Why do nurses seem to have a bad reputation?

[unbrokenx3]

I don't know if it's just me, but it seems like nurses get a bad wrap sometimes. For example, on Grey's Anatomy the nurses are looked down on completely, and one of the nurses even gave syphilis to a doctor. Also, the nurses on the show are generally grumpy and in one episode they go on strike and refuse to work.

I also feel like nurses have a reputation for sleeping around. My dad who is 85 and is a retired general surgeon says that back when he practiced, nurses were known to sleep around a lot. He said it's because nurses are around life and death so much that they get careless in the sexual promiscuity sense. I just think that all of these stereotypes portrayed through TV are really rude and not realistic.

I just started nursing school a little over a month ago and this has been bothering me. Does this bother anybody else? I just was curious to see different opinions on the subject.

[PS0812]

I'm not sure where the stereotype came from, but I do acknowledge it is out there. It doesn't bother me. I let my abilities and professionalism speak for themselves. The stuff you see on TV is drama and drama increases viewers, hence ratings.

[RN-APNstudent]

I feel the opposite! I am very proud to be a nurse, whenever somebody asks me what I do and I tell them I'm an RN I never have gotten a bad reaction. People seem to be very trusting of nurses, and most of the time acknowledge how hard we work.

[Dogen]

"She looked him fully in the face with a challenging, assertive stare." doesn't get the juices flowing, I guess.

It works better for some of us than someone shy and doing a chin tuck all the time... we're just not the target demographic of romance novels. Apparently a novel about two people who meet and treat each other as equals isn't as sexy to the people who spend money on romance novels as one where someone is reluctant and really needs their bodice ripped.

[nursingaround1]

All sort of people go into nursing, and bring their values and beliefs along for the ride. When I went through nursing school (23yrs ago) the girls who lived on campus were really quit naughty, and only got worse when we started work at the local hospital. But it wasn't just the nurses. The hospital had a Dr's residence at the back, and every 2nd friday or saturday night, it got pretty debauched.

It didn't help that out of 70 trainee nurses, at least a dozen of them admitted to me they were only doing it so they could marry a doctor. Some of them succeeded, and some of them are divorced.

At the same time, I know nurses who would never participate in such things, but I think, after working 3 weekends in a row in the Emergency room, it's not unusual to really let go and have a blast.

I'm not saying it's right or wrong, and I know there's been plenty of people feeling quite ashamed come monday morning. It is what it is.

[Jory, MSN, APRN, CNM]

I don't know if it's just me, but it seems like nurses get a bad wrap sometimes. For example, on Grey's Anatomy the nurses are looked down on completely, and one of the nurses even gave syphilis to a doctor. Also, the nurses on the show are generally grumpy and in one episode they go on strike and refuse to work.

I also feel like nurses have a reputation for sleeping around. My dad who is 85 and is a retired general surgeon says that back when he practiced, nurses were known to sleep around a lot. He said it's because nurses are around life and death so much that they get careless in the sexual promiscuity sense. I just think that all of these stereotypes portrayed through TV are really rude and not realistic.

I just started nursing school a little over a month ago and this has been bothering me. Does this bother anybody else? I just was curious to see different opinions on the subject.

The only people I have ever heard of in my life bashing nurses is physicians and other nurses.

NOT the general public.

Nurses, according to the Gallop poll, has been listed as the #1 most-trusted profession every year since the poll was started, other than the year 9/11 occurred.

That is what the public thinks of us.

We are our own worst enemy.

[RNforLongTime]

Even now that I work in a male Prison, I seem to get respect from MOST of the inmates. Some will even speak out on my behalf if they witness another inmate being rude or disresectful to me. I've overheard them numerous times.

So no, nurses do DEFINITELY NOT have a bad rep...we consistently are #1 in the Most Trusted Professions...the only year we weren't was when Firefighters took that spot in the post-9/11 year :)

[No Stars In My Eyes]

The other day I read that a passage in a book describing a woman as shy, head tilted down as she covertly looked up at him through her lashes. Say what?!

I have tried and tried to look covertly up through my lashes, but all I can do with my head tilted down is peer up through my bangs.

Now, if I am stretched out on my back, if I mostly close my eyes but still leave a little peeping space I can sort-of​ peek through my lashes. Maybe they just aren't abundant enough.