I couldn't do your job !

[NurseLoveJoy88]

i'm a student and i work in healthcare... while at work today i was taking care of someones sick child who was vomited at my workplace, ok its my job to take care of children who are sick at school. so the parent comes in and looks at the vomit in the trash and says " i couldn't do your job". thats the first i've ever heard someone make a comment like that to me. granted i haven't been in health care long, but still.

so my question is : do people find that being a nurse is " gross" or a " dirty job". i'll be a nurse in about 5 months ( hopefully), so i was just curious. what she said really didn't upset me i just want to know if these i the comments i'll continue to hear especially when people find out i'm a nurse. thanks

[Coffee Nurse, BSN, RN]

A parent got squicked out by a little vomit in the trash? I'd've thought it would take more than that.

[diane227, LPN, RN]

In my experience comments such as these are usually related to their compassion for others. They don't see how we can deal with illness or tragedy without it getting to us.

[iteachob, MSN, RN]

When I worked in NICU, I heard that comment all the time. I don't think they were implying that my job was "gross", but that it was "heartbreaking" (and it was, at times, but the successes were much more common).

[Jean1313]

I had to smile about the comment about the "dirty jobs" show. I say he should go to the hospital for a show every time I see it (of course HIPAA and no license prevents this). But how great would that be? :-) Let the public (and Drs!) really see what we have to do.

Also, I wanted to agree with the Psych RN comments. I *still* get that "I could never do that" even from other RNs now that I've started medical nursing. But like one poster said, it's great that each specialty has someone who likes to do it :-)

[Lovely_RN, MSN]

I take no offense when people tell me they could never do my job. In my head I think "That's right you probably couldn't because nursing is NOT for sissies!"

[oramar]

I used to have people say that to me all the time when I worked pediatric oncology/bmt. It used to make me chuckle to myself because what it seemed like they were saying was they were too sensitive and compassionate to work with dying children, while I obviously was not. I am sure that is not how they meant it, but it did seem inadvertantly insulting.

You are not alone, I have heard that many times and it gets my dander up also. It always sound like they think they think nursing is disgusting and beneath them. People tell me not to take it that way but when they say it that is what it sounds like.

[Boston-RN, RN]

I depends on the tone in which the "I could never do your job" is spoken. My responses are normally...

1. It's the toughest job you could ever love (if someone is trying to compliment me)

2. it's not as bad as it looks (if they're just grossed out by blood/guts/fluids)

3. You're right, you probably couldn't (tongue in cheek if they're a jerk)

then there's the response to "I could never....(wipe butt/clean puke/change dressings)" it's something of "heck, that's the easy stuff"

[CABG patch kid, BSN, RN]

I've heard this comment with different connotations. People occasionally do that "oh I could never do your job", being grossed out (my best friend has such a weak stomach she can't even listen to me talk about certain things without getting nauseous). Then again, my fiance does this "oh I could never do your job" with a tone of respect and awe at what I do. He thinks its really cool but he thinks he'd never have the discipline or focus to do it. So it totally depends on the person.

[oramar]

...(wipe butt/clean puke/change dressings)" it's something of "heck, that's the easy stuff"

I wish I would have heard that years ago, that is a good one. LOL, "heck, that's the easy stuff".

[sunray12]

Absolutely the public perceive nursing as a "dirty job"...I mean how many times have you heard "Oh, I don't wanna be a nurse, I don't want to wipe bums all day". People have no IDEA what nursing is all about. That's why it's up to us new grads to get out there and change the perceptions of the public.

I'll take a dirty job any day. Pay is better and more security because a lot of people don't want them. Anyway I've had so called clean jobs - they aren't what they're cracked up to be.

[Lorie P.]

i had to smile about the comment about the "dirty jobs" show. i say he should go to the hospital for a show every time i see it (of course hipaa and no license prevents this). but how great would that be? :-) let the public (and drs!) really see what we have to do.

many times i have told my hubby that i so wish that mike rowe with "dirty jobs" could go do a show where about 5-8 bed-bound pts were getting colonoscopy preps with golytely" now that is a dirty job!

also, i wanted to agree with the psych rn comments. i *still* get that "i could never do that" even from other rns now that i've started medical nursing. but like one poster said, it's great that each specialty has someone who likes to do it :-)

yeap thank goodness for nurses that can do the other specialties that other can do!

[twistedpupchaser]

There are nursing specialties that I could never do. Paeds is one, I have a tribe of kids and know that I cannot maintain an emotional distance when a little one is sick or hurting. If ever you hear/read me saying I can't do that...please remember that this is meant with heartfelt respect and (maybe) a little awe. I once argued with a midwife who tried convincing me that ER is "messy", she could not see that I considered childbirth just as messy.