending, but they are only trying to do what is best for the patient and if you have the same frame of mind this will eventually just not bother you anymore. I no longer care about the silly things that used to bother me, like being told "do this NOW!" I thought the first time I heard this, wow, how rude, but the patient had a sudden change in mental status and immediate action was necessary. Your skin will start to thicken during school and hopefully by the end of your first year of nursing you will be completely immune to stern personalities in the nursing field.

On another note, don't think that being yelled at and disrespected is apart of this because it most certainly is not! You need to stand up for yourself and have the courage to face a bully and put them in their place. But then again, some yelling is o.k., I wouldn't get all huffy puffy about a nurse yelling at me in the middle of a code situation, but this is where common sense would kick in.

You will get there, good luck to you!

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Thanks, everyone! I guess I'm takin g it so hard because my normal PCP at the same place is VERY encouraging and was super excited I was going to school to be a nurse! He gave me advice and encouraging words! Unfortunately I wasn't able to see him this time and had I see the other doctor. I guess her opposite attitude just caught me off guard! I know she is only telling me those things because she knows they will be beneficial to me as a nurse! I honestly needed to hear it, though it was still hard to take. I'm sure I will toughen up with time! : )

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Letting go is hard and I have struggled with it for a long time. Just in general, it's not an easy thing to do. I'm sorry, I can see how you would be hurt by this and congrats on losing the weight and GETTING IN!!! What I have found to work is simply trying to see why people say such harsh things, try to hurt our feelings, pick fights with us, or whatever else they do to try and make us insane. It helps, I sometimes find myself feeling sorry for the other person. I often think that a person obviously isn't happy, maybe something happened and their taking it out on me or I realize that they are the one with a problem. It's hard to explain but if you can think of it along those lines, that it's usually about them and not you. Also, it might seem crazy but just focusing on letting go, maybe meditating or visualizing. Sometimes I take a deep breath in and blow out every bit of air envisioning whatever I'm trying to let go of just being blown away from me. As long as your happy with yourself and know that your being the best person you can be, you'll be able to see that it's not about you at all, they're the one with a problem. Good luck to you, and congratulations again on getting in and keep up the good work with the weight loss...that's awesome that you've come so far!!!

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
Thanks, everyone! I guess I'm takin g it so hard because my normal PCP at the same place is VERY encouraging and was super excited I was going to school to be a nurse! He gave me advice and encouraging words! Unfortunately I wasn't able to see him this time and had I see the other doctor. I guess her opposite attitude just caught me off guard! I know she is only telling me those things because she knows they will be beneficial to me as a nurse! I honestly needed to hear it, though it was still hard to take. I'm sure I will toughen up with time! : )

I'm sorry....that MD is a jerk.

YOu should be excreited to go to school and congratulations on losing the weight! I get so sick and tired of the blatant discrimination of the overweight population that I want to scream.

The alcoholic that has been sober for a few weeks gets a standing ovation........the obese person who has lost weight gets a....Well, that's nice but....you gotta a ways to go.:madface:

Saying those things to be beneficial to beign a nurse.....baloney!!!! That was unkind and mean spirited.......what a sad loney person they must be. Kindness and empathy goes a long way.

CONGRATULATIONS!!! on getting into school AND the weight loss. I wish you the best.

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Thanks, everyone! I guess I'm takin g it so hard because my normal PCP at the same place is VERY encouraging and was super excited I was going to school to be a nurse! He gave me advice and encouraging words! Unfortunately I wasn't able to see him this time and had I see the other doctor. I guess her opposite attitude just caught me off guard! I know she is only telling me those things because she knows they will be beneficial to me as a nurse! I honestly needed to hear it, though it was still hard to take. I'm sure I will toughen up with time! : )

That was pretty cruel of your doc to say that. Anyone would've felt offfended, really. I am happy to hear about your weightloss and I hope you continue to lose what you need to lose. Weightloss is not an easy thing to do. I am currently struggling with my own weight issues too. I've lost a lil over 20 lbs and have about 20 lbs more to lose to reach my goal weight. Keep at it, girl. :yelclap:

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Mrs. Priss - I have had very similar conversations. Oddly all of the doctors and nurses I have talked to about my desire to become a nurse have been really encouraging and have not made weight an issue - my family on the other hand does not have the same filter. I am also working on droping weight and have lost over 30lbs but still have a ways to go. For me, this whole process has been about being my own biggest (shrinking) cheerleader and tuning out the negative whitenoise of others. You have worked hard to get to this point and I am sure you are excited (I know I am!) so don't let anyone steal your thunder!!!! You are AWESOME and nursing school is going to be AMAZEBALLS! Congrats and good luck!

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