feminism in nursing?

[chocolat]

i'm a first year student and am writing a paper on feminism. part of it includes the issue of feminism in relation to nursing. i'm having a little trouble as i've never worked in a hospital and don't know what things are like. much of the reading i'm doing is based on the fact that the majority of nurses are female and the majority of doctors and administration are male. they write a lot about the exploitation of nurses (overworked, understaffed, etc.), but it sounds to me like just one group treating another as inferior, but not necessarily sexist. do you think this problem has sexist roots, that women have been raised to follow orders, and men have been raised to demand them and expect compliance? any feedback will be appreciated.

[rncountry]

Look up information on Lavinia Dock. Fascinating person. A staunch supporter of nursing and feminisim. Chained herself to the White House in the attempt to get the vote for women, she was arrested many times for this type of behavior. Seems to me since then it has been all downhill for nursing and feminism though.

[NRSKarenRN, BSN, RN]

Other interesting reading to give you ideas:

Voices from the Past, Visions of the Future

a summary of selected benchmarks in the history of the American Nurses Association

http://nursingworld.org/centenn/index.htm

Outstanding nurse leaders -- ANA Hall of Fame

http://nursingworld.org/hof/alphalst.htm

[caroladybelle, BSN, RN]

Read Echo Heron's books.....especially "Tending Lives". Also "Condition Critical" and "Intensive Care" for your own edification.

Read old issues of "Revolution-Journal of Nursing Empowerment"

Read works by Laura Gasparis Vonfrilio (?) - especially "20 things that nurses do to self destruct" There are some great passages in that one (she has two co-authors for that one)

[ceecel.dee, MSN, RN]

Perhaps this topic would be easier to write about after having some personal experience regarding the issue. Feminism vs equality is an indivual outlook on any given situation. Not very measurable or objective.