Nurse Blogs

Yesterday, a patient looked at me and said, "You're so smart. Why aren't you a doctor instead of a nurse?"

"So," I replied,  "do smart people always have to be doctors? Isn't it good to also have smart nurses?" 

"Well, I guess you're right, but aren't doctors usually smarter than nurses?"

I guess I was feeling impatient but tried to still be kind. "But what does that really mean? Does it mean that as a smart nurse I'm wasting my time not being a doctor?" 

She looked at me. "Well, as a doctor, you could help so many more people than as a nurse. You could make people well." 

"Don't I help people now in my role as a nurse? Don't I help you a lot?"

"Yeah, I guess you do. And Dr. __________ is away so often, I usually come to you with questions and you answer them for me. You always seem to be around and willing to talk." 

"Exactly. If every smart nurse became a doctor, there'd be too many doctors and almost no nurses. Nurses don't just do what doctors tell them to do. A lot of nurses work on their own and think on their own. When we talk about your problems, I don't ask the doctor for her opinion. I tell you what I think from my own knowledge and understanding. Don't you think that that's important for me to be able to do?" 

"Yeah. You're right. If you were a doctor, then you'd be busy like Dr. __________and I'd never be able to see you anymore. Then I'd need another nurse to answer my questions. Wow. I never thought of it that way before." 

"So, do you still think I should be a doctor?" I asked. 

"No, no, no---I want you to always be a nurse, because then you'll have time to talk to me! I hope I didn't offend you with what I said about you being a doctor." 

"No. Don't worry about it. People need to realize that nurses can be smart too, and just because they're smart doesn't mean they need to be doctors. Smart nurses are important, too, y'know?"