Most Annoying Nursing Stereotype

[Mashira]

What is the most annoying stereotype that you have directly come across. We all know the naughty nurse one. I'm talking more along the lines of, what have you personally had to deal with?

Mine: Well, if you were smarter wouldn't you have become a doctor?

Well, I didn't become a doctor because I understand that they have to devote more time

and effort into a job than I would like to. To me, a job is a job. Life is what happens when

you're NOT at work. I don't want my whole life to revolve around work. I would like to take

vacations and not be on call, have kids and actually RAISE them. THAT, you idiot, is why

I did not decide to become a doctor. ARGH!

[ayla2004, ASN, RN]

This works for the elderly counter-part as well :)

Not a stereotype, but we recently had a "VIP" patient (I don't believe in the term VIP, everyone's a VIP!) who kept trying to get oob and pull out their IV's, taking off the tabs monitor, etc, the family made their presence known, and EVERY MD refused to restrain this patient despite his risk to himself and upper management refused a sitter (to much money). The patient fell, not once - but twice. When the nurse patient ratios are 9/1 - it's impossible to be with someone at ALL times. The family was LIVID, still threatening to sue. Talking about how terrible the care is. But, where was the family? One hour a day visiting, and running your mouth to the CEO doesn't prove your commitment to your family member to anyone...

off topic, but I must say frequent falls are the reason we ge specials (sitter) for pt, and if not and should have been iwill fill this in on the incident report, we do hourly rounding etc but we can't be with a pt one on one in normal staffing.

[kbrn2002, ADN, RN]

I get irritated with the LTC nursing misconception. Went to a career fair about 3 years ago. Handed a recruiter my resume for a hospital job, she looked at it quickly, snorted smugly & said "Oh we don't hire LTC nurses. They have no skills" and then handed me my resume back. Took all my might to keep from telling her just how stupid SHE actually was.

Maybe there was a time that the nurse sat and read to a LTC, stroked their hair while they died, maybe passed an ASA now and again, but in 25 years I've never had it that easy. It just keeps getting more and more complicated, ie: wound vacs, Gtubes, trachs, peritoneal dialysis, IV meds, complicated wound care, etc. Sounds more like acute care every day.

I feel your pain. The same thing is happening to a couple of nurses I work with...they are both looking for hospital jobs and have been outright told that LTC isn't considered acute care. Really???? I would like to have those people come try my job for one shift and tell me it's not acute care.

[RNforLongTime]

My favorite stereotype is how just because I'm an RN, people think that I know everything and anything regarding any medical illness.

Sorry but I really know little to nothing about oncology/cancer because I don't really ever work with that patient population.

I've been told, well what kind of nurse ARE you then? I work in an ADULT ICU and have for the last 10 years so I do know alot but just not about cancer, thankyouverymuch!

Would people ask a neurosurgeon about their heart problems? I don't think so!

[chuckz, BSN, RN]

I'm a dude so when a patient's family or patient calls me sexy....I like that stuff...hahahh!

I am a guy, I am a nurse, I am not gay, and I'm not going to medical school. There, I said it. I have a lot of people ask me, "So your going back to school to be a doctor right?"

I also don't like the idea that people think I do whatever the doctor says. I think I have had more times when I told the doctor what I was going to do, than they tell me what to do. We work hand in hand....I have a job and he/she has a job....that we do to the best of our abilities. I need the doc and they need me.

I think I get away from the gay male nurse stereotype because I am a big bald powerlifter. A lot of people think I might be security. It's weird when I come into a room and a patient is acting up for a female nurse and they see me, and decide that it might not be the best thing to yell at me. It's pretty funny.

[Tait, MSN, RN]

I really only dislike it when once a season House says "that is what nurses are for" or Talb's insatiable need to screw giddy nurses (and that being the only time you see a nurse on the show).