I've had a few people ask me about this whole nursing situation and why nurses are so offended, especially since we talk about how our job entails us letting a LOT of things roll off of our backs. I'm going to try to give an answer based on my experience. Take it as you will. I can't speak for all nurses, I am only speaking for myself.

There IS a difference. When we're taking care of patients, they're not just patients. They are people who are not feeling well who are suddenly being told what to do to feel better - a situation no one plans to be in! They're out of their element with no control over anything and suddenly, someone who is used to being independent has to call a nurse just to walk to a chair or go to the bathroom. We're not judging but know that we'd feel embarrassed if it were us, too. When people are upset or not feeling well, they say things they don't mean. Sometimes, it's a lot easier just to be angry than to learn that suddenly you're sick and it could be forever when you might feel fine at that moment. I'm a cancer nurse. Sometimes people get a diagnosis during the day and it doesn't hit them until 3 a.m. when they're suddenly wide awake and crying or questioning or praying or any combination. I sometimes have to tell people that their bodies are literally not producing any healthy cells and aren't going to, and who wants to hear that? If taking anger out on me helps you cope somehow, then I want you to do what you need to do. And when you need a hug or just want to talk, I want to be there to do that, too.

Now, onto the rest of the world. Nursing is a profession that requires a lot of education and quite an extensive skill set, which we work hard to develop. People ask me why I didn't go to medical school, as though nursing was a second choice. I did not go to medical school because I did not want to be a doctor. I went to nursing school because I wanted to be a nurse. I love and respect the doctors I work with - and don't forget the physical and occupational therapists, social workers, respiratory therapists, dietitians, etc.! We are part of a healthcare TEAM and we each have important but different roles to contribute to the care of each and every patient. Nursing is a field with a lot of stereotypes which, unfortunately, die hard, especially being a field that is primarily women. We are intelligent and skilled people, not just props. My male colleagues have to deal with stereotypes as well. Instead of people saying "I'm proud of you for becoming a nurse," they get strange looks and have to defend their chosen career. Why do we live in a world where people need to defend themselves for wanting to care for others?

When you belittle us, you are reinforcing years of stereotypes. I didn't become a nurse for the appreciation but I worked hard to do what I do FOR YOU. I spent hours at clinical rotations and long nights reading textbooks so I could get through nursing school to learn skills to make YOU feel better. 

I don't wish anyone ill. If any of the women from The View, or anyone with a similar view, is my patient, I will not treat that person any differently. All I want from you is for you to know that I am doing everything I do to help you feel better and perhaps develop a greater understanding of just what it takes to be a nurse.

This Is Me

This is me in my nursing scrubs last night during my 12-hour shift, wearing my NURSES stethoscope. During those 12 hours, I do many things for my patients. I treat them by administering their medications, those that are scheduled and those for an unwanted bout of pain or nausea. Sometimes I just hold a hand or give a hug while listening to a patient as he or she takes in a new cancer diagnosis or experiences an all-too-familiar feeling of chemotherapy treatment really hitting the body and causing pain and clumps of hair to fall out onto the pillow. Sometimes I tell people that it's OK to be afraid to brush your hair.

But I also perform a head-to-toe physical assessment.

I listen to lung sounds - is your breathing labored? Are you wheezing? Coughing up blood? Possibly overloaded with fluid?

I listen to your heart. Can I hear a beat? Is it abnormally fast or slow? Is the rhythm a bit off? Does the EKG performed by my tech or myself show something concerning?

I listen to your bowel sounds. Can I hear the gurgling that lets me know your insides are doing what they should be? Are you constipated? When was your last bowel movement? Are you having diarrhea? Is your stool loose or bloody? Does the touch of my stethoscope or hands suddenly cause you pain?

I am proud of what I do. To Joy Behar and the rest of The View, I don't wish you ill. But if ever you find yourself under the care of a nurse, I hope you realize the true extent of our knowledge, abilities, and how much we care about and do for you, our patient, both when you are strong and at your most painfully vulnerable moments.