i'm so tired of people who look down on nurses

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So maybe this is more of a rant rather than much of anything... I'm not a nurse yet but I've been in a nurse's footsteps for the past month now and my appreciation for what they do has grown tremendously. What happened was that my sister told me to go grab her something and I told her I don't want to cause I'm tired from clinicals and my patient had to be discharged for a rehab center so the entire process was very long and there were many complications, etc, etc. She just stared at me and just told me, "Fine, whatever. Don't complain to me that you have to do the *itch's job." Who the heck started that saying in the first place? Previously, before entering nursing school, she has lectured me that I was smarter than that and I should really pursue a career in something better because ANYONE can do nursing and it's the "easy way out." (She wants to get into med school if that helps explain anything). It teared me apart and I did not speak to her for an entire week. It's one thing to know that other people may think that but to know that your very own sister feels the same hurts so bad. I don't need her to agree with me on what I want to do, but as family, I wish she could support me for me and ANYTHING I believe in. She had said she was sorry and that she didn't mean it but to hear it randomly slip out again just stirs up all the emotions and maybe the original apology was a load of bull.

Nurses are honestly the only ones who knows the patients best. Attendings make their rounds every what? 5 mins to each patient each day? Don't get me wrong, I have respect for doctors (some, not all). But they're not always there. The people who are always there for the patient is the nurse. Today, for the discharge, the attending who did the final discharge notes said that she had no known allergies. The patient has multiple allergies including cocedine, latex, sulfa drugs, lyrica...and the list goes on. Last week another patient had surgery on one leg and the normal routine for the procedure is to give the other leg something something device. The reason why I don't remember what it was is because the patient had only one leg. His other leg has been amputated. How can someone possibly miss that? So honestly I'm tired of people viewing a doctor as a higher power being and a nurse as nothing better than a female dog.

Okay, I'm done. thanks for listening.

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Specializes in HCA, Physch, WC, Management.

That really sucks. I feel like the general public has a lot of respect for nurses and holds them in a degree of great esteem! When people find out that I am going to nursing school, they are usually very impressed. Maybe more than they should be. ;) Nursing school is NOT easy in any way and only the strong and smart survive! Could I have made it through med school? I dunno. Maybe I'm smart enough but I don't have the time and ambition to be in that kind of environment. And I honestly want to take care of people not just diagnose them and send them on their way. The whole muddy water of doctors not having time for patients is something I'd rather not get into anyway. The point is, nurses really are the HEART of health care. They do the caring. The TLC. They actually care about the patients. And that's what I think really matters.

Try not to take what she said too seriously. You and I both know how hard being a nurse is going to be and even if we're the only ones, that's enough. Take pride in your schooling and the fact that you are about to enter a very esteemed and highly regarded profession.

Best of luck.

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I feel like the general public has a lot of respect for nurses and holds them in a degree of great esteem! When people find out that I am going to nursing school, they are usually very impressed.

Thanks. I know of many people who are impressed with my choice as well. It's just some of those other individuals... :angryfire I feel a lot better now. I just needed to let it out.

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Most of the people that find out I am doing nursing are usually very impressed as well. There are always going to be those few ignorant people that know not of what they speak but like to pretend they do, just roll your eyes at them and walk away or tell them if they THINK that nursing is easy, to do it themselves and then proceed to laugh at them when they fail out their first semester.

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Specializes in NICU.

Your sister sounds charming...

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I knew someone from India (an engineering student) who thought of nursing as a low-status job. Also know of an Afghani who thought the same. These are people I knew from undergrad at a university. Some cultures tend to think of the doctor as a god, and are very oriented to income/status, and it appears that the acceptable professions are law, business-ownership, or medicine. So, I know where you're coming from.

But it sounds like you might be talking about another type of person who is so insecure and narrow in thinking that they think that physicians are the only people with authority/power. This type will do anything to identify with that kind of thing, so look down on any other health care professional. I've met my share of these. I find them a pretty insane group (the same type who will lease a BMW they can't afford kind of thing), or either uneducated about the current state of affairs regarding the nursing profession. Either way, I wouldn't waste my time worrying, and consider the source before taking the opinion personally.

There are plenty of respectable people who respect nurses. My boyfriend, for example, is a resident, and says he often wishes he'd gone for nursing and specialized in anesthesia. He is very supportive of me as I'm in NS. I couldn't imagine him looking down on nurses, and I know for a fact that he works alongside some amazing, educated nurses. He speaks of working a lot with NPs (I do ask about this, as this is my career goal). There are some arrogant docs, but they are arrogant whether you're a collegue or a nurse/pharmacist/physical therapist, etc. It's unfortunate that your sister might be adding to the group of docs who make nurses (and other health care workers) lives difficult...

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I know how you feel... while plenty are impressed there are always those idiots who know nothing.. Example, my co-worker (do not work in healthcare currently) always makes negative comments about nursing and nursing students... like I was talking about a project I had to do at clinicals that included a huge patient teaching about the subject of my choice... and my coworker goes.... "oh my god I can't believe they let you guys do stuff like...do the patients care b/c there is not way I'd be listening to some student or a nurse about important matters like that" ummmmm excuse me... where do you think nurses get there knowledge... umm how about when they are students.. and geez I'd trust a nurse before a doctor about many things..

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Specializes in Alzheimers and geriatric patients.

I want to be a nurse so i can do specialized patient care, and lets face it, as an MD you just don't have the time in most settings!

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gone are the days when people say.. "so you're a nurse huh? doctor's little helper.." :chuckle

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It's just ignorance as a pp said, don't let it bother you. You can practice using that think skin that nurses need!

(And the fact that she WANTS to go to med school doesn't mean anything. I WANT a million dollars, that doesn't make me a millionaire!)

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I have to totally agree on with everything you say! Yes medical students in generally look down upon nurses. I just started nursing school and yes ALL my pre-med friends told me that I am smarter than that to do nursing. It's not the easy way out because we deal with more patients then the doctors will ever do in their lifetime! We are the primary caregiver in the hospital! Also it's definitely not the easy way out because the Nursing school and the boards is way beyond anything compared to medical state boards. Our is not only knowing the inside and back of medications, processes, and so forth but also to apply critical thinking with it! Yes I'm sure once I get into clinical i will grow to love the job more than I already am. Choosing to become a nurse is a given gift. I don't believe that just anyone can do it. Yeah maybe they can get into nursing school and do the curriculum, but getting out there and applying it to real life situations is the other half of the battle. Getting As in nursing school is not something that can be compared to experience. A person might ace all their exams, but might not be the best nurse because they can't look beyond the situation when it is thrown at them.

Regardless if it's your sister or not that looks down on you just remember that criticism is the best way of becoming better and stronger. You silence the critiques with your compassion within the field itself. =) Hope you feel better. With your sister being in the medical field has a lot to do with why she is lookigg down on you. Her perspective might be steered towards money. Nursing is a gifted skill that an individual holds within themselve. Not everyone have it. Chasing that paper will do no good. That's in my perspective anyways. Have a great weekend!!!

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I'm sorry you have people around you who feel/act that way! I work with many doctors and they give nurse's so much respect for what they do and are so encouraging of me becoming one. They admit that we do more for the patient than anyone!! Everyone I know has much respect for nurses!! Keep your head up =)

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