Just have to share- pt's spouse's thoughts on nursing.

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Specializes in Post Anesthesia.

I had a criticaly ill patient fresh out of OR the other day. IABP, multiple pressors, ectopy, bleeding, pacer.... After an hour or two I got him settled enough to have his wife in. After reviewing his clinical status, and reassuring her that I had seen many patients as sick as her husband do just fine in my 25 years in critical care, I was going over visiting policy I mentioned no-one under age 16yrs on the unit. They had a boy, (looked 12yrs) that she said was considering nursing as a career. I advised her to have him explore the opportunities in the area, talk to some nurses before deciding on that career path in that nursing isn't for everyone. Her response was that "they were hoping after he finished his nursing degree, HE WOULD RETURN TO SCHOOL AND COMPLETE A DEGREE IN SOMETHING MORE IMPORTANT AND CHALLENGING!!!!????" (My, didn't I feel proud to be her husbands nurse and to have used my vast skills to drag him back from the brink of death. Can you imagine what I could do if I had a real education in something worthwhile?) WHAT DO YOU SAY TO THAT? I just told her she could only hope for the best!

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Specializes in mental health, aged care/disability care.

She obviously doesn't realise just how important nurses are!

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Specializes in Emergency.

You should have told her how important a nurse really is. I would not have really said this but in my head I would have been thinking "well how about I leave and go find something more challenging, you can go take care of your husband". I wonder what she does for a living. Grrr @ some people.

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You can't fix stupid.

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Chalk it up to ill-educated perception. With her luck, her son will pursue basket-weaving.

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Specializes in Forensic Psychiatric Nursing.

An MD is a more difficult academic achievement than anything a nurse does, and this guy

Norman Borlaug - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

wasn't a nurse.

There are more important things to do than to work as a nurse.

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This isn't a thread about nurses vs. doctors - I'm sure Mr. Borlaug did many great things. But that isn't what this is about.

Many people have no idea what nurses really do.

Obviously this mom didn't either.

I hope her son pursues HIS dream, regardless of what mom thinks.

steph

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You can only hope that she didn't realize how very rude her comment was. However, that one could have so little insight into the situation as to say something like that hardly seems possible. Time and again I am reminded that most people don't understand how much goes into good nursing care. Don't let it get to you :) Perhaps she will understand better when her boy becomes a nurse.

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Specializes in Forensic Psychiatric Nursing.
This isn't a thread about nurses vs. doctors - I'm sure Mr. Borlaug did many great things. But that isn't what this is about.

Many people have no idea what nurses really do.

Obviously this mom didn't either.

I hope her son pursues HIS dream, regardless of what mom thinks.

steph

Mr. Borlaug created a hybrid rice that saved a billion people from starvation. I had no intention of starting a nurse vs doctor thing here, just acknowledging that there are, in fact, things to do that are both more difficult and more important than nursing.

:twocents:

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Specializes in Post Anesthesia.

It dosen't really rankle that much- I'm proud of the job I do and am confident that the care I provide is important- I was just a little flabbergasted to have someone say that to my face when I was busting my hump to save thier family member. All I can do as feel sorry for the son to have to be raised by such a rude, ignorant, unfeeling person. It is possible that in the stress of the hour and concern for her husbands health, she said things she didn't mean in a way she didn't intend- That is how I have to take it. It just kinda got stuck in my head for the last week and I thought I'd share.

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Specializes in ER.
Mr. Borlaug created a hybrid rice that saved a billion people from starvation. I had no intention of starting a nurse vs doctor thing here, just acknowledging that there are, in fact, things to do that are both more difficult and more important than nursing.

:twocents:

I don't think the OP meant that nursing is THE most important and THE most challenging profession, just that the mother seemed to think that it is NOT really that important or challenging. Anyone who has had their very first clinical in nursing school or ever been cared for by a nurse can attest that nursing is both important and challenging.

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Mr. Borlaug created a hybrid rice that saved a billion people from starvation. I had no intention of starting a nurse vs doctor thing here, just acknowledging that there are, in fact, things to do that are both more difficult and more important than nursing.

:twocents:

I'm not quibbling with you - kudos to Mr. Borlaug!

But there are, in fact, things that are both more difficult and more important than being a physician too.

Like an agricultural engineer - he/she designs ag equipment that helps with harvesting and planting food.

Plant scientist - developing new plant genetics and productivity to help us feed the world.

A farmer - who feeds the world.

We could name many things that are challenging and important.

I just don't think this is the issue here.

Her son wants to be a nurse - her interpretation is nursing isn't important or challenging. Nursing is important and it is challenging. The mom doesn't appear to realize that the nurse she is speaking to is helping to save her husband's life and that her son's life choice is an honorable one.

That is completely different than what you are saying.

steph

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