We've all heard them.............those hackneyed phrases and dopey questions people often direct at nurses because they truly do not understand what we do.
Updated:
1) "You're so smart, you should have gone to medical school." I AM smart---that's why I became a nurse instead of enduring 80-hour work weeks and giving up sleep for eight years.
2) "It must be great to be a nurse---you get to date all those sexy doctors!" And you, my friend, have been watching too much Grey's Anatomy. We barely have time to take care of our own bodily functions during work hours, let alone make out in the stairwell with somebody who's carrying around as many germs as we are. Yecccccch.
3) "Why don't nurses wear caps anymore?" Two words: infection control. They also look funny with SpongeBob scrubs and Crocs.
4) "Oh, looky there Mabel, that's a real stethoscope she's got on!" And gee whiz, she even knows how to use it!
5) "I bet you just LIVE to give shots (start IVs/insert catheters/perform any procedure that's painful and/or embarrassing)." Oh, sure, of course I get my jollies from causing pain---that's why I'm eking out an existence as a nurse rather than living la vida loca and working as a dominatrix.
6) "Nursing can't be that difficult. My niece is a nurse and she only had a C average in school." Further conversation reveals that the niece is really a home health aide, not even certified, who works for one elderly couple three mornings a week.
7) "The nurse at my doctor's office says........" Again with the mistaken assumption that anyone in scrubs a) is a nurse, and b) knows more than the person who's taking care of you at this particular moment. The medical assistant at your doctor's office, however capable she may be, is not a nurse. Neither is the receptionist at the front desk, the tech who takes your vital signs, or the phlebotomist who draws blood for your lab work. They are all vital members of the health care team and they have challenging jobs in their own right; but unless their name tag says RN or LPN, they aren't nurses.
? "I bet you make a lot of money." Yep, I'm all set to retire at 55 and head to the south of France. Know any more jokes??
9) "My call light's been on for 45 minutes---where were you, on the computer at the nurses' station?" Absolutely! And while I was at it, I Googled myself and my family just for the heck of it, bought a treadmill on eBay, played solitaire, and checked in at Allnurses. ARRRRGGGGGHHHHH!!
And finally, here's one of the most irritating statements of all: "Nurses are angels in white." It's sentimental nonsense rooted in the way-back days when nurses were little more than servants to the physician. First of all, many of us haven't worn white since nursing school and wouldn't be caught dead in it. Besides, most of us prefer to be considered professionals, not mythical beings who, even if they do exist, undoubtedly don't drink, smoke, swear, flip the bird at their manager's closed door when nobody's looking, talk trash about their co-workers, call doctors nasty names in the break room, or go home after a bad shift and growl at the family. Nurses have been known to do all of these things. We're human.
Now, aren't you glad we cleared the air?
prmenrs said:This one makes MY blood run cold:JCAHO/DPH is in the house!!
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For uk nurses it would be the healthcare commision or NAAS (nurisng assesment accredition servicer
One cause you follow u and ask questions. Two managment runs around like headless chickens.
we can get done for little things that people know not to do but also for poor systems set up.
still it brings about change.
VickyRN said:Every staff person greets me as I approach the nursing station at the start of my shift, "Oh, I'm soooo glad you're here! Can't wait to get outta this place! It's been a mad house!"soooo don't like to hear this...
Oh, I HATE that! Makes me want to turn around and go home........especially when they add "Run while you still can!!":eek:
When I was first thinking about becoming a nurse, I used to hate it when NURSES would tell me: "Why do you want to get into nursing? You're smart; you should become a doctor." Well, excuse me; I don't WANT to do what doctor's do... that's WHY I'm becoming a nurse! Guh!
I know they were trying to help, but GEE, really! (sigh) Don't chase away excited newbies... we're still stupid... let us go and enjoy ourselves by killing ourselves slowly via nursing. :chuckle
Wow. I really should go to bed. Long shift, y'all. I sound punchy.
tthor5220 said:I can add a #11 (and #12, and #13 and....!)On a med surg floor the question, "When is my doctor going to be here?"
Hmmm...excellent question!
If I only had a dollar every time I heard that, I would be retired in the south of France.
Add to that when: "When are they going to get me for my [catherization, stress test, fill-in-test-name-here]?"
I don't know. If I did, believe me, I'd let you know so you'd stop asking me. And no, I'm not going to call down and ask. They probably don't really know either if they've had some complications during the procedure with another patient.
nursesRbeautiful
14 Posts
I know right.