so.... what would YOU say?

1 So I work at a state psych facility. Im a young, male RN and im charge on a unit with only men (generally lower functioning, older men).

I've worked med/surg, LTC, now psych. I love it. Good work flow, not too stressful, pretty chill job. So tonight, I have an agency LPN who's passing meds with me. We get to talking and she said she works at a local hospital in med/surg. Well I said "ew, no thanks, too stressful for me. Always understaffed with too much to do." She replied "well, I love it. Ive always loved being a real nurse. Im not a psych nurse."

Now, the OLD me would have popped off and said something smart (ex army). I just let it roll off my back. What would YOU have said?

This is just to spark conversation. Im bored!
OMG, what I would have *thought* of saying would probably get me in deep doo doo on this board. It is mean, very mean.But what I actually would have said is probably nothing.

I think you took her meaning, intentions..as belittling your career, when in fact, that was her comeback, to your put- down of what she did. She won....you did shut up. LOL!!!

Unless it was one in a string of series of deliberate low blows I don't think I would have been bothhered enough to even respond.

Quote from Chin upI think you took her meaning, intentions..as belittling your career, when in fact, that was her comeback, to your put- down of what she did. She won....you did shut up. LOL!!!

Also a former med/surg nurse here, current psych nurse and not turning back. I have heard comments about not being a "real nurse" on a few occasions. I don't care..nursing is not core to my identity, it's what I do a few days a week for a paycheck, not who I am. My job is way less stressful, gross, and physically demanding than theirs..they can take their street cred and belittle me..I'll just smirk to myself and enjoy my laid-back job and pain-free back!

Quote from headinsandRNUnless it was one in a string of series of deliberate low blows I don't think I would have been bothhered enough to even respond.

Quote from jollydogg_RNI guess I missed the part where I put anyone down. I simply said "no thanks" because of the understaffing and stress. No putdown involved.

And im also confused when you said she won. There was no contest, what are you talking about? If you were there, you'd have understood it wasn't insulting. Literal translation doesn't come across right here. She wasn't even offended at what I said, so you're missing the point if you think its a typical ******* contest of specialties.My point is that what she told me about being a "real nurse" wasn't meant to come out offensively on her part (which is why I let it roll). My point was to ask people here what they would have said in return, mainly just out of curiosity. Like I said, im bored. There was no winners or losers, and she sure as heck didn't "shut me up". I actually chose the higher route and gave her the benefit of the doubt, thank you very much.

I would send the out of control patient her way that day.

not to offend any of the psych nurses here, but when you mean "laid back" what does that actually mean to you? I am in my psych clinical & from my observations at this particular facility, I def. notice that there is waaay more work involved on a med-surg floor. With that being said, I don't see the nurses interacting or talking with the patients like they should. they def get waaaaay more time with them, so why not make the most of it bc I think a lot of them may benefit. Again, not saying that this is the behavior of all psych nurses, but I just don't see it. While we are in clinical, the patients are in a group for 2 hrs, so the nurses don't have that contact then. & several other times throughout the day. I kinda feel like they medicate the patients when necessary, & go about their day, since they are of course, independent. There are supposed to be checks on the patients q 15 min bc they are all on SP2, but I surely don't see that either. Guess what I'm asking is, are you all really sitting and talking with your patients?? Or, are you leaving that up the the docs & mental health counselors (if they are there?)

She probably didn't mean anything by it, which is exactly why I would have said something, to bring it to her attention. I wouldn't have said it in a mean way, but I would have said, "what do you mean by 'a real nurse?'" That probably would have stopped her in her tracks and made her think, so whether she did mean it as derogatory or not, being called on it would make her think twice about voicing that opinion again.

To sj73201:I'm sorry you did not get a good sense of what psych nurses do at your clinicals, and even more sorry that the pts did not get the nursing care they need and deserve.Yes, I spend most of my shift talking to pts. My remaining time is spent attending interdisciplinary team meetings, leading groups. and documenting. If we're short on techs like we are now, I also go with pts to meals and activities. I'd rather get paid to sit in an AA meeting than run around doing trach care, g-tube feedings, suctioning, would care, trouble shooting malfunctioning equipment, etc. When I say laid-back, I am speaking relative to my experience in med/surg.