I was at my son's school for American Education Week recently. His second-grade class was starting a new unit on "The People in Your Neighborhood". The unit focuses on the different people and professions that make modern life happen. The class did a "Who am I" exercise wherein a description of the profession was read by one student and the others would guess the profession from a list.
All was going well until the description of a nurse was read.
"I help the doctor keep you well - who am I?" (emphasis mine)
I was on my way out of my chair when two things happened.
1) An image of my scowling wife shot though my mind's eye.
and
2) I had the realization that I had no better way of explaining to a bunch of runny-nosed seven-year olds what a nurse does. [i mean, it's not exactly the crowd that's going to get patient-centered nursing theory.]
The whole thing kind of bothered me. I'm sure my kid's teenage-looking teacher meant no harm or insult, but the fact of the matter is that the shaping of the image of our profession starts out here - clearly this sort of perception isn't the one for which we are looking. [NB: The doctor description held no proviso about "helping" anyone else - for that matter neither did any of the others]
So how do we explain our profession in simple, meaningfull terms that a second grader would get?
this teacher needs to be educated as to our reality. simply put, we are the ones who work with mds to make sure the patient is getting better. we constantly assess, evaluate and implement appropriate interventions/therapies. there are very simple, understandable ways to get this concept across.
may be this teacher needs to be reminded that her profession is not being portrayed in the best of lights at the time. the news is rife with teachers displaying extremely poor judgement. take her to the side and re-educate and help her formulate a better, more appropriate way to ask the question.
okay, off my soapbox
wow!!! i guess it's all about your perspective. although i agree that the job description was not completely accurate, i was moved by the fact that this teacher had time to do this social studies project. my immediate thought was, "she must not work in florida. not with fcat approaching." then, i realized it's second grade. (so, no fcat)
i'm happy that this teacher is exposing children to different careers. hell, all 125 of my students are going to work as one of the following: basketball player, football player, or singer/rapper.
i hope it is safe to assume that those who posted such angry comments have never worked as an educator in the public school sector.
if you are so appalled by the job description, call the school and schedule a time to present to the students about the nursing profession. if you are in the s. fl area or willing to travel there, message me and i'll gladly welcome you as a guest speaker in my class. (do it soon though, b/c i'm about to resign.)
i completely understand your feelings about how nursing is portrayed. as a teacher, i get comments like: smart people don't teach. i've gotten negative comments as well after deciding to go into nursing. however, i think some are being a little harsh to the young teacher.
Of course we do. And we are premitted that independence by getting standing orders from physicians, unless we are advanced practitioners. In other words, permission.
As I said, I think that our subordinate position in health care is wrong. However, what should be isn't what is, and "believing" that we should "promote further independence" doesn't mean that we have it.
Suesquatch, llg is right. There are a lot of areas in which nurses practice that absolutely do not require the oversight of a physician. Admittedly, this is restricted in the acute care arena but as I have stated over and over, there are so many opportunities for nurses aside from acute care.
At any rate, whether or not we assist physicians or they assist us or we all work together as one big happy family (kumbayah), what irritated the OP (and me) is the idea of being defined by another profession, in this case medicine. Especially as my work is not defined by the physician, not at all.
The way the teacher presented the information, this could have been a golden opportunity to teach children what nurses really do.
"I help sick people get well. My quick thinking saves lives and my knowledge helps keep you healthy."
All the kids, their little brains already corrupted by the mass media's image of the nurse, answer "DOCTOR!", and the teacher agrees, but explains she's actually talking about the nurse.
While it's true we need orders to treat patients, we also have power not to give medicines to patients based on Our assessments. Discharge patients from care. And in many cases(at least ER)to put up standing orders based on our own assessments of patients. Call a code.
Case in point:
Recently I had a patient where I held insulin for coverage at mealtime, based on the fact the patient came in with a BG of 28 as the reason he came to ER. The patient had eaten breakfast wanted to leave and was discharged by ER doctor. Reluctantly I began discharge....however, I didn't like the way he looked-did another FS....BG after eating and being there, had gone from 128 to 58! He had taken his lantus, instead of regular insulin as his coverage at home (per his son). He also became pale, diaphoretic and unsteady on his feet in a matter of minutes. At first, the physician was annoyed....until he saw the patient's condition....stopping to thank me....again, and again. This was several weeks ago and the doctor still brings it up!
I am not sure how it is in other areas, but in ER we have to support each other. This doctor is one I would pick to take care of me or a family member, but he was tired....I feel the need to watch his back, like I know he'll watch mine!
How about what the teacher does: "I help the principal to educate you." Actually what the teacher said is not nearly as irritating to me as the idea that the doctor is our "customer". And if we don't give the doctor what the doctor wants, he or she will take his or her business (i.e., our mutual patients) elsewhere.
Specializes in LTC/SNF, Psychiatric, Pharmaceutical.
We're talking to 2nd graders remember. It should be "Nurses get POOP from both patients and physicians for performing the above services.":devil:
(And then we often send that poop to the lab.)
Hmmmm... in this day and age, you could probably go ahead and tell second graders that "nurses get S*** from both patients and physicians for performing the above services." It wouldn't be any worse than anything they've heard/seen a million times from their peers, the movies, or MySpace. Am I too cynical?
While there are some things we can do using our own judgment, almost everything else requires a doctor's order.
My med/surg text devoted two pages to the ethical dilemma of, patient's husband died in the same crash that landed her in the hospital. Doc doesn't want her told. YOU CAN NOT TELL HER.
Doesn't sound like an independent relationship to me.
Now, I think this is wrong. But it's also how it is.
I agree, Sue. Although nurses often use their own judgement and implement independent nursing internvention, most of the things nurses do require a doctor order. I am not offended by the statement that I help doctors, because I do. Its more of an incomplete statement than an incorrect one.
Hmmmm... in this day and age, you could probably go ahead and tell second graders that "nurses get S*** from both patients and physicians for performing the above services." It wouldn't be any worse than anything they've heard/seen a million times from their peers, the movies, or MySpace. Am I too cynical?
second graders on myspace O_O lol not likely
but yeah, I get what you mean though ^_^ I know I have a 6 year old and she might say "*gasp* you said the S word!" but it's not like she hasn't heard this word before on TV/at school from her peers.
Specializes in psychiatry,geropsych,LTC/SNF, hospice.
According to my seven year old son: "Mom helps sick people get better. But I hope she doesn't have to give any shots. They hurt. (said after getting his flu shot)"
My 6yo cousin knows I take care of sick people and help them get better. I have even taken her to the hospital I work at to show her around. She enjoyed it lol.
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LeavingTeaching4RN
465 Posts
wow!!! i guess it's all about your perspective. although i agree that the job description was not completely accurate, i was moved by the fact that this teacher had time to do this social studies project. my immediate thought was, "she must not work in florida. not with fcat approaching." then, i realized it's second grade. (so, no fcat)
i'm happy that this teacher is exposing children to different careers. hell, all 125 of my students are going to work as one of the following: basketball player, football player, or singer/rapper.
i hope it is safe to assume that those who posted such angry comments have never worked as an educator in the public school sector.
if you are so appalled by the job description, call the school and schedule a time to present to the students about the nursing profession. if you are in the s. fl area or willing to travel there, message me and i'll gladly welcome you as a guest speaker in my class. (do it soon though, b/c i'm about to resign.)
i completely understand your feelings about how nursing is portrayed. as a teacher, i get comments like: smart people don't teach. i've gotten negative comments as well after deciding to go into nursing. however, i think some are being a little harsh to the young teacher.
if you can read this, thank a teacher.