Why does it seem like nurses are one way or the other?

[NurseyTonyaLPN]

Most nurses I know are either:

1) Incredibly nice, sweet, helpful people who are in the job because they have a need to help others,

Or

2) Miserable, mean, witches, and you wonder why they ever chose a profession that supposed to help people.

Is it just me or have other people had the same experience? Just curious.

Tonya

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

Really???? I notice just the opposite. Most of the people I work with are in between those too extremes, leaning more towards number one, but having moments of stress and "venting". I know I am. Fortunately at the moment I'm not working with anyone who fits #2 description, but I have seen them over the years.

I wouldn't try to pigeonhole anyone, rather accept people as they are and try to deal with their strengths and weaknesses. And stay far away from the #2's.

[RN and Mommy]

I agree with Tweety. Something in them made them want to get into nursing. You can be interested in the science of it, but deep down, you just have to care for people. I think most nurses have a range between #1 and #2. Sometimes you catch them on #1, sometimes on #2, but I think mostly they are somewhere in between.

[Spidey's mom, ADN, BSN, RN]

Yep, I'm in agreement with Tweety and Sabrina.

And this happens in all types of jobs or groups of people - there are #1 and #2 and mostly in-between people.

steph

[kukukajoo, LPN]

you ever notice that people usually act how you perceive them? If you think they will be like that, then you will notice everything that will put them in either category.

[clemmm78, RN]

I don't know. I've been described as both. Depended on a lot, including the personality of the person doing the describing.

[llg, PhD, RN]

They say "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder." Perhaps there is a similar phenomenon at work here.

llg