Debunking Nursing Myths and Stereotypes

It’s always interesting to me how little people know about the nursing field–but then again, I didn’t realize half of the things I know now until I was actually in it. I’ve heard so many stereotypes and misconceptions, from the kind of people who choose nursing as a career to what we do on the job. So, let’s clear the air.

Nursing school is easy.

I’ve seen so many jokes about people becoming nurses because it’s a quick, easy pathway. If you know somebody in a nursing program, you know that’s the furthest thing from the truth.

Y’all, nursing school is no joke. It wasn’t until I got to the nursing portion of undergrad that I was truly, completely challenged academically.

My program was very rigidly structured. Classes were taken in a certain order, and everything was a pre-requisite for everything that came after–so if you failed a class, you couldn’t take anything else until you passed it. Courses were offered once a year, meaning failing a class automatically put you behind a year. Fail more than one class, and you’re out of the program. Every semester was literally intense af lol.

Now, I graduated with a Bachelors degree, so I can’t speak for Associate’s-granting programs. There are also online programs for people with degrees in other fields who want to become nurses, and ADN nurses who want to earn their Bachelors.

Nurses are like, the doctor’s assistants.

We are not anybody’s assistant honey, okay? Lol. A lot of people have the notion that our job is basically to follow behind the doctors and do what they say–and, while we carry out orders given by doctors, our scope of practice is completely independent from theirs.

Healthcare is a teamwork-oriented field. Everyone works interdependently to ensure the well-being of the patient. Nursing consists of so much more than following orders–we assess, manage symptoms, and advocate for our patients. We’re extensively trained to recognize changes in condition, and are at the front lines when it comes to implementing possibly life-saving interventions.

All nurses work 12-hour shifts, mostly in hospital settings.

The opportunities you have with a degree in nursing are endless. While some nurses love being at the bedside and the flexibility of three 12-hour shifts per week, others prefer a more regular schedule, and might work five days a week in an outpatient clinic or doctor’s office.

With an advanced degree, nurses can become consultants, case managers, and administrators in executive leadership roles. If you prefer to stay on the clinical side of things, advanced-practice nurse practitioners work in a role similar to doctors, with the autonomy to diagnose and prescribe (the level of autonomy depends on the laws in each state). Read more about the different career options you have as a registered nurse here!

Nursing is for women.

I hate this stereotype.

Nursing is definitely a female-dominated field, but there are plenty of bomb male nurses who deserve recognition and credit. I think this stereotype also contributes to the whole “nurses are women, doctors are men, and there’s a hierarchy” misconception that people usually have.

Nurses pretty much all do the same thing.

The day-to-day of a pediatric nurse will look completely different than that of a psych nurse, which will look completely different than that of an ER nurse.

Different specialties require different skillsets. While we all learn the same technical skills in school, the training we get on the job and our scope of knowledge varies drastically depending on the population we’re serving.

For example, my Peds nurse friends need to know the proper blood pressure ranges for an infant versus a 10 year old. As an Oncology nurse, I need to know the side effects of certain types of chemo. Labor & Delivery nurses will know how to give a newborn a proper APGAR score.

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Nursing stereotypes are played, and unfair. We work too hard to be pigeonholed and judged inaccurately. Plus, some misconceptions might hinder people who’d be great nurses from entering the field.

What are some nursing stereotypes you’ve heard?