The following video displays the "Top 15 Nursing Myths and Nurse Stereotypes." Not only are these myths and stereotypes clearly incorrect but they don't even begin to describe the life of a nurse and their everyday duties.
https://youtu.be/ZbgTJeORzH4
15. Nurses just clean up poop and pee all day. Although, unfortunately, this is a part of what nurses have to do, they are responsible for so much more. According to Rasmussen College, "registered nurses have a variety of tasks to take care of daily. RNs keep records, administer medication, consult with other healthcare providers, monitor patients and educate individuals and family. RNs must also stay up to date with new technology and tools." Duties also include patient care, advanced cardiac life support, acute care, case management, clinical experience, and treatment planning.
14. Nursing is sexy and glamorous. First and foremost, nursing has absolutely nothing to do with being sexy. Nursing is about being selfless and taking care of others. Besides, it's highly likely that the way you look when you leave work will look nothing like how you did when you came in. The work of a nurse is very tiresome and it takes a lot of energy.
13. You can't be a nurse if you're shy or afraid of blood. Not all nurses have to deal with blood or even people for that matter. Case managers, for instance, rarely see blood. They work more with long-term health care plans and serve more as a resource for their patients. Research nurses also rarely deal with people. They work on data collection, following protocol, and communicating knowledge.
12. Men don't become nurses. This is extremely untrue. In fact, the percentage of males in nursing occupations has rose since 2007 and is continuing to rise.
11. Nursing is a safe job. There are many dangers that come with being a nurse. Some of these dangers include staffing level, patient handling and care, needle handling and care, and the prevention of diseases and their spreading.
10. All nurses work in hospitals. Actually there are a wide variety of places nurses can work such as schools, correctional facilities, patient's homes, camps, clinics, warzones, and places of worship.
9. All nurses marry doctors. Okay, this one is clearly just ignorant and illogical to believe in the first place. There's nothing that can prove this because it's not a true fact.
8. All nurses do the same type of work. Also, clearly, incorrect. There is a variety of different branches of nursing all containing their own specific duties. Although, some jobs might be similar, they are not all the same.
7. Nursing specialties require special schooling. All that is required is for a person to attend a nursing school of some sort and complete the program. There are not special schools for the specialized branches. You receiving training of your specific field when you begin working.
6. You can only become a nurse if you go to school for four years. Its actually possible to become a nurse with an associates degree. All you need to do is complete two-three years of schooling, get your associates degree and then pass the NCLEX exam.
5. RN's and LPN's do the same thing. RN's don't require supervision and are permitted to perform more tasks.
4. Can't work in other states with your license. Fun Fact: Due to the Nurse Licensure Compact, nurses are allowed to have one multistate license that allows them to operate in their home states as well as others.
3. An ADN nurse is different than a BSN nurse. In reality, the only real difference is their degree type. They still perform the same type of work.
2. All nurses work 12 hour shifts. Although there are some hospitals where 12 hour shifts are required, there are many others places where they are not. Clinics and schools are examples of careers that would have a more traditional work day.
1. Nurses don't make good money. Nurses actually earn a competitive salary. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2011, the average salary of a nurse was $69,110. According to others, they average around $71,000 yearly.
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I found this post very interesting, especially because often nurses aren't seen for all of the hard work that they do in their day to day, as well as how difficult it is for them to get to that point in their careers. I specifically enjoyed number 14 because nurses are too often portrayed as objects of sex, instead of being seen for their hard work and selflessness.
ReplyDelete-Maddy