I am frequently asked by nurses, “Why is the Board concerned about what happens when I am on my time off?”
The reason is because we are nurses 24/7! Even if we’re not working, we are members of a profession and there are certain duties that are incumbent upon us. For example, some States require nurses to help if they happen upon the scene of an accident.
How we conduct ourselves during our time off is representation of our profession. Even as misunderstood as nurses can be, we want to represent our profession in the best possible light.
Be careful if you walk into a liquor store while wearing scrubs. Be careful if you are going out for drinks after work wearing scrubs with your name badge showing. The best advice that I can give you is to always conduct yourself as if you are on camera 24/7.
Remember the movie “The Truman Show?” Though Truman was the star, he did not know it was a show. He didn’t know that the place where he lived was a big studio with cameras hidden everywhere and he had no idea that all the people around him, including his friends and even his wife, were actors who played their roles in the TV series of his life. He thought he was just an ordinary person with an ordinary life. He had no realization that he was being exploited.
Think about if you were on camera around the clock. What would you stop doing? What would you begin doing? How would your life be different?
By conducting ourselves as if we were constantly on camera, we can present ourselves in alignment with what’s important to us and portray our profession in the most favorable light.
Have any thoughts about this? Would it make a difference if you were on camera all the time? Let me know! Thanks.
Jennipher says
The fact that the nursing board of Indiana can dictate our personal lives, medications we are prescribed, and make judgement about us in relation to our personal health should be a violation of HIPPA. We are, as medical professionals, to up hold the laws regarding HIPPA, yet they have the right to dictate our perscriptions? Or give up your career.. Those with the most empathy and caring (what nurses SHOULD BE) suffer the most burn out from job stress, exhaustion, health issues, bullying and lateral violence. Yet we are expected to let this roll off our back. Let’s not forget life issues: death of a child, ANY death in a family. God forbid we are HUMAN
Anne Llewellyn says
Wow…powerful words to remember because the implications are very serious. Today, with camera’s in every cell phone, the stakes are very high. These words of advice are important to every nurse!
thanks for sharing