"Thank you for your service"

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When people find out I'm a nurse these days, they keep thanking me for my service, like they do to the military. I want to roll my eyes at this point. Is this happening to you?

Specializes in retired LTC.

SBE - that's the reason we offer our 'thanks'.

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Specializes in nursing ethics.

I agree. Are the thank yous for workers in no risk jobs too?  You could be a cook or traffic cop or some easy desk job and have nothing to do with covid.  Despite that I feel that saying thanks is a nice way to end a conversation with anyone who helped me even when undeserving it

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Specializes in Private Duty Pediatrics.
4 hours ago, amoLucia said:

SBE - that's the reason we offer our 'thanks'.

??

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Specializes in retired LTC.

Kitinger - it's the hope in knowing that someone is gladdened when we offer our comment. They usually smile and 'thank you' us back.

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Specializes in Private Duty Pediatrics.
2 minutes ago, amoLucia said:

Kitinger - it's the hope in knowing that someone is gladdened when we offer our comment. They usually smile and 'thank you' us back.

That's what "SBE" means? What does SBE stand for?

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Specializes in retired LTC.

SBE = poster SmillingBluEyes. I think DaveyDo hung that moniker.

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Specializes in Private Duty Pediatrics.

Ahh. No wonder Google couldn't find it!

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Specializes in Community Health, Med/Surg, ICU Stepdown.
On 4/5/2021 at 6:46 PM, Merrie82 said:

People join the military, often straight out of high school, as a way to get out of poverty, or their questionable family situations, or bc they want to go to college and can't otherwise,  or sometimes, yes, because they want to SERVE their country.

Yes, even if I don't agree with what our military is doing sometimes, I don't hold that against 18 year olds who may not even fully comprehend our military conflicts, but see the military as an opportunity for advancement they may not otherwise have. I thank them and I truly hope they do not experience too much trauma.

I also thank my fellow nurses still on the frontlines ever since I left the covid unit. I am extremely thankful to first responders like firefighters, EMTs, paramedics who are SO underpaid for what they do. How can paramedics intubate people and barely be paid above minimum wage. I don't think they do their jobs for the money, because there are easier jobs they could do for more pay. I felt happy about the praise I received while on the covid unit because it was such a tough job being recognized felt motivating to go on. Now that I work in PACU I feel awkward about being called a "healthcare hero" because I no longer feel like one. Now I'm a healthcare zero LOL 

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Specializes in Cardiac.
On 4/4/2021 at 11:21 AM, TheMoonisMyLantern said:

Don't get me wrong, every once in a while it's nice to get a "Thank you" from a patient/family after cleaning up an explosive bowel movement, or catching vomit with your gloved hands. But beyond that, thanks really aren't needed.

It is nice to be thanked by patients and families for genuinely caring for and about them. I don’t “need” to be thanked, but it is rewarding to know that what I do is appreciated. I don’t feel that same sense of fulfillment when a random person thanks me because I did choose to be a nurse and I do get paid, and really don’t risk my life to do my job. I have thanked military personnel for their service because I understand personally the sacrifices that many made either by being deployed-separation from family, risking life and limb to protect the values that I hold dear—life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. My father believed in these values, enlisted and died as a Navy Corpsman-rendering aid to wounded Marines. Some of those Marines and their brothers have thanked me-daddy’s girl-for his life-rendering aid. It makes me feel connected to my dad, and I appreciate that they appreciated his sacrifice. My son is now Air Force and I miss him terribly. 
So when thanked I say “you’re welcome”. It’s not the wiping butts and catching vomit (I am paid for that.) It’s that I very much care about my patients and families. Not every nurse does! You can’t teach that... it’s from the heart and for that...they are welcome! Their thanks helps fill my “caring tank” and I go on caring.

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On 4/4/2021 at 9:21 AM, Emergent said:

how-do-you-feel-when-people-thank-you-for-your-service.jpg.d42bec0bb5d8f55216d5ec6bc327e3d7.jpg

When people find out I'm a nurse these days, they keep thanking me for my service, like they do to the military. I want to roll my eyes at this point. Is this happening to you?

It happened to me and if I appreciate the gesture, I don't like the message it carries. This message implies that I am obligated to serve and I am not. Many older nurses  in their 60s left when covid started and I don't blame them. I am a free woman and I do what it pleases me to do, provided I'm not on the clock. Now, I worked through covid but I did it because I wanted to help my fellow human beings, not because I felt obligated. I was just willing.

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On 4/4/2021 at 9:36 AM, Curious1997 said:

 

I am really alarmed by the spate of anti Asian incidents occurring here currently. 

This here, I can't understand. Asians have always been kind and courteous, never rude or hard to deal with. I always trust an Asian worker, doctor. Can't see why the anti asian bias. 

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Specializes in retired LTC.

Did it seem to become more prevalent when covid emerged as the 'Chinese' flu, or what ever DJT called it in that it was China's fault?

Maybe just my observation ...

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