"Some people aren't meant to be nurses!"

[FireStarterRN]

Has anyone else noticed that this is frequently said at AN? Is this the new catch phrase in nursing when talking about other nurses whom we dislike?

It's used to describe seasoned nurses who hurt the feelings of new nurses. It's used to described new nurses who tend to be more sensitive. It's used to describe nurses who like to complain about patients who are annoying or manipulative.

When people are out of arguments or just don't like someone, they say "Then get out of nursing!" or "Some people shouldn't be nurses" or "Some people aren't meant to be nurses".

Just a little pet peeve of mine.

[ShannonRN2010, BSN, RN]

When I say that someone shouldn't be a nurse...I mean it! BUT...I only say that about nurses who have no concept of how to treat patients or put them at risk to make their lives easier.

Case in point...I worked with a nurse who had an order to straight cath her resident every 4 hours (which yes, is a crappy order dunno why a doc would order that but i digress...) instead of doing what the order read, she straight cathed the woman and left it her, draining into a bedpan between the womans legs. To me, that is substandard nursing care and is careless and leaving the woman an open portal for infection.

This same nurse also brought benadryl from home and gave it to her residents so the would "go to sleep and stay off the call light"...this one also went to smoke every 15 minutes, leaving me, a new grad, on the floor by myself most the night.

Sadly this nurse also kisses the RN's a$$es so they look at her as a friend and have saved her from being fired numerous times...its crazy!

So in my opinion, this woman doesn't deserve to be a nurse, she has no natural affection for people, she shouldn't be a nurse caring for LTC dementia patients!!

I don't think I have said anything like that about ppl on here...I don't know what kinda nurses you are all in your day to day lives...so throwing it around on a messageboard or leveling it at someone in a messageboard, is kinda...redundant.

[FireStarterRN, BSN, RN]

Witchy, that's exactly what I mean!!!

[lpnflorida]

Shannon, if you knew a nurse was giving Benadryl without a doctors order ( I will not even give my thoughts on the bringing her own supply in) that should have been immediately reported and she would have been fired on the spot. The BON would also have a few things to say about prescribing letting along dispencing meds ... yikes That is outrageous. More outrageous that someone would know that happened and did nothing.

[ShannonRN2010, BSN, RN]

My hands were tied...my word against hers. I was a new hire, she had been there for 5 years at the time...

Chain of command was BIG there at the time...put it this way, I complained about her to a RN super at the time, not knowing that they were friends...that RN started treating me like crap. I was miserable there because I opened my mouth about poor nurse "M" and her husband is out of work and she needed this job and I just didn't understand...

SOOOOO glad I dont work there anymore!

[Jules A, MSN]

i agree with most of the ops thoughts on throwing around the "some people aren't meant to be nurses" phrase so often. nursing is so broad that there really should be a spot for all types, except lazy types but thats a whole different topic, lol. i didn't feel a "calling". i started in ns for the career opportunities. if nursing wasn't fairly lucrative with tons of options i never would have considered it however that doesn't mean that i'm not meant to be a nurse. i love my kids, absolutely love them and have a great rapport with my team so i guess i'd be considered a pretty decent nurse. :)

if it sounds like someone is just having a bad day or work experience i think i am supportive and offer encouragement to try other things. however i have no reservations about telling people to quit nursing if they are so miserable that they need to write a long tirade about how horrible it is, how underpaid, underappreciated etc. they are. i grew up listening to a martyr who stayed in a crap hospital job complain daily and it is ridiculous. i also think the people that say they have to stay because of the money are just making excuses. there are almost always other options if someone is willing to do the leg work, imo. its less about being negative than about encouraging people to create the life they want which is exactly what i encourage my patients to do. as far as i can tell we only get one go round in this world and once you make it to adulthood for the most part you have only yourself to rely on as to what kind of life you are going to be at peace with.