What to do with people who think they know nursing?

Nurses General Nursing

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I was out with my family for dinner today, and trying to decide what color scrubs to get for my CNA program - we have the choice between light pink and navy blue. I eventually went with navy blue, but that's not the point. I was talking with my sister (I have two younger siblings) and she wanted me to get pink - I told her no, because if something happened, pink would show dirt more. She asked me why it mattered, since I was going to end up in wintergreen scrubs anyways. I stared at her and asked what she meant. She told me that since I want to be a nurse, I would work in the OR and wear the wintergreen scrubs like all the nurses do.

(By the way, she's addicted to House.)

It just reminded me of all the people that know I'm pre-nursing and keep talking about "the shortage" and how "you'll always have a job" and everything. How do you guys deal with that? I've kind of resorted to nodding my head and agreeing, as explaining takes a lot more time.

Advice, please? I'm just not sure what to do with it! :redbeathe Thanks! :heartbeat

Specializes in Telemetry, CCU.

To the OP, yea, welcome to the world of nursing. Your sister is the first of many people to share ignorant and misinformed opinions with you.

My favorite was when I found out about my transfer to the CCU after working a year on a tele floor. I was telling my family about it and my mother-in-law says "Oh! So does that mean you'll be starting IVs now?!!" Very genuinely, too. She didn't mean any harm by it but I wanted to say "Come on lady! What do you think I've been doing on tele for the last year? Getting to start IVs is not what makes the CCU more challenging!" Lol

As long as you have a partner (hubby, boyfriend/girlfriend) and a few good nursing buddies that understand and respect what you do, it doesn't really matter what everyone else thinks :)

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Specializes in ICU.
To the OP, yea, welcome to the world of nursing. Your sister is the first of many people to share ignorant and misinformed opinions with you.

My favorite was when I found out about my transfer to the CCU after working a year on a tele floor. I was telling my family about it and my mother-in-law says "Oh! So does that mean you'll be starting IVs now?!!" Very genuinely, too. She didn't mean any harm by it but I wanted to say "Come on lady! What do you think I've been doing on tele for the last year? Getting to start IVs is not what makes the CCU more challenging!" Lol

As long as you have a partner (hubby, boyfriend/girlfriend) and a few good nursing buddies that understand and respect what you do, it doesn't really matter what everyone else thinks :)

haha that is so funny! I've been on tele for one year now too and when I tell people that I will soon be starting in the ICU, they almost always think it means trauma. So, they mention things like, "oh, so you'll see a lot of car accidents and gross stuff." I'm like...uh..ok, no.

I have just come to the conclusion that people just don't know and it is difficult for them to grasp everything without being there 36 hours + per week.:wink2:

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OK sorta related. I work 7p-7a, I really really hate it when I get up in the afternoon @2-3pm walk down my driveway to get my mail and my neighbor comes out and screams across the road "ITS ABOUT TIME YOU GOT UP" usually I just smile and nod but the last time I yelled back "YEAH, WHAT WERE YOU DOING AROUND 3 AM WHEN I WAS WORKING? uggg.

Seriously if anyone had done that to me when I worked nights routinely I'd end up giving them the bird. I admire your restraint. :)

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Seriously if anyone had done that to me when I worked nights routinely I'd end up giving them the bird. I admire your restraint. :)

Uhhh, confession time here.....ummmmm.....bad night @ work+sick kid when I got home+MIA husband +PIA neighbor=one or two birds flying off in the neighbors general direction....:D:uhoh21:

That's the one thing I LOVE about this site!! There is always someone here who has been through or going through the same stuff!! Kinda helps with the isolating thoughts of "I have to be the only one going through this!" (h)

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I don't try to explain to people why I'm not done yet. I've been pursuing nursing since I graduated high school in 2005, and hit a few snags along the way. I'm finally starting a nursing program in the fall.. so two more years to go, for real this time!

I have a friend that REALLY ****** me off the way she thinks she knows everything. She works in the Emergency room as a tech of some sort. She swears up and down that she does and knows everything that the nurses in her unit do-- when I know that's total &%^$^@#...She's is a high school graduate-- she's had no more schooling or training. She doesnt have a clue about what a nurse does if she thinks all they do is transport patients and do CPR. She asks why spend money on school when you can do her job and do all the same things (um, maybe because I don't want to make $12 an hour for the rest of my life). And on top of all that she makes fun of me for wanting to help people, because she hates people. When she does this I just ignore her, I don't even give her the satisfaction of a response.

Gee it felt good to get that out, sorry about the rant.

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Specializes in Med/Surg.
To be honest, by telling her about the patient and your discussion with the doctor you validated her fears.

I respectfully disagree. There are definitely situations that warrant a conversation between members of the healthcare team. I didn't go into details with her about the pt's condition; I said what I liked about the doctor was that he kept me in the loop that he had concerns, and was willing to talk to me about them....it's GOOD for us all to be on the same page. She equates it with *gossiping* or talking inappropriately, which was neither the case. I told her nursing isn't just blindly following doctor's orders, that we are active in the care and care plan of the patient....she wasn't seeing it that way, and wouldn't listen to me try to explain. She thinks that if she brings her kids in for something, that everyone will be talking about her and the situation, and "making fun of her" if it turns out to be nothing, that kind of thing. VERY different from the situation I described.

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

Try not to get offended and just educate as you can. Don't sweat the small stuff either or you will go crazy. This country is a bunch of TV addicts and so many really do base their opinions of so many issues on what they see on a stupid sitcom or drama. Those that wrapped up don't get it. Let em be. Life is short.

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Those that wrapped up don't get it. Let em be. Life is short.

i live by this philosophy.

(ask my kids - probably my most oft-used statement)

and, this sentiment applies to so many situations.

truly, life IS too short.

let it go.:balloons:

leslie

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Specializes in Management, Emergency, Psych, Med Surg.

You can't teach these people anything. They watch these shows and they think that is what it is like. Doctors run everything and are all male, nurses, well what do they do? and are all female. I go through this every day at the hospital, explaining why the doctor is not here at 10 pm to see the patient. Why the patient is admitted to a doctor at 10 pm who will not see them until the next morning. Why I can't reach "their doctor" at 2 am because they do not understand the concept of "on call". They think these doctors are in the hospital 24 hours a day. They finally understand that it is the NURSE that takes care of them, not the doctor. We are the ones who hear and see for him and take care of stuff and report stuff to him and catch his errors that keep his butt out of hot water. But you never see this on TV.

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To the OP, yea, welcome to the world of nursing. Your sister is the first of many people to share ignorant and misinformed opinions with you.

My favorite was when I found out about my transfer to the CCU after working a year on a tele floor. I was telling my family about it and my mother-in-law says "Oh! So does that mean you'll be starting IVs now?!!" Very genuinely, too. She didn't mean any harm by it but I wanted to say "Come on lady! What do you think I've been doing on tele for the last year? Getting to start IVs is not what makes the CCU more challenging!" Lol

As long as you have a partner (hubby, boyfriend/girlfriend) and a few good nursing buddies that understand and respect what you do, it doesn't really matter what everyone else thinks :)

My family never listens, but I got really lucky and have an amazing friend who will listen to whatever I want to ramble about. :redbeathe He's the one that gets to listen to my play-by-play about my day at CNA class and will help me study for A&P and everything else pre-nursing and keep me motivated. :p My family sucks, but I do have someone that'll listen.

Plus I have all of you! :heartbeat

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Yeah, I really agree. It was just so out-of-nowhere from her (a quick note: She just got out of a month in an inpatient psychiatric hospital and I would've really figured that she would have noticed the nurses there...) that it just surprised me.

A lot of the parents I work for (I babysit) comment too, and I've just gotten down the "nod" thing in response and don't even bother explaining because...well, the nod is all they're looking for.

I do have people that understand, though, and it's what makes the toughest days better. :redpinkhe

Thank all of you guys for your advice. =) It's definitely stuff I'll keep in mind as I get closer to nursing school (and definitely ignore the people that keep harrassing me/tearing me down for not having a degree by now).

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Specializes in ortho, hospice volunteer, psych,.
yeah, i really agree. it was just so out-of-nowhere from her (a quick note: she just got out of a month in an inpatient psychiatric hospital and i would've really figured that she would have noticed the nurses there...) that it just surprised me.

at this point, not much surprises me. i worked psych and we all (nurses and managers) wore jeans and tops without designs or print. no t-shirts. most of us wore polo shirts. i often ran errands or grocery shopped on my way home in the morning. one time, a friend called "hi" from farther down the aisle and said she hoped my night had been quiet. a third woman raised her eyebrows and gave me a look that as much as said, "what kind of work do you do anyway?" my friend spoke up and said that i was a nurse.

the woman hurrumphed and said, "if you're really a nurse, where are your scrubs? all nurses wear scrubs." aaarrruuggghhhh!

kathy

sharpeimom:paw::paw:

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