tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6833607.post9184352309991273800..comments2023-06-14T03:36:55.988-07:00Comments on Head Nurse: Handmaidens, Helpmeets, and the Problem of NursingJohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16520599099436383317noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6833607.post-68574239346245336392013-08-05T07:30:56.977-07:002013-08-05T07:30:56.977-07:00Well said..
I needed to read this post after a na...Well said..<br /><br />I needed to read this post after a nasty shift. I beyond tired of public preception of nurses as handmaiden -servant routine.<br /><br />Been a nurse for 10 yrs, ER past 5 years. <br /><br /> It never seizes to amaze me that while you are 'hand deep in blood/or sh*t' etc to stabilize/or assess the patient, or taking care of other patients (or god forbid, try to save a life>>code).<br /><br />The patient/or their family go ape'sht, b/c you didn't get them a warm blanket, make tea, or respond immediately when they 'ring' that call bell.<br /><br />But they have plenty of time to call the charge nurse/manager or public relation b/c you are not 'servant' enough. <br /><br />Guess who management supports? <br /><br />I love being a nurse, giving care and can say, I am very good at my job.<br /><br />BUT absolutely hate the 'maid routine'. <br /><br />This an emergency, a hospital,not a hotel.<br /><br /><br />This customer service that hospital takes is way too far. It is enough for me want to walk away.<br /><br />Maybe, I'll try being a maid..less stress.<br /><br /> Yes, I can't get you that warm blanket, make that pot of tea..so someone can take care of your MI, being septic, circling the drain.etc.. if I was a less of a nurse<br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6833607.post-83243521054891915842010-11-18T04:32:53.169-08:002010-11-18T04:32:53.169-08:00I love this post! I totally agree with your views....I love this post! I totally agree with your views. :)<br /><br />I quote: When people say, "You seem awfully tough for a nurse", I respond, "Nurses are tough." <br /><br />That is definitely true! Your post was so inspiring, it made me think deeper into my soon-to-be profession (I'm in my senior year of nursing and I'll be graduating on April)<br /><br />Kudos to you. :Dclairehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04271419390876067729noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6833607.post-83841037119044155572009-05-02T03:52:00.000-07:002009-05-02T03:52:00.000-07:00I'm a male BSN student, and this is a great post (...I'm a male BSN student, and this is a great post (late to the party, I know. :P)<br /><br />The most common question patients and classmates (45 of them, 39 of whom are female) is: "Why don't you want to be a physician?" I find it odd that even female nursing students wonder why a man doesn't prefer medicine over nursing. I usually answer vaguely, because I'm tired of explaining my goal of an advanced degree in nursing, in order to practice even more autonomously, how I enjoy the way nurses interact with patients and how I view that relationship as important and necessary, my role as a patient advocate, blah blah blah. Now I just say I prefer nursing to medicine, end of story, my prerogative. <br /><br />Nursing as a profession desperately needs advocates. The public at large doesn't really know what an RN does. Patients usually can't tell the difference between a tech, an LPN, and an RN; they just assume everyone is a nurse (and they usually assume I am a physician.)<br /><br />Nurses need to be better <I>to each other</I>, as well. I swear I have never seen more infighting or curled upper lips in a workplace. I've seen the way older nurses eat their young (a major problem, in my opinion). The concept of mentoring seems to be entirely foreign to the nursing profession. It's more like: "Let's see how ragged I can run the new person before they snap," and if that attitude is limited to the facilities in which I do clinical, I'll eat my hat.<br /><br />It's strange in ways I have extreme difficulty qualifying to be a male nursing student. I don't even know where to begin. <br /><br />Nurses should demand the respect they've earned and always remember to educate anyone who will listen about what a nurse really is. No nurse is a handmaiden to big studly physicians, but I sure as hell do not play that role. Any physician that ever tries to treat me like a glorified butt-wiper is gonna get a boot lodged up his or her ass.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6833607.post-24555583455564149592009-01-11T01:32:00.000-08:002009-01-11T01:32:00.000-08:00Mary:Email me!Mary:<BR/><BR/>Email me!Johttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16520599099436383317noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6833607.post-69605320661518731662009-01-10T08:46:00.000-08:002009-01-10T08:46:00.000-08:00Thanks, Jo. Your blog has helped me so much. I'm s...Thanks, Jo. Your blog has helped me so much. <BR/><BR/>I'm starting an accelerated BSN program, and I admit I'm hesitant. I certainly don't want to be a handmaiden. I want to be a competent, skilled professional that is more competent b/c my prior life experience and education enrich my practice. I've been a professional worthy of respect in the field of public health and social work, and I already have a graduate degree and I'm also a massage therapist and doula. But, starting nursing has sent me into a kind of identity crisis. <BR/><BR/>More complex: my husband is a med student and he can't understand why I'm struggling with this new role. I'm constantly told I'm "too smart" to be a nurse and told to go to med school, and have, more than once, been told what a good fit we'll be; I can be "his" nurse! (Vomit!!!) <BR/><BR/>I need an experienced nurse with perspective and positivity to be my mentor. I'm on the lookout, if you have any ideas or are looking for a new mentee :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6833607.post-67510298034536143312008-09-18T22:37:00.000-07:002008-09-18T22:37:00.000-07:00I start my training in an LPN program on Monday at...I start my training in an LPN program on Monday at the age of 46. I'm very smart and I like the facts nurses play many roles in patient care~advocates, coordinating care, the challenge of educating the patient enough so they can take care of themselves at home, and a few other things that are slipping my mind. I earned my AA as I did my pre-reqs for the LPN program and the pre-reqs to ladder up later on.<BR/><BR/>This is a very good post and I agree with you completely.<BR/><BR/>JaniceNWCrazed Nitwithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09433413927453925851noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6833607.post-3859259091536071252008-08-25T09:07:00.000-07:002008-08-25T09:07:00.000-07:00"...I'm not going to list out here what I do every..."...I'm not going to list out here what I do every day that could be considered intellectually challenging and deserving of respect; I've done that over and over in previous posts."<BR/><BR/>Could you point me towards some of these posts? I've been feeling more and more like a handmaiden these days and could use a reminder of what I do as a nurse that could be considered intellectual.Beth Coll Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06527694688182189378noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6833607.post-27644866466844417112008-08-15T20:21:00.000-07:002008-08-15T20:21:00.000-07:00These are good points, Jo. Can I add something: ...These are good points, Jo. Can I add something: one of the hazards of billing nursing as a 'fluffy' caring profession is that it attracts people who don't have the science skills required. They find nursing school hard and I would guess, practice even harder. <BR/><BR/>[I'm an environmental scientist, but I spent a lot of time at college helping out dorm-mates who were in nursing school and were out of their depth in cell biology, maths, and pharmacology - many of them had not done any science subjects in highschool]alisonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08141468503891980691noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6833607.post-6628244898448920822008-08-15T11:59:00.000-07:002008-08-15T11:59:00.000-07:00Wow, I'm so happy I stumbled across this post! I'v...Wow, I'm so happy I stumbled across this post! I've been having my doubts lately about switching to nursing as a second career (although, I never really had a first career...), but this post has really helped me remember why I want to be a nurse. It's not necessarily for the "caring," although that's important. It's for the science, the technology, the critical thinking and the action-oriented nature of the profession. Thank you a million times over.Sarahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12007396682318994573noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6833607.post-42145792902987298512008-08-14T17:24:00.000-07:002008-08-14T17:24:00.000-07:00I couldn't have said it better myself...even thoug...I couldn't have said it better myself...even though I've tried many of my posts. haha. You have a way with words and I always enjoy your posts. Keep it up!Kellyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17678454656818768871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6833607.post-11210945244374529822008-08-14T14:47:00.000-07:002008-08-14T14:47:00.000-07:00The perfect post before med-surg starts next week....The perfect post before med-surg starts next week. I was having my doubts about going on with this. <BR/><BR/>Thank you for pushing me forward!!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6833607.post-6993466565785168682008-08-14T12:13:00.000-07:002008-08-14T12:13:00.000-07:00This analysis of the problem is brilliant:Selfless...This analysis of the problem is brilliant:<BR/><BR/><I>Selfless martyrs don't mind being saddled with too many patients, being told to work mandatory overtime, and being shorted vital equipment, supplies, and support staff. </I><BR/><BR/>And are you kidding me? Patients actually tell you that you are "too smart" to be a nurse? How .. what ... [sputter] do they not understand that respecting the person behind the needle is a basic self-preservation skill? Clearly they're "not smart enough" to be patients.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6833607.post-26446628335271027282008-08-14T12:04:00.000-07:002008-08-14T12:04:00.000-07:00You rock! Great post.You rock! Great post.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com