My inner snowflake

[Emergent, RN]

When it boils down to it, I really wish that nursing was less blue collar and more decorous and professional. Some of my colleagues sound and act like rowdy high school kids. They forget there are patients in the rooms and loudly socialize at the nursing station.

They form immature cliques and and engage in lowbrow social posturing, making ribald remarks. A few of them make egregious grammatical errors in every day speech.

I'm hardly a prudish stick in the mud, but if nursing is going to be a true profession we need to start acting like college educated, white collar people who don't spend our down time in bars...

[CCU BSN RN]

...but I do spend my down time in bars

[Pepper The Cat, BSN, RN]

I agree. My unit seems to be going downhill. Loud laughter, dirty jokes, mocking pts.

I want to be a respected professional.

While it's nice to have fun at work, there is a need for some decorum.

[HelloWish, ADN, BSN]

I noticed the same thing, and I never understood it. I want to be understood as an educated professional, so that is how I always act at work. I never comprehended the use of grammatical errors, conversational curse words, and loud unpleasant gossip about patients. It makes our profession seem uneducated and low class.

[Daisy4RN]

I totally agree!! I have seen so many nurses behave unprofessionally its downright embarrassing. Some people need to understand the difference between work and play, and know how to behave in a professional manner at work. Is it not taught is school anymore, or just society in general?? I don't know, but nurses will not ever get the respect we should if some continue to behave badly.

[cleback]

Maybe requiring BSNs for professional entry and stiff competition for entry into nursing programs will help attract a more professional group?

[Sour Lemon]

Maybe requiring BSNs for professional entry and stiff competition for entry into nursing programs will help attract a more professional group?

Nah ....I think getting burned out and broken-spirited is what helps. The older, less traditional nurses I work with just kind of sit around quietly and dream about dying. It's the younger, traditional BSN students on their way to being NPs who are rowdy and excited.

[booradley]

I notice this too. I have coworkers who are lovely people but will laugh and talk at the top of their lungs right outside a patients room. It makes everyone look bad. It is distracting enough for me, let alone the patients.

[RNperdiem, RN]

I read the term "gentrification" in another thread and wonder if nursing is going through this.

[saskrn]

Maybe requiring BSNs for professional entry and stiff competition for entry into nursing programs will help attract a more professional group?

Why would that make a difference? I don't understand why you'd think a nurse with a BSN would behave any better than any other nurse?

I've worked with nurses from every level of education - PhD, MSN, ADN, Diploma, etc. - and education does NOT dictate behavior.

[LovingLife123]

Maybe requiring BSNs for professional entry and stiff competition for entry into nursing programs will help attract a more professional group?

Do you think only ASN nurses act that way??? Your kidding right?

[LovingLife123]

I admit there are times I need a good, solid laugh at the nursing station and we may all laugh at once which I realize once it happens just how loud it sounds. We don't though do a whole lot of it. We just don't have that kind of time. I think it stars with management though and their expectations of the unit.