Completely fed up with people looking down on me...

[mitnord]

Hello All,

 

I am an uncertified nurses aid and I take care of the elderly. I have another job and school on top of this one.

 

I notice people look down at me when I mention that I work in a nursing home. One of my friends told me it's such a waste of one's life to be whiping a bum, and why I don't find something more aestethically pleasing. My other friend says this job is only for talentless lazy people with IQ of -20. My parents are also ashamed of me, they are actually hiding this fact from everyone in my extended family.

 

I believe that's what majority of people think about this job, even though they tell you that you are a walking saint doing a great job.

 

What do you think of this?

 

Thanks for listening to me rant!

[thejigsup]

I do not think this is a very glamorous job, and the people I have known who have done it are high school dropouts who welfare forced to get a job. This is not the case with you, however. You are doing this job to put yourself through school. I admire you, actually.

[LemonCheesecak]

I thank my mother for my intellect, she's a very intelligent woman, but she's a qualified psychiatric nurse at a home for the elderly with demetia etc. It's slightly different, but I challenge anyone who puts down your occupation to try working in your position for a day and see how they cope! They obviously don't understand how emotionally and physically demanding such a job is. Its just ignorance

[Tethys]

I think you are doing something great. That's what I think.

 

I am going into Social Work, so that may color my perception. You are doing a really great thing, and anyone who puts you down for that, well, they should be ashamed of themselves.

[Caprica]

I am grateful there are those like you around. Even if you are doing it just for awhile, you are doing it. I work in a hospital as well (imaging) so I know a little of what you go through daily. Those same people who look down on you, will be wishing they had someone like you when they are elderly and unable to care for themselves.

[Seraphim]

You are doing a great service to people who can no longer care for themself. They are people too. All the people who put you down are going to be perfectly able to care for themself in old age?? Let's hope so Cause if they cant tell them you wont be wiping their bottom.

[pumpkinmoon]

You have nothing to be ashamed of at all. Personally I couldn't do it, I think it takes a special kind of person and I admire people who can.

 

You parents should be proud of you. There is nothing degrading about what you are doing.

[steelcitymstro]

I think you're completely admirable....I've found that the people who look down on jobs like yours have had to do very little manual labor in their own lives and therefore don't appreciate that IQ has nothing to do with it and you CERTAINLY can't be lazy. Don't let them bother you--you're doing very important work that needs to be done and very few people can do. Your job is much more than wiping bums as you say--you're there for these people when their families are not. You provide comfort when they are confused or scared and you provide care when they can't care for themselves. I hope that someone is like that for me if I ever need it when I'm old....

 

Do none of your friends or family ever think they'll need that kind of care someday? Will they be so quick to look down upon the people who are taking care of them when they're too incapacitated to take care of themselves?