What is your opinion on doctors and nurses?

Question

Give your opinion on doctors: Intelligence, personlity traits, etc. What is your opinion on nurses (and I mean nurses with a four year degree--not an LPN or nurse's aide or anything? same thing: intelligence, personality traits, etc. I'm asking for a paper for school.

Wait. Does that go for nurses too?

Answer 1

Intelligence: Being a nurse, I know most believe that physicians are more intelligent than nurses. Indeed, applying to medical school is much more competitive (than nursing school). Physicians *must* learn a larger content of material to a higher level of detail, both during medical school and following through in their residency. Nurses *can* if they so choose. I have a lot of respect for the physicians I work with and view them as being more knowledgeable about medicine than I am; however I do not view them as being more intelligent en passant.

Personality traits: My impression is that physicians tend to appear more 'type A'. Nurses may be better at time management, and as a group, may *appear* more laid back.

Of course, there are so many exceptions that the generalizations alluded to in your question are relatively meaningless. A neurosurgeon who completed his residency at the hospital I work in began his career as a nurse's aide. He is extremely knowledgeable, honest, and relatively laid back, and I'm sure his IQ hasn't changed much since his being a nurse's aide.

There is a logical fallacy in believing that ones occupation defines ones attributes as a person. For example, opportunity influences to a great extent who or what we will become.

Answer 2

I work in a hospital, as neither a registered nurse or a doc but I'll let you know what I see everyday. (and just for record this does not mean every single doc or nurse, there are always exeptions)
The doctors,-
Intelligence, most of them have book smarts, they have to in order to pass all the classes. They do know a lot but knowing facts doesn't make you a good doctor.
Personality- the young doctors all seem like they're out to prove they're the best in the world, I get it that they're new and want to show competency but still. I have found in talking to doctors about things at work, and after being in the hospital as a patient not too long ago, most of them really have no bedside manner. I think working in a hospital messes that up, since doctors I know that are not primarily in the hospital everyday are much more people friendly. Older more established doctors don't like to be questioned or admit they're wrong (at least the ones I work with, not saying every single doctor is the same). Even when I was the patient, knew they had messed something up and wanted it fixed, they argued with me!

Nurses- Some are smart, have been at it along time and know how things work. There are some young ones who like the Docs have book smarts but when they get to working on a floor in a hospital make all sorts of mistakes. Some laugh at themselves and realize it's different, others get offended when you tell them something is wrong or it should be done another way. I also work with a couple nurses or know people on other floors that while they're ok people, I would never let them treat me in a hospital.
Personality wise- Alot of the nurses I work with a very laid back, easy going people. There are a few who are very "stick to the book" or ones who think that because they've been there for 30 years they know exactly how everyone and everything is supposed to be and doesn't like new things or ways of relating to a patient.

Also unlike what you see on TV where the doctors know where everything is, operate the IV pumps, take blood, give meds, all that stuff- NEVER happens, it's always the nurses or techs in the hospital that are doing all that stuff. The docs I work with can't even silence an IV pump while they're talking to patients, they hit the call bells for someone else to come do it.....

Answer 3

Doctors are pre-selected for intelligence. If you aren't a little above average, you have no chance of getting into medical school. On the other hand, true genius is still unusual even at this lofty level. Personalities vary as much as in any other group. For instance, people are always commenting on how laid back I am, since the general perception is that I should, as an emergency physician, be an adrenaline junky. In my role as director of the department, and sometimes also in my role as chief of staff, I have to take into consideration the work hours, because I've had doctors lose their bedside manner when they've had too little sleep/rest, which is always a risk. We're often pushing to the edge of human capabilities, and we have to keep an eye out for human frailty.
Nurses, including RN's with 2-year degrees, are another matter. I've run into a few for whom it's just a job, but by far and away the bulk of them do work on a daily basis that I'd never want to do. They handle nasty jobs (and often nasty patients) with equanimity, and for less pay than they deserve, and little thanks. I'm always grateful to be able to work with a good nursing crew, and I have to admit that I don't always show my appreciation as much as I should.

Answer 4

I'm a doctor, and I work with both doctors and nurses, but almost exclusively in an operating room setting.

We are all put under a LOT of stress on a daily basis, and each of us deals with that differently. Some are rude, others joke a lot, some get quiet, some yell. We're all people, doing a rather difficult job.

Most of you who do NOT work in this setting rarely are put into the situation where, if you screw up, people die (pilots and police officers would be an exception.)

Both doctors and nurses are intelligent - they had to get through a lot of school to get where they are. Medical school is obviously more difficult than nursing school, but I know some nurses who are easily as, if not more, intelligent than a lot of doctors.

Personality traits vary. We're all different people doing a similar job. I know doctors who are nasty pieces of work, and doctors who are completely sweet. Same for nurses. There are doctors and nurses who are liars, who cheat on their spouses (with each other, most likely!) and are just inconsiderate - but those are the minority. Most of the people I have the pleasure of working with are kind, dedicated, compassionate, caring souls who put everything they have into caring for other people.

You can generalize if you want, but the community is made up of many different people with their own lives outside of medicine, and their own ways of dealing with the unbelievable stuff we have to see every day.

Answer 5

Doctors are very intelligent. They didn’t go through all those years of med. school to be stupid. I sometimes think doctors get careless, but there are some very thoughtful, compassionate doctors out there who went into their field for the sole purpose of helping others. They did not think about how much money they were going to make or what benefits they were going to obtain. They just thought about the welfare of others. I think these kinds of doctors are genuine, generous, and truly passionate about what they do. As far as the doctors that went into the field for the money and the benefits, their passion for their job is shown in their work, and usually, their work is poor.
Nurses are also very smart. They went through a lot of schooling to get where they are. I think the same thing that goes for nurses goes for doctors, but nurses also have to work a lot harder. Nurses in hospitals are so over worked that they are sometimes sour. They have long hours and have high patient to nurse ratios. They are out-numbered!

Answer 6

Yeah, I'm money hungry, I pay tens of thousands of dollars a year just to work my *** off and not get paid for it for eight years, only to start out making 45000 for working an 80 hour work week. (works out to 8.65 an hour. I made way more as a CNA) That arguement just makes a ton of sense. Sure, you make a good paycheck when it is all done, but it takes well over a decade of hard work to get there.

Sorry Jacob, I know I didn't answer your question, but WWD and Pangolin addressed it quite well. I was just disgusted by the first few answers. If I wanted to be rich I would have chosen a different career, my brother makes more than most doctors and he just has a bachelor's degree. I am in my sixth year of schooling now and still have about two and three quarters to go.

Answer 7

I think a lot of people have that opinion. While nursing is a major role in the medical field it does not take the dedication of so many years of schooling a Dr. must have and cannot perform the same tasks. Though when I go see my Dr. the nurse does all the work and the Dr. just comes in for a few minutes and writes a prescription lol.

Answer 8

Most doctors are very smart, and must have been to get through Medical School to where they are today. That being said, some are prissy, conceited, and aren't good with people, while others are very polite and helpful.

Nurses are also fairly intelligent. The ones i've encountered have been bubbly, and very friendly, but in a few instances there were the nurses who have been exceptionally rude.

Answer 9

For Doctors:
Intelligence: Generally, doctors must have a reasonable level of intelligence.Doctors in my opinion do not necessarily need to possess a high level of intelligence. Average intelligence is fine as long as there is keen interest and motivation to learn things and aspects needed to keep practicing the profession effeciently, safely, and effectively. Everything can be learned, thus anyone with an average intelligence with sufficient diligence can possibly excel over those highly intellectuals. There are many other factors that has to be observed by a doctor that would make him worth of being in the rooster of the profession.

Personality traits: First and foremost, the doctor must be patient, dedicated to his profession and have loyalty to abide by the rules within its scope. Having perseverance, self reliance and self respect; and being respectful and respectable needs to be highlighted.I would also favor a doctor who is warmhearted and with some sense of humor (most doctors are very serious though). Being curious and ambitious are good points as well as long as it does not lead the doctor to the wrong side of the road.

Greed for money? Well, we cannot deny that but generally most doctors try to excel in their professions as a doctor to get higher pay - that's not bad actually. It is just like shooting two birds in one stone. Think that doctors are human too with the same inclination just like anybody else. Earning through the practice of the profession is one of the purposes of getting in to that. In case the doctor looses the "balance" and blinded with "digging the gold" and "being inhumane" to the patients, that would be another aspect of being a doctor which is not deniable - shall we say....negative traits of doctors.

Many doctors seem to be rude but most of them are actually good at heart.

Registered Nurses:
Just like the doctors, RN's ned reasonable intelligence with good sense of judgement and knows how to and when to use his/her common sense. An interest to learn and to abreast with every aspects related to healthcare must always be around.

As nurses are mostly concerned on patient care using holistic approach, nurses must have a caring sense. Being respectful, trustworthy, honest, friendly, and reliable are very valuable assets of the profession. Being strong, creative, and skillful would help in rendering an effective nursing care. A nurse must know how to get along with others - that plays a great role in having a smooth working environment on the floor. And above , I should not forget to mention that a nurse should be very UNDERSTANDING.

Answer 10

Very intelligent, compassionate, and capable.

Doctors and Nurses both have these characteristics,
in additon, the nursing profession has some of the
most devoted, hardest working, caring professionals
I have been priviledged to know and be attended by.