Nursing Stereotypes and a Dumb Society

Nurses General Nursing

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I have noticed a few nursing stereotypes lately from patients, visitors and even my own friends (some of then are also nurses). Its very annoying

Stereotypes include:

1. A nurse is a nurse is a nurse

2. Angel's of mercy

3. Naughty Nurse (Please, my fellow sisters - FIGHT THIS ONE - This is the worst, in my opinion)

4. Un-educated, misinformed handmaiden

5. All purpose hospital slave

6. Men in nursing are all gay

Perhaps I never paid much attention, but recently I have noticed alot of this. We, as a profession, need some realistic PR.

I went out for coffee with a friend of mine. I was describing my hectic shift with post-op's, documentation and new admits. In all a very busy and routine shift. My friend works in retail. No matter how much I told her of the hard physical, mental and emotional labor involved - she seemed to downplay my job. "It can't be that hard - You work night shift, all the patients are asleep", "Two patients in ICU is easy- what are you complaining for", or "All you have to do is follow what the doctor says and it will be fine".

Makes me mad!!!

Just my :twocents:

Specializes in home health, dialysis, others.

My ex-husband, the father of both of my children, has a Ph.D in neuroscience, and has worked in pharmacology all of his career. We were married 20+ years. But when the kids want info about anything health-related, they ask MAMA, the one who is a lowly diploma nurse!!! Even now that they are mainly grown, they still come to MAMA. THEY know where the info is!

And I have worked in enough different areas to know that every area has its own special milieu, and there are very few nurses who don't make the cut.

And I love Nurse Jackie!!!! It's the place we'd all like to work, but the pharmacist would have to be better-looking for me to do him in the pharmacy!!! HAHAHA !

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Specializes in M/S, MICU, CVICU, SICU, ER, Trauma, NICU.
We need to have a realistic and strong professional self-concept to deal with these kinds of stereotypes.

We may not be able to change the world, but we may be able to change the way we react to the world if we modify our own thought-processes appropriately.

And this is why I don't give a hoot about the public's perception of me and my profession.

I don't really feel I need to prove anything to "the public."

They can't help but be dumb--why aggravate yourself in the process?

Yes, flame me...I've been doing this to long to sacrifice my mental stability over an image--I know exactly what it is I do...and I know exactly what it takes...

I don't need external validation.

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Specializes in M/S, MICU, CVICU, SICU, ER, Trauma, NICU.
i honestly believe the public sees us as eternally compassionate, and not challenged to use our minds.

that is why i resent the 'merciful angel' image so much.

leslie

I have to say that people in severe post-op pain do see me as an angel in their time of need. Personally, I am okay with that.

I relieve their discomfort and they know that's my job. And in the end of their experience, were it not for me and my skills, they would've had a miserable, miserable time.

They're very grateful that their immediate needs are met, by someone who is understanding and smart enough to give the right meds.

Perhaps it is because I work in a Recovery room, and not in a longer term role?

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Specializes in ICU/PACU.

Sometimes I have a hard time explaining what all it is that I do as a nurse. SO MUCH. I feel like I manage the patient's care and monitor the residents to make sure they are ordering what is needed to be ordered, I look for things that are going wrong and I identify these things based on my education and experience. It's just so much more than I can explain sometimes to the non healthcare worker.

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Specializes in Emergency, Trauma, Critical Care.

I had told my hairdresser that I was looking for a new RN position possibly sometime soon and she mentioned a post she had seen for a nurse to work with a family and it paid 10/hr. (in this area nurses start at 28/hr). I told her it couldn't be a RN position, that it has to be for a home health aid, or a CNA. She did not understand the difference, even when I explained it to her in detail. She also has a sister who is an RN in pediatric oncology.

I believe people are uneducated, content with stereotypes and are most likely not going to change their mind. I will attempt continued education though, because not to would be doing our profession a disservice.

Oh, and I think what probably creates the biggest issue is they see us sitting down, when we are charting. I don't think anyone understands the concept that we are not sitting down playing on a computer, talking on the phone and doodling. We are talking to the doctor, ordering labs or trying to get lab results on that computer and the doodles are us backing up everything we have done!

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Specializes in Operating Room.

I'm fortunate that nurses are respected in my family, my parents brag all the time that I'm a nurse. I try not to listen to what the public thinks of nursing, because most people are stupid, to be blunt.:lol2: Ditto for Hollywood-they're the most stupid of all.:rolleyes:

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Specializes in COS-C, Risk Management.

Check out the book Saving Lives for an interesting look at how nurses are portrayed in the media and how it affects us all.

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I have to say that people in severe post-op pain do see me as an angel in their time of need. Personally, I am okay with that. I relieve their discomfort and they know that's my job. And in the end of their experience, were it not for me and my skills, they would've had a miserable, miserable time. They're very grateful that their immediate needs are met, by someone who is understanding and smart enough to give the right meds. Perhaps it is because I work in a Recovery room, and not in a longer term role?

ack, as someone who recently had surgeries & procedures, i am guilty of thinking thankyouthankyouwonderfulnurseperson when my nurse helped make my pain & nausea go away. i didn't think, "you are my angel!" but i see how others might. i think because i am a nurse, i understood her actions in a different way & was grateful for her smarts...her quick, accurate assessment skills & safe, appropriate delivery of relief. :) i actually still feel relieved when i think about it.

re: the stereotypes: they frustrate me & i do try to set the record straight when i encounter them. the boneheads just need one hour at work with one of us!!

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Specializes in COS-C, Risk Management.

One reason that I really dislike the whole "angel of mercy" thing is that I am a human being, flawed, with years of education and experience under my belt. I sweat, pee, bleed, have feelings, and a family. Angels are genderless, created beings with no feelings, can work hours without complaint or need for silly things like meals or bathroom privileges and have no need to spend time with their families. No thanks, I'm no angel.

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Specializes in ICU, ER, EP,.

I simply lack the training to fix..... "STUPID". I refuse to allow myself the headache in any attempt to rectify the situation.

It's that simple. I've worked heart transplant and 15 years ICU, my mother still thinks I walk around with a clip board, getting up from my chair for doctors and dispensing pills in paper cups. From that..... I've got nothing. :yeah:

I once had a crashing pt. was running 16 channels of drips, running my fool butt off, and the son asked.... "shouldn't you call a doctor?" to do what buddy, tell me to go faster? Like they would know how to help. GEEEEEEZE!

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This may be a different kind of 'stereotype', but I have had nursing students (who work at the hospital in CNA-like jobs) tell me this. There are apparently other students in their classes who say "when I'm an RN, I won't have to clean poopy pts., messes, change beds, etc. The CNA's will do all that". I'm 'justavolunteer' and sometimes the nurse or CNA needs another 'somebody' to help with at least turning the pt. Sometimes the 'somebody' is me! If I can get dragged in as a volunteer, the nurses are definitely going to be involved.

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One reason that I really dislike the whole "angel of mercy" thing is that I am a human being, flawed, with years of education and experience under my belt. I sweat, pee, bleed, have feelings, and a family. Angels are genderless, created beings with no feelings, can work hours without complaint or need for silly things like meals or bathroom privileges and have no need to spend time with their families. No thanks, I'm no angel.

yes! the "angel" stereotype is a ridiculous, impossible expectation, based in fantasy, that i want to go away. it's a trap. it makes me feel very uncomfortable when someone refers to me in that way. i know it's meant to be a compliment somehow, spoken by someone who is pretty much clueless, but i find it as devaluing of my worth as a nurse & a person as the "naughty nurse" crapola.

like some of the other posters said, i think a "life of a nurse" reality-based show would go a long way in enlightening the general public. t.v. can be a powerful, influential medium. really, any kind of program accurately depicting the goings on within one of the less understood service professions (nurse, teacher, social worker, etc....even mother!) could be valuable.

sigh. like zookeeper said above, even a :nurse: can't fix stupid. :)

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