You don't LOOK like a nurse

sassysteph7 · Mar 2, 2008

I'm not sure nurses have a 'look'. The funny thing that happened to me today was I made a hospice visit at a local hospital that I'm not very familiar with. I got off the elevator on the wrong floor and this woman in scrubs (a nurse?), asked me where I was going and then she said "are you with hospice?" I had on street clothes and a winter jacket so she couldn't see my nametag. I replied Yes and asked her how she knew. She then said "you look like a hospice nurse".....I didn't know hospice nurses, never mind ANY type of nurses had a 'look'. I'm just happy to be a nurse.:heartbeat

AmericanRN · Mar 2, 2008

So, after having the most overwhelming week at school with tests in all classes and CPE's, I was excited to get together with my monthly bunco group last night. Not everyone in the group knew I was in nursing school until last night and when one of the girls overheard some of us talking about it she looked straight at me and said, "What? You don't look like a nurse!".
I was in a total state of shock that she said it, and I didn't reply because I knew if I said something it probably wouldn't be nice. I am not sure why I am letting it get to me so bad, but I can't get past it.
Has anyone else ever been told this before? I have never had an image of what a nurse should physically look like, do other people and I just don't know about it???
I don't know why this has got me so upset....I guess I just feel like I have worked so hard this week, and somebody took the wind out of my sails.

I don't know what a "nurse" looks like. I never thought about it but on the other hand she may not have meant that negatively. I go by tone and voice pitch with people not what they actually said, many times the words they utter are not exactly what was meant.

I know some people apparently do have an image of what certain job descriptions look like though because a friend of mine was at a retreat/workshop type thing. No one knew each other's job descriptions until the end of the 3 day workshop.

When her job was revealed she was told she "did not look like a cop....you look like a nurse or a school teacher." So it can go a lot of ways. The person that said it explained later that they thought cops looked cold, and unapprochable and that nurses and teachers looked "maternal."

With further discussion my friend found out the person had never seen a cop without a uniform on before and never considered the fact that they wear regular clothes and not all of the females have short hair and whatever other kind of image that has been fed to them.

Put the wind back in your sails and next time you see her just ask her what she meant by that. Perhaps she had a negative experience with a nurse and some "Nurse Ratchet" type connotation with nurses. Perhaps you look younger or are nicer then she expected a nurse to be. Never can tell what's going on in the human brain. :)

RNsRWe, ASN, RN · Mar 2, 2008

I had to check the date on the original post, to make sure this wasn't a thread I had seen about a year or so ago! Obviously, it comes up from time to time :)

Like others have said, I can't imagine getting upset at such a statement. In my mind, the person saying it had some kind of an image in her head of what a nurse "looks like" and you didn't match it, that's all. I imagine if I were in such a group setting and someone discovered I were a second degree black belt (I'm not, lol, go with it!), I'd hear "you don't look like a black belt!". Ok, so I don't match her image of one. I'm ok with that.

There's too much in life to be upset about legitimately. Don't let an offhand remark cause you to create an upset that shouldn't be there. I seriously doubt it was intended to give you more than four seconds' worth of thought. I'd bet money she forgot about it 60 seconds later, anyway.

showbizrn · Mar 2, 2008

what an inane statement.
nurses come in all shapes, sizes, ages and genders. i wouldn't give it another thought.

***************************************************

well said, mzmouse.

don't despair, j-me.

many have told me, oh, you look like a nurse.

but what does that mean?

you are blessed with the opportunity to pursue one of the greatest professional careers in the united states if not worldwide.

:nurse:

nurses

make up feel up

when you're down

will listen

to your fears

when no one else is around.

nurses

mend your soul

when your heart

wants to bleed

when you cry out

we'll meet

your every need.

nurses

require more verses

that this poet

can possibly know it. :rolleyes:

welcome to a profession where you can thrive

while you're still alive!

:redbeathe

showbizrn.

from the heart.