Other nurses thoughts on nurses becoming doctors

lyra1987

Got the best/worst compliment at work yesterday. I am working as a nurse to pay my tuition fees. One of my “older” nurse colleagues told me that I am not like other nurses she has known who have trained to be doctors. In her words “they were all utter *****es” and you would think that being a nurse first would have given them insight. But that they treated other nurses with contempt when they qualified as doctors.

Not 100% sure how to take that. I mean it's great that she doesn't think that I am an utter *****. But that other nurses may have this perceived notion of nurses retraining as doctors, are part of the reason I didn't tell people I wanted to for years.

Others have been really supportive and helpful. But there is always a part of me which thinks that I am being judged in some way. For abandoning other nurses, or that they think I have ideas above my station.

Reply 1

Marathi

12

As a HCA I've had nothing but praise for wanting/getting into med school but I've always been very open and upfront about it. My gf, who is a staff nurse, is applying this year and has so far received very positive treatment, with many nurses and doctors recommending that she go down that route anyway, prior to her voicing her decision to do so.

You will receive mixed reviews no matter what you're background is. And you never know what people are saying behind your back, but most of it is jealously or the feel of disloyalty.

I remember prior to my HCA job, when I worked in marketing, I had made a mistake on something and one of my superiors gave me some grief for it and the whole "make sure you don't give your patients too much morphine!" spiel, so it can happen anywhere and I wouldn't worry too much about it :smile:

Reply 2

lyra1987

OP

12

Just thought it was interesting. It came out of left field as well. Was just sat eating lunch, nothing to precipitate the comment. Glad I am not an utter b**** though. Wonder if I am just a bit of a one :P

Reply 3

seaholme

19

To be honest I think it's entirely possible that somebody who has been a nurse before will know what nurses can and can't do, and what they'd expect to have done themselves - and might therefore be more willing to stick up for themselves in situations where they feel the nurses are fobbing them off in some way. Which I imagine would go down like a lead balloon. Equally they would also be in a position to have a lot more empathy with nurses on in opposite situations where it's the doctor in the wrong, so it's a two way street. These situations do crop up on both sides unfortunately, although only very infrequently. I think mostly people want to work well together and don't abuse each other's roles.

I wouldn't be hugely surprised if maybe the negative vibes came from something like that, but maybe I'm just being very cynical ahah. On a personal note I would also say that anybody who tells me generically that any group of my colleagues are b*****s or basically disses them to my face automatically goes down in my estimation. I don't think spreading unpleasant things about others is very professional. There's a difference between cathartic moaning/relating a specific situation and trying to spread nasty vibes/gossip.

(edited 6 years ago)

Reply 4

PandaRawanda

7

Hey Guys!

I was just wondering how common it is for a nurse to become a doctor? Is it generally easier to apply to study to become a doctor due to having nursing experience?

Any information would be greatly appreciated.

PandaRawanda!

Reply 5

ForestCat

18

Original post by PandaRawanda

Hey Guys!

I was just wondering how common it is for a nurse to become a doctor? Is it generally easier to apply to study to become a doctor due to having nursing experience?

Any information would be greatly appreciated.

PandaRawanda!

I wouldn't say it is common, but it is done. There is one other nurse in my year doing it and one in the year below.

I also wouldn't say it is easier to apply. Nursing isn't always 'science based' enough for some GEMs, so can rule you out of some places (unless you have relevant a-levels). But I would generally say it helps with interviews, particularly MMIs, because you generally have developed good communication skills during your training (you would hope, anyway).

Reply 6

nexttime

22

Original post by PandaRawanda

Hey Guys!

I was just wondering how common it is for a nurse to become a doctor?

I mean, if you mean in terms of an actual %age then very, very uncommon indeed.

If you mean in terms of is it totally unheard of? No, it can be done.

Reply 7

Anonymous #1

Did my GEM at Warwick and there were five other nurses in my year. I wouldn't say they treated other nurses with contempt, but I found they seemed quite embarrassed about their nursing backgrounds and never really seemed to support the nursing 'cause'. Similarly to you I never told anyone I was a nurse out of fear of being branded a traitor, but all of my nursing colleagues that did know were very supportive of me.

Reply 8

ForestCat

18

I've never had anything but positivity when people have found out, nurses, doctors, all AHPs. Usually met being questions of why I would do it (still trying to figure that one out lol) but always encouraging.

Reply 9

~scorpio~

14

Forget nurses trained as Doctors, even band 7 nurses treat other nurses with contempt. As a student nurse who has come to the end of a nursing degree, I've been trained at a redbrick uni to think critically and when I come on the wards, the amount of shear bad practice I've witnessed was unreal. Every time I spoke out they put me down like I was a threat to them! It explains it as most of these nurses have only come out with diplomas. I really want to get out of nursing profession and do something like a PA masters because I prefer working alongside with Drs than nurses and I'll come back and show them who is boss.

Reply 10

junior.doctor

18

Original post by ~scorpio~

Forget nurses trained as Doctors, even band 7 nurses treat other nurses with contempt. As a student nurse who has come to the end of a nursing degree, I've been trained at a redbrick uni to think critically and when I come on the wards, the amount of shear bad practice I've witnessed was unreal. Every time I spoke out they put me down like I was a threat to them! It explains it as most of these nurses have only come out with diplomas. I really want to get out of nursing profession and do something like a PA masters because I prefer working alongside with Drs than nurses and I'll come back and show them who is boss.

It sounds to me as though a big part of your problem is attitude. It's hard to tell over the internet whether the last line of your post was meant in joke or not. But your whole post has an underlying tone / attitude that makes me think that this is probably why you are having issues with your colleagues / seniors. Becoming a PA is not going to fix this.

Remember that coming into a new workplace as an enthusiastic newly qualified nurse, of course you are going to see things that could be done differently / better. You are however less likely to be aware of some of the wider department issues / politics / staff shortages and turnover / the longer term situation. Coming in and immediately finding everything that is wrong, is definitely going to rub people up the wrong way. If people are doing dangerous things, then of course this needs raising through the correct channels. But otherwise, take some time to observe and learn before immediately criticising. Irrespective of your colleagues' previous education and where that was done, they will have a lot to teach you. They will have experience that you do not have, which is incredibly valuable. Learn from them. I do, every day as a doctor. Some of the best nurses I know have a nursing diploma. A degree from a redbrick uni is not the only way to be a good nurse - and conversely it doesn't guarantee being a good nurse either.

My advice: walk a few months / years in your colleagues' shoes. Don't criticise everything. Learn from them. Call out dangerous things, of course. But wait before wanting to criticise / change everything. There are always ways to improve things. it might be in a few months that you have a bit more insight into why certain things happen the way they do in your department. If you still think there are things you can improve, then go about it the right way with your seniors. And whatever you do, try to improve your attitude a bit, as "showing them who's boss" is going to help no-one. And believe me, you won't be their boss.

(edited 6 years ago)

Reply 11

ForestCat

18

Original post by junior.doctor

It sounds to me as though a big part of your problem is attitude. It's hard to tell over the internet whether the last line of your post was meant in joke or not. But your whole post has an underlying tone / attitude that makes me think that this is probably why you are having issues with your colleagues / seniors. Becoming a PA is not going to fix this.

Remember that coming into a new workplace as an enthusiastic newly qualified nurse, of course you are going to see things that could be done differently / better. You are however less likely to be aware of some of the wider department issues / politics / the longer term situation. Coming in and immediately finding everything that is wrong, is definitely going to rub people up the wrong way. If people are going dangerous things, then of course this needs raising through the correct channels. But otherwise, take some time to observe and learn for immediately criticise. Irrespective of your colleagues' previous education and where that was done, they will have a lot to teach you. They will have experience that you do not have, which is incredibly valuable. Learn from them. I do, every day as a doctor. Some of the best nurses I know have a nursing diploma. A degree from a redbrick uni is not the only way to be a good nurse - and conversely it doesn't guarantee being a good nurse either.

My advice: walk a few months / years in your colleagues' shoes. Don't criticise everything. Learn from them. Call out dangerous things, of course. But wait before wanting to criticise / change everything. There are always ways to improve things. it might be in a few months that you have a bit more insight into why certain things happen the way they do in your department. If you still think there are things you can improve, then go about it the right way with your seniors. And whatever you do, try to improve your attitude a bit, as "showing them who's boss" is going to help no-one. And believe me, you won't be their boss.

PRSOM

Reply 12

Anonymous #1

Original post by ~scorpio~

Forget nurses trained as Doctors, even band 7 nurses treat other nurses with contempt. As a nurse who has come to the end of a nursing degree, I've been trained at a redbrick uni to think critically and when I come on the wards, the amount of shear bad practice I've witnessed was unreal. Every time I spoke out they put me down like I was a threat to them! It explains it as most of these nurses have only come out with diplomas. I really want to get out of nursing profession and do something like a PA masters because I prefer working alongside with Drs than nurses and I'll come back and show them who is boss.

**sheer

As junior.doctor pointed out, the problem might be your attitude. You know PAs also have to work alongside nurses, and considerably more long term than doctors do. If there is poor practice than there are avenues where you can report them confidentially if you feel it affects patients care. And a diploma is also a university qualification, when I did my degree we studied alongside the diploma nurses, only difference being they didn't do a dissertation.

Reply 13

nexttime

22

Original post by ~scorpio~

Forget nurses trained as Doctors, even band 7 nurses treat other nurses with contempt. As a student nurse who has come to the end of a nursing degree, I've been trained at a redbrick uni to think critically and when I come on the wards, the amount of shear bad practice I've witnessed was unreal. Every time I spoke out they put me down like I was a threat to them! It explains it as most of these nurses have only come out with diplomas. I really want to get out of nursing profession and do something like a PA masters because I prefer working alongside with Drs than nurses and I'll come back and show them who is boss.