liberalrn

Thanks all. Didn't mean to sound so worked up, but really WHO are these people who touch us in all kinds of ways, at the doc's office, the outpt lab, the ER? It really burns me that every lay person I know will say stuff like,"the nurse came in and helped my mother w/ the dinner tray" or "That nurse did a terrible job drawing blood--she had to try 3 times" Whatever. And given staffing today, I can no longer say that xyz is NOT a nurse, but an aide, that abc is a lab tech (there's that word again) NOT a nurse. If it was the nurse who gave horrible care, then the issue whould be addressed. If we as a profession are taking the fall for other hcp's because of the public's IGNORANCE....that's a whole nother ball of wax! And I hear ya about the pulse thingy. I ahd an argument w/ a "tech" years ago re: my 2 y/o daughter's health. I thought she had an ear infection; the "tech" said "she has no fever." (So?). she had bilat. otitis.......a little knowledge and a generic title are dangerous things.

SC RN: I meant it exactly as written. I do not feel that it is "flip" to question the skills of the people "assessing" my children's vital signs. I was directly referring to my pediatrician's office where there are ( as far as I know) 2 RN's and the rest are "Techs". As far as I am aware, "tech" is a generic term that anyone can hide behind (like nutritionist or psychotherapist or life coach). There are no licensing requirements to be a tech. If "techs" are CNA's; why do they not call themselves CNA's? What is wrong with being a certified nursing assistant? Is "Tech" more glamorous sounding...or is it easier to pawn off unlicensed personnel on an unsuspecting lay public? Why not say, I'm a CNA and I will be working with you today." How is that shameful or difficult? I have alot of respect for CNA's --their jobs are hard and their work is honorable. I count myself fortunate that I work with several dedicated and caring CNA's --and they proudly call themselves that. A Tech could be anybody and often is. This is jsut another example of how nomenclature can clarify and confuse issues...but that's another thread! "Wit" is available on VHS at the video store...don't know about DVD.

Agnus--thanks for the reply. "Wit" is fantastic--I keep thinking about it. Will most likely rent it again...there is alot there and not jsut about nursing. I think you will appreciate it! As far I can tell, no-one on the thread has said that LPN's cannot call themselves nurse. I noted that most of us got our knicker twisted w/ MA's, CNA's amd techs calling themselves nurses. I think in my pediatrician's office that maybe there are 2 RN's, the rest are all techs (hwat the flip is a tech anyway--do they have CNA training? Just how accurate are the BP's they're taking?)

oh, no! You read me almost completely wrong!!!! I do NOT like or approve of our "selfless, angel of mercy" image--it is truly a death sentence to people. The Teflon reference was looking at this static image that will NOT die.......no matter what. I think the worst thing that can happen to anybody is to be asked everyday to have no needs, to put others primary at all times and to smile all the while. The BEST interactions I have had w/ pts is when we can connect on a personal basis--and in these PC times, that statement seems fraught w/ inappropriate sentiment. It's not. To share a joke w/ a pt; to share an interest conversationally.......these pts just bloom---afterall, we are sticking them into a box too. They have to wear certain clothes and we don't let them walk even if they can, we only focus on their illness etc. They are as trapped as we are. Please, I was trying to express a theory and my frustration w/ this image stuff--in no way was I sanctioning it!

Not trying to hijack thread, but I am so intrigued by "Wit". Loved the Prof. Ashford character.....Susie the RN was also very good. At the beginning, I thought that the doc was a jerk and then when the fellow came......more of a jerk! And then, at the end, I realized that it is THEY that are so limited...trying desperately to control destiny...think the fellow referred to faith as a "spiritual construct". It is the docs at the end that are left bereft. The RN and the pt have come to terms and acceptance.....very powerful stuff. Lots of docs that I am privileged to work with share the holistic perspective, but then there are the others....... In college, I did a paper on the image of nurses. I read the Harlequin romance nursing books and Cherry Ames etc. What is particularly disheartening, to say the least, is the way the image floats above reality and is preferred by most. I think we need to not just speak out against the falsity and work to change it, but also ask ourselves, what purpose does this Teflon stereotype serve our culture? Compare to the "wicked" stepmother image--still pervasive now. Perhaps it served to keep nuclear family intact? Likewise, how does this image of nursing "help" our culture? Does it persist b/c people in general dislike thinking about disease and death and by elevating nurses to a "special" status, it distances them from the harsh reality of disease and death? I mean, if we are perceived as angels of mercy.....angels have no needs (well, human ones anyway).....does anyone see what I'm getting at?

wow. wow and double wow. Just watched "Wit" starring Emma Thompson. Excellent film. Nurses are portrayed realistically......in the caring and compassion and competence departments. Don't know 'cause don't work onc, but the RN's assignment seemed rather light. Still, advocacy for pt is shown etc. It's a very powerful film and one that I will watch again. Cannot give away ending...but truly holistic in the best of ways......furball--many, many thanks!!!!!

OK. Many thoughts. I would go see Emma Thompson read the phone book aloud, so I'm renting that movie tonoc! Also, docs write "no brainer" orders because their butts have been burned one too many times by bad nurses--yes, they are out there! I shouldn't have to tell a nurse that a PD pt needs a daily weight...yet this nurse will come back at me with, "but it wasn't ordered"...... The image of nursing is static. My 5 y/o just had outpt surgery. He recieved from the nurses a coloring book--a visit to the hospital etc. Very thoughtful. The "nurses" were bears (OK by me) complete with skirt and cap. Always standing behind the doctor (always a male bear--that is, no long eyelashes and wearing pants) etc. It made me ill. This image stuff is why I cannot watch ER. The job of those nurses would appear to be slapping any number of doors open and calling the resident or whomever to go to another room....stat! I always pay attention then and I go....stat, into another room myself!

wow. What a thread. Hafta agre with the oldeis but goodies out there....I once went to an inservice at 0300 (when I worked nights) to learn how to answer the phone. Ya know, my mom taught me how to answer the phone when I was 7. It's insulting. Care, compassion and courtesy are inherent in nursing. In my 16 years as an RN I have come across perhaps 5 boorish unprofessional nurses. We all learnde the lesson quite quickly--if you are impatient or short w/ a pt, that's the pt who won't get off the light....much better to practice a little anticipatory guidance and tlc first. I also was shown that video and sad to say...I think it is true.

P_RN--my thoughts exactly! I work in the Advocate system and this is being touted. Can't find a way to get a job interview though. Also, not sure I want a camera watching my every move w/ pt. Can you imagine the evaluations?" See, Nurse Nelly, on 2/11/03 you were suppoosed to be turning Mrs. X, as you can see from this tape, you actually were watching Oprah for 3 minutes prior to turning her. this in unprofessional--you're fired." PLease don't hijack the thread to whether TV watching is unprof. or not--not my point! I dislike being watched and no, I have nothing to hide, just don't like being watched while I work. I know the RN's performance will be judged--how could it not? Dislike it for the pt, too. We already rob them of dignity (even the best of us...the gowns are humiliating enough) and now any privacy....not sure about the chime thingy--who turns that on and off? Not hands on nurse, I bet!

To whom is this being said? If to family w/ questions or visitors...no. If to docs or US techs (whatever), direct them to the appropriate nurse--who has time to track down other RN's for other ancillary help? It's on the big board at the station--read! So, I'm saying that this phrase's appropriateness is situation dependent.....

I work w/ mostly Filipinos, Nigerians, and Ghananians(?). Most are wonderful, warm, funny and good nurses. I like to learn of the cultural differences etc. What I wonder about are the foreign borns who have been here for 15-20 years and still have no command of English. Huh? I don't know why this suprises me, 'cause we have Serbian and Polish housekeepers who are in their late 50's and barely speak English. It must be very hard for them out in our English only world. I do think though, that if you are going to settle in a foreign country, that you should learn the predominant language....I would if the tables were turned.:)

You rock, rusthammer! I have a friend who, when she receives the local paper, reads it first for content, then for spelling errors. She circles these in red and sends the paper off to the publisher. She does this about twice/year. Has never heard back, and unfortunately, no improvement has been measured in those departments! I'm as much of a school marm as the rest of you re: correct spelling, grammar, punct. etc., just not here! Charting or resumes are a whole 'nother ball game. I HATE the mix up between well and good, too! It's all over TV--not just commercials, but newscasts! Surely life as we know it will end soon............. I make my kids look up the words, too! Thank you, Miss Masel, my 6th grade teacher.:)

Thank you for those gracious words lilmamita. I apologize on my part too. Is this Chi Eta Phi a new org? I just have never heard of it! Best of luck to you in joining......

I think that the difference between mispellings and typos can be fairly obvious. for some reason, prob. d/t so strange lack of appropriate musculature, I always mispell aslo--I mean also. Typos don't bother me. Misuse of words bothers me--the example of too, to, two was used. But, I , like most of the rest of the BB, come to it at odd hours, after long shifts, and then 2nd shift at home......I'm too tired to care most times. I do try to edit if I see that the meaning is changed by my mistake. If this isn't understood by the layman (and who are they to be arbiters of my behavior?--I'm as human and imperfect as they are!), well, that's too bad. Thought: who would have predicted that typing 101 would have turned out to be more important than a college education?!

How is asking for more info a negative post?

I don't think that I am confusing honor societys with prof. orgs. If I were a member of a prof. org, I would be touting it's benefits and building it's member list for the good of the org and the prof. I did not and do not see that. So, my query remains: what is in it for nurses, how do they benefit and further the prof and how do they use their political clout (if any--I say that not to be snide, but because I am not aware of any). I go back to the example of my hubby. As soon as he passed the CPA (got credentialled) he was innudated w/ prof. org material and encouraged to join. true of my attorney friends, too and the docs. If that is not thier mission (and I don't know if it is or not), what is their mission? Do they have to have a mission? Again, to each his own. I'm just trying to figure out the incentive to join.

Actually, having gone back and reread the very first post--I am asking the same question. I, too, would like to know the reasons for joining and more about them.

Please don't confuse me with the original negative poster---I do not think that these organizations s*ck. I just do not see their relevance in day to day nursing life. I do not expect them to change the world--to work to improve conditions for all nurses, yes. Perhaps that is not their mission? I cannot tell from your posts the purpose of these assoc'ns. My statement about not being approached by any nurse's assoc. is a valid one. If these organizations are there to further the profession, why is the most basic task--outreach to members-- not done? I was licensed in one state and am licensed and active in another. I have done acute care, home health and "desk" work--all vital nursing postions. If I wanted to build a strong org., one that could make a difference to my colleagues and impact on one of the biggest industries in the country, I would be liasoning with every nsg college out there and recruiting young, idealistic, eager new people. Ads in the nursing mags, occassional flyers in the mail, emails to all licensed personnel on what your state assoc'n does for you etc. What are the dues paying for? I completely understand and agree that what works for one does work for someone else. I am not "against" these orgs. Other professional orgs have MUCH higher profiles. When my husband passed the CPA exam, he got an invite to join the AICPA, dues, meetings, seminar schedules etc. Why don't nursing assoc'ns do that? Building or repairing a home or providing meals for a family in need is laudable and admirable. My point was that there are many ways in which to do that, and I am frankly puzzled as to why it seems to count more when coming from a professional organization. I seem to have tapped into a vein of I'm not sure what. I'll admit my last post was hostile; I didn't appreciate the time management or lack thereof feeling of a previous post. I still don't see what is clear to all of you--how does this help your practice, what are the missions of these orgs, why is basic recruitment apparently not done? I am interested and would like to learn more.

Oh, please. "the value of life as I see it is you get out of life what you out into it." Don't start with the you're only too busy because you can't prioritize etc. You have no idea of my time constraints etc., nor do I of yours. I'm just as much a sandwich generation person as you are. I give back to my community via my volunteering thru my church. Doesn't it count unless I'm wearing that imaginary nurses cap? So far, I have heard that membership in these thingies requires time, money, and someone else judging my ethics and "standards"-I am way too old to have someone else making those decisions for me! Don't really understand the weight remarks or the beauty--I would hope that none of these would be that superficial. So essentially, I am supposed to pay to go to yet another monthly meeting where I will meet people who.....talk about how great nursing is? Do these people actually work in acute care settings? Are they still debating the entry level practice requirement? (that was "hot" when my mom was in a diploma school in the 50's and still was debated in the '80's when I graduated....) Are they planning a million nurse march on DC to bring "our" issues to Congress' attention? Is it just a mutual admiration society? I really don't mean to be hostile--these just strike me as irrevelant and to be told that if only I would make time for it, I would benefit greatly w/o concrete evidence of same, is absurd. I have been a nurse for almost 20 years (BSN in 1984). My college of nursing did not emphasize--hell, didn't even MENTION prof. assoc. as a vital part of my "career". In these 20 years, I have NEVER received ANY info (w/ the exception of a Visa card app.) from the INA (Illinois Nurses Assoc.) or the ANA. If these groups want to become relevant, may I suggest an advertising campaign linked to a recruitment campaign with a message to nurses that this assoc. will be a strong voice in local, state and national issues? Show me the relevance, show me the value to me and mine and the future of health care and I'm yours!

So, essentially this a professional network with social aspects, right? To each his own! I guess I'm just too busy working to keep ahead of the bills and raising 3 kids to have time for this. I can change my area, get another job or move up that "career" ladder w/o this. I don't see the value of it. Query: Is exclusivity seen as a positive attribute w/ these groups? Another query: Is there a perceived superiority of nursing implied with membership? Not trying to flame--just curious. Keep talking! I am listening!

Yes, but these people are for the most part, completely nonexistant---I know of no-one in my workplace and I am including ALL managment, admin. etc, that is a part of these. Sorry about the mix up re: sigma theta tau, but the last time I ever heard of it was 20 years ago in college! Perhaps if you explain their purpose (and please don't say "furthering nursing"--HOW, WHY etc.) and their benefit to the entire profession (inclucing us foot soldiers--hosp. RN's), the heat in the thread would go down. At present, I am an unbeliever--I'm open to conversion.

99.9% of the surgeons I have worked w/ are warm, caring and funny--can count on one hand the arrogant ones.....don't be intimidatd by them--they're just people. The arrogant ones are usually the ones that were hotshots in med schol and were taught (prob. by their moms) that they are better than everyone wlse--there is no help for such people. Avoid them at all costs!

I thought the nursing sorority was Sigma something Tau something...whatever. You can see how mcuh they really matter just by the initial posts. Perhaps this org. would be helpful in an academic or political (ANA) setting? It wont; do a thing for you on the units......not flaming, just stating facts.

My Mom was a nurse (OB, L&D) just after WW2. As a senior student, she was THE lone night nurse in the gen. med. ward. dunno know how many pts, but do know she had to work at noc and attend classes in the daytime (wtf?). Also, she used to tell me about sterilizing the gloves and putting the powder in them etc. before packing them up for re-use. She also had to stand up against the wall with her class, facing the wall and the instructors would check to see is their stocking seams were straight--if not, back the dorm to correct the prob. and a demerit to YOU!

ROTFLMAO!!! Esp. liked the nurses notes......no black ink for Martha--only the finest in calligraphy.......