I recently was doing a little research for school when I realized there are some common and popular nurse/nursing myths out there.
It seems there are two trains of thought: There is the public’s view of the nursing profession, and then there are those who actually know about the nursing profession.
I’m not sure if it’s our own fault or if Hollywood has a stranglehold on the general population’s opinion. This particular top 10 list is intended for all those who are considering pursuing the profession of nursing–I’d like to call it the “Here’s what we are not and don’t do” list:
- We don’t wear all-white uniforms.
- No, we stopped wearing caps a long time ago.
- We do more than pass medications.
- We do more than just clean up “poo.”
- This is not Grey’s Anatomy — we’re not secretly sleeping with all the doctors. Nor is this House — we do the blood draws.
- No, not every “nurse” is the same. There is a profound difference between a Nurse Practitioner and a Nursing Assistant (about 6-8 years of education).
- We actively collaborate in the decision-making process and don’t just take orders.
- No, we are not all women.
- No, we work in other places besides hospitals and physicians’ offices.
- No, we didn’t fail at becoming doctors. We chose this profession.
I know, I know, we’ve beat this horse senseless, haven’t we? I have to admit, I am just scratching the surface here. I think we all could generate an endless list of nursing urban legends.
What would you add?