Public's lack of knowledge about what nursing actually is

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I understand that people can't be informed about all the roles in every career out there, but am I the only one who sometimes gets frustrated about people's misconceptions about nursing/your personal career goals within it?

I'm just starting my nursing portion of my BSN in the fall. My ultimate goal is PMHNP. I knew going into this that I was sacrificing "easy explanation of what I do for a living" for all the other things I like about this career path. However, I didn't expect that the misconceptions would start so soon. Things I've heard so far:

Friend 1: "Oh, you want to be a psychiatric nurse practitioner? Do you want to shadow my friend who is a nurse practitioner in L&D?"

Friend 2: "So nursing, is that a hands-on major?" Me: "Yeah, you need a certain a certain number of clinical hours to sit for the licensure exam.." Friend: "Oh, I wasn't sure, since what you're doing is undergrad and not graduate level." (???)

Friend 3 (for the 50th time): "Wait, so psychiatric nurse practitioners can prescribe?"

Friend 4: "Once you go to graduate school and become a mental health nurse..." (He can't keep it straight that BSN=>mental health nurse, NP=>mental health nurse practitioner)

I could go on. I'm very understanding when I respond to these sorts of statements, but it does wear on me a bit.. allnurses is a nice place to vent. Anyone have similar experiences??

Before I started nursing school, I figured that I'd learn about as much in two years as they actually taught us in the first semester. I kept thinking...what ELSE could they possible teach us?! I had no idea what I was getting into, but one of my favorite things about it is that a nurse never stops learning!

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Don't get me started

Most people do not know that a LPN is a nurse

Forget about ADN and BSN.

The funny thing is, I'm in a RN program now, and most students don't know that LPNs are nurses.

Since it is our jobs to educate, I educate anyone that is interested, and most people thank me for explaining LPN RN /ADN BSN NP DNP.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, LTACH, LTC, Home Health.
Military RNs are BSN-prepared only, no exceptions. To achieve the rank of CDR, most people do have masters' degrees, but not necessarily. She may not realized (being that she has likely been in the military for a long time) that other degrees are still common on the outside.

Yep...I just woke up this morning and realized that I typed MSN instead of Masters. I was hoping to correct that before one of your guys chimed in. Looks like I was a little too slow. She is not a nurse, but a career Nacy woman.

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Specializes in burn ICU, SICU, ER, Trauma Rapid Response.
Military RNs are BSN-prepared only, no exceptions. To achieve the rank of CDR, most people do have masters' degrees, but not necessarily. She may not realized (being that she has likely been in the military for a long time) that other degrees are still common on the outside.

*** Actually there are many exceptions. Until a few years ago the Air Force would commission ADN RN who also had a bachelors degree in another field. The army and AF guard & reserve would commission ADNs and many of those ADN nurse officers are on active duty to day and have been for a long time. I know cause so many are missing from my hospital on extended active duty tours.

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Specializes in burn ICU, SICU, ER, Trauma Rapid Response.

My friends and family usually fall into one of two groups:

Group one (the smaller group): Thinks nurses are doctors hand maidens and spend their days saying "yes doctor" and cleaning up poop.

Group two: Thinks nurses are a half step below physicians and know nearly as much as doctors. This is the group who often asks "why don't you go on to medical school and become a doctor?" as if it's just a few more semesters.

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Specializes in Hospitalist Medicine.

This is what I constantly hear: "Wait, so you either want to be a PA or a NP? Why don't you just go to med school?" They just don't GET it!!

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Specializes in BMT, Oncology, LTC/SNF.

I'm glad my mom is a nurse, and even though she went to the big University in my school's town, and that's where she got her Bachelor's of Nursing, oh, 30+ years ago, she was 110% okay with me going to the community college and getting my Associates degree in nursing. Oh, it's difficult finding a job with an ADN, but my parents knew the reality of the financial situation, and I'm glad they have supported me. Granted, my dad still thinks I'm going to be a doctor (I once thought about being a PA, and then promptly went "nope").... he can chew on that thought for another week. I'm graduating nursing school and taking a break, getting my Bachelors, and forever STOPPING with actual school. (I am not in much of a mood to cater to even a Master's degree at this point. I know what that entails and I'm not THAT smart)

When I first wanted to be a nurse, about 4-5 years ago, I really wasn't sure what my mom did. So I asked her. And even then it seemed confusing. Media portrays it one way, I hear it another, and my mind gets this image I can't quite grasp. But now I DO know what a nurse does, because I am an LPN, and in probably a month, an RN :p

What I love about my school is that they really made it clear what the difference between a CNA, an LPN, and an RN are and their duties and like.... how everyone gets to licensing. I had to become a CNA to get into nursing school (well, past the test anyway), I took summer school to become an LPN, and now I'm done and can take the NCLEX RN. People just don't know what it all entails. Most people assume it takes 4 years at a major university, or two years at a community college level, to get a degree or something. Then the odd people out take 3-6 years. At either level.

But even as nursing advances, it seems there are professions that take over our own field. We are still establishing ourselves. MA's can give injections and take vitals, CNAs can give vitals, LPNs are just a step below RNs.... Doctors (could) do what we do. I think it's all a matter of clearly defining ourselves, which we cannot at this point, we are still growing and learning and I don't think we will ever be able to sit down and clearly define ourselves because of that fact, and when/if that time ever comes, maybe then people will understand. I'm not sure.

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There are other threads about this, but my pet peeve is that my family and friends don't think I'm a "real nurse" because I don't work in a hospital.

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Specializes in Nephrology.

LOL. Or finding an empty room to sneak away and have sex in -- yeah, that kind of stuff goes on all the time?!!

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I've recently been accepted into an ADN program. I've worked in a hospital for 6 years, under nurses and md's, and have known plenty of people who have gone through the program. I have also been the sole provider for my family - so as expected I'm freaking about having a back up plan for that. I love the fact that my extended and some of my internal family have no idea why I would keep saying how strenuous the program is if it's just for an ADN. "Don't worry, you'll be able to work full time and go to the program, it's just an ADN program it can't be that bad, it's not like you're going to med school"...

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Yea ok guys. For years before the acceptance I tried to explain the course load (as well as trying to explain the reasons it was so competitive to get in, and why the majority of people in Nor Cal end up waiting 2-4 years to get in), now I just nod and halt all conversation about it because doesn't matter what I say, they aren't changing their minds. My family is all business/marketing/educator majors, I'm in my own boat here.

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We can, and do, and should laugh about some of this because we recognize it for the foolishness it is. However, it's not really funny when you think of how people could be hurt because they have no idea about the valuable role nurses play in health care. When nurses are responsible for discharge teaching, for example, and a patient already "knows" that all the nurse knows is what the "doctor" tells her to say, how seriously is that discharge teaching taken? What's the consequence then?

There's a wonderful website and foundation that addresses these issues in the media, critiquing TV shows, magazine and newspaper depictions of nursing, radio broadcasts, and gives contact information so you can, for example, tell Dr Oz exactly what you think of the "sexy nurses" theme in one of his broadcasts or compliment NPR for doing a good job on a story on nurse advocacy. The founder, Sandy Summers, also wrote a great book with her husband called "Saving Lives: Why The Media's Portrayal of Nurses Puts Us All At Risk."

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.

I checked out the website...thanks GrnTea!! :up:

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