Why can't I be a nurse?

[Cali]

Have any of you young nurses had the problem of patients and/or their family members assuming that you aren't or can't be a nurse just because you appear to be young. I am 26 years old, although most people think I'm about 21. (I guess I have a baby face) I'm an LPN/LVN on a Labor & Delivery floor and I went in to start an IV the other night and the patient's mother asked me "Oh, where did you take your phlebotomy class." Another night one nurse was in the room doing an IV and she was unable to get it started so she had me go try and the patient's husband so "Oh....they had to send the assistant in to start the IV. What is an assistant anyway? I have also been called the housekeeper by a nurse from another unit. She was like "Oh I'm sorry, I couldn't see your name badge. She couldn't see my name badge and she "assumed" I was the housekeeper. Sorry if I'm carrying on and on but this is getting old. I'm so sick of it.

[Emperess]

I'm 24 and get the same thing frequently working in ICU - "You don't seem old enough to be an RN" "Were you a very young high school graduate?" "You can't have been doing this very long"

I usually win them over with my professionalism and detailed explanation in laymen's terms of all the things happening to their loved one, and all the strange equipment they see. Then the occasional well-intended "Oh, you should be a doctor!" Like it's a compliment that we're not supposed to know this stuff as nurses and must be exceptional if we do, "and so young at that!"

I remember when I was a new LPN at 20 working med-surg, often with CNA's 2 or 3 times my age. The patients frequently mixed us up, even after repeated clarification. "Honey, can you get the nurse?" "I am the nurse, Mrs. Doe, what do you need" "No, sweetie, I need the NURSE" [picture banging my head against the wall at this point]

Or when the CNA was my age, I once heard from outside an elderly gentleman's room to his wife "What, do I have a bunch of teenagers taking care of me???"

[Nurse Ratched, RN]

I remember being a nurse's aide at 16. One elderly gentleman declined to go to bed one evening saying youngsters like ME ought to be in bed at that hour.

Now at 32, I am glad when anyone mistakes me for being younger than I am lol.

I agree with the idea of introducing yourself first by name and position before you do anything else to minimize confusion. It's so hard for patients to distinguish staff when everyone is wearing some variation of scrubs. And whoever said the older you get, the younger everyone else looks, was right on the nose.

[yellow rose]

I sympathize with you....I'm 22 and a new grad! I've been asked several times "Are you sure you're old enough to be a nurse?"

On my 21st b-day, I was working as an lpn at the time, and I told a pt it was my birthday. The reply "Happy Birthday! You'll be able to get your drivers license now!"

On night shift, I am affectionately known as "Lil Bit" or "punkin head."

Usually I just laugh it off...and remind them that I am a nurse w/ a license.

[Geeg]

Increase the size of the RN letters on your badge. Inform "know it all" patients that you have completed a "NLN" accredited 4yr nsg program, and fulfilled all state requiremnts, including sitting for boards as required by the state of blah, blah, blah, for Rn licensure, that should shut them down!!

[ava'smomRN]

i know the feeling, i get worse because i look 12 and sometimes i really take it to heart even though i know i look young. during my phlebotomy clinical when i finally got to draw from impatients all the nurses on the floor thought i was one of the staff phlebotomist daughter and that i was there for "take your daughter to work day" hey maybe its not the exact same situation but i know the feeling and everyone just keeps elling me "enjoy looking 7 years younger than you are"