Wondering why I chose eight? Each entry represents the standard eight hours nurses like me spend in one shift. Standard, eh? I frankly used the number because I need one; otherwise if I add up all the extended hours, this list could go on forever.
So I hate being a nurse because…
EIGHT - Nurses wear all white and we have to wear our hair up in a bun. You know how inconvenient plus hard to maintain that is? Okay, I came to duty on a heavy rain and mud starts making its way up my white uniform and there it is, a stain to last my entire shift. Also, putting my hair up prevents my it from being gorgeous! Really. That means no straightening, rebonding nor perming because I have to pull my hair back every single day. Oh God, I always envy those girls in high fashion corporate wears and all-set hairstyles. Maybe nurses should be allowed to look the same. Umm, just maybe.
SEVEN - We don’t get a professional fee (PF). We also have a license, and that makes us professionals too. But we don’t have a professional fee and we live on meager salary regardless of how many patients we’ve handled or cases we’ve assisted.
SIX - We do not have a holiday. Everyone in the industry can relate to this, I wouldn’t dare watch out for holidays because I just feel hopeless. The entire country rests lazily on their couches while I pin high my dear cap.
FIVE - We can’t leave unfinished work. I mean office girls do that, do they? They can leave unfinished works and get to it the next morning. But nurses have to stay for as long as needed because we just can’t leave things undone. Life is at stake and life can’t wait.
FOUR - We are the complaints center, if there is such a thing. When patients have a complaint on just about anything, they complain to the nurse. Not to the housekeeping staff, guard, doctor, or anyone else. Directly to the nurse; blame that for being too available.
THREE - Refer this and that. Even if I know what drug to give, and I have it right here in my very hands; I can’t give it, I always need to refer and ask for a prescription. I say nurses carry immense responsibility but very little authority, now how more frustrating can that get?
TWO – We are not treated as professionals. Leaking faucet? Faulty telly? We are always asked to do things we are not supposed to do. I mean, we’ve studied four dreaded years and earn ourselves a license for what? Fixing your telly signal? Hell no. Nurses are professionals like engineers, accountants, lawyers, and your beloved doctors whom you do not dare raise one eyebrow while you mindlessly shout at your nurse like your entire hospital bill goes straight to her salary.
ONE – Nursing is more than a sacrifice, it’s suicide. From nursing school to nurse’s station, enough sleep, enough food, nor enough rest is next to impossible. Here’s one idea that I’ve thought of just now: nurses religiously monitor patients’ urine output but at the end of the shift we realize we haven’t once gone to the bathroom: and that makes ours zero. So, if there’s one profession that wholly uses up one’s existence: be it mentally, physically, and emotionally, you got it: it’s Nursing.
Gosh, making a hate list is tiring; but then of course, I also have a list of the things I love in this field…
8. There are always doctors and nurses who look handsome in white and you get to trifle with them; and suddenly, the world is a better place J
7. I love it when I get in regular clothes and everyone stares in shock; as if I’ve got no right to wear nothing but white.
6. More seriously, as a nurse, I get to see life in all its forms: from womb to tomb.
5. I get to work with all the goodness of my heart, no PF needed. I’m quite about sure you wouldn’t find nurses in hell.
4. I love being able to discharge patients in their improved condition. Nothing beats seeing them go home thanking you for their recovery. I guess that just transpires the very essence of this job.
3. My heart leaps when patients and/or relatives appreciate the work I have done; when they actually call me by name and boast that I am their nurse.
2. No other profession is as heroic as ours: giving up our own lives in order to save others.
1. Last of all, nurses may not be angels, but we’re the next best thing.
Oh you get it, I’m proud of this job: I just never admit it because it’s just too much fun to complain. Kudos nurses!
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| Here's us at the nurses' station :) |
64 comments:
you already.:D
haha! I wonder who this is! Yeah, i guess I'm already?? haha
ganyan din dapat ipopost ko e., naunahan mo lang ako., english kasi kaya nahirapan ako whahahah
nice tol hahha ure starting to love it but u cant accept the fact that ure loving the worst thing happened in to ur life :)-am
so true.. i'm also a nurse, so i know how you feel.. :)
@AM: good thinking tol! I guess taking up Nursing was the indeed the worst thing that's ever happened to me, but now I'm glad that I pulled it off! I still have my other dreams though, but hey I still have an entire lifetime make them come true right? :)
@jEn
hello! thanks for agreeeing! It's good to hear from fellow nurses :)
@Anonymous
You can still write you own list! I bet that would be interesting! When you're done post the link here please! :D
haha! I knew it! despite all 8 reasons you hate being a nurse, i was sure you'll have a pretty bunch of great things to list down also. i know a lot of nurses and have heard a lot of the painstaking duties and px stories. i pray that a lot of nurses are just as remarkable and appreciative as you are. your profession is a noble one. you guys rock! keep it up! :)
Hi Airina :)
this is a very nice list.. pretty much everything you included are my personal sentiments as well
i hope you dont mind if i repost this in my blog :) i'll include a link to this post
by the way.. are you an MDC(MTC) alumnus? (batch2009 here) :)
not all professional nurses wears white,only in the philippines perhaps……..and yes you are treated professionally but sad to say not in the philippines. You have your professional responsibility to follow if its beyond your professional responsibility then discretion is suggested or otherwise. And yes majority of countries have good compensation for nurses such as holidays and annual leaves. And of course annual leave
only in the philippines i guess..:)-faith
@Sweet Reyes
hi tita! thank you for reading! Yes, I have a list of the things I love in this field, its at the bottom of the article :)
@Mark
Hello! Thank you for linking :D I saw it already.. Yes I am an MDC Alumnus 2010. Wow you're studying to be a doctor! best of luck :D
@Faith
hi faith, it's really sad that Filipino nurses are treated this way. So I guess nobody can blame us for wanting to 'get way'. I wish the government can see how nurses need attention and that we are the ones who should be pampered with benefits.
tol!!! love ko tong part na to quote:I just never admit it because it’s just too much fun to complain./quote :)
-negastar
nice work peng!! This is just soooo true... =)
-macor-
I super like how you wrote this article... and loved how you described being a nurse. Hope you don't mind if i share on my wall on facebook. :)
Kudos colleague! :)
@Thea
haha, thanks tol :)
@Myonee
Hi! Of course I wouldn't mind, thank you :D enjoy reading :D
Bakit top8 lang..? dagdagan mo pa.. kulang yan hehehe
ayos to!!!
@Kuya JB
haha, I think 8's enough for the moment :D
I remember you commented on my blog Orchestroscopy when I read your article on Filipino Nurses. Kudos on this write-up, it's really an inspirational piece. :)
Hi colleague! :) I liked your post and I agree 100%. Can I repost this on my blog? I will link your blog din. Thanks!
sosimplysophisticated.blogspot.com
Hi!:) I read sa mga comments mo batch 2010 ka ng MDC. I am also from MDC batch 2010 :)
@Clarriscent
Hi! Yup, that's me who commented :D Thanks! You were great with your articles too
@Louise Camille
Hi there batchmate! How are you doing? Thank you for reposting, enjoy! :D
Doing good!:) kakapagod ang work. haha. Nice blog by the way!:)
>fresh NLE passer. ;)
i loved yer work ate.. so nice of you to appreciate 'our' profession.. you pinned my thoughts.. keep it up po!! Godbless! @taberu
I am also a nurse. you've got it all right,and i love to be one.
Your article was included on our special endorsement.It is so true specially in ICU setting.everyone agreed and my favorite line is this "nurses religiously monitor patients’ urine output but at the end of the shift we realize we haven’t once gone to the bathroom: and that makes ours zero." even on food,patients had 2 feedings every 4 hours yet nurses don't even had time to eat or even drink.kudos nurses!:)
one of which you hate about being a nurse is PART of being a nurse, but always doing the referral before you do nursing assessment or intervention IS really a pain in the ass. Not just on your part, the resident on duty's part.
u might want to add these on your list:
I manage to clean my area (ER) when it becomes a slaughter house while at home, i do not clean at all. :))
nice article.,nakakarelate tlga tayong mga nurses,:)
To everyone!
Thank you so much for appreciating this post. I did not expect it to turn out this way because saying that your comments are overwhelming is an understatement. I may have 8 things I hate in this profession, but these things wont stop me from coming to duty every single day. All praises to all of us nurses, the world needs us :D
I hate also being a nurse, some says we are the first class chi mi aaayyyyy!
chest pain as if i'm having MI.. nakakadismayed lang na nararanasan to ng mga nurses.. but hey guys.. Florence Nightingaleonce said..
“No man, not even a doctor, ever gives any other definition of what a nurse should be than this -- 'devoted and obedient.' This definition would do just as well for a porter. It might even do for a horse. It would not do for a policeman.”
still nurses can stand on their own.. NURSES ROCKS!!!
-Ejhay
alam mo nakaka inis pa kasi may mga dscrnination sa mga job hiring puro babae ang hinahanap....pano naman kaming mga male nurses....hehehehehehe........hirap mag hanap ng trabaho...
i like ur post.
Yes indeed, we must be proud to be a nurse.
These sentiments are well founded. Even if you used a strong word "hate", I do not see it as a rant at all, but just a reflection of your experiences. But i hope you would not mind these few words of wisdom
FIVE - We can’t leave unfinished work. I mean office girls do that, do they? They can leave unfinished works and get to it the next morning. But nurses have to stay for as long as needed because we just can’t leave things undone. Life is at stake and life can’t wait.
In many hospitals in the US, nurses get demerit for staying overtime to "catch up on unfinished work". Nursing is a 24 hour shift and what you can't finish in 8 hours, the next shift needs to take over. it's just the way it should be.
THREE - Refer this and that. Even if I know what drug to give, and I have it right here in my very hands; I can’t give it, I always need to refer and ask for a prescription. I say nurses carry immense responsibility but very little authority, now how more frustrating can that get?
There are many other independent nursing actions you can do. Our education does not cover prescribing medications, therefore, we should not even think low of ourselves if we can't do it. We have authority over a lot of other things, if you look at all the nursing you can do for a patient, even the littlest things that make a difference, you wouldn't even dream of prescribing meds for your patients.
nice points of view. very right. @_@ please let me borrow your statements. thanks!
Dearest Airina, I found your post fascinating and hilarious. I saw myself going through the same experiences as I read through your list. I can totally relate! I was truly inspired when you listed the 8 things you love in the nursing field. Made me realize that no matter how unappreciated we sometimes become, our real worth comes from the love and care we are willing to give- without grumbling, and how we perceive ourselves and our work. Ours is truly a noble job. Thanks for making realize that once again. Hope to read more of your work!
yehh love this blog
indeed! i like ur post.very well said.. cheers to us nurses!
this is indeed a noble profession, it's a calling for us whom our patients need us most (even though they complain everything to us). but with these things you have said (8 things i hate..), you can only experience it here in our country. so, we really need to find happiness, goodness and appreciation in our work. :)
nice peng... super like :))) imy...
Thanks Ruth, you got me teary-eyed there!
hi! i'm still just a student nurse and yet already getting toxic every duty...... but i never once hated it.. not because i'm a masochist or whatsoever but because i enjoy my life living it for others. :) thanks for your blog. nurses really rock and nursing really is a profession/vocation to be proud of. Nursing is not hard, it's super duper hard but it is all worth it. :)
- Proud Future RN :)
i dont know what to say, i just felt the feeling of being one of you.. :)
Nice reflection! I admire the sincerity and factuality of the article. However, there are some instances mentioned that are not happening anymore in the health care work setting. Nurses are single entity of the health workforce that can work independently and dependently guided by duties and responsibilities. We are professional in every sence and included on the surveys recently on the top 5 list of high paying job profession around the globe. I won't contradict the woes of the writer because obviously i was once on that shoe. Nurses now can prescribed if u have the proper training and credentials. We are not just a "follower" of a physicians or anyone, we are a member of the team and participate in the planning, implementing and evaluating of patients care. The participation that I am referring to is we can voice out what are our ideas in the assessment until the discharge of the patient. Above all, we can disobey any orders if we are not happy to do so!
OZ Nurse
nice!super swak.. nurse na nurse..:) sbi ko na nga ba sa madox yang station na yan:)
love it!!
re-post ko po ok lang.. tnx..
you said is rigth,grl,nurses are the worst paying employee,haaaay,hrap tlaga.....but its nice to b a nurse,,,lalot ngustuhan k ng mga patient m.with gft sometimes,praising our work,msaya n tau...
In the open we say "carry immense responsibility, but with little authority.." But, bato bato sa langit ang matamaan ay umamin.. He,he,he... If time is short, the need is immediate, and the Doctors or experts are hard to contact for help,"secretly we do things unusual to save lives".. Like insertion of IV's, NGT's, urine catheter (male/female patient), IV push, suturing of wounds etc..
I love your Article...in addition...Nurses are modern day slaves!!! and that makes me one. There is no quantitative measurement to how we feel and when we are being treated like a piece of shit, it doesnt matter what part of the world we are in, we are going to feel like shit. We should not worry, I feel this misery is universal. Nursing as we all describe it,should be unconditional...like a mothers love to her child...If you choose nursing to selflessly care, then by all means do it to your love ones, then we might not expect anything in return. even if we are being shouted upon, spit on, sweared upon, then we may still dedicate our whole hearted service because we love the person we are caring for...but dont be naive and overacting to insist that we are all doing this out of love to care...because we are doing this for a living then it becomes a chore and should not be called nursing but payed labor. it must be subject to union laws, workers rights and no more of this hero stuff. We are a fully educated and scientifically implemented labor force doing the jobs of other people who do not have the knowledge and guts to care and nurse for their own family. That is why, if you are not compensated properly then you might as well be called a Modern day Slave!!! Well, we do have the freedom to get out of the profession, but if we all hope for that pot of gold in the end of the rainbow, then we have to become slaves to our own desires, thru which we peddle ourselves to the highest bidder. And if in business... the customer must always be right, then by all means, feel free to abuse the Nurses. (cant be bothered to create an account)
This post earned my following your blog. Here is my comment in your article in Definitely Filipino.
Thank God for nurses. When my mom was hospitalized in St. Lukes due to her bout with cancer, the nurses there did more than what their duties called for. I would arrive at my mom’s hospital room and she would show me a letter of encouragement from one of her nurses. One time I caught one nurse praying for and with my mom. Those little gestures from her nurses made her ordeal a little less unbearable.
My initial impression upon reading your work is that it's written by a novice in the profession - I do not say this in a bad way though. I admire your writing style and technically, you are a very good writer (I won't be surprised if you change careers). But the nature of your 'hates' are those of an 'idealist' (e.g., no authority to prescribe; can not leave unfinished work}, and so are your 'loves'. Reading thru the blogs and your responses verified this. Once you gain more experience, particularly overseas I am sure your sentiments will change. (I am married to a nurse who has worked in the US, MidEast and now Australia. So I am witness to his transformation over the years). I am sure you will develop into a highly-respected, authoritative nurse to reckon with (Aussie slang to mean big time). Such a refreshing read.
thanks for reading Felinda. I have no plans of changing careers at the moment as I want to get better in this field; but I extremely love writing (it was my first choice). I haven't also planned on working overseas as I want to be with my family and take care of Filipinos in my country. Congratulations in marrying a nurse! I hope I would get vast experience as much as he have :)
Hi loved your article, but I beg to disagree on certain points. If you have worked outside the Philippines, wearing a white uniform and putting on a bun does not hold true. I've worked in the ER for years, and never had I worn a white uniform and we always keep our hair down.
True, we don't have a professional fee but where do you think the miscellaneous fees that the patient get billed goes to? And another reader commented our profession as MODERN DAY SLAVE.......EXCUSE ME AND HELL TO THE NO!!! (Pardon my language, but I just need to prove my point)
We have studied 4 years(or so) in college to get our BSN, burned a lot of midnight oils in the process and studied for that gruelling board exam, so excuse me the term slave doesn't even come close
Further insights on the points that you have raised:
We do not have holidays......yes but we get HOLIDAY PAY (double pay in the Phil's and time and a half here in America) so better suck it in. And better luck next year if the.schedule would permit
WE CAN'T LEAVE UNFINISHED WORK.........as pointed out by another commentator "NURSING IS A 24-HOUR JOB" your simply human and only limited to amount of workload you çan handle. That's why we have end-of-shift-endorsement.
WE ARE THE COMPLAINT CENTER AND REFER THIS AND REFER THAT......nursing is multi-faceted that's why there are allied health professionals. You can refer to the MD, respiratory.therapist, dietician, and if the patient or relative for that matter is giving you hell call the NURSING SUPERVISOR, di lang sila dapat confined sa Nursing office no. They need to.be involved as well.
WE ARE NOT TREATED AS PROFESSIONAL -iha, it's all in the mind-set. It's how professional you look and act accordingly, baka naman ang.itsura mo going to work, eh tipong pinabili ka lang ng suka sa kanto eh naging nurse ka Na, eh di ka nga mukhang professional.
NURSING IS SACRIFICE AND IT'S A SUICIDE- well yes it is a sacrifice, it's a vocation entails a certain calling. SUICIDE.....Again, I beg to disagree, if Nursing isn't your thing then get out while you can and find your passion. Hindi dahil ito any course Na pinili ng magulang at.barkada mo and the promise of $$$$$, kaya ginusto mo. YOU HAVE ONLY ONE. LIFE TO LIVE......better make the most out.of.it
nice one! :)
daming insigth ha,.. saludo ko sa lahat ng nurses
well your a hero in your own way you just haven't notice it yet, a comfort to the hurt and dying, a help to the relatives whose hopes are fading, a gentle smile to say Congratulation it's a boy/girl and a good news that she/he will make it. you have a gentle heart that cares for people other than your relatives and a strong soul to see people that are passing away. the courage nurses have awes me, for i cant stand the site of a person in pain though nurses stay by and help most people turn away, so to you all nurses in white i salute you our EARTH ANGELS.
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