When you tell people you’re a nurse….

[AnotherPerson23]

Hi everyone,

I qualified as a mental health nurse in 2015 and at first I was really proud to say I’m a nurse, probably because I found university quite difficult and I’d made it.

Fast forward 11 years and now when I tell people I’m a nurse I dread the reaction. So for example I’ve now got children and when mums ask me in the school yard and I tell them I always get the same response….which is “oh goodness I could never do that”. But it never feels like they’re saying it as a compliment to me and that they see it as a skilled, yet difficult job. It feels as though they’re saying it in a patronizing way. Then we move on the the comments about being poorly paid etc. It makes me dread telling people! Most of these people are housewives and I leave the conversation feeling like something they’ve trod in.

Any other nurses get this as well?!

Now it's my turn to be intrigued! Private sector, what about you?

I get loads of ‘omg!! That’s so cool!!’

I mention my actual department of work rather than title though.

ED is it? Or ITU?

I love nurses I always find them so warm and kind and nurses and midwives have made tough times in my life so much better with their sweetness, i almost felt teary today about how nice the smear test nurse was for me today she was the first person that has actively listened to me for a while!

op id love you to do an AMA about your job - what do you do most days? Therapy? Deliver meds?

Private sector now.