(no subject)
I am not even out of school yet and I am already tired of the nursing stereotypes. So mad about it that I want to scream or cry or hurt the next person who says something ignorant to me. I am tired of people telling me my future consists of wiping butts. Ok, yeah, we do that. We clean up and take care of the hygiene of people who are otherwise unable to do so, and if you don't respect that, well, then I am very sorry for you. One day when it's your mother of father or god forbid, you, you will be grateful to have that person there who so willingly and eagerly steps up and does his or her job.
But there are other things we do. Are there dumb nurses out there? Certainly. But there are dumb doctors, too.
But there are smart nurses. We need smart nurses. We need women and men who can think for themselves, who can understand and anticipate their patient's needs, who can challenge doctors when they don't see the whole picture or don't listen to their patients.
When you hear the word nurse, what do you think of? A woman at a bedside putting in an IV, or giving medication? Certainly we do that. But there are so many other things. There are nurses who transport patients from the scene of an emergency in a helicopter and are solely responsible for their care during that transport. There are Nurse Practitioners who see their own patients and are essentially the same as a medical doctor. There are nurse researchers who are conducting important studies that will influence health care in years to come. There are nurses who make advances in biomedical technology. There are community nurses and parish nurses who reach out to those without regular medical care and make sure their needs are being met. And yes, there are nurses who are at the bedside doing their jobs, and very often, those nurses essentially run the floor. I hope you never have to be hospitalized, but if you do, count how many times you see your doctor and how many times you see your nurse. And please keep in mind, that sometimes, when you see your doctor, it's because your nurse called him or her, because they noticed something that needed your doctor's attention.
Nursing is hard. Ask any nursing student. We bust our butts. I have been told that I should go to medical school, that I am smart enough for it, and why would I not do it? It's a consideration in the back of my mind, trust me. But I am not ashamed of being a nurse. I shouldn't have to be. The general public may never know what we actually do, and that's okay. Just don't say ignorant things and make judgements about things you know little about. That's all I ask.
But there are other things we do. Are there dumb nurses out there? Certainly. But there are dumb doctors, too.
But there are smart nurses. We need smart nurses. We need women and men who can think for themselves, who can understand and anticipate their patient's needs, who can challenge doctors when they don't see the whole picture or don't listen to their patients.
When you hear the word nurse, what do you think of? A woman at a bedside putting in an IV, or giving medication? Certainly we do that. But there are so many other things. There are nurses who transport patients from the scene of an emergency in a helicopter and are solely responsible for their care during that transport. There are Nurse Practitioners who see their own patients and are essentially the same as a medical doctor. There are nurse researchers who are conducting important studies that will influence health care in years to come. There are nurses who make advances in biomedical technology. There are community nurses and parish nurses who reach out to those without regular medical care and make sure their needs are being met. And yes, there are nurses who are at the bedside doing their jobs, and very often, those nurses essentially run the floor. I hope you never have to be hospitalized, but if you do, count how many times you see your doctor and how many times you see your nurse. And please keep in mind, that sometimes, when you see your doctor, it's because your nurse called him or her, because they noticed something that needed your doctor's attention.
Nursing is hard. Ask any nursing student. We bust our butts. I have been told that I should go to medical school, that I am smart enough for it, and why would I not do it? It's a consideration in the back of my mind, trust me. But I am not ashamed of being a nurse. I shouldn't have to be. The general public may never know what we actually do, and that's okay. Just don't say ignorant things and make judgements about things you know little about. That's all I ask.