Why do nurses seem to have a bad reputation?

Farawyn · Jun 9, 2015

Nope.

RNsRWe, ASN, RN · Jun 9, 2015

Television programs cater to the lowest common denominator and are typically unrealistic. Titillation sells advertising.

Your dad remembers things how he remembers them, regardless of their accuracy (sorry, Dad, but that's how I see it). Let's face it: who does he say those slutty nurses were sleeping WITH? Maybe....the docs?

Stereotypes are everywhere, about everything and everyone. Don't let them become YOUR reality.

Been there,done that, ASN, RN · Jun 9, 2015

Who I sleep with is nobody's business.

Now.. the going on strike and refusing to work idea.... is brilliant.

If you are "bothered" by a stereotype.... you need to get a thicker skin. You are in for one of the biggest challenges of your life. Spend your energy wisely.

dirtyhippiegirl, BSN, RN · Jun 9, 2015

I would say that when I tell people I am a nurse, they are never demeaning and older people in particular seem to have respect for the position. I would anecdotally categorize PUBLIC perception of nurses as hard working and caring.

allnurses Guide · Jun 9, 2015

I try not to bother my head with things as inconsequential as stereotypes on television. My life reads like a bad TV sitcom anyway.

Hppy

RNperdiem, RN · Jun 9, 2015

Not bothered at all. Reality is a lot more mundane.

MrChicagoRN, RN · Jun 9, 2015

Nurses are consistently one of the most trusted professionals.

I never even see nurses in most medical shows. It seems the docs serve as the doctor, the nurse, the social worker, the sitter, the counselor, the new best friend, all in one.

And back in the 60s & 70s, there was a loosening up of behaviors, and many people from every profession were more sexually active. There was a huge young adult baby boomer population then, & I'm sure the predominantly male interns and doctors would target, and talk about, the female nurses they would bed; or try to bed.

I'm not saying your dad was one of them, but in any event he would have heard the gossip and the bragging from his male colleagues.

GuEsT78 · Jun 9, 2015

Relax. Google "most trusted professions" and you'll find that nurses not only score high with the public, they're often the most trusted of the professions. There is, for instance, this recent Gallup poll:

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- In 2014, Americans say nurses have the highest honesty and ethical standards. Members of Congress and car salespeople were given the worst ratings among the 11 professions included in this year's poll. Eighty percent of Americans say nurses have "very high" or "high" standards of honesty and ethics, compared with a 7% rating for members of Congress and 8% for car salespeople.

Americans Rate Nurses Highest on Honesty, Ethical Standards

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What you were describing comes from a TV show not real life. I gave up on TV entirely almost two years ago. The disgusting, sensationalized unreality of TV shows was one reason I'd decided I'd rather live in a dumpster than watch what they were churning out. Fortunately, I need not live in that dumpster. In my case, I moved to a college town just far enough from any major city that I needed cable or an outside antenna to get television. I decided not to bother.

The sad thing is that there is a slice of America that does regard what they see on television as real life. They do think that nurses are like those on TV and a host of other misconceptions. The result is often sad and dysfunctional lives. TV lowers someone's standards of what a life well-lived means and drives people into a fear of crime, climate, or whatever. It's particularly harmful to children who have no way of knowing just how distorted a mirror of life it presents.

Television Habits - average, Definition, Description, Common problems

You might want to wean yourself off TV, particularly if you have children. There's little or nothing there worth watching, particularly in comparison to all the other, more interesting, and more productive activities you could be doing.

LadyFree28, BSN, LPN, RN · Jun 9, 2015

Where's the bad rep???

I've only experience positive reception from pts most of the time; even have experiences where docs respect us; I've had an antidotal conversation where a senior doc WISHED that med school was set up like nursing school, as well as seen doctors stand on the picket lines when nurses strike as a sign of solidarity.

Add that to polls having us as the most trusted profession, I would say nurses aren't getting a bad rep, but that's my little corner of the world.

HelloWish, ADN, BSN · Jun 9, 2015

Medical shows on TV are grossly inaccurate. They show the doctor's basically doing everything a nurse does and doing complete patient care. In my clinical experience thus far as a student, I have seen the doctor's visit the patient all of 2 minutes. The nurses do all the patient care. Physical therapy, respiratory therapy, and x-ray techs are also a big part of patient care...the doc is literally in and out in 2 minutes. I was even in with a patient one day and the doc walked in and asked how the patient was doing. I answered, he listened to the patients lungs and was literally out of the room in one minute...

In my opinion, most people really have no idea what nurses do but also it is respected profession.

OrganizedChaos, LVN · Jun 9, 2015

Television shows vs. reality are two different things. People sleep around regardless of what profession they are in, it's not just nurses.