Misperceptions of Nursing

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So I'm taking a CNA course so I can work as a CNA during my MEPN program in the fall. I was talking to two of my cousins and one was like "oh, CNA where you have to turn people and wipe their butts? Eww, you can do that?" :mad:

And then another, whom received her PHD in clinical psychology this year wants to know "why nursing? why not just go to the pinnacle and become a doctor? why stop at nursing, when you can do more?" :mad:

Between the two of them, I almost popped a vein! Misperceptions of nursing, whether RN, LVN or CNA, still exist, but come on now. Mind you, these are two women in their 30s, so it's not like their from the "olden days" :rolleyes:

What are some of the misperceptions of nursing that make you want to turn into a cussing sailor?:p

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Specializes in Critical Care, Education.

HA HA HA! I got a great visual of a nurse with a peg leg & eyepatch, waving a syringe at people and cussing them out... "aye Matey"

Srsly - I think that the public view of nursing is "angels of mercy". They have no clue that RNs are knowledge workers, and that it takes a lot of intellectual horsepower to become one - & to practice nursing. Take a look at any marketing campaign for any hospital. The pictures of docs show them looking 'competent' and 'intelligent'... crisp lab coats, arms folded across the chest, in a commanding pose. Now, take a look at all the nursing ads you have ever seen. There we are - sweet sappy smiles, cuddling babies, patting the hands of elderly patients, etc. UGH!!! Why can't they ever show us doing anything that appears to require brain power??? Running a balloon pump. Titrating vasoactive drips. Assessing a ventilator-dependent multi-trauma patient. Administering clinical services at a hospital. Serving as outspoken patient advocates testifying before Congress.

We need a new image. We need to communicate. We need to let everyone know that we're their last, best hope for healthcare. We're smart, courageous, decisive, and -- OK, you get the picture. Now, let's make sure that everyone else does.

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to the op, i don't think either of your cousins remarks are misunderstandings, most cna's turn ppl and wipe butts among other things. the other cousin asking why not become a md, that's a valid question if someone thinks you can do it. i think you're being a bit sensitive.

i also disagree with HouTx about the public seeing nurses as "angels of mercy", must public perception is based on what they see and hear, that's TV/media. there's many popular tv shows that depict docs and nurses and i can't say they depict either very well, tv/media is about entertainment, not the truth.

i also find it hypocritical of nurses to whine about how the public sees them incorrectly, when most nurses talk about other professions they use common misconceptions as well. for example, what do most nurses have to say about lawyers, politicians and car sales people.

nursing is just a job, just like every other job, there are misconceptions about it.

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to the op, i don't think either of your cousins remarks are misunderstandings, most cna's turn ppl and wipe butts among other things. the other cousin asking why not become a md, that's a valid question if someone thinks you can do it. i think you're being a bit sensitive.

i also disagree with HouTx about the public seeing nurses as "angels of mercy", must public perception is based on what they see and hear, that's TV/media. there's many popular tv shows that depict docs and nurses and i can't say they depict either very well, tv/media is about entertainment, not the truth.

i also find it hypocritical of nurses to whine about how the public sees them incorrectly, when most nurses talk about other professions they use common misconceptions as well. for example, what do most nurses have to say about lawyers, politicians and car sales people.

nursing is just a job, just like every other job, there are misconceptions about it.

Well, I don't know what "most nurses" have to say about lawyers, politicians and car sales people. However, I do know that CNAs do a lot more than turning and wiping butts (said cousin implied that that is all they do) and yes, if I wanted to become a doctor, I could, but that's not what I want (however said cousin implied that I'm settling and my ambitions should be higher, when my ambitions are pretty damn high and I'm quite proud of the path that I've chosen for my 180 degree career change). So no I'm not being sensitive.

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

Guess which occupation has the highest level of occupational prestige in the U.S. year after year? Physicians do. Let's face it. It is the physicians who have the power, money, and prestige in American society.

Therefore, it does not surprise me when misinformed people ask aspiring nurses why they're pursuing nursing as a career instead of medicine. After all, modern bedside nursing still does contain many blue-collar elements that are not exactly markers of a profession: hourly wages instead of a salary, having to wear uniforms and scrubs, and contending with shift work.

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Commuter,

Got to disagree with you on the prestige part. Per the last Harris poll fire fighters, teachers, and scientists (surprisingly enough) ranked higher than Docs. I'm sure it's been hard wired into you to treat docs like rock stars, but that is part of the misconception that needs to be overcome.

The highest ranking job on the list was in fact a blue collar job, about as blue collar as they come. You'd be even more surprised to find that the over all prestige in docs has dropped in the last few years.

http://www.harrisinteractive.com/harris_poll/index.asp?PID=793

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You should have asked the PhD why she didn't want to be a psychiatrist. Psychiatrists can't even prescribe drugs. (However, a nurse practitioner who works with psych patients can!)

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Specializes in Med/Surg/Tele/Onc.

I think you mean a psychologist can't prescribe drugs. I psychiatrist most certainly can.

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Psychiatrists can't even prescribe drugs. (However, a nurse practitioner who works with psych patients can!)

psychiatrists do prescribe meds.

however, psychologists cannot.

leslie:)

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Okay, getting back to the OP's purpose of posting....

I think there are a lot of misconceptions about nursing. And I do get offended when people ask me why I want to be a nurse and not a doctor. I have no problem with people respecting the profession of medicine...I have a problem with people disrespecting the profession of nursing.

Most people, I believe, think that to be a nurse you have to be nice. They see this "angel" type image....but don't think that nurses have any form of intelligence. It is frustrating that people think that as I'm sittting studying day after day for my prereqs to get into a nursing program!

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Specializes in Psychiatric.

I agree with TheDude here. Most people have misperceptions about professions they aren't familiar with--nurses are no different in this regard, other than (if this board is any indication) their hypersensitivity to being misunderstood.

Yes, media portrayal of nurses (and many other professions) is ridiculous. Yeah, the advertisements show nurses "caring" instead of doing "intelligent" stuff. Perhaps that's because patients take the intellectual stuff for granted--most of us assume people know how to do their own jobs after all. What makes the most difference in a patient's perception of a nurse is the compassion and empathy (or lack thereof) he or she shows when doing the job. So it is no surprise that hospitals would want to show their nurses as compassionate and caring, instead of showing them setting up IVs with one hand tied behind their back.

Instead of griping about the misunderstandings, politely clear them up when you encounter them, and take some pride in belonging to the most trusted profession.

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
Commuter,

Got to disagree with you on the prestige part. Per the last Harris poll fire fighters, teachers, and scientists (surprisingly enough) ranked higher than Docs. I'm sure it's been hard wired into you to treat docs like rock stars, but that is part of the misconception that needs to be overcome.

Now, that's where I must disagree with you.

I don't treat doctors like rock stars, but the majority of my patients do. When the physician walks into the room, the same patient who was acting very needy and sulky toward nursing staff suddenly becomes obedient, quiet, respectful, and attentive.

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