Misconceptions/truths about specialities

[vintage_RN]

Its night shift and this is where my brain is going. Just some fun at 3AM...

What are some common misconceptions and/or truths about your specialty, or that you have about other specialties?

For example, people often think in the NICU we just hold, cuddle and feed babies all day. Maybe in a level 2 unit, but many of our babies are so small, fragile or sick that we don't even touch them unless absolutely necessary. Also, I think there is a thought that NICU nurses are all sugar, spice and everything nice....when in reality NICU nurses have some of the darkest humor I've seen and are savage as hell LOL

[verene, MSN]

On 6/18/2020 at 6:15 PM, CommunityRNBSN said:

Psych nurses are crazy!

Come join the dark side -- we can't promise sanity, but we can promise completely and utterly random knowledge of more topics than one might guess, a delightfully dark sense of humor, the ability to become an IM giving expert, and verbal-deescalation ninja. ?

[KatieMI, BSN, MSN, RN]

15 minutes ago, Queen Tiye said:

I too assume ICU nurses are know-it-all and techy, especially since I have a similar personality and love critical care. I have worked with nurses in SNF/ LTC that have less sense of responsibility than hospital techs. Hope I’m not offending anyone?.

Techy -oh, yes, many of us ICU nerds are. And we think we know it all too ? But I'd seen "experienced" ICU nurses with less knowledge and common sense than "environmental care team", leave alone techs who at times saved a day for them ?

And some LPNs working in geri/psych locked unit could do with their one breath more than a psychiatrist with his team of two APPs ?

[cardiacfreak, ADN]

On 6/20/2020 at 2:19 PM, Clint1076 said:

Hospice nurses just give morphine, sit back, and watch.

I have heard this so many times. Although I do like morphine (not for myself), I have so many more tricks in my bag besides medications. Unless you are out at 3am with no pharmacy, respiratory staff, no charge nurse, your only supplies are in your car, it's hard to fathom.

Morphine doesn't fix a massive skin tear where the skin is pushed up to the shoulder, it may help with the pain but..... ultimately we have to "fix it" especially if the patient doesn't want to go the ER for treatment.

[shiftingtides]

19 hours ago, cardiacfreak said:

I have heard this so many times. Although I do like morphine (not for myself), I have so many more tricks in my bag besides medications. Unless you are out at 3am with no pharmacy, respiratory staff, no charge nurse, your only supplies are in your car, it's hard to fathom.

Morphine doesn't fix a massive skin tear where the skin is pushed up to the shoulder, it may help with the pain but..... ultimately we have to "fix it" especially if the patient doesn't want to go the ER for treatment.

OUCH at that image. ?

I think that hospice nursing really embodies the idea of holistic care. I've worked with many hospice nurses and have nearly always been impressed by their knowledge and "bag of tricks," so to speak.

[shark_nurse14, BSN, RN]

school nursing: just band-aids and ice packs all day

[nursiee]

Peds nurses just play with kids all day!

[K+MgSO4, BSN]

On 6/23/2020 at 4:43 AM, shiftingtides said:

OUCH at that image. ?

I think that hospice nursing really embodies the idea of holistic care. I've worked with many hospice nurses and have nearly always been impressed by their knowledge and "bag of tricks," so to speak.

I always say that I want to be a palliative care nurse at some point in my career. I have been involved in "good deaths" and it is so beautiful. Much more than pushing morphine. It was about talking with patients, learning what they wanted for their final days and facilitating that. I have smuggled dogs into acute wards, turned a blind eye to the case of Jim Beam and cola that came in, in the days before UberEats got on a tram and picked a patient up his favourite meal from the city. I have done this for patients who died in an acute bed because there was no palliative beds available.

As a student I have seen a comatose man on hospice care cry when we told him his mother in law had died on the ward. He is the reason I talk to every patient like they can hear abd understand me.

[JadedCPN, BSN, RN]

Peds nurses have it easy because their parents are at the bedside. That's a big fat no!

[kbrn2002, ADN, RN]

LTC is nothing but pill pushing and hand holding. In reality LTC is really a jack of all trades job.

It requires excellent assessment and communication skills as the providers are writing orders based on what you tell them since they are usually not actually there to see the patient.

You need a lab? Well you are drawing that yourself, no phlebotomist is going to be there to get that for you. Same with IV access, no IV team there to call for placement. While you might have occupational, physical, speech and respiratory therapy in house, most places don't so you're wearing those hats as well.

Not to mention the stuff that breaks down on a daily basis. Being a general handyman with abilities to fix everything from a copy machine to a toilet makes a LTC employee invaluable!

[kbrn2002, ADN, RN]

On 6/18/2020 at 6:36 PM, Hoosier_RN said:

Clinic dialysis uses no skills or knowledge whatsoever.

Umm, yeah, whatever...

No kidding! I had no idea how much about it I didn't know. This is the steepest learning curve I've ever had. Fascinating stuff really.

[Hoosier_RN, MSN]

4 hours ago, kbrn2002 said:

No kidding! I had no idea how much about it I didn't know. This is the steepest learning curve I've ever had. Fascinating stuff really.

I hear ya. It was a real eye opener when I made the leap. I've had many nurse friends who have no dialysis experience ask me can they come work PRN. Big nope, it takes a year just to get comfortable, much less work PRN

[TriciaJ, RN]

On 6/17/2020 at 7:56 PM, verene said:

Myth- Psych is for those who don't want to deal with feces, urine, or blood.

Truth - we may not deal with as often - but when we do there is a good chance it is on the ceiling and the walls and EVERYWHERE - possibly being used as finger paint or possibly part of a serious emergency.

Myth: Psych nurses don't do "real" nursing.

Truth: In many settings you have huge latitude to work to full scope of nursing practice and more opportunities to utilize clinical judgement, nursing assessment, and psychoeducation skills than you may have in other settings. (Even if there isn't quite as much hands on medical care in many psych settings.... that being said I've still done lab draws, removed stitches, changed colostomy bags AND have had to rapidly triage life-threatening acute medical crises in psych world - where we don't have a rapid response team to call for help and are often the ONLY RN on site -- so medical skills do get some work out).

And not everyone can spot signs of possible neuroleptic malignant syndrome.