Are you ashamed of being a nurse?

firari · Nov 6, 2004

I am always proud to tell others my profession. Also, keep in mind that surveys which ask the general public to rate the professions they have the most (or least) trust and respect for always show nurses at the very top! (lawyers and used car salesmen at the bottom) I also have to congratulate RNcountry on the excellent and well said comments on the culture of nursing.

rnpeds · Nov 6, 2004

I am proud to be an RN, never thought of doing anything else!:balloons:

bluesky, BSN, RN · Nov 6, 2004

I am sooooooooo darned proud of being a nurse!!!!!! Usually, when I meet a new person under any circumstance, this is how the convo goes...

"Hi, My name's Lexi and I'm a nurse" (beaming).

"Yes, it is beautiful outside, and did I mention I'm a nurse"

"Go to h***, a**hole, I HAD THE RIGHT OF WAY... but did I mention I was a nurse?"

"But officer, I was speeding because I was late for my job as a nurse at...."

The part I like the very best is challenging myself to know as much as the physicians.. not there yet but I will be in a couple months!!! :)

fiestynurse · Nov 6, 2004

Victoriakem - Men want the same things that women want in the work place - respect, good working conditions, flexible hours, decent pay and benefits. I would recruit male nurses the same way that I recruit female nurses. I would also target minority groups. The more diversity that we can have in our profession, the better it will become.

celticqueen · Nov 7, 2004

Hi everyone. Please respond and offer feedback on whether you are ashamed of or embarrassed about being a nurse; becoming a nurse; or considering nursing as a career. If you are ashamed or embarrassed, why? If not, why not?

Although I'm still training, I can honestly say that I am proud to be part of the nursing profession. Prior to starting the course, I was a care assistant for 11 years- but being a trained nurse is what I have always wanted to be. It's just a shame that we aren't treated with the respect we deserve by the "powers that be", who should know better.

CCU NRS · Nov 7, 2004

This is what makes me ashamed to be a Nurse. We shouldn't have to take any bull! No other occupation seems to put up with it, why should we? :angryfire

No other occupation seems to put up with it?

Have you ever worked any where? Every job in the WORLD has some type of crap they have to put with.

lifeisbeautiful · Nov 8, 2004

Have you ever worked any where?

Yes

Every job in the WORLD has some type of crap they have to put with.

Oooo-Kay, but I never said that other jobs in the WORLD don't have 'crap' (as you say) to put up with?! I said people in other jobs they don't SEEM to put up with the bull (meaning, the way many nurses do). I have had a lot of jobs and I guess I am just speaking from my experiences and the experiences from talking to many of my friends. When we compare stories...everything from breaks, managers, coworkers, the tone of voice that is used when being talked to, people throwing things or degrading us in front of others, etc. it SEEMS as though nurses put up with and are dished a lot more 'crap' than individuals in other occupations. Yes, this makes me ashamed.

Remember, this is my opinion and I am not speaking for anyone else on the board. If you like being treated differently. Fine. But please, I never asked to be attacked with snide posts. (People wonder why Nurses are leaving the profession :rolleyes: I know it isn't because we are catty)

Folks, I was just answering the original question and I answered that when nurses just put up with the bull, yes, it makes me ashamed to be a nurse. Should I lie and say it makes me proud to be a nurse when I am treated poorly? I want all nurses to be treated with dignity and respect that they deserve. Sounds fair to me. Now, I don't want to hear all the psycho-babble about my 'esteem issues' or that I should consider 'leaving the profession', because I have voiced my opinion and you don't like my answer.

BeenThereDoneThat74, MSN, RN · Nov 8, 2004

sure i am proud to be a nurse. do i feel like at times we are looked down upon, and snobbed off......sure. thats probably the most irritating thing. if i had a dime everytime i heard, "oh your only a nurse".
rick

in certain circles, i feel this way (non-nursing circles). no one's ever said to me 'you're only a nurse', but often their expression is saying that. it's this little pity/symathetic nod. like any time i mention that i have to go to work on a weekend, night or holiday, people look like they feel bad for me. i don't feel bad for me (usually i don't, of course there are days when i do). i almost feel like they're thinking "well i guess someone has to do it". then i tell them where i work (peds oncology), that's the reaction i hate. yeah, someone has to do it, and if it were your kid i was caring for, maybe you'd see it differently.

to answer your question, no. i'm really not ashamed to be a nurse.

BeenThereDoneThat74, MSN, RN · Nov 8, 2004

when i started as an rn 19 years ago, the thing i had to face then was "oh, your a nurse", which often had attached to it that only gay males became nurses. i'm so glad that era died out (by the way, i'm straight).

so this really was the norm, only gay men as nurse. it just sounds so silly, to suggest that a profession (at least this profession) would be chosen based on sexual preference. excuse me for sounding naive, but i'm of the gen-x era, where people came out in high school.

CCU NRS · Nov 8, 2004

Yes
Oooo-Kay, but I never said that other jobs in the WORLD don't have 'crap' (as you say) to put up with?! I said people in other jobs they don't SEEM to put up with the bull (meaning, the way many nurses do). I have had a lot of jobs and I guess I am just speaking from my experiences and the experiences from talking to many of my friends. When we compare stories...everything from breaks, managers, coworkers, the tone of voice that is used when being talked to, people throwing things or degrading us in front of others, etc. it SEEMS as though nurses put up with and are dished a lot more 'crap' than individuals in other occupations. Yes, this makes me ashamed.
Remember, this is my opinion and I am not speaking for anyone else on the board. If you like being treated differently. Fine. But please, I never asked to be attacked with snide posts. (People wonder why Nurses are leaving the profession I know it isn't because we are catty)
Folks, I was just answering the original question and I answered that when nurses just put up with the bull, yes, it makes me ashamed to be a nurse. Should I lie and say it makes me proud to be a nurse when I am treated poorly? I want all nurses to be treated with dignity and respect that they deserve. Sounds fair to me. Now, I don't want to hear all the psycho-babble about my 'esteem issues' or that I should consider 'leaving the profession', because I have voiced my opinion and you don't like my answer.

I apologize if my reply seemed snide. I was seriouly asking if you ever worked any other jobs. I also stand by what I said, I am not treated this way and will/would not allow others to treat me this way. I treat others with respect and am in return treated with respect. I have seen some people that let things go that I personally would not let slide, I also tell any Docs on my unit that are acting snippy that we follow orders, if you don't write it or you don't write what you meant then we can not perform those things because we are not mind readers or miracle workers. I am a male and 6'6" so maybe I am not as prone to hearing slams or disrespect simply because in a male dominated world the Physicians undertsand that the Power they have only carries so far, and do not act toward me as they would toward a female (unfair but true) in instances where they would possibly be rude or disrespectful. I do admit that I have seen doctors talk to nurses in derogatory ways and when it happens in my presence I walk over and get involved and ask what the probelm is? I even told one physician to keep it down and change his tone when he was talking to my manager. He had called a nurse ignorant which I didn't hear but she left the floor crying and someone got the manager to talk to the Doc and when she came out to the floor to talk to him he was being loud and rude and I stepped in as mentioned. The manager told me it was ok and told him that they should take this conversation to her office.

lifeisbeautiful · Nov 8, 2004

I apologize if my reply seemed snide. I was seriously asking if you ever worked any other jobs.

Thanks for the apology. Pretty rare thing to hear these days.. No hard feelings. I didn't post to purposely upset anyone. Yes, I was being serious when I said that I have had other jobs. Mind you, we didn't get to wear the party hats. I've been a pharmacy tech, a cook, a housekeeper. I was a fisher'woman' and cannery worker for many Summers in Alaska, a painter, a flagger... goodness the list is endless. I have had a lot of jobs because I would often work two jobs at once and having held various jobs before, I honestly felt that I could compare the way people are treated.

I also stand by what I said, I am not treated this way and will/would not allow others to treat me this way. I treat others with respect and am in return treated with respect..I have seen some people that let things go that I personally would not let slide

Yeah! Come work with us! This was the whole point to my original post about what makes me ashamed..people that really do (like you said), just let things slide..I will probably get flamed for saying this (because this is an entirely different thread that is already going), but I love working with male Nurses! Do I dare post on the thread about males in the nursing profession? :idea:

Antikigirl, ASN, RN · Nov 8, 2004

I see nursing as dynamic as the situations I deal with! Somedays I hate being a nurse, somedays it is much more rewarding and I like it...somedays I simply don't care that I am a nurse...very dynamic. It is like I have always said, "I guage my job by how tall my waders have to be to put up with all the ca ca I deal with daily!" LOL!

Yeah, sometimes I get that 'oh, you are just a nurse' followed always by the "you know...this one really nasty nurse..." story that I have to answer up to ad nauseum! LOL..can't seem to get away from that, but I simply tell them "hey, you should have heard what the nurse said sweety! LOL!!!!!"

Ashamed to me is a bit harsh for my interpretation for my own feelings, not ashamed..down in the dumps on occasion, flaring ticked off and angry other times, ironically wondering why I do this to myself daily much of the time..and once in a while I find myself saying "wow...why did that one something so little I did for that patient make me feel sooooooooo great!". I just wish those came around a bit more often! I can't be ashamed of what I do, I worked and try so hard each and every day...so ashamed..naaaaaaaaa!

Pondering my sanity..well yes DAILY! LOL!!!!!!!!!