Nurses Are Professionals? Oh Really?

[PMFB-RN, RN]

I often read in the nursing press and here on AN about how nurses are professionals (usually seems to be nurses telling each other this, as if to convince themselves). I don't feel like one. Never have. One thing always made the idea of nurses as professionals seem unlikely to me - punching a time clock. Something has recently convinced me that beyond all doubt we are NOT professionals. Recently a hospital where I work casual (not my full time gig) has instituted hourly rounding. That's fine with me since as a critical care nurse I usually spent most all my time in patient rooms anyway. What really got me is that when we do our hourly rounding we are supposed to say certain things. These things are provided to us on little cards with quotation marks around them. Our instructions are to repeat them exactly as as they are written every time we are in a patients room. An example of what we are supposed to say:

"I see your ______ (nurse, CNA, therapists, doctor etc) is ________ , he / she is excellent"

Now come on, can anyone else tell me of any other "professionals" who are ordered what exact words they are to say to their clients / patients / customers? We are not talking about communication skills training here, witch might be appropriate. I asked around and the physicians and PAs where not provided with quotes of the exact words to say to their patients at each interaction.

I told the nurse manager that I wasn't going to do it, that my patients deserved better than canned-ordered-from-on-high insincere statements. We will see what happens.

[Tait, MSN, RN]

I believe being a "professional" is something that comes from within, and is not dictated.

I feel I am a professional as a nurse, as I felt I was a professional when I was a waitress for seven years.

I put my heart and soul into what I do, I expect respect and I give it accordingly. I prefer not to let people dictate to me how I view myself, and instead take the responsibilty upon myself.

Best of luck!

Respectfully,

Tait

[rn/writer, RN]

Nurses are professionals. Most behave professionally. But whether we're treated as professionals . . . that is a whole 'nother question.

[Mulan]

Nurses are blue collar workers.

[NRSKarenRN, BSN, RN]

See Quint Studer: Manage Up to Improve Performance

A critical task in getting organizations aligned is teaching leaders how to quit playing the "blame game" and start positioning others-- individuals, departments, and so forth--in a positive light.

Read More

[lsad78]

Yes I do know other "professionals" that have exact phrases they are to use with customers...I went to McDonalds the other day and the nice young lady said, "Welcome to McDonald's, May I take your order?"....Yes, they are professionals also but is their job as critical and plagued with as much responsiblities as the RN...No!...There are many days where I have thought to myself that I would kill for a job like that...Then there are those days where my critical thinking or compassion has saved a life or brightened someone's day...We are the professionals at the very least!

[rn/writer, RN]

Before someone implodes at the idea of calling a McDonald's employee a professional, I think we need to make a distinction between professional in attitude and behavior (any kind of worker can conduct themselves in a professional manner) and professional in the sense that the job itself is viewed as a career and a profession.

Putting on my Staff hat for just a moment--please, folks, let's not turn this into a "BSN as entry level" campaign. There are other threads already discussing that topic.

Staff hat off again.

[ghillbert, MSN, NP]

A profession typically requires a certain university degree and license from a professional body - nursing is a profession. Agree that they are not necessarily treated as such. Have not heard anything so embarrassing and ridiculous as getting cards telling you what to say to patient familiies - why don't the nurses get together and refuse?

[rn/writer, RN]

Our instructions are to repeat them exactly as as they are written every time we are in a patients room. An example of what we are supposed to say:

"I see your ______ (nurse, CNA, therapists, doctor etc) is ________ , he / she is excellent"

A couple of observations:

First, aren't patients going to figure out how canned this is if everyone is saying the exact same thing? Rather than earning credibility, that would undermine it in my eyes.

Second, what if So-and-so Doc or therapist or whatever is okay or even pretty good but not excellent? Are you supposed to lie?

[PMFB-RN, RN]

A profession typically requires a certain university degree and license from a professional body - nursing is a profession. Agree that they are not necessarily treated as such. Have not heard anything so embarrassing and ridiculous as getting cards telling you what to say to patient familiies - why don't the nurses get together and refuse?

*** Well I can tell you for sure I won't be quoting from the cards and have informed the nurse manager so. She can fire me if she wants, this is just a casual job for me to pick up some extra hours. I wonder what they will do. I don't think she can fire me, nor do I think she is inclined to. I suspect she will just ignore my ignoring the new rules.

[mykidzmom]

we had to do scripting where i work. some people refused--they said they could get across the essence of the message, but in their own words. they were told they would be fired. managers will stand outside a patient room and listen--and if you didn't script right, you got written up. CEO says all the research shows that scripting works to improve patient satisfaction scores. and he has the data to prove it. it is humiliating to the nurse, embarrassing to the patient (who thinks you're an idiot) and SO disrespectful from a professional point of view (which is where i think you are coming from) because if a hospital say s they respect their educated, dedicated nurses, and they trust us to save your life, but not to say the right things to patients (like how to introduce yourself) then where is the respect? i do not trust the person on the phone when i call a customer service and it takes them 25 seconds to go thru their whole scripted greeting. how much is the patient going to trust you when you go in saying the same freaky thing the last nurse said? stepford nurses!

[PICNICRN, BSN, RN]

Our "slogan" is .... "Is there anything I can do for you? I have the time."---- yes, we as "professionals" are supposed to ask this EXACT phrase Q1 hour to our pt/family member.

Can you, as a family member of a critically ill pt, think of anything more annoying than to hear this exact phrase over and over every hour during your stay?? Wouldn't it just loose its' effectiveness after about the 2nd hour?

Ya know... someone mentioned McDonalds earlier and I started thinking.... every morning when I go there to get my coffee, they say the same thing.."would you like to try our iced mocha?"

Funny.... when I go to see my doctor, he does not enter the room saying the same "catch phrase" every time! "Would you like me educate you on the importance of daily exercise... I have the time??"

If our employers consider us such professionals... why don't they trust we can effectively communicate with our patients???

The post that suggests we ARE professionals but are not treated as such hits the nail on the head... IMHO.

I refuse to utter that stupid "slogan".... and as for the hourly checklist---- if my documented Q1 hour assessment and v/s do not prove that I was actually in my pt's room--- I don't know what to say!