I Usually Don't Notice Things Like This But....

[Virgo10]

In a HOSPITAL?! I went to have my blood drawn this morning and every single employee in the outpatient department was over weight. I'm not talking a little bit over weight, I'm talking morbidly obese.

As a former nurse I found two things interesting about our profession. Many of us were smokers and many were carrying around way too much. Strange group, nurses.

This is not meant to slam people with weight problems. I'm fighting my own. I was just taken aback by seeing 4 or 5 receptionists and/or nuses in a hospital that all needed a weight loss program. Mostly I just felt bad for them. I don't think any of them were over 50 years old.

Now on the other hand, the lab tech was slender and also did a great job getting my blood.

 

[MushyMushy]

It's sad, isn't it? People who spend so much time caring for others don't care for themselves.

My mom was a nurse for 45 years and she was morbidly obese, plus has diabetes that she took pills for -- never ever ever tried to control her diet.

I used to visit her on her floor a lot, and almost every single nurse she worked with was moderately to severely obese.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

I notice this too...not sure if oxymoron is the right term---but you would assume that those in their chosen profession would be somewhat knowledgable as it applies to themselves.

Mechanics who change their own oil.

A computer software person able to reasonably add to, subtract from, or troubleshoot their home computer

health care professionals who live a reasonably healthy life.

I noticed the same thing in the ER a month ago. I also noticed the lack of entertainment as I sat and wait on a gurney waiting for an episode of Gray's Anatomy to start. (totally kidding!!!! Had to pass the time some how while experiencing a difficult time--so I did keep making jokes about this while i was there. Hey--it cheered up a woman who was there who was a nurse IRL but who was their with a loved one who went crazy (literally)).

 

[pearlieq]

Have you seen how many nurses smoke?

You've got to figure, 66% percent of our population is overweight, it's trickled into every field. I guess something like this just goes to show how big and difficult a problem obesity is. If I were really as simple as just "go on a diet", overweight people would be rare instead of the norm.

 

[Christine]

I've always wondered how those who are in nursing and are obese like that can handle the rigors of their job? I mean, especially hospital workers, who are on their feet every day taking care of patients. It must be extremely difficult to do when morbidly obese?

 

[Daxx]

As a former nurse I found two things interesting about our profession. Many of us were smokers ...

This is the one thing that always surprises me the most ... hospital staff who smoke! When I go into a hospital, the number of employees (nurses or otherwise) who are on a cigarette break just amazes me! I mean, you all see the effects of smoking firsthand! Wouldn't that be enough to do it?!

My friend's bro. is a cardiologist and when he was in town, they came to a party we were having at our house. We were talking and my aunt said "Oh, you must eat so healthy, being a cardiologist" and he said that he tries, but admitted that he can't help eating junky stuff from time to time.

I guess we're all human, right?!

 

[DisneyAddict_M]

My dentist has really bad teeth.

 

[MushyMushy]

I've always wondered how those who are in nursing and are obese like that can handle the rigors of their job? I mean, especially hospital workers, who are on their feet every day taking care of patients. It must be extremely difficult to do when morbidly obese?

My mother (over 300 pounds) was in pain most of her working life and ended up with severe arthritis from it. And she never wore good shoes -- just cheap white nursing shoes. She's now in a wheelchair because her knees, feet, and hips are shot.

All my mother's coworkers who I still see occasionally -- they're hobbling around like they're in a lot of pain too.

 

[CathrynRose]

 

[julia & nicks mom]

Thia reminds me of a funny story -

my grandmother was very opinionated in her later years - and her hearing was not really up to par

my mom took her to an appointment one day and a morbidly obese woman came walking by - and my grandma says to my mom - VERY loud -

"have you ever noticed how people in healthcare are very heavy?"

my mom said she wanted to crawl in a hole and die!!! the woman walked by and went into an office - she walked out a few minutes later and said as she walked by my mom and grandma

"some of US just had babies"

my mom said it was pretty funny but that there was no way having a baby had caused this woman's weight problems!!

I would imagine that being in the healthcare field and working long hours is very stressful and for many of them -they just grab food on the go - not making the healthiest choices

My mom used to work in a doctor's office and the amount of food brought into their office each day was obscene!!!

 

[Magickndm]

I had to go to the ER several weeks ago and the doctor I saw just reeked of cigarette smoke.
Can't say all the staff was overweight though.

 

[AllyandJack]

I had a teacher in 8th grade who told us "If you're not eating salads, don't expect to look like Christy Brinkley." The woman was 5' tall and 300lbs. We assumed she was trying to save us from her fate, but it came off really snotty.

 

[curiouser]

My mom was a nurse and she was/is overweight. I remember from her days of nursing that even though she was on her feet/running ragged most of the time she ate really poorly. A candy bar here, a bag of chips there.. she never really sat down to eat a proper meal. Then she'd come home, sleep about 4 hours and take care of me (she worked 11-7 nights). Not much time for exercise/nutrition. Not saying that this is the case for all nurses, just my experience.

 

[disneymom3]

My son goes to the hospital a lot for tests and stuff. He goes to the Children's hosp in either Mpls or St Paul and I have to say I have never seen many overweight people working there. The nurses on the children's floor that he stays on are mainly average size. There are two that are heavier but not terribly. Interesting. I wonder if it has to do with different areas of the country. (though I don't think MN is particularly thin.)

 

[babiesX2]

deleted duplicate post

 

[babiesX2]

As a former nurse I found two things interesting about our profession. Many of us were smokers and many were carrying around way too much. Strange group, nurses.

We nurses do seem to have issues don't we. We take care of others but not ourselves. Docs and drug reps are always bring us high calorie/high fat treats to us in my dept. They don't bring us smokes though.

 

[MagicalMom]

In nursing school the majority of my class smoked. Everyone vowed to quit after graduation, school was just too stressful. After graduation cam the stress of the boards. No one could quit then either. After passing the boards the real fear started, not only would the trust you to care for patients on your own but you had to watch your back & figure out which older nurse was out to "eat you!" Once you are finally comfortable at work you learn that the only way you will ever be permitted to take a break is to go outside to smoke. It's the only time you can actually talk to your co-workers to unwind.

Eating right at work? You can forget that. In a 12 hour shift you are not given a lunch break. You just snack all day long. Family members bring in brownies & donuts. You get hngry you run to the snack machine. If you do get a real meal that day it won't be until late in the evening or take out.

ON a good note, my hosp. has recently started a weight loss program that is going great! You pay to get in & the biggest loser gets the pot. They also offer discounted gym memberships & assistance to quit smoking.

 

[goofygirl]

I work in a hospital and noticed a lot of smoking and overweight staff too. I have even seen nurses smoke while pregnant- you'd think they would know better.

 

[FionaLovesShrek]

Virgo10, How long has it been since you worked in nursing? Did you work in a hospital? To answer the queries as to why are those in the healthcare field are overweight and smoke? How about you are on your feet all day. Exhausted in not a state, it's your personality. You do not get regular lunch or break times. You grab and go, the quicker the better. You take crap all day from doctors, administration, family members who are demanding and/or complaining and patients, external services such as lab, radiology, nuclear medicine...all depts that function with people, who may or may not be swamped just like you and have attitudes. You smoke betcause it is a quick moment to yourself, an indulgent moment to relax you. You crave a salad for lunch, but you don't have the time for that craving, so you grab a piece of energy on the go (otherwise known as a candy bar). When you get home from work, you have a family who needs you and the idea of time to "work on your body image" just doesn't exist. When you finally get to drop, you do just that. You will wish you could be a normal person, eat right and exercise to take off that weight, but life is not normal because you decided on a career that isn't normal. Nursing is one of the hardest professions because quite honestly, no one that you work for or with, gives a flying fig how you feel, or if you are even good at what you do. You are a body, all they care about is that someone is filling your spot on the assignment sheet. You will not be promoted. You are working this job to support your family, and for those few moments of pure enjoyment with a patient when you realize you made a difference in someone's life. You will be talked down to by your peers and supervisors, and when a doctor needs a scapegoat, you will be it. The stress level of this job is enough that over time, you will not only have a weight problem, but you will have other health issues. Marriages fail, and affairs are common in this atmosphere. If you are fortunate, you will find alternative employment in a more relaxed atmosphere, but in the mean time, you will be scrutinized by others because you are not a perfect reflection of what a health care professional should look like Just my .02

 

[minkydog]

Thia reminds me of a funny story -

my grandmother was very opinionated in her later years - and her hearing was not really up to par

my mom took her to an appointment one day and a morbidly obese woman came walking by - and my grandma says to my mom - VERY loud -

"have you ever noticed how people in healthcare are very heavy?"

my mom said she wanted to crawl in a hole and die!!! the woman walked by and went into an office - she walked out a few minutes later and said as she walked by my mom and grandma

"some of US just had babies"

my mom said it was pretty funny but that there was no way having a baby had caused this woman's weight problems!!

I would imagine that being in the healthcare field and working long hours is very stressful and for many of them -they just grab food on the go - not making the healthiest choices

My mom used to work in a doctor's office and the amount of food brought into their office each day was obscene!!!

"some of US just had babies" Yeah, that's my excuse. (my babies are 19,13,&11)

Truthfully, I think a lot of nurses are caregivers in every sense of the word--they are nurturing, kind, and dedicated to helping others. OTHERS is the key word. They often care of others at the detriment of their own health.

Nurses work shifts no normal person would consider. They willingly expose themselves to germs & contagion. They skip meals and breaks when the demands of the job are high. The relieve tension with all the wrong things--soda, sweets & smokes. Caffeine fuels them night & day. Their sleep cycles are a mess. They push their bodies to the limits of endurance just to help someone they never met and may never see again. Their shiftwork exhausts them while they try to have a normal "real life."

No wonder a lot of us are fat & broken down. One of the reasons you rarely see old nurses in the ED or ICU is that after 20+ years of this, their bodies can't take it anymore. Twenty years of pounding the concrete floors flattens their arches and injures their knees. Twenty years of lifting, pulling, and catching patient takes its toll on their lower backs. But the time a nurse is in her 40s a lot of them are looking for a way out.

I love nursing. I've done it for 29 years(but who's counting ) currently I do my job from a desk, with a computer. I will never be able to work on a floor again due to herniated discs, arthritis in my feet & hands, and migraines. I am overweight partly due to the inactivity produced by the injuries I've suffered, though I'm sure the Hershey bars helped a little

It's a shame that nurses don't make time to take care of themselves. They could be a beacon call to the public to "get on board" the preventative healthcare wagon. I never thought that working overtime, stay awake for 24+hrs, skipping meals, eating on the fly, etc would hurt me. I didn't realize what I was doing until it was too late.