Don't play nice
I read "Does Your Professional Image Need a Makeover?" (April 2016) with disappointment. I was dismayed to see that the top recommendation listed for maintaining a positive professional image was to "be nice." The authors do nurses a disservice by reducing our career to a watered-down set of recommendations. Nurses are trusted patient advocates with a wealth of clinical and practical knowledge. "Being nice" doesn't do justice to our daily work. We must all work to define nursing as a profession of smart, passionate, and assertive healthcare providers. Nursing2016 can help by emphasizing the qualities that are truly important to provide excellent care to the people who need our help.
-LILLIAN MITCHELL, MSN, RN
Austin, Tex.
Cultivating relationships pays off
I can't believe RR in California is having problems finding a job as a new graduate nurse (Advice PRN, May 2016). When I graduated, I had a job lined up at the hospital where I did my clinical rotation. Does no one advise nursing students before they start their clinical rotations to cultivate relationships with the people they meet? Networking can create powerful allies for a new graduate.
That being said, I agree with the advice given to RR. RR may have to work some part-time shifts to gain experience. If RR is looking for an 8-to-5 job with weekends and holidays off, such as in home health or a primary care provider's office, that may be unrealistic. As a former home health supervisor, I would never have hired someone without a few years of experience. New RNs have to take their lumps and pay their dues before they can choose their schedules. It may well be too late for RR; I sincerely hope not.
-EUNICE WARSH, BA, RN
Mobile, Ala.