I'm Just A Button Pushing Monkey
Yes indeedy. I don't know how many more years it's going to take us to all just get over ourselves, but it's probably just best we do it soon. So we can better jive with the perception of the general public, residents, and nurses.
Now I admit, I should be doing more to accumulate more continuing education credits. I haven't accrued any in quite some time. And the field of Medical Technology continues to advance and change. I only need to look over the shoulders of my 20-something coworkers to check out their online courses they're taking to know that.
Last week:
At the neighbors' daughter's high school graduation party, the adults got to talking about what we all do. 'Where do you work?' I get asked. 'The big hospital off I-75'. At the same time she's saying 'Oh, then you're a nurse', I'm rudely saying 'I'm NOT a nurse'. Hey, it was stinking hot and I'd had a couple beers already by then. But it happens each and every single time.
A Brad Pitt lookalike (seriously) resident strolled in the small ER satellite lab and wanted to know how much longer results would take on a certain patient. I verified the specimen was indeed running on the analyzer, and even brought up the profile to see how many analytes were in process and which were complete. He then smilingly asks me 'Do you know much about lab results?' To which I answered, just as smilingly, 'I certainly hope so, since it's what I do for a living'.
The nice woman cutting my hair asked me what I do. Standard small talk to pass the time while you are a wet-haired bedraped captive beneath a pair of sharp scissors, you know. I said I was a Medical Technologist. The first question out of her mouth: 'So that's a step below a nurse, right?'
WTF.
I nicely replied to the effect that no, it's not a step below a nurse at all, it's more like a COMPLETELY DIFFERENT JOB. And certainly not less education or less time invested in learning the field. They just don't happen to star us in any TV shows or movies. As a matter of fact, in all likelihood, we are far smarter than nurses. But this will be our little secret until the end of days.
Okay. I will eat my banana for lunch now.
posted by Sleepwalker @ 7:19 AM
5 Comments:
Bad monkey, no banana!
Though we are an extremely overlooked profession, we can take heart in know that 99% of all patients that enter our hospital will receive careful attention from us.
As far as people having no clue about what we do, I like to see myself as a diplmat to the field.
I say things like:
"You know how on ER, when someone is in a car acciedent and the doctor yells out frantically 'wee need 2 units O Neg, STAT!'... I'm the fool getting it ready and ensuring the blood doesn't kill the patient."
"I'm part chemist, part microbiologist, and part machine repairman."
and, my favorite...
"I get to help people I'll never see."
... Hope that helps!! :)
I'm an engineer- I drive a train.
Yes, there is profound ignorance out there. But what gets me isn't the ignorance, it's that people would rather insert something clueless into their gap than just say "Wow, I have no idea what that is- tell me about it."
I like Brooke's comments. One must illuminate the darkness.
I'm the one who would ask to be told about it.
The clueless inserts always aggravate me because I immediately form the opinion that the person really wasn't one bit interested in what you had to offer to the conversation in the first place.
My age and experience in life causes me to believe I have erred seriously in the past by being self-indulgent and not listening a lot more to what other people have to say.
It's a good way to illuminate your own darkness
Mad props to all my typos in my comment above.
I find it quite interesting to learn what other people do for a living. You can really learn a lot.
And Scott, it was be awesome to drive a train for a living like you do! :) w00t w00t!
Ah, yes. People need to categorize other people into neat little slots in their brain. The weaker the brain, the less room there is on the little index tab. I have a hard time communicating my job to others, also. When I say I work in pharmaceuticals, people assume I'm a drug rep. That's as flattering as suggesting that a Supreme Court Justice is an ambulance-chaser.
Perhaps you should just blatantly lie next time you're asked what you do. "I'm an alchemist," or "I work in a South African diamond mine," would probably be better.
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