The 'Image' of Nursing

Psqrd · Mar 17, 2007

I agree that nurses seem to be on top of the trusted professions. I tell people that I am a nursing student and people thank me for going into the profession. As far as the nanda's are concerned its hard to believe that something that includes Energy field disturbance can hardly be taken seriously...whats next disturbance in the force?

Just my thought.

P

Natkat, BSN, MSN, RN · Mar 17, 2007

I agree that nurses seem to be on top of the trusted professions. I tell people that I am a nursing student and people thank me for going into the profession. As far as the nanda's are concerned its hard to believe that something that includes Energy field disturbance can hardly be taken seriously...whats next disturbance in the force?
Just my thought.
P

Just what is a disturbance in an energy field anyway? What were they smoking when they made that one up?

I get the same response when I tell people I'm a nursing student. They talk to me like I'm some kind of angel who was born to serve. I do care and I love medicine, but I'm not all selfless and giving as the public seems to think. I don't plan to do bedside nursing very long; for me it's a means to an end while I pursue higher education. The public's perception is a funny thing though.

SharonH, RN · Mar 17, 2007

the whole care plan thing is annoying and dumb, in my mind.

GardenDove, I don't know why you would think the nursing care plan is dumb, it's what we do isn't it? In fact, I have noticed over the years that the more and more we have moved away from the "dumb" care plan into strictly implementing physician's orders the worse outcomes patients have. Nursing care IMO is far more influential than physician care on patient outcomes and it can make the difference between life and death, I don't care how good the physician is.

As for the public's respect, that's nice but it's a hollow victory since most of the public has no idea what we really do and think we are lowly-educated pillow-fluffers and hand-holders who also are responsible for giving spongebaths and helping people to the bathroom.

GardenDove · Mar 17, 2007

I've never met a nurse yet who comes to work and consults the careplan. We fill them out because they are required by regulators, not to really plan care.

mary23 · Mar 17, 2007

Gardendive what kind of facitity do you work in if you mind me asking??? We have a whole care plan team at bothe the facilities i work at that includes nursing...

GardenDove · Mar 18, 2007

I work in a small ICU at a small hospital

GardenDove · Mar 18, 2007

We all think careplans are a colossal waste of time and another example of regulations gone berzerk

mary23 · Mar 18, 2007

I think care plans are a lot different in ICU and CCU. I am also a cardiac nurse and i think the whole care plan thing is #1 something nursing school does to make writing a paper make sense. #2 A tool facilities CHOOSE to adopt or not to adopt and #3 they are nothing like what school makes them out to be.

IN the acute care setting you do it without even thinking...Interventions that is and in some situations it is understood.

TraumaICURN · Mar 18, 2007

I get mixed reactions when I tell people that I am a nurse. Some people respect the nursing profession and others don't; but I think that is mainly due to people not knowing exactly what a nurse does. Some think that all we do is bathe patients, wipe their butts, and nothing else. They don't understand how much skill and knowledge is needed to be a nurse. I had one of my friends say to me, "You should have went to med school, you're too smart to be just a nurse." After she was admitted to the hospital for 2 weeks for renal failure, she realized how educated and skilled the nurses were and why nursing school was HELL for me!

RNsRWe, ASN, RN · Mar 18, 2007

I get mixed reactions when I tell people that I am a nurse. Some people respect the nursing profession and others don't; but I think that is mainly due to people not knowing exactly what a nurse does. Some think that all we do is bathe patients, wipe their butts, and nothing else. They don't understand how much skill and knowledge is needed to be a nurse. I had one of my friends say to me, "You should have went to med school, you're too smart to be just a nurse." After she was admitted to the hospital for 2 weeks for renal failure, she realized how educated and skilled the nurses were and why nursing school was HELL for me!

If more people had a CLUE what we do, or had an epiphany like this patient you described, we'd all be better for it!

I find it that acquaintances who discover I am a nurse equate that with being "willing to serve" or some such thing. That nursing is a "calling" (please, let's NOT go there!!). They are always admiring, however, and that's nice. I always hear 'we need good nurses' or 'too bad there aren't more people like you, there's such a shortage'.

Hey, at least the general public LIKES us, outside of the hospital anyway, lol!

Kelly_the_Great · Mar 18, 2007

It's nice that we're the # 1 most trusted profession, I suppose.

However, I believe that's only b/c the perception of nursing by the general public is that of "angel" vs. "advocate," which is the direction of our image that we need to pursue and promote (imo).

BTW, speaking of the reaction you get from others once they discover you're a nurse, how many of you have experienced ppl then informing you that they used to be a nurse, when really the were a nurse aid, etc. (not a nurse in any case) or that they "know" as much as a nurse, etc. but just "didn't get their license"??? I've experienced this quite a few times and it is soooo aggravating!