Pushing drugs for the Man bother anyone?

jmgrn65, RN · Oct 31, 2007

Sometimes I don't think many times problems can be solved with diet changes. Many patients do not comply with diet changes. I have never felt like I was pushing drugs for any company.

HTN is not usually cured by just a diet change there are many phsyciolgic (too early to spell) issues. Diabetes, Thyroid, and many others that require meds would not be simple diet changes.

you will understand more once you start taking classes.

BBFRN, BSN, PhD · Oct 31, 2007

Yes diet and exercise can prevent many things, but once someone makes it to the hospital or on the surgical table for something acute, you can't just tell them to eat better. They've gone beyond that point already. Most of my heart patients knew what led them to the point of hospitalization/surgery.

I do disease management now for heart pt's, diabetics, those with hyperlipidemia, etc. I'd say about 1/3 of my pt's follow what we teach them as far as diet & exercise are concerned. We educate the others as much as we can, and they make their own decisions with that knowledge.

Medication & surgery are not evil. Having worked in critical care, I've seen the lives that can be saved with these interventions. For example, if you were to have a congenital heart condition that caused you to have a heart attack, and land in the hospital, do you want your medical team to say you should've eaten better and walk away, or do you want them to give you the emergency meds or surgery that would save your life?

Part of being a nurse is opening your mind, and understanding that people may make bad choices, but if you truly educate them, they are at least making informed decisions.

I never "pushed drugs for the giant pharm's." I have however, pushed drugs for the patients.

jmgrn65, RN · Oct 31, 2007

Yes diet and exercise can prevent many things, but once someone makes it to the hospital or on the surgical table for something acute, you can't just tell them to eat better. They've gone beyond that point already. Most of my heart patients knew what led them to the point of hospitalization/surgery.
I do disease management now for heart pt's, diabetics, those with lyperlipidemia, etc. I'd say about 1/3 of my pt's follow what we teach them as far as diet & exercise are concerned. We educate the others as much as we can, and they make their own decisions with that knowledge.
Medication & surgery are not evil. Having worked in critical care, I've seen the lives that can be saved with these interventions. For example, if you were to have a congenital heart condition that caused you to have a heart attack, and land in the hospital, do you want your medical team to say you should've eaten better and walk away, or do you want them to give you the emergency meds or surgery that would save your life?
Part of being a nurse is opening your mind, and understanding that people may make bad choices, but if you truly educate them, they are at least making informed decisions.
I never "pushed drugs for the giant pharm's." I have however, pushed drugs for the patients.

Well I wish you would have posted before I did, because i would have said "yea that";). You said it much better than I did.

EmmaG, RN · Oct 31, 2007

Does pushing drugs for the giant pharmaceuticals bother anyone out there in the nurse world?

No way! They have the coolest pens!

RNperdiem, RN · Oct 31, 2007

What if you lived in a very poor country where many lives could be saved by western allopathic medicine and big pharma? It is easy to reject when you are in a position to do the rejecting.

I work in SICU. Drugs and technology save more lives than diet here.

If your beliefs are strong about this matter, look around some more in the healthcare field and see if there is a career that fits better.

Diary/Dairy, RN · Oct 31, 2007

Totally agree with Baptized by Fire - awesome post by the way, nothing else to add to it!

Grace Oz · Oct 31, 2007

Hello All.
I'm a newbie taking prereqs for a BSN.
I just have one big nagging concern keeping me from fully committing to the program. I want to help people, but I feel that the western allopathic way of surgery/drugs is often very harmful (although sometimes needed in cases of trauma etc).
Does pushing drugs for the giant pharmaceuticals bother anyone out there in the nurse world? I just don't know if I could live with myself doing it all day when I know that many problems could be solved simply by diet change etc.
Please enlighten me!

Being a nurse involves FAR MORE than just "pushing drugs".

However, since it might appear you have a problem in this area, perhaps nursing is incompatible with your values and ideals?

I never once in my entire nursing career thought I was "Pushing drugs for the man!"

Trauma Columnist · Oct 31, 2007

I haven't felt that I'm "pushing drugs for the Man" either. Our society has changed dramatically over the past 50 years. Drugs have allowed many patients to have a good quality of life despite devastating illness/injury. Heck, I don't even know which pharmaceutical company produces which drug unless I look it up! Don't feel pressure one way or the other to push one med over the other unless its for effect.

Good luck with choosing a career that will be compatible with your beliefs.

leslymill · Oct 31, 2007

I know where the OP is coming from. There are new books and INFO Commercials on how diet and medicine work together to make both gain financially. I agree with Baptized By Fire also. I am not pushing for the man. I am pushing to overcome the man.

Tweety, BSN, RN · Oct 31, 2007

It is indeed frustrating when people don't take care of themselves and then say "give me a pill or shot to fix me".

I have some issues with large pharmaceuticals for sure. But not enough to turn me away from nursing.

But like others have said, nursing is so much more.

Good luck in whatever you do.

ERRNTraveler, RN · Oct 31, 2007

No way! They have the coolest pens!

And they bring us free food!