After completing numerous clinicals and working as an EKG tech, I have observed and often dealt with nurses that are a prime example of what I don't want to be when I graduate. I also concede that I am a mere senior nursing student with no real-world experience.
1.) Night shift nurse who sits on facebook: Since when did it become acceptable to go on a computer and use social networking sites whenever you don't have work to do. In the time that you have sat on facebook you could have filled charts, done further research on your patients' needs, read nursing journals, assisted another nurse or CNA, or just do something that might help the morning shift. Instead, you sit on facebook trying to see if anyone you haven't seen in a few years got fat.
2.) The "thats not my job nurse": This kills me because as a tech I constantly hear this. "Mrs. Smith needs to go to the bathroom can you help her so I can do the EKG?" The reply from the nurse, "Ask the CNA...thats not my job." The nurse should really take a step back and re-evaluate your career choice because by not helping me you are not helping the patient.
3.) The nurse who openly criticizes patients or gossips with other nurses at the station: Guess what, people hear what your saying. You are making a fool of yourself and instead of complaining how so and so didn't bathe this patient during their shift, why don't you do it yourself? Be a professional, do your job to the best of your ability.
4.) The nurse who uses personal problems as an excuse to not care: I'm partial to this because I'm young but I don't care that you have kids, I don't care that your child has the snuffles and you were up all night. If you are unable to successfully complete the tasks of your job DO NOT COME INTO WORK. I have no sympathy for you. If I was out late partying and had a hangover and used it as an excuse would you care? An excuse is an excuse, either do your job right or call out, you are only hurting the patient.
5.) The nurse wearing winnie the pooh scrubs in an adult acute care setting: Your an adult. Dress like a professional, talk like a professional, and people will treat you like one.
6.) Nurses who always apologize to doctors when they call them: It is a doctor's job to take your call, listen to what you say, make decions based on the information you give them. Get some backbone, speak intelligently, and stick to the facts. If you show them you are serious, they will take you seriously and not blow you off as some stupid nurse who bothers them at home.
Specializes in Nursing Education, CVICU, Float Pool.
Glad we came to median point. So I've learned not say what type of nurse I don't want to be, but to say what type of nurse I hope to be and keep silent. I don't think I will make that mistake again. Thanks Guys.
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
maybe saying "it's not my job" isn't professional, but when i become an rn, i do not want to be doing a cna's job. nope, sorry. that is like asking a high school teacher to mop up the hall way floors, something a janitor should be doing.
toileting a patient is your job when you become an rn. it's nothing like asking a teacher to mop the floors -- although sometimes that becomes our job, too. there may be times when you're too busy to do things like toileting, brushing teeth or feeding someone and there's a cna available who can do that while you give mr. s his pain meds, call the doctor about mr. y's chest pain and do the staffing for the next shift. but you are just as wrong as the op with your attitude that you "don't want to be doing a cna's job." sometimes there aren't enough cnas to go around -- or they are all busy -- and you get to toilet the patient.
as with the op: walk a mile in my shoes, and then tell me what you'd do differently.
I thought teaching was a part of being a nurse; if so, what do many of the nurses responding here think they are teaching the OP? I happen to agree with a few of the things the OP said and disagree with other things, but that's not what I want to discuss now.
It looks like there are a lot of responses that really come down pretty hard on the OP for specualting about aspects of nursing that she hasn't experienced yet as a working nurse. I agree that (depending on the topic) the perspective of a working professional can be more valid in certain ways than that of a student.
However, it looks like many of the responses have just ripped the OP to shreds - what is that going to teach her about your perspectives? Maybe that "nurses really do eat their young"? To those nurses who've slammed the OP, is this the way you deal with other "young" in your lives, like your teenager, or other people young in either their lives or in whatever path they are on at the time?
as another poster suggested, i am taken aback by some of the seemingly petty and defensive responses.
when i read such retorts, i automatically know the type of nurse/person i don't want to be.
so thank you to those, whose idiosyncrasies only serve to reinforce mine.
leslie
I agree with both Sunny and leslie here. I can understand why many are annoyed with the OP and I didn't agree with all the points myself but geezaloo some of these responses are so over the top. Now we have people opening new threads just to vent about threads like this one! These reactions are quite out of proportion to the perceived offense, IMHO.......Oh who are kidding, I'm not humble about my opinion.
Specializes in multispecialty ICU, SICU including CV.
toileting a patient is your job when you become an rn. it's nothing like asking a teacher to mop the floors -- although sometimes that becomes our job, too. there may be times when you're too busy to do things like toileting, brushing teeth or feeding someone and there's a cna available who can do that while you give mr. s his pain meds, call the doctor about mr. y's chest pain and do the staffing for the next shift. but you are just as wrong as the op with your attitude that you "don't want to be doing a cna's job." sometimes there aren't enough cnas to go around -- or they are all busy -- and you get to toilet the patient.
as with the op: walk a mile in my shoes, and then tell me what you'd do differently.
ruby i agree with you in that all aspects of patient care are your job. i do draw the line though --- i do not do floors. i don't do garbage. i will wipe up the cup of water you dumped on yourself, but i don't clean rooms. if i get some stool on the toilet after i dump the bedpan, housekeeping gets called. i didn't go to college for 4+ years to be treated like a cleaning lady (not that cleaning ladies -- or men -- don't deserve to be treated respectfully as a fellow members of the human race, but hopefully you get my point.)
If I get some stool on the toilet after I dump the bedpan, housekeeping gets called. I didn't go to college for 4+ years to be treated like a cleaning lady (not that cleaning ladies -- or men -- don't deserve to be treated respectfully as a fellow members of the human race, but hopefully you get my point.)
that's totally your call but please, what you are saying is that you are above that.
my contention is, if one is truly secure in themself, then there is no job that is too large or small.
conversely, when one lacks self-assurance, these folks usually seek validation through college degrees and professional titles.
Now we have people opening new threads just to vent about threads like this one! These reactions are quite out of proportion to the perceived offense, IMHO.......Oh who are kidding, I'm not humble about my opinion.
Saw the thread you're talking about. The good 'ole threads started about other threads they've come across that irritates them. I basically have no comment about the OP's posts because I'm not there yet. But, reading most of the comments regarding the OP has taught me a valuable lesson on here: choose your words very carefully. If not, make sure you have thick skin and learn to take correction.
I'm not offended by the OPs post because I firmly believe that you can't understand our profession fully until you are a nurse. Not an aspiring nurse, a working nurse with some experience behind you. I was a surgical tech for years before I became a nurse and I didn't understand either...
So, I'm cutting the OP some slack..most of us were there at one point;)
Specializes in Nursing Education, CVICU, Float Pool.
Saw the thread you're talking about. The good 'ole threads started about other threads they've come across that irritates them. I basically have no comment about the OP's posts because I'm not there yet. But, reading most of the comments regarding the OP has taught me a valuable lesson on here: choose your words very carefully. If not, make sure you have thick skin and learn to take correction.
I have learn that to at the OP's expense.
Has he posted again? I hope we didn't run him off from his on thread with our debating. Lolz!!!!
My first year I would read nurse-y material in my downtime. Older nurses laughed and said that would change soon enough. And they were right - now I read whatever I feel like in my down time (but I also know a lot more than I did when I started..)
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
ruby i agree with you in that all aspects of patient care are your job. i do draw the line though --- i do not do floors. i don't do garbage. i will wipe up the cup of water you dumped on yourself, but i don't clean rooms. if i get some stool on the toilet after i dump the bedpan, housekeeping gets called. i didn't go to college for 4+ years to be treated like a cleaning lady (not that cleaning ladies -- or men -- don't deserve to be treated respectfully as a fellow members of the human race, but hopefully you get my point.)
then you must be fabulously lucky to not only have 24/7 housekeeping, but to have housekeepers that come when they're called, comprehend enough english to understand what you want, and will clean up after you. i have a master's -- cleaning up after myself is not beneath me. i don't think anyone's bsn, msn or whatever exempts them from cleaning up the messes they make.
Ruby I agree with you in that all aspects of patient care are your job. I do draw the line though --- I do not do floors. I don't do garbage. I will wipe up the cup of water you dumped on yourself, but I don't clean rooms. If I get some stool on the toilet after I dump the bedpan, housekeeping gets called. I didn't go to college for 4+ years to be treated like a cleaning lady (not that cleaning ladies -- or men -- don't deserve to be treated respectfully as a fellow members of the human race, but hopefully you get my point.)
I work in a large regional hospital. Our unit housekeeper is gone at 15 hour. The only cleaners we have after those hours are bedteam and the deepcleaning crew. Neither of which would clean a floor, empty a garbage can, or wipe off a toilet if called upon by a staff nurse to do so.
Managers clean up messes of all descriptions.
Would you seriously expect a patient to walk on a sticky floor all night until the cleaning lady arrives at 07hr??
ruby i agree with you in that all aspects of patient care are your job. i do draw the line though --- i do not do floors. i don't do garbage. i will wipe up the cup of water you dumped on yourself, but i don't clean rooms. if i get some stool on the toilet after i dump the bedpan, housekeeping gets called. i didn't go to college for 4+ years to be treated like a cleaning lady (not that cleaning ladies -- or men -- don't deserve to be treated respectfully as a fellow members of the human race, but hopefully you get my point.)
are you actually admitting that you will empty a bedpan, but won't take an extra minute or even seconds to get a wet paper towel and wipe off the commode?? unbelievable!
PatMac10,RN, RN
1 Article; 1,164 Posts
Glad we came to median point. So I've learned not say what type of nurse I don't want to be, but to say what type of nurse I hope to be and keep silent. I don't think I will make that mistake again. Thanks Guys.