You're a nurse! How unfortunate

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If you've read the other post with a similar title, you'll read that this person gets positive responses from people when he/she tells others that he/she's a nurse. I've got a complaint, kind of like that... but it's that I get negative responses from people when I tell them what I do. I hear people say that nursing is menial "butt wiping." I'd like to think I get some respect as a kind of humanitarian or altruist, but I get the feeling that nursing is looked down on. Just my 2 cents.

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Specializes in Med-Surg.

We all have differing experiences and reactions when we tell people we are nurses.

I told one person at the bowling alley I was a nurse and it was........."oh you must be rich".

Other times it's "oh......I could never wipe butts......"

Other times it's "oh, I've always wanted to be a nurse, that's great."

95% of the time it's neutral and we move onto other topics, or they ask "where do you work....." just to be polite.

I don't need other people to validate me. So however people respond it really doesn't bother me. I

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Specializes in MedSurg.-Tele, Home health, LTC.

i was a cna for 10 years before becoming an rn, i wipe butts, so what? other people can't handle it, it is a job, i get paid for it. now that i am an rn, i get positive comment 99% of the time. they say oh wow, "so you get paid well, huh?", " you're job is hard...how do you do it?", what i hate when they some young inexperience nurses from my home country ask me " wow, so you can afford to buy a ferrari then?" i was like....ummmm, i am happy with my camry....one question i get all the time which annoys me, is that " so, how much do you make an hour?", so i say to them, how much do you make a week? nobody poke fun of what i do yet...if they do, i will just smile and say, be careful, i might end up taking care of your mother, father, son, daughter or you someday.:rotfl:

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Specializes in Nursing Ed, Ob/GYN, AD, LTC, Rehab.

When people make comments or fun of my job of "butt wiping" I always remind them that they should be so fortunate to never need someone to wipe their butt and be thankful that people will help those out in need, cause you never know if you might need it some day.

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I'm a new student nurse who just started clinicals, and therefore, butt wiping. I was afraid, very afraid, at first. But I knew it was part of my job so I volunteered to be the one to it every chance I could get (really).

And you know...it just ain't that bad. It's not like reading the classics or anything, but it's part of patient care. You can't help but want to help these people. And they are grateful for it, most of the time.

I'm in school, so everyone I'm around thinks nursing is great. People who I run into in the real world who have the wrong impression of nursing...well, they get an earful about patient education, the true meaning of patient care, and the true medical skill of nurses. They usually don't know what to say. But I definently leave them thinking.

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Specializes in Med-Surg.
If you've read the other post with a similar title, you'll read that this person gets positive responses from people when he/she tells others that he/she's a nurse. I've got a complaint, kind of like that... but it's that I get negative responses from people when I tell them what I do. I hear people say that nursing is menial "butt wiping." I'd like to think I get some respect as a kind of humanitarian or altruist, but I get the feeling that nursing is looked down on. Just my 2 cents.

Newbie nurse here, on my 5th week of orientation. I was a CNA for 4 1/2 years before I finally passed boards and started working as a nurse. What cracked me up half the time in nursing school was the girls who said they only got their CNA for the program and that they would never work as a CNA because they didn't like wiping butts and bed pans as such! LOL!

Anyways, I am PROUD to be a nurse, VERY proud. Other people who find out what I do respond with things like I could never be a nurse, I don't like blood or body fluids and such. I just think to myself, it is SO MUCH MORE than that! The real reward is in my patients. So many times, even as an aide, the patients say I don't know how you girls do it, it's hard work! And most of the time they are thankful for us being there. So yeah, if anyone ever had pity on me for being a nurse I wouldn't take it the wrong way because I love what I do!

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there is nothing wrong with " butt wiping"--I have been a practicing nurse for almost 42 years and ALL of it has been at the bedside--I was never interested in becoming a "clipboard " nurse--I still thoroughly enjoy patient care that includes "butt wiping" --interaction with patients still makes me proud to say "I"M A NURSE"

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People deal with butts no matter what profession. Some kiss them, but all wipe them.:p

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except for my husband, i have always received a favorable response to me stating i am a nurse.

it typically starts and ends with "God bless you....i couldn't do that".

although i don't know if they're responding to me working hospice or being a nurse.

what's most important to me, is my teen kids have immense respect for my position.

they're frequently telling their friends "my mom knows as much as a doctor". :rolleyes:

clarification: i'm not impressed being compared w/a doctor. i am impressed that they acknowledge that i use my brain and it's not ltd to 'wiping butts'.

leslie

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People deal with butts no matter what profession. Some kiss them, but all wipe them.:p

great answer!

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People deal with butts no matter what profession. Some kiss them, but all wipe them.:p

And to further drive your point home, you could always say "and some people just have their head stuck up them," if someone makes a derogatory butt comment! Hahaha!

:lol2: :lol2:

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:chuckle

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