"You're so smart, you should've gone to medical school"

[Stargazer]

Okay, we've all heard it before (and it never fails to piss me off, BTW), but I was profoundly disturbed to read in this thread that at least 2 different nurses have been told by their nursing instructors that they were, essentially, "too smart to be a nurse."

I mean--what the hell? Seriously. It's bad enough, uninformed enough, ignorant enough, insulting enough, when a physician, a family member, or a member of the general public says this to us... but a nursing instructor? If they don't respect their own profession, then what business do they have teaching it? Have any of the rest of you heard this from another nurse or a nursing instructor before? What did you say?

Gaaah. In case you couldn't tell, I am practically incandescent with rage. I need to go home early and have a BIG glass of wine and calm down. Grrr.

[JonRN]

You can be a nurse and a doctor both by getting a Phd in nursing so there, the answer to that question.

[Agnus]

and we wonder why we are still struggling to establish nursing as a profession.

We've got a long way to go. Actually we were complimented the other day by my daughter (31) who is impressed by all that we have to know and the knowledge we must have at our immediate fingertips.

(She has just gone thourgh a series of hospitilizations culminating with surgery)

Finally some respect for the profession. She once was going to med school and then decided it was not the kind of careing she wanted to do. Her image of nursing was too low. So, that was not the answer either. Now that she has been cared for by some GREAT nurses she has a different opinion. So, now she is very proud and impressed that I am a nurse.

[live4today, RN]

Originally posted by CardioTrans

There is a nurse in my unit that has "im too smart to be a nurse" attitude. His exact words were, "nursing has no challenge for me, im too smart to be a nurse I should have went to medical school" I was looking at him like wth??? Nursing, no challenge, in a heart transplant ICU??? Then he made a comment to me about him being smarter than anyone that worked in the unit and knew more about nursing than anyone there. (keeping in mind hes only 24 and been out of nursing school 3 yrs) He kept talking to all of us like we knew absolutely nothing except how to do bedbaths..... finally I had enough of him, and said "most of us have been nursing longer than you have been out of high school, and when you learn everything there is to know about nursing, we will call Guiness" he hushed quickly.

Cardio.......you should have told him "You're not gone yet? Why...I think I hear them calling your name over there at that med school. If you're smart enough to listen long enough, you just might hear what my smart azz knows." :rotfl:

[live4today, RN]

Originally posted by Lausana

{Aww Renee we'll support you to become a Dr now! You'd be the kind of Doc that the world needs :kiss Actually the NP I usually see at the doc's reminds me of you, real motherly, she's so sweet }

Lausana...what a very kind compliment. I accept that with humble heart. :kiss

I wish I had the wisdom that I have today when I was sooooo much younger....I would have had the guts then to stand up to a lot of ignoramoses back then........but, I didn't, so no use crying over spilt milk now.....although the memories remain, I am choosing to let go of the hurt those memories caused me for a long time. Who knows, I just might become a doctor one day......a NURSE doctor! :chuckle