Has anyone ever put down your career choice?

RNAV8R · Jan 19, 2011

I have one reply for them all and it usually shuts them up pretty quickly..I say I am a flight nurse and that usually shuts them up.Now I know that not all here are in that field, but I am sure that you can find something about your job that totally rocks over anything the other does..unless they are James Bond.

silverbat · Jan 19, 2011

I am now an RN, but right after i had completed LPN school and gotten my license , my BIL, who is a bit of a donkey's back side on a good day, said, wow, don't they just drag anybody in off the street and let them be an LPN? This was after the hardest year of my life. Working full time, school full time, husband and 2 teenagers, graduated 3rd in my class....well, lets just say that he was lucky to survive after he said that....I chewed his butt good!!!! He got more info than he wanted!!! He is a non-compliant diabetic and I asked him who he thought would take care of him when his body stArted to fall apart from not taking care of himself? NURSES ROCK!!!

redhead_NURSE98!, ADN, BSN · Jan 19, 2011

Have people ever put you down for your choice in Nursing? I was having a conversation with an old friend and we talked about school and such. When I stated I will be graduating soon this individual made a comment on how I can soon start my career in wiping peoples butt's. This person stated they were joking but it clearly was an attempt to put me down (which isnt unusual for this person).
Does anyone else get angry when people are ignorant to what nurses do?

It's even better when another RN says that to you! When my RN friend found out I was going to go to nursing school she said, "Yayyyy, you're gonna be a BUTT WIPER!" My whole face just fell.

I also did get a lot of crap from people because I practiced law for 8 years before going to nursing school. They considered it some kind of step down, and kept saying "You're not gonna JUST work in the HOSPITAL, are you?" Why yes, until my body breaks down on me, I sure am! lol

Psychtrish39, BSN, RN · Jan 19, 2011

Unfortunately I have found myself in a similar situation, negative ninnies. Happier to be surrounded by positive and like minded people- not the those that suck the life and energy out of me. Time to re-evaluate your friendship and move on...

2012 RN to be, I agree with other posters that negative people you dont need. I dont know if I would call a old friend a friend who put you down for being a "butt wiper". I knew a so called friend in college who called me that because she was getting a biology degree . Guess what she works in a convienence store and makes about 8 an hour and I am a RN and make about 32.00 an hour. In the end this person really tried to burn me and if I were you I would ask your friend to cool it with the put downs or end the friendship. Jealousy is never good and it is sure not good in two women's friendships. Thats sad.

BusyNurseBusyMama,RN · Jan 19, 2011

Oh boy, I'm having deja vu! 20 years ago, best friend, same comment. I was in nursing school, she was in dental school. Fastforward 20 years, I am infinitely happier with my career choice and love my job. Her? Not so much, but we are still best friends, and I forgave her long ago (as you will). Just remember, you are part of one of the most wonderful professions on the face of the earth, and you can always be proud of that and hold your head up high!

gnu2thezu · Jan 19, 2011

I'm sorry I'm so late in reading this post--busy being a nurse, LOL! When I started in critical care, I was asked by some "well meaning" people in my family "...why aren't you going to be a doctor?"--that's not what I wanted to be, thank you. Four years and many butts later I realize that as a nurse I take care of the whole patient. If my patient is intubated and not had a bowel movement in two days I am going to give that patient a med to poop and then clean them up! See how that works? Both ends are mine :yeah:

I don't know what area of nursing you'll go into, but give it some time and you'll be good at what you do, and the doctor and cleaning butts comments may bring a small smile--if only they knew what you really did for a living!

orangeroom · Jan 20, 2011

I've been exposed to negative nellies of a different sort. My friends are older nurses who have chosen to be (at this point in their nursing careers) school nurses. I just graduated ~2 years ago. I got right into the unit I wanted in the hospital. New grads in the hospitals earn more (a lot more) than school nurses.

My friends seem to be more upset about how much I make, compared to them, that it over shadows their desire for my happiness. As much as I'd like to share everything with them, raises, overtime, call pay, holiday pay... I don't. I've learned not to because their initial smiles turn into smirks and then I see their faces contort.

I thought it would be fun to share all things nursing with my nursing friends, you know the people who really understand what I'm going through. Unfortunately, I can't.

We all know that while in nursing school you slowly changed your friend base. Who would have thought that even my nurse friend base would have to change as well.

AmandaTheNurse · Jan 21, 2011

recently i was posted to Emergency Room for my clinical practice. i realized that this is the area where im gonna specialize myself in eventually. and im gonna tell this everyone-- "u better treat us nurses nicely. because one day when ur admitted to emergency room, ur gonna cry there, and ur gonna beg us to save ur life."

i learnt this after a middle-aged lawyer, being beaten up and slashed by knives, came in to the ER. he cried and asked me, "will i die? will i die?" :rolleyes:

CuriousMe · Jan 21, 2011

recently i was posted to Emergency Room for my clinical practice. i realized that this is the area where im gonna specialize myself in eventually. and im gonna tell this everyone-- "u better treat us nurses nicely. because one day when ur admitted to emergency room, ur gonna cry there, and ur gonna beg us to save ur life."
i learnt this after a middle-aged lawyer, being beaten up and slashed by knives, came in to the ER. he cried and asked me, "will i die? will i die?"

And you smiled?

nurseguysfinishfirst · Jan 21, 2011

When I first started nursing school, everyone that I told that I was going would say "Are you sure you want to be a nurse." My standard reply became "I'm not sure if I wanna be a nurse,but I'm sure I'm gonna be a nurse !" That was 28 or so years ago and I'm still a nurse now and forever so.......Ya,I guess I want to be a nurse !

Psychtrish39, BSN, RN · Jan 21, 2011

Orangeroom , Ah thats too bad... I wish people would be happy for each other. You have a different level of responsibilities and when you are a school nurse you are an employee of the school district and education has been cut alot. I myself have made different amounts of money in different areas of nursing its if you are happy doing what you are in nursing thats the best thing.. wish your friends could be happy for you. I am because I can see in your post you love being a nurse .... :nurse:

PatMac10,RN, RN · Jan 22, 2011

People sometimes give me funny and strange looks when I tell then I don't want to be a doctor, I am going to school to be a Registered Nurse(most of whom are outside of the healthcare the profession). Like I'm not supposed to take pride in what I've decided to do with my life. Some say it's because I'm male and some just look down on nursing as a profession all together. Some have a combination of the two views. I, for the most part, receive good and positive people when I tell people I am a CNA and want to be a Registered Nurse someday soon. I used to get mad, and sometimes still do, when others try to demean my job as a CNA at a hospital or demean my desire of wanting to become a nurse, but now I've learned that I can't please anyone but myself and that people are going to find ways to criticize you and your decisions no matter what field or profession you enter into. I know that being a nurse, to me, would be a dream come true, nurse are so multi-talented and intuitive. I learned not to care what other people think and to prove them wrong with my actions instead of my words.