Remember that television show staring physicians you watched last night? This on the "edge of your seat drama" might look and sound real. It isn't. Medical TV shows are fiction created to entertain you and to make money. They don't have to be true. In fact, they may perpetuate these five myths about the nursing profession.
Myth One: Physicians stay at the bedside to pick up changes in their patient's condition.
Reality: Nurses work 24 hours a day at the bedside. They are the professionals who observe the changes in a patient's physical or mental condition and take action to correct the problem.
Myth Two: Nurses stand around waiting for the physician to tell them what to do.
Reality: Nurses know what they need to do. They independently diagnose their patient's responses to illness and institute an appropriate plan to address these diagnoses. They interpret and follow physician orders for medical treatment without physicians directing them.
Myth Three: Nurses are just frustrated doctor "want to be's."
Reality: Nurses enter the profession because they want to, not because they were not smart enough to make it through medical school. They did not settle on nursing instead. Nurses and physicians have different roles. Physicians focus on the diagnosis and treatment of the patient's illness. Nurses focus on the diagnosis and treatment of the patient's response to illness. Physicians order tests and medications and perform surgery. Nurses provide direct care and teach, counsel, coordinate and manage patients' care. They advocate for patients when they cannot advocate for themselves.
Myth Four: Physicians supervise nurses.
Reality: Nurses are supervised by other nurses. Physicians, patients or patients' families who have concerns about an individual nurse should speak to the nursing supervisor. If nurses have a concern about an individual physician, they would talk with the nursing supervisor who would talk to the head of the physicians or the facility administrator.
Myth Five: Nursing is not important work.
Reality: Nurses make it possible for people to recover from or prevent illnesses and injuries. By using their critical thinking skills and clinical expertise, nurses save lives.
Over the past few years new TV programs star nurses who are smart, assertive, competent professionals. Although these shows are not always realistic, they have started to dispel some of the myths surrounding the nursing profession. Don't let an unrealistic TV show discourage you from considering a career as a registered nurse. Find out the facts.
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