No such thing as a stupid nurse

KateRN1 · Jun 2, 2009

Another dissenting voice. I've worked with at least one stupid nurse. She had to be coached through her CPR class, failed nursing 101 once, was tutored throughout nursing school just to pass classes, failed NCLEX the first time and apparently barely passed the second time. I've worked the same shift with her, followed her, and shift before her, and I can tell you she had issues in all places. How she managed to maintain a license and a job, I will never know. She freely admitted that she went through school so that she could find a doctor to marry. I haven't seen her in years, I wonder if she did?

cardiacRN2006, ADN, RN · Jun 2, 2009

OK let me rephrase a little. I think that the general meaning behind that was that the nurse was able to A) get through school and pass boards, so they had to have some intelligence, at least at some period. B) to be a nurse, it usually takes a certain amount of compassion and desire to help others. So, that being said, nurses may do dumb things, and may be lacking in common sense. But, however, nurses have the ABILITY to be great..if they take that opportunity and run with it.

Well, I know plenty of nurses who have neither desire or compassion. They blow. They barely passed nursing school, could care less about the pts, are lazy to the bone, and only do the bare minimum of what they have to do. And they work in the ICU. They aren't doing mouth care, turning pts, just marking meds off the MARS (God knows if they really give the med) and get away with not taking the hard pts.

Lots of these nurses exist.

Sooo, I have to agree that there IS such a thing as a stupid nurse.

Cassaundra · Jun 3, 2009

There is the difference between ignorance and stupidity - ignorant is willing to correct the situation. Nurses are never stupid.

Pierrette · Jun 3, 2009

Nurses are never stupid.

The U.S. Census Bureau says there are close to 3 millions nurses in the USA. Are we really able to believe that not one of the 3 million is stupid? Perhaps we think too highly of ourselves as a group.

http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/facts_for_features_special_editions/004491.html

Cassaundra · Jun 3, 2009

The U.S. Census Bureau says there are close to 3 millions nurses in the USA. Are we really able to believe that not one of the 3 million is stupid? Perhaps we think too highly of ourselves as a group.
http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/facts_for_features_special_editions/004491.html

:) That didn't read the way I intended. It should have said most nurses are not stupid. It's been one of those days.

SoundofMusic · Jun 3, 2009

I agree that many nurses are lazy and are "gifted" (I love that one) at milking the system. I don't think these types are stupid at all -- they "learn" how to do their job without working as hard -- it takes a certain intelligence to do that. Not that it's a good thing . . .

But I don't feel that the majority of nurses are stupid. I think it takes a lot of smarts to be a nurse, to pass the NCLEX nowadays, to survive an orientation, and the first steep uphill year. I think some nurses like to think they are smart and put down other nurses, to make them feel stupid or whatever -- and I think that really needs to STOP. Here you put others' lives in our hands, yet beat us down at every opportunity if we make errors or don't think something through "critically" or whatever. I don't think we boost nurses ENOUGH.

I personally think nurses are just absolutely, utterly, totally OVERLOADED. We have 100's of tasks per day to do, 100's of things to document, all the paperwork, etc. They expect such perfect with all of it. .. it's inhumane.

I love my cat! · Jun 3, 2009

STUPID |ˈst(y)oōpid|

adjective ( -pider, -pidest)

lacking intelligence OR common sense

Yes, I have worked with some stupid Nurses. This does NOT mean, "All Nurses are stupid"...but sadly, some indeed are.

mama_d, BSN, RN · Jun 3, 2009

The vast majority of nurses are not stupid.

However, there are a few I've worked with where all I want to ask them is "Did you get your license out of a Cracker Jack box, or did you cheat during boards?"

meluhn · Jun 4, 2009

i've met a few nurses who were "less cranial" than others, but can't say they were actually stupid. some of them were extremely gifted at milking the system, getting the plum assignments and avoiding work. i think the majority of "stupid" i've encountered has been on the patient side of the equation. and of course smart people doing stupid things because they weren't paying attention, didn't think it through or were trying to avoid work.

i have seen nursing students who were passing and were barely literate. as their instructor i was shocked and appalled at the way they wrote when i gave a writing assignment. their reading comprehension wasn't much better. the school i was teaching at had very low standards for the entrance exam and was basically a for profit business rather than a school. if some of those students pass their boards, there will definitely be some stupid nurses out there, i don't care how compassionate they are.

SharonH, RN · Jun 4, 2009

i was in a critical care conference today, and one of the speakers said something that realy touched me, so i thought i would share it with you all. she said "I believe there is no such thing as a stupid nurse. you get up, put your clothes on and come in to work, regardless of what crap you may face when you get there. Your heart is in the right place, and you have the desire to care for others. you are definitely not stupid. It is just a matter of learning the things you dont yet know. You managed to get here. Never let anyone call you stupid".

That was very touching but I have met some very stupid people who are nurses. VERY stupid. 20 years in this biz, I have to call it like I see it. Take my word for it.......