Blue or white collar? - Page 8

Floor RNs may not save lives in the sense of reviving a coding patient or stabilizing tanking vital signs, but they do make life and death decisions every day. For example, I can't tell you how many times I have decided to "wait just an hour" before giving that lopressor because I didn't like how a patient looked to have a patient turn septic with tanking blood pressures 15 minutes later. I don't know about other people, but I think about every med I'm giving and if I should be giving it.

Just being wise and knowledgable can deter emergencies and save lives. A real situation: We had a patient with a known poor ejection fraction (about 30%) who had a heart rate of around 160 and a fever. Blood pressure was good at that time. Hospitalist ordered 5mg IV Lopressor. Given the fever and HR I would have taken the patient for compensating septic shock and refused to give the lopressor. It wasn't my patient. The lopressor was given. Her blood pressure crashed. They gave numerous fluid boluses. Given her known poor ejection fraction I would have refused more than a little in the way of fluid boluses. The nurse taking care of her didn't. Sure as heck she needed to be emergently intubated due to pulmonary edema. She also required pressers anyway. Just some knowledge, thinking, and being willing to question orders would have made a big difference in that case.

I've had other cases where drug doses weren't adjusted for raising creatinines that I've questioned, I had a patient with symptoms of tacrolimus toxicity I wouldn't give her tacro dose to until a level was done, and numerous other cases.

If you think floor nurses don't make life and death decisions, I respectfully disagree with you.

its actually a pink collar job. Not sure if thats a real term, but nursing falls under what is considered "pink collar."
Pink collar workers are service industry that is STEREOTYPICALLY done by women. such as teaching, waitress, nursing, hairdresser etc.

again- not sure if thats a real term and stressing that when i say "women's job" i am saying STEREOTYPICALLY! because alot of men make great nurses, teachers and hairdressers!

College degree achieved? Check. National licensing exam passed? Check. Expected to (and able to) educate patients regarding their dx and care, about drugs and interactions, about post-op care and treatment? Check.

White collar.

And as a nurse manager, I guess I feel more firmly rooted in that conclusion. Just be sure to give me my....CHECK!

the gastroenterologists in my practice are protectively-clothed during all procedures, from goggles to booties. in office visits, they are required to wear white lab coats.

surely, they are still considered professionals?

This is a fascinating topic. Regardless of the indicators you've mentioned that would tell you if nurses are blue, white, pink or grey collared, there is another way I think about it. Would appreciate your comments. The salaried vs hourly conversation is interesting. What I find equally compelling is whether nursing is a "job" vs "career". And allow me for this discussion to limit the conversation to nurses with a minimum of BSN education.

If a hospital defines a position "full-time" as 37.5 hours or 36 hours or 40 hours or whatever, how many hours in a week do you work? White collar professionals (often salaried) may be in a position which is defined full time because it is "on the books" as a position with 37.5 hours per week. This would often entitle them to benefits, etc. However, in my experience the white collar professionals who see themselves in a "career" usually are working 50-70 hours per week. 40 would be the absolute minimum and probably would not give you the opportunity for advancement because you would be seen as doing the minimum. The number of hours worked is not the focus, it is what does it take to advance to another position where more critical thinking skills are required, more ambiguity, and therefore more freedom to make informed decisions based on one's education and training? (The goal is not necessarily management, it could be just more responsibility or flexibility.)

If a BSN nurse works the 37.5 hours (or whatever makes it a full-time position) and does not look to work additional shifts to further experience or broaden themselves competitively, are they in a career or a job? What about making an investment of time without pay to "broaden choices" ?? It would seem to me that anyone who will only work if they get "paid" for it is the sign of someone who has a job not a career.

What determines in your minds whether someone treats their work like a job or a career? For example, could you argue that a plumber who goes onto open their own business is now white collar? They are no longer looking at the hours worked but are looking at the long term rewards and opportunities?

Can't wait to hear. I'm throwing this out there without having conclusions of my own. Yet! Thanks.

It does not matter what color collar anyone wears because all of us work hard and make sacrifices to be where we are at today. We are educated and have careers so I personally do not put myself in a category.

Expecting a lot of replies?

I did not write the definitions, just relayed them. The question was, are they white collar or blue collar. By definition, they are blue collar. Are they professionals? Absolutely. But that is a different question. Perhaps a better question would have been "Are nurses Professionals?" Semantics matter, at least to me.

Sorry, I did not mean that only BSN need reply, only that the topic would apply to those with BSN--however, now that you've pointed out that oops, guess the topic of job vs career doesn't really matter if you have 2 year degree or 4 year degree does it? My bad.

Just don't call me a pink collar worker - that's far worse than either of the other two!
It seems it doesn't matter what you class yourself as. I have my bachelors degree, I've almost finished my masters and I consider myself a professional. I don't think it makes me any more white collar or any less blue collar than someone who was hospital trained and has worked part-time ever since. We all come to the same place, do the same work, and wear the same uniform - regardless of the colour!