Biggest Misconception about nurses you've heard

1 Mine was when I met a good friend of mine on the bus on the way to clinicals while in school and she was SHOCKED that they allow lowly nursing students to "work with real, live people"

Naw, we just come out of nursing school with nothing but textbook knowledge and yet can mysteriously do skills well.......

Probably due partially to the fact that her dad is a physician Last edit by Joe V on Aug 4, '10 : Reason: formatting font-size
They make lots of money..... NOT!

this one is pretty dated, but here goes anyway...when i told some people who had been friends with my parents when they were alive that i planned to quit my editing job and return to school to become a nurse, their comment was, "but aren't nurses loosebecause of all the ...uh...parts they have to see?"imagine my goddaughter when she was about two standing there with her hands on her hips looking absolutely totally defiant, and you have my exact reaction!

Apparently some people think I can diagnose you based on your symptoms that you texted me.

A good friend of mine for years thought that all nurses did was answer the phones at work...believed doctors did all the work --- hahaha!

My fav is that we can go to the med room and pull any med the pt wishes WITHOUT an order.. The medication I need is right there, why can't you just give it to me.. No, I didn't think it was important to tell the Dr. that I needed it because he is sooo busy..

I love the patients that ring @ 0200 and apologize for having to wake me up.

That nurses are having amazing sex in the supply room with Dr. McDreamy.... LOL. Too much TV!

You can go to work at your nursing job when you have a sick stomach. "These nurses are used to it."I answered, "No, this is against the rules. You are expected to call out when you are contagious."A sick staff member is a cause for stress and it is not fair to the patients or the staff.

"are you absolutely positive it's pneumonia? have you seen a doctor?""yes! i did and it is pneumonia." <cough cough cough>"well, if you do happen to feel better this afternoon, could you maybe do half a shift?""uh, no way in xxxx...."btw, my temp was 103*f with tylenol aboard.

Quote from BellaInBlueScrubsRNApparently some people think I can diagnose you based on your symptoms that you texted me.

I work in an extremely busy 85+ bed Level IV Neonatal Unit. A friend said to me once: "You must have such a nice job. You can just sit and rock the babies all night."Uh....yeah...sure...AFTER I help Dr. A put in a chest tube in Baby B... after I've done heelstick labs. on each of my assigned kids...after I finish up this blood transfusion...after I write down my baby's vital signs every hour b/c he's critical...after I've given my 18th oral med. of the shift...after I've spent an hour talking to a frightened mother and trying to calm her down...after I've signed a narcotic out, found a 2nd nurse to witness and verify it and co-sign my electronic chart; then go back to the Narcotics cart with her, so we can log the drug out and how much was wasted....then wake a sleeping preemie becuase he has to have an Xray....Oh yeah; I have an easy, breezy, beautiful job!

1 -- we all want to marry doctors2 -- all the patients sleep at night3 -- WE get to sleep at night4 -- we get paid a lot of money. Er...compared to what we risk (lawsuit, Hep C, HIV, meningitis, etc.), no we don't6 -- we have "orderlies" to look after male patients and do the heavy lifting7 -- patients are always nice to us.