We get lots of people asking if they would be right to become a nurse and each one of us scratches our heads to think up positive attributes of a nurse ( I know there are some - I have them here somewhere - I have just misplaced them at the moment:chuckle) No seriously though I thought it might be easier to describe those who, unless they have a major change in thinking and being, are just not suited to be nurses.
The one that comes to my mind is, of course the perfect princess who likes her nail varnish unchipped and revels in the latest fashions. Her hair is always Oh So! and she spends 10+ hours a day ensuring that she is and will remain the perfect princess.:roll
People who don't think holistically. An example is a long term (chronic) psych patient telling a male nurse that she didn't have enough bras so had to go shopping. This facility was her home and her only method to buy clothes was go with a nurse. The male nurse screwed up his nose with disgust and said "Don't tell me those things, I don't want to know those female things" I was really surprised as he could have simply passed on the message and not made an issue about it. Other than that I have only ever seen and experienced utmost professionalism from male nurses and think they make a excellent contribution to the career.
People who can never see the bright side and the other extreme, people who can never accept that the world is not all "happy, kitties, flowers and bunnies".
I DO have a very serious reason for asking this question.
What would you think of someone who, constantly seeks validation for themselves and exhibits attention seeking behaviour up to and including threatening suicide if they do not get their way over quite trivial issues. This person tells me that they want to become a nurse.
Originally posted by gwenith To be honest this is not the only disturbing aspect of this persons personality. They lie and constantly. I never know when I am hearing the truth from this person. But they are determined to become a nurse. To be honest I don't think they "get it". Nursing requires a high degree of honesty otherwise,,,,,,,,,,,, Well the otherwise is just too nasty to contemplate.
No, the person you discribe should not be a nurse, they lack the needed maturity and social skills (and may be of questionable sanity). Hopefully, nursing is just a passing fixation and she will find a new one. If not, hopefully the school will do its job and weed them out, as it did the poster who's name we dare not speak who didn't turn in assignments on time and gave meds without their instructor. I know people like these who did not make it thru my program because of their behaviors.
Lazy people should not become nurses. Only know two but they make me sick. Patient care? Only if they can't get somebody else to do it and they think they will get caught if they don't do it. I think both of these nurses would happily walk away from a room on fire if it happened exactly at shift change. Ignorant people can learn, vain attention seekers can gain maturity and grow into a professional- but laziness is forever. Can you guess I feel very strongly about this? lol
I thought of one more..someone with no sense of humor. I know when I worked ER humor is wht kept us going some nights (well that an a dominos pizza),,in any case sometimes the humor got a little raunchy but it is a great coping mechanism and if we all self destucted who would take care of the patients??
Gee, Gwenith...it sounds like a frequent attention seeking poster here who was kicked out of school for not completing assignments and giving meds without his/her instructor. That is the type of person I feel should not be a nurse, especially if the person refuses to take responsibility for his/her mistakes and blames his/her instructors. I would not want that person being my nurse.
I think I know who you mean,hardknox...I think someone who has substance abuse problems should think twice about nursing.Then again that might be part of the denial process, one thinks one is handling it when that is clearly not the case.
How about someone who had children removed from their custody due to neglect and outright abuse. They believe that physical punishment, for example beating that causes bruising, is justified. A few years later, here they are in nursing school...??
Very interesting thread. I've enjoyed reading others' thoughts on who should not become a nurse. I'm worried about the people described here, however, who are wanting to become nurses (the suicidal liar, and the child-abuser).
The attention seeker is akin to my description of a classmate- it was all about her. She would not focus on the pt. Dangerous and inappropriate.
HOPEFULLY the system will work and these people will be weeded out.
Well going down this list I cant see anything that is bad for nursing and applies to me and some of positives im sure i also have. I suppose the one thing is that its hard to see what you will be like is with sick and and the smell but.
All the things mentioned above plus people who crave plenty of autonomy and power in the work setting. While you be giving plenty of responsibility as a bedside RN, you will never call the shots or be in control of the patients medical plan. But you will get a chance to carry it out and play a vital part in the patient's care.
Specializes in ER, PED'S, NICU, CLINICAL M., ONCO..
Working at ER I had the opportunity of being instructed by a senior coworker-RN that became nurse after abandoning his 5th year at medicine career. He was a pain on the neck! Frustrated physician.
Due to differences in status and salary, the former easy access to the medicine career, we suffered the particular phenomena of having an overwhelming physician's population, opposite to a real RNs shortage. In order to balance that situation the educational authorities inserted a program called CBC of 3 to 4 years, before getting in med. As a consequence of that, a lot of prospective doctors jumped from the CBC to the nursing career.
Therefore, in the next few years the BsAs University is going to produce lots of frustrated physicians with diploma of RN.
Because there is no CBC to get in Nursing, it would be interesting to put a psyche test or a kind of attitude test before admitting people with "perfect princes syndrome" to it.
To be honest I don't think they "get it". Nursing requires a high degree of honesty otherwise,,,,,,,,,,,, Well the otherwise is just too nasty to contemplate. 
NurseRachy
196 Posts
I also thought of one...
People who don't think holistically. An example is a long term (chronic) psych patient telling a male nurse that she didn't have enough bras so had to go shopping. This facility was her home and her only method to buy clothes was go with a nurse. The male nurse screwed up his nose with disgust and said "Don't tell me those things, I don't want to know those female things" I was really surprised as he could have simply passed on the message and not made an issue about it. Other than that I have only ever seen and experienced utmost professionalism from male nurses and think they make a excellent contribution to the career.
Rachel :)