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!

[survrgrl08]

Mine would have to be that LPN's are not Nurses!!!! I actually would rather be an LPN than an RN! I started Nursing school last fall and failed Fundamentals for my RN program. I'm happy I did! After all the hullabaloo that I put my fam through and my sanity, I can't wait to be an LPN! I don't have a problem with hands on work!!

[LiliRoseRN]

I absolutely hate the "I could never do what you do" comments. How am I supposed to respond? "Yeah, you're right, you probably couldn't". Lol. There is no right response to that comment!

Hilarious.

When I tell people I want to become a NICU nurse they often say something like that, or they say "are you sure? that's so hard!" and I tell them, "well, if you had a very sick baby wouldn't you want a nurse like me to be there?"

[Her Own Catalyst RN]

I think a lot of the stereotypes have really died down. I'm a nurse in NJ, and I get a lot of praise from patients and others about being a nurse and doing the "hard work with little praise." I'd say at least once a week (in a 3-day work week) a patient verbally recognizes how much we do for them. It's like that old saying "Doctors cure, but nurses care." Although, of course, nursing is not about the praise we receive, I'm just saying - I have rarely experienced the "Are you a MD? speech." Maybe once.

As far as family members thinking I'm the "end all be all" for medical questions, I think it's flattering! It shows how much nursing has improved in the realm of respect and people are noticing! I often remind them that I am NOT a doctor, but try to offer my advice as best as I can.

The sexy nurse stereotype doesn't bother me. Never experienced that either, except at Halloween.

The only thing that DOES bother me, which isn't necessarily a stereotype, is when NEW residents (or any MD) treats you like a "pill-pusher" and discounts your assessment or suggestions because "you're just a nurse." Again, these are few and far between, and residents learn quick

[benr98]

for me it is the people that think we are "so lucky" because we only work 3 days a week.....hello! i work more hours in my 3-4 days a week than most of them do in 5 days and am exhausted when i get home. i have an in law who thinks i am so lucky because i have a good job and make lots of money. hello? i went to school full time while raising three children and working! you want to do that, you can have a good job too. lol oh, and i can't just call in when there is a little snow--got to leave a lot earlier to get there. big bucks? i don't think so but i absolutely love my job and wouldn't change it for anything.

i feel we are lucky gives us more time to be with the family and more time to recoup after those 3 days.

the most annoying to me...as a nurse i can supposedly go anywhere and immediately get a job in any part of the country in any area of nursing of my choosing. bored? i can switch specialties in the blink of an eye. um...no. not in this economy, dear heart.

i knew this was false so while i am attending school i have locked in a position at the local hospital as a cna.

when i tell people i want to become a nicu nurse they often say something like that, or they say "are you sure? that's so hard!" and i tell them, "well, if you had a very sick baby wouldn't you want a nurse like me to be there?"

this goes along with the one that i have heard, sort of. "pediatrics is easy, you get to play with all the kids all day" let me tell you we do not get to play with the kids at all we do not have the time. well the kids do make the job fun for me but it is no easier than any other patient. the biggest problem for me is that you not only have to deal with the patients but also with their parents. okay, one thing is easier for the most part, we do not have to make beds with 300 pound patients laying in them, usually. beleive it or not kids are demanding wanting this or that and trying to find something to keep them ocupied so that mom and dad do not go nuts because of a bored child. i could go on and on but i will stop here.

oh and when we do get the occasional nurse to cover from another department other than picu or nicu they never want to come back. i wonder if that is because it is so easy?

i do :redbeathelove:redbeathe going to work though.

[Psychtrish39, BSN, RN]

RNs do hands on work too.. but I for one wish we didnt fight between us the nurses that are LPNs or RNs only RNs that dont do hands on work are in management or utilization review or case management but still are helping people.

[StudentNurse2011]

My "favorite" stereotype is the compassionate angel but with a twist. I don't mind so much the patients expecting me to be a compassionate angel; they might occasionally learn that I can be what they NEED me to be. If they need compassion, I can do that. If they need me to be firm and direct, I can do that too.

The one that irritates me is when I'm supposed to be a compassionate angel during my off-time. Nope. Sorry. I'm compassionate for my child; I was compassionate for my parents when they were alive. That's where my compassion ends off the clock.

I choose to handle things with humor. If somebody (and it's usually my husband lol) tells me, "I thought nurses were supposed to be so compassionate," I grin and tell them no, I left my compassion at the time clock when I punched out.

[Code_VSA]

I am NOT a waitress!

This is an EMERGENCY ROOM.....if you're asking for something to eat and drink, then you DO NOT have an emergency!!

And, if you are that hungry or thirsty, have your 3 family members go to the cafeteria, coffee shop, vending machine, etc, etc, blah, blah.

[MeTheRN, BSN, MSN, RN]

I had someone tell me online that nurses basically exist to orally pleasure the MD's. Lucky it wasn't in person, that's all I'm gonna say.

[GM2RN]

I had someone tell me online that nurses basically exist to orally pleasure the MD's. Lucky it wasn't in person, that's all I'm gonna say.

You mean they dont?!?

[NewAggieGrad09]

Don't know if this has been posted already but....the infamous "You're a nurse, you're supposed to know every answer to every health question, or know how to do everything health-related." GRRRRRR! If I received a dollar bill for every time I was told this, I'd be able to retire after having only been a RN for a year and some change! My sister especially does not realize that nursing school cannot possibly teach you everything, and that I can't possibly have encountered every situation after having only been a RN for a year and some change! Grinds my gears everytime she looks down on me because I can't answer a question of hers.

[NewAggieGrad09]

To those parents of my peds patients: I AM A RN, NOT YOUR CHILD'S BABY-SITTER!! If you want your child looked after every minute of everyday, then you either come do it, or send a relative to do it! I cannot possible stay in the room with you child every minute of my shift....I have 2-3 other patients that also need me!

[catlover5]

That as an LPN, I'm not a "real nurse" or that I "wasn't smart enough" to get through an RN program.

I've been referred to as a "Let's Pretend Nurse" or "Low Paid Nurse" and have been told RN means "Real Nurse"

In my hospital, there are only about 3-4 things we can't do that an RN can but we unfortunatelytend to get treated as glorified CNA's..... I wanted to start an RN program because I wanted to have more opportunities and I was just starting to be satisfied with my work as an LPN. Unfortunately to be taken seriously, it seems that you have to have the RN behind your name for it to make a difference:uhoh3: