Real nurse?

In a conversation I had someone ask me if I was a “real nurse”.

Yeah, let that sink in for a moment.

Here’s what happened:

I was having a conversation with an individual and they asked me what I do, I told them I’m a nurse. Their response: “so are you a real nurse?”

This was my exact face:

I had to ask what they meant by “real nurse”. Their answer? “You know, a real nurse like ones that work in a hospital and not in a nursing home or doc in the box.”

Of course you know this means war…

I ask why those nurses aren’t real nurses. Apparently (according to this person) those nurses don’t really do anything but take vitals and give meds.

Oh really?

OH REALLY?

To people who think like this I have a question, CAN YOU DO IT? Can you be responsible for the safety and welfare of multiple patients, often at the same damn time? It was a real nurse that took care of you at Patient First when you caught the flu. It was a real nurse that got punched in the face by your demented Nana. It was a real nurse that handled your kid’s GI bug that you brought him to the doc in the box for. It was a real nurse that has been the only person some of these elderly assisted living patients get to talk to since you haven’t visited Grandpa in 3 years.

WE ARE ALL REAL NURSES.

Needless to say, I am an advocate for my nurses.