Healthcare can be a pretty intense career field for RTG Medical travelers. You care for people who are ailing, may be in pain, and sometimes are terminally ill.
On the other hand, you get to also witness miraculous moments, and see lives get transformed in wonderful ways.
In the midst of the emotional ups and downs, you sometimes need a little levity, so we’ll start our “Humor in Healthcare” series with a look at some of the more amusing myths about working in healthcare.
MYTH: Hospital food is disgusting
For patients on diets that strictly limit salt, fat and other flavorings, hospital food probably tastes less than gourmet. But for patients who can eat more normal fare and for hospital workers who frequent the hospital dining facility, meals are more likely to be appetizing and even pretty tasty. This is because modern hospitals generally employ dieticians and food service professionals who collaborate to create a menu of choices that will appeal to patients and staff. So enough with the old jokes already!
MYTH: Everybody gets a sponge bath
Your patients may be disappointed (or relieved) to discover that a hospital stay doesn’t automatically come with a bath. Despite cliched sitcom scenes of ambulatory patients demanding sponge baths, hospitals have showering and bathing facilities for patients who are physically able to take care of their own bathing needs. It’s actually a big part of encouraging recovering patients to gain independence.
MYTH: Doctors and nurses date all the time
Just like in any other place of employment, hospital co-workers sometimes date, but hospitals are far from being the new singles bars—despite what you may see portrayed on TV. Many healthcare facilities have policies in place that discourage dating, especially when one person is in a position of authority over the other, and this practice is pretty common in other American workplaces. So despite what you see on TV, this isn’t nearly as common as you’d think.
MYTH: Hospital emergency rooms are packed on full-moon nights
Everybody knows that people do dangerous and crazy things when there’s a full moon, right? Well, the truth is, full moon doesn’t equal full emergency room, and this commonly-held belief has been debunked repeatedly. So if you’re scheduled to work during the next full moon, you can relax–it’s no more likely than any other day to be the busiest day of the month.
What myths and stereotypes do you find most amusing? Have you ever been guilty of believing them yourself? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter!
—
Leave a Reply