Registered Nutcase: We work crazy hours, deal with crazy patients, and have to see what some people would call crazy things the human body does. So we are allowed to be a little nutty at times. At Thanksgiving dinner we get deemed the nutcase when talk of bodily fluids doesn’t gross us out. Some would even call working all night a cause for nuttiness. But if we don’t care for patient at all hours of the day and night, who else will? I’ll claim this title proudly.
Rather Nerdy: Granted, we work alongside those in white lab coats (and thank goodness for them) who carry around medical textbooks and dictate orders. For this example, let’s call the doctors the brains of the operation. So that makes nurses the senses for the brain. We are the doctor’s eyes and ears, and we are responsible for picking up on small changes at the bedside that may be missed without an astute assessment. For that reason, and for the knowledge that we must use to make a thorough assessment, one could deem us nerds. The human body is a complicated masterpiece, and nurses are expected to know many more details than the average person. Have you ever been that “go-to” friend that people call when their child is sick? “Oh, I have a friend who is a nurse, she knows everything, let’s call her…”
Next, Rockstar Nanny!