Unhealthy people working in the healthcare field

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Replies

  • kmm7309
    kmm7309 Posts: 802 Member
    I don't mean to be judgmental, since I'm trying to lose weight myself, and I know others may be on a weight loss journey of their own.

    However, I'm currently a dietetic intern at a nursing home. Nearly every resident has some sort of nutrition related diagnoses - hypertension, type 2 diabetes, hyperlipidemia, osteoarthrosis, GERD, IBS, sleep apnea, heart disease, etc. Of course they are all on a million different medications as well. My question is, when you are working around patients/residents who have these conditions and you can clearly see the impact of a poor diet in so many different manifestations, why wouldn't you be doing something to take control of your own health so you can avoid those things in the future? We were sitting in a meeting at 9am the other morning and I noticed an employee eating a candy bar and a bag of Doritos. At lunch a lot of people eat salads with bacon, cheese, creamy dressing, etc. Are they just oblivious or are they under the impression that "it's not going to happen to them"? A lot of the employees are very overweight as well. Why do I see so many unhealthy choices being made?

    I don't mean to be judgemental, but why are you here? Many of the people on this website are here actively making a change. Many of the people here have been judged and accused of being lazy or incompetent because of their weight. You know what? When I was younger and I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism (which I had NO control over) I decided that I would never be able to lose weight and I ate what I wanted. It wasn't a good idea, but at that time, weight loss felt so unachievable. There could be many reasons, like not having time to work out or cook, or even lack of education. There are many misconceptions about weight loss, and you don't have the full story.

    But please, don't imply incompetence based on a small sliver of the life you see your fellow employees lead.
  • ShareeMorty
    ShareeMorty Posts: 324 Member
    I'm actually a Registered Dietitian, and although I am morbidly obese it doesn't stop me from doing my job well. Like many Dietitians I struggle with a food addiction/disordered eating. We all make choices, and those of use in the healthcare field understand the consequences. Many times it is more than just making a bad choices, its time contstraints, self destruction, not feeling spiritually in tuned to your body. I struggle with my weight. I'm trying to respect my body and make the right choices, but it's an on going battle. I do think that my struggle helps me have more empathy for my residents. I know what they mean when they say I just can't stop eating, and how difficult it is for them to change life long habits. Yes, I'm fat but that doesnt stop me from caring for my residents and using my best clinical judegment to ensure that they have quality life. In the end, thats why we are in healthcare to help people.

    I don`t mean to sound bad, and I am sure you are super excellent at your job ;-)

    And there is a but...as a dietician do you not feel that you have to present an impression to your clients?

    I really am not trying to be nasty to you, I am just thinking if I were to come to you for dietary help then I would feel a bit upset if you were not `trim`

    For example if I went to a personal trainer and they were overweight then I would think that thry really don`t know what they are doing?

    I am not trying to single you out and am sure you are fantastic at your job...I am just asking the question

    there is also the flip side that if I went to see her as a patient I would think - at least she understands how hard it is for me
  • krystina_letitia9
    krystina_letitia9 Posts: 697 Member
    As a RN I also lost weight during school because society makes it an issue. However, my weight doesn't mean I don't know my stuff

    Well said!

    I work night shift as an RN and I think that plays a big part in "fat nurses" - work that for 5 years and see what that does to your body.
  • sting5
    sting5 Posts: 408
    I wasnt going to reply to this topic. I was insulted when I first read it and all the negative comments. However after talking with a friend decided to answer your question and respond to some of the negative comments.

    I am responsible for peoples lives every shift I work. They depend on me to keep them safe. This is stressful. Stress causes the release of cortisol. Cortisol causes 1 of 2 things. You either store fat like its nobodies business or you burn fat like its nobodies business. Nurses are typically very skinny or overweight. The rare one is inbetween. There are days I make poor choices because my option is grab a bag of chips from the vending machine or sit & eat a healthy meal while my patient bleeds out or goes into respiiratory distress.

    I am fully aware like most healthcare professionals what Im doing to my body. I eat well most of the time. I work out 3 days a week. However still struggle with my weight because of cortisol levels and poor coping skills. When Ive had a day where a 6 month old kid dies in the trauma room because of something that could have been prevented, all I want at the end of my shift is a little comfort food, a cigarette, a stiff drink and to cuddle with my kids. Are these the best options. No. Everyone deals with stress different.

    Going into the healthcare field yourself, I would look at trying to educate my patient instead of judging the choices that they make. Sometimes its about the quality of someones life. If bacon makes my pt happy so be it. I would rather my pt be happy for 3 yrs than miserable for 20. Just my 2 cents.


    How sad that you can not have a five minute break without a patient bleeding to death...something is not right here
  • lc971
    lc971 Posts: 104 Member
    LOL.......would you think twice about hiring a FAT lawyer? or a Fat chef??? Come on people!! Ive been a nurse my entire life, and im smart enough to know that we are all different, and I certainly know that no one is perfect either!! If you were perfect you wouldn't need us fat dysfunctional health care workers to save your *kitten* when your dying! Geeze!!!!

    LOL :drinker: Thank you!
  • crisanderson27
    crisanderson27 Posts: 5,343 Member
    I wasnt going to reply to this topic. I was insulted when I first read it and all the negative comments. However after talking with a friend decided to answer your question and respond to some of the negative comments.

    I am responsible for peoples lives every shift I work. They depend on me to keep them safe. This is stressful. Stress causes the release of cortisol. Cortisol causes 1 of 2 things. You either store fat like its nobodies business or you burn fat like its nobodies business. Nurses are typically very skinny or overweight. The rare one is inbetween. There are days I make poor choices because my option is grab a bag of chips from the vending machine or sit & eat a healthy meal while my patient bleeds out or goes into respiiratory distress.

    I am fully aware like most healthcare professionals what Im doing to my body. I eat well most of the time. I work out 3 days a week. However still struggle with my weight because of cortisol levels and poor coping skills. When Ive had a day where a 6 month old kid dies in the trauma room because of something that could have been prevented, all I want at the end of my shift is a little comfort food, a cigarette, a stiff drink and to cuddle with my kids. Are these the best options. No. Everyone deals with stress different.

    Going into the healthcare field yourself, I would look at trying to educate my patient instead of judging the choices that they make. Sometimes its about the quality of someones life. If bacon makes my pt happy so be it. I would rather my pt be happy for 3 yrs than miserable for 20. Just my 2 cents.


    How sad that you can not have a five minute break without a patient bleeding to death...something is not right here

    What an ignorant thing to say...seriously.
  • tobnrn
    tobnrn Posts: 477 Member
    i question fat nurses all the time. I just don't trust em.

    That's petty and judgemental - how would you feel if the roles were reversed?

    Dont piss off your nurse. We determine how fast you get your pain meds.
  • ShareeMorty
    ShareeMorty Posts: 324 Member
    As a RN I also lost weight during school because society makes it an issue. However, my weight doesn't mean I don't know my stuff

    Well said!

    I work night shift as an RN and I think that plays a big part in "fat nurses" - work that for 5 years and see what that does to your body.

    Night shift eats everything! Whenever I do nights it blows my calories completely as I am constantly starving for the shift and the next day as well.
  • crobl
    crobl Posts: 380
    We are all human beings with a variety of problems going on, whether work-related, personal related, health-related, etc. What right do I have to pass judgement on them? Absolutely none whatsoever.

    I'm not questioning their ability to do their jobs well. I work with many wonderful people. I'm just wondering why they make the choices they do in regards to their own health when they can see firsthand how those bad decisions are impacting others.

    As a healthcare professional, this is actually fairly offensive topic. There are many reasons for being overweight and it's not always a 'choice". And while I agree that smoking is gross - it's an addiction that takes time and effort to recover from. Just because someone is in a healthcare field, doesn't make them anymore than human!

    Additionally, there is an extreme difference between what I do to my own body and what I inform my patients to do. For example, about a month ago I pulled my hamstring. I was running 2 days after. Would I let my patient do that? HELL NO, it would be stupid. But it's my body, my choice...and I know exactly how long/hard I can push myself.

    Personally, some of my weight gain has come from the fact that I put my patients as a priority ahead of myself. I have been known to skip workouts/lunches/sleep in order to take care of my kids. Does that make me unhealthy'? Yes, it has. But has it made me a bad certified athletic trainer? NO, it actually makes me a better one. Can I still sprint across a soccer field to get to a hurt athlete? You're darn right I can...

    So before you judge someone based upon an external appearance, think about this - it's targeted towards bullying, but the concept applies.

    http://www.google.com/imgres?um=1&hl=en&sa=N&biw=1249&bih=615&tbm=isch&tbnid=O-Etb18vZYYtJM:&imgrefurl=http://alysonmiers.wordpress.com/2012/04/&docid=M-c5ApcFxAtY6M&imgurl=http://alysonmiers.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/bullying_wrong.jpg&w=320&h=320&ei=5azvT66nCqeW2gXHsLnSCg&zoom=1
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    I wasnt going to reply to this topic. I was insulted when I first read it and all the negative comments. However after talking with a friend decided to answer your question and respond to some of the negative comments.

    I am responsible for peoples lives every shift I work. They depend on me to keep them safe. This is stressful. Stress causes the release of cortisol. Cortisol causes 1 of 2 things. You either store fat like its nobodies business or you burn fat like its nobodies business. Nurses are typically very skinny or overweight. The rare one is inbetween. There are days I make poor choices because my option is grab a bag of chips from the vending machine or sit & eat a healthy meal while my patient bleeds out or goes into respiiratory distress.

    I am fully aware like most healthcare professionals what Im doing to my body. I eat well most of the time. I work out 3 days a week. However still struggle with my weight because of cortisol levels and poor coping skills. When Ive had a day where a 6 month old kid dies in the trauma room because of something that could have been prevented, all I want at the end of my shift is a little comfort food, a cigarette, a stiff drink and to cuddle with my kids. Are these the best options. No. Everyone deals with stress different.

    Going into the healthcare field yourself, I would look at trying to educate my patient instead of judging the choices that they make. Sometimes its about the quality of someones life. If bacon makes my pt happy so be it. I would rather my pt be happy for 3 yrs than miserable for 20. Just my 2 cents.


    How sad that you can not have a five minute break without a patient bleeding to death...something is not right here

    Yes, something is not right here. Your verbal reasoning skills in interpreting the point she was trying to make.
  • ShareeMorty
    ShareeMorty Posts: 324 Member
    i question fat nurses all the time. I just don't trust em.

    That's petty and judgemental - how would you feel if the roles were reversed?

    Dont piss off your nurse. We determine how fast you get your pain meds.

    MFP needs a like button
  • BeautyFromPain
    BeautyFromPain Posts: 4,952 Member
    I wasnt going to reply to this topic. I was insulted when I first read it and all the negative comments. However after talking with a friend decided to answer your question and respond to some of the negative comments.

    I am responsible for peoples lives every shift I work. They depend on me to keep them safe. This is stressful. Stress causes the release of cortisol. Cortisol causes 1 of 2 things. You either store fat like its nobodies business or you burn fat like its nobodies business. Nurses are typically very skinny or overweight. The rare one is inbetween. There are days I make poor choices because my option is grab a bag of chips from the vending machine or sit & eat a healthy meal while my patient bleeds out or goes into respiiratory distress.

    I am fully aware like most healthcare professionals what Im doing to my body. I eat well most of the time. I work out 3 days a week. However still struggle with my weight because of cortisol levels and poor coping skills. When Ive had a day where a 6 month old kid dies in the trauma room because of something that could have been prevented, all I want at the end of my shift is a little comfort food, a cigarette, a stiff drink and to cuddle with my kids. Are these the best options. No. Everyone deals with stress different.

    Going into the healthcare field yourself, I would look at trying to educate my patient instead of judging the choices that they make. Sometimes its about the quality of someones life. If bacon makes my pt happy so be it. I would rather my pt be happy for 3 yrs than miserable for 20. Just my 2 cents.


    How sad that you can not have a five minute break without a patient bleeding to death...something is not right here

    What an ignorant thing to say...seriously.
  • trixirn
    trixirn Posts: 130 Member
    I wasnt going to reply to this topic. I was insulted when I first read it and all the negative comments. However after talking with a friend decided to answer your question and respond to some of the negative comments.

    I am responsible for peoples lives every shift I work. They depend on me to keep them safe. This is stressful. Stress causes the release of cortisol. Cortisol causes 1 of 2 things. You either store fat like its nobodies business or you burn fat like its nobodies business. Nurses are typically very skinny or overweight. The rare one is inbetween. There are days I make poor choices because my option is grab a bag of chips from the vending machine or sit & eat a healthy meal while my patient bleeds out or goes into respiiratory distress.

    I am fully aware like most healthcare professionals what Im doing to my body. I eat well most of the time. I work out 3 days a week. However still struggle with my weight because of cortisol levels and poor coping skills. When Ive had a day where a 6 month old kid dies in the trauma room because of something that could have been prevented, all I want at the end of my shift is a little comfort food, a cigarette, a stiff drink and to cuddle with my kids. Are these the best options. No. Everyone deals with stress different.

    Going into the healthcare field yourself, I would look at trying to educate my patient instead of judging the choices that they make. Sometimes its about the quality of someones life. If bacon makes my pt happy so be it. I would rather my pt be happy for 3 yrs than miserable for 20. Just my 2 cents.


    How sad that you can not have a five minute break without a patient bleeding to death...something is not right here
    ^^This is why I am going back to school and getting out of patient care. Noone appreciates your efforts or gives you a moments thought. Time to exit.
  • clover5
    clover5 Posts: 1,640 Member
    .
  • Laces_0ut
    Laces_0ut Posts: 3,750 Member
    it never bothered me. the only thing that concerns me is someone being weak. my father was in hospice last year and some of the staff seemed like they would have a hard time holding him up if he was about to fall.
  • tobnrn
    tobnrn Posts: 477 Member
    I wasnt going to reply to this topic. I was insulted when I first read it and all the negative comments. However after talking with a friend decided to answer your question and respond to some of the negative comments.

    I am responsible for peoples lives every shift I work. They depend on me to keep them safe. This is stressful. Stress causes the release of cortisol. Cortisol causes 1 of 2 things. You either store fat like its nobodies business or you burn fat like its nobodies business. Nurses are typically very skinny or overweight. The rare one is inbetween. There are days I make poor choices because my option is grab a bag of chips from the vending machine or sit & eat a healthy meal while my patient bleeds out or goes into respiiratory distress.

    I am fully aware like most healthcare professionals what Im doing to my body. I eat well most of the time. I work out 3 days a week. However still struggle with my weight because of cortisol levels and poor coping skills. When Ive had a day where a 6 month old kid dies in the trauma room because of something that could have been prevented, all I want at the end of my shift is a little comfort food, a cigarette, a stiff drink and to cuddle with my kids. Are these the best options. No. Everyone deals with stress different.

    Going into the healthcare field yourself, I would look at trying to educate my patient instead of judging the choices that they make. Sometimes its about the quality of someones life. If bacon makes my pt happy so be it. I would rather my pt be happy for 3 yrs than miserable for 20. Just my 2 cents.


    How sad that you can not have a five minute break without a patient bleeding to death...something is not right here

    That is the job of a nurse. Any nurse here will tell you their pt comes first. Some days are better than others. Not everyday is the same. I hope if you ever have to be hospitalized your nurse puts her lunch aside to help you.
  • TravisBurns
    TravisBurns Posts: 353 Member
    If a person knows what they are doing and do it fine. I wouldn't see it as a problem
  • miracole
    miracole Posts: 492 Member
    I don't mean to be judgmental, since I'm trying to lose weight myself, and I know others may be on a weight loss journey of their own.

    However, I'm currently a dietetic intern at a nursing home. Nearly every resident has some sort of nutrition related diagnoses - hypertension, type 2 diabetes, hyperlipidemia, osteoarthrosis, GERD, IBS, sleep apnea, heart disease, etc. Of course they are all on a million different medications as well. My question is, when you are working around patients/residents who have these conditions and you can clearly see the impact of a poor diet in so many different manifestations, why wouldn't you be doing something to take control of your own health so you can avoid those things in the future? We were sitting in a meeting at 9am the other morning and I noticed an employee eating a candy bar and a bag of Doritos. At lunch a lot of people eat salads with bacon, cheese, creamy dressing, etc. Are they just oblivious or are they under the impression that "it's not going to happen to them"? A lot of the employees are very overweight as well. Why do I see so many unhealthy choices being made?

    Just because you are educated in a field doesn't mean that you aren't human. I don't expect my health care professionals to be perfect, in fact if they lived perfect lives I would probably be less tolerant of them because I don't think they could really connect with the stuff that their patients are going through. My current doctor is a skinny little thing who is genetically predisposed to be tiny. The fact that she knows that I'm an avid runner who logs at least 20-30 miles a week makes her comments every time I'm in there about my "weight issues" (especially at my last visit when I'd dropped 25lbs) extremely aggravating.

    I'm much more concerned that the advice they give me is valid. That's why I ditched the last doctor who responded to my pride about completing my first 5k race with the comment "you know what we need? less running and more lattes and manicures!" I'll take the skinny judgmental one over the ditzy dr. Barbie any day...though it doesn't mean that I'm able to connect with her!

    Saying health care professionals have to be in great health is like saying family law lawyers and relationship therapists have to have perfect marriages, or chefs in 5 star restaurants can never eat fast food. Your job is your job, you are still allowed to be as flawed as the rest of us!
  • tobnrn
    tobnrn Posts: 477 Member
    If a person knows what they are doing and do it fine. I wouldn't see it as a problem

    Exactly. Its our job to educate people. The ultimate decision is theirs. Just like it is ours.

    Sometimes its about quality of life. I love bacon. It makes me happy. ;)
  • peachyxoxoxo
    peachyxoxoxo Posts: 1,178 Member
    I don't mean to be judgmental, since I'm trying to lose weight myself, and I know others may be on a weight loss journey of their own.

    However, I'm currently a dietetic intern at a nursing home. Nearly every resident has some sort of nutrition related diagnoses - hypertension, type 2 diabetes, hyperlipidemia, osteoarthrosis, GERD, IBS, sleep apnea, heart disease, etc. Of course they are all on a million different medications as well. My question is, when you are working around patients/residents who have these conditions and you can clearly see the impact of a poor diet in so many different manifestations, why wouldn't you be doing something to take control of your own health so you can avoid those things in the future? We were sitting in a meeting at 9am the other morning and I noticed an employee eating a candy bar and a bag of Doritos. At lunch a lot of people eat salads with bacon, cheese, creamy dressing, etc. Are they just oblivious or are they under the impression that "it's not going to happen to them"? A lot of the employees are very overweight as well. Why do I see so many unhealthy choices being made?

    I don't mean to be judgemental, but why are you here? Many of the people on this website are here actively making a change. Many of the people here have been judged and accused of being lazy or incompetent because of their weight. You know what? When I was younger and I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism (which I had NO control over) I decided that I would never be able to lose weight and I ate what I wanted. It wasn't a good idea, but at that time, weight loss felt so unachievable. There could be many reasons, like not having time to work out or cook, or even lack of education. There are many misconceptions about weight loss, and you don't have the full story.

    But please, don't imply incompetence based on a small sliver of the life you see your fellow employees lead.

    Well, I've addressed this numerous times, but nowhere did I imply incompetence based on a persons weight. I, like you, am here because I've struggled with weight and I'm trying to make a change. You will notice I acknowledged in my original post that I understand people have all sorts of things going on in their lives that could be contributing to their weight. It's not necessarily the fact that someone is overweight, but the unhealthy choices I see people making. I work in a nursing home, which is not as high stress of an environment as a hospital, and many of the people I work with do only work 9-5, so the weird hours thing people keep talking about doesn't really apply to the things I'm observing.

    I'm sorry you were upset by the way you interpreted what I wrote.
  • marrizia
    marrizia Posts: 88 Member
    Wow! This goes ALL over me! I'm a nurse and have been for 4 years now. I, however, have been overweight all of my life. My being overweight hasn't once EVER affected my ability to do my job. I have coded 500lb men and been thrown back in on compressions way more than I would've ever liked because I was the ONLY nurse doing them effectively. I think this is all about a person's journey. Sure the nurse giving the doctor's prescribed diet advice might have been overweight, how do you as a patient know whether or not she's trying to diet on her own? Yes as a nurse I've personally seen all of the ill effects of what being overweight does to a person, which is why I'm trying VERY HARD, might I add, to change my life now before it gets any harder or further down the road. .
    Love this reply
    I'm a nurse, and I'm overweight- trying to change that which is why I'm here.
    My weight has never impacted my job, except perhaps positively when I am the only one strong enough to perform compressions on those 500 lb men! I am very good at my job ( I've been a nurse over 20 years so it would suck if I weren't good at it by now.) There are patients who always ask for me when they return to the hospital, and come visit me when they have a clinic appointment. They don't look at the weight- they see the inner person who loved and cared for them as if they were family, the person who fought for them like a ferocious bulldog so that they got the treatment they needed, the one who taught the new doctors what needed to be done, the one who wouldn't leave their side when they were frightened... It's not a credit to me- God puts us where we need to be at exactly the right time.
    As far as teaching patients about diet, I feel they are able to disclose to me more than they might to a thinner person. I tell them, "Obviously I have a problem with weight, and I KNOW where you are coming from. It's hard." That usually opens a very honest discussion and we can then talk about needed change.
    In closing, I want to thank all of my fellow nurses, overweight or not, for the care that you provide every day.
  • crobl
    crobl Posts: 380
    here's my bottom line on this one -

    Have you ever eaten an unhealthy item? chips, soda, candy bar, cookie, ice cream, etc....

    Have you ever made an unhealthy lifestyle choice? drank, smoked, skipped a work out, missed sleep...

    Are you perfect?

    I'm guessing everyone on here has answered yes to the first 2 questions and no to the 3rd....so, if you have made mistakes, then WHY DO YOU HAVE ANY RIGHT TO JUDGE ANYONE ELSE, regardless of their profession.

    Now, I by no means consider myself a religous person, but consider this

    Luke 6:37 “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.
  • r1ghtpath
    r1ghtpath Posts: 701 Member
    i question fat nurses all the time. I just don't trust em.

    hopefully you won't ever need emergent or serious care that is provided to you by a nurse or doc that is overweight then.

    i am an RN. i worked pediatric oncology ( kids with cancer), general peds, maternal child health ( moms, babies, nursery) and a level 3 NICU ( basically the sickest of the sick preterm infant and neonates).

    my job was NOT hindered in the least bit when i was over weight!!!! switching from day shift to night shift was NOT kind to me. and i gained about 10 lbs.

    my job WAS mildly hindered working in the NICU while 8 months preggo though.

    would you question a pregnant nurse, and not trust her??? if you're not gonna trust a fat nurse, you definitely can't trust a pregnant one!! i mean, we are a mess and have to pee all of the time, and our hands are puffy and our feet are puffy and we have to sit a lot and we move super duper extra slow! the list does go on.......

    some of the most amazing NICU RNs i worked with were over weight. VERY over weight. they were still amazing nurses that worked so hard each and every day to save the babies they took care of. working pediatric oncology, you tend to lose weight. you run the entire 12 hr shift. there is no sitting. and no eating. not to mention no peeing. so, as a peds onc RN you get bladder infections. and kidney infections. and a slew of GI issues from holding and not eating. and you get fuzzy in the head due to lack of calories consumed during your 12 hr or more shift.........

    if you were to go to a doc for weight loss, and the staff was heavy you might say " well, they won't have any idea of what they are talking about." and it's quite possible. but, you also might have met staff that just aren't there yet. they don't care 'that much' about themselves.

    people in the medical field might not take BETTER care of themselves than others, but usually that's because they are SOOO worried and concerned about taking care of YOU AND YOUR LOVED ONES!!!!!!!!

    so, if you're gonna hate on fat nurses and docs, i do pray that you never need the help from one. because i will guarantee, they will give up lunch, dinner, peeing, and sitting down to take care of you and make sure YOU are ok!!!!!!
  • coachblt
    coachblt Posts: 1,090
    If the person knows the material and can transfer that knowledge for the better towards my health, I couldn't care less what they look like.

    My college football coach didn't play college or pro quarterback, but I listened to him intently because his job was to improve my skills and make the team better. His lack of playing experience was not a factor because he knew what he was talking about.

    I guess what I'm saying is this: Don't sell people short based on their appearances. Of all people, we here at MFP should know that.
  • Masterdo
    Masterdo Posts: 331 Member
    On the topic of nurses that work really hard for their patients, I have a very different take than most... I think something is VERY VERY wrong with the fact that indeed, those people are worked and stressed to their breaking point on a daily basis. It's the biggest irony that it is that difficult for someone in this field to stay healthy and live an healthy lifestyle.

    Here in Quebec, a lot of people graduating from nursing school go to Europe, like Sweden where they have MUCH better conditions. At the moment here, the average nurse works double shifts 3 days a week. And the peer pressure is so screwed that the ones crossing the pond perceived as the evil ones, shame on them for actually wanting to have the opportunity to excel at their work AND develop as a person...

    This is just insane, and they all do it for their patients, not realizing that in fact no one wins, especially not themselves, and not even their patients, who do realize that this situation is garbage... Someone somewhere is saving on costs and paying themselves hefty bonuses because they can count on the fact that you won't let someone die, and that is what is very wrong.

    So yeah, I do think, like someone said earlier and was taken badly, that it is absolutely terrible that your job is doing that to you. And like someone else said, it is an excuse. A VERY good one, but still an excuse. Your patients are very important, but none of them will be around when you suffer, alone, and impose on your own family, the consequences of being overweight. This is why we are here, and everyone has a good reason why they got there, but everyone also has to get out of obesity, no matter their job or story.

    Nutritionists on the other hand, they have a different situation. My previous post still resumes what I think about that case :p Their bodies are their uniforms, and to be taken seriously, just like any other job like that, you have to lead by example. Which, truly when you think about it, is more of a perk than a burden.
  • mommanurse33
    mommanurse33 Posts: 189 Member
    I beg your pardon!!! I am going to say this much. I am an RN and I work with many nurses who are overweight, smoke, drink, eat crap food, struggle with eating disorders, are diabetic, have hypertension, or high cholesterol, etc. Some of those "fat" nurses or doctors or whatever, have underlying problems that make them the way they are. Thyroid problems, PCOD, and other problems can cause people to be heavy. Some of us have a hereditary disposition that increases our risk for diabetes, high cholesterol, or HTN. Some of us just graduated nursing school and have been pretty sedentary as we "sit" on our fat a@# studying to save your a@# when you come into the ER needing your lives to be saved. Have you ever tried to quit smoking? Harder habit to break than heroin. I know, because I tried to quit smoking a total of 22 times before I finally kicked THAT habit. To top things off, stress triggers many people to smoke, and nursing is a VERY stressful job. People code on you, people die, patients treat you like crap, emergencies happen during labor, kids come into the ER severely beaten. I have come home from work, grabbed a beer, and sobbed for hours because my 12hr night shift was so stressful.
    That being said, nobody is perfect. Not even my fellow healthcare workers and I. I would certainly rather have a fat RN and doctor who are both knowledgeable and have good bedside manner and common sense working to save my life, than the skinny ding-dong twit who couldn't fight his/her way out of a wet paper sack.
    Before you judge your next fat nurse, consider where you were and currently are on your journey. Consider how you would feel if you were the fat nurse with the skinny twit sitting in front of you, judging y:angry: ou.
  • Kattjb73
    Kattjb73 Posts: 1
    I also work in health care. I work in a pharmacy and see patients buying insulin and snickers at the same time. I see it I care. Sometimes we are not in the frame of mind of our health when we have other worries on our mind. I am overwieght but not to the point where people look at me and wonder why I chose this bad meal today. Nurses is some facilities are following protocal and dont know themselves how to use it then some nurses are overweight but healthier than some skinny model. so please be careful and put yourself in someone elses shoes just for a moment and maybe find a common ground that can help both parties. Oh PS I love your weight loss counter BAZINGA!
  • MeliJean78
    MeliJean78 Posts: 249
    I wasnt going to reply to this topic. I was insulted when I first read it and all the negative comments. However after talking with a friend decided to answer your question and respond to some of the negative comments.

    I am responsible for peoples lives every shift I work. They depend on me to keep them safe. This is stressful. Stress causes the release of cortisol. Cortisol causes 1 of 2 things. You either store fat like its nobodies business or you burn fat like its nobodies business. Nurses are typically very skinny or overweight. The rare one is inbetween. There are days I make poor choices because my option is grab a bag of chips from the vending machine or sit & eat a healthy meal while my patient bleeds out or goes into respiiratory distress.

    I am fully aware like most healthcare professionals what Im doing to my body. I eat well most of the time. I work out 3 days a week. However still struggle with my weight because of cortisol levels and poor coping skills. When Ive had a day where a 6 month old kid dies in the trauma room because of something that could have been prevented, all I want at the end of my shift is a little comfort food, a cigarette, a stiff drink and to cuddle with my kids. Are these the best options. No. Everyone deals with stress different.

    Going into the healthcare field yourself, I would look at trying to educate my patient instead of judging the choices that they make. Sometimes its about the quality of someones life. If bacon makes my pt happy so be it. I would rather my pt be happy for 3 yrs than miserable for 20. Just my 2 cents.

    I put band-aids on my patients boo-boos before I clock out to eat my healthy home-made lunch.

    - From a rare breed (inbetweenie)
  • iwantahealthierme13
    iwantahealthierme13 Posts: 337 Member
    I wouldn't pass judgement either.

    Nursing is a very stressful field.

    I would rather have a big nurse who is a nice and decent person look after me than a skinny nurse who is a B-I-T-C-H

    I was in the hospital in February and missed a meal one day I was there, a skinny nurse told me that her mistake of not giving me my lunch was excusable because "You are a big girl and don't need to eat, actually, you probably need to lose some weight" - her EXACT words. I am only 180 pounds and 5'5", overweight but not huge.
  • jpbeck
    jpbeck Posts: 30
    I think a lot of people presume that when people work in the healthcare field they should be healthy because they work with people who are sick and/or are generally unhealthy and people think that because of what the healthcare professionals see everyday they do not want to be that way.

    However that can be nothing further from the truth. Unhealthy habits and eating do not discriminate between race, gender, class, and occupation. Healthcare workers are just as prone as to other people to bad habits because they share one common trait with the rest of the populous, and that is being human.

    It is also my belief that healthcare workers have less access to healthy lifestyle choices. I based this on two perspectives; the stress of the job itself and the long hours they put in their professions. It is not uncommon for a hospital floor nurse to put in four 12 hour work shifts a week, with three 12s being the average. I feel this is ironic because to put in the long hours and to deal with the stress it is my opinion that you have to be fit as possible.

    With that said whenever I see a healthcare professional the only thing I care about is information that I can use to get better and live a healthy lifestyle. Even then I do my own research of the information given to me to see if its good because even healthcare professionals can give bad or out of date advice.

    It's like the old Russian saying, "Trust, but confirm".

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