Why Are Nurses Given Such A Bad Rap Today?

Nurses General Nursing

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In reading the threads regarding the so called nursing shortage our country is under :rolleyes:, I started wondering why is it that we as nurses are given such a bad rap today. Care to share your thoughts on this? :)

Specializes in Telemetry, ICU, Resource Pool, Dialysis.
just had 2 friends over today and they just kept saying it seems like it is taking forever for you to be a nurse. DUH! it's not a 9 month certificate! They also can't believe when they see my books the info that I am responsible for and just think well the doctor should know that so why do you have to? sigh.... they also keep asking why i need to take classes like foreign languages, womens studies etc.. They never asked our friend who went to accountin school why she had to take classes like these that didn't relate to her major. It all boils down to they don't see nursing as a professional career, so all the extra general education courses for the degree seem silly to them and they really just didn't think nurses were that educated. It's sad.

I think this is the perfect example of why nursing is a lowly profession in some people's opinions. Many people have NO idea what kind of education nurses have. When they think of medical school, everybody knows it's "academically difficult, hard to get into-etc" But Nursing school is just "a course." I've had people ask me "so, my granddaughter is thinking of being a nurse. How many weeks is the nursing class here?" They truly think our education consists of the ins and outs of bed-making, temperature-taking, and following orders. I recently read an article (I can't for the life of me think of where- maybe Parade in the Sunday paper?) that listed nursing as a SERVICE OCCUPATION along with waitressing and customer service. I was outraged. And here I thought I was a professional, with a college education. Maybe instead of the J&J commercials showing nurses as "caring" they should highlight our education and abilities.

Specializes in Rodeo Nursing (Neuro).
Again, I disagree. If I wanted to be just a nurturer I would go work at the local homeless shelter, volunteer or spend my time elsewhere.

I am going into this profession because I want to make a difference.

Though we are not wealthy, I am not getting my Nursing degree for the money. I'm Blessed that my husband has a great job, savings, homes etc. Even tho I am not going into this for the paycheck, I feel that Nurses should be well compensated for the education, technical knowledge and work that they do. I will not be doing this for free or for low wages either.

Eventually I will probably end up teaching...... I also like that part of nursing as well.

I like the cutesy stuff... the cupie pic at left represents my Nana... who collected them and how proud she would be of me doing this. I find nothing degrading to the profession in that.

What I do find disrespectful is the phrase "I'm only a Nurse", letting anyone be disrespectful. Nursing is a Profession that should be respected. I think that nurturing and caring are just a part of it.

I guess we all have different opinions. I do respect yours, I think there are others who have mine as well. :)

Hugs!

MaryRose

PS the Bold type is to separate our comments, not meant any other way.

I like your attitude. I don't equate being "called" with being called to martyrdom. On the other hand, I think one of the defining features of a profession is that it's something more than a job.

I felt, and feel, a lot this way about when I was a carpenter. I hope, when I'm done with school and comfortable in my new career, that I'll have time, now and then, to do some little projects at home. Build a piece of furniture here and there, maybe even buy an old house and restore it. If I do, I know I'm never going to be satisfied to cobble something together quick and dirty. That's okay for a farmer, but a carpenter builds things in a workmanlike way, whether he has to or not, because what you build says something about what you are, and that matters on a level that money or social standing never could.

I got into nursing to make a decent living doing useful work. I could do that as a doctor,lawyer, or firefighter. At the moment, I clean toilets, but I try to do it conscientiously, and I understand that it's an important part of controlling infectious disease. I want more--more money, yes, but more chances to use my mind and my heart, to help more, and to be in a field where I can learn and grow every day. A lot of what I valued about carpentry was that it's a lifelong process--every day you build skills and learn new ways to do things better than you used to.

My present job includes elements of housekeeping and transport, but the part that gets me is the part that's about patient care--getting someone into a wheelchair or back to bed safely and with as little discomfort as possible, or helping a nurse or an aid bathe someone they can't easily turn, or maybe emptying a wastebasket and getting someone fresh water or wondering if they might be in trouble and need their nurse right away. I clean toilets, but my job isn't menial, and I'm sure never going to look at nursing as something less.

I think it's great that we look at ways to improve our professional image and educate the public about what we really do. I frankly doubt that will translate to substantially more money. The cost of healthcare is already very high, and nurses' wages are already a hospital's single greatest expense. If my current job paid what a nurse gets, my hospital would go out of business. If a nurse got paid what a doctor did, my hospital would go out of business.

During clinicals, I spent a morning shadowing a midwife. She makes about 33% more than I will as a graduate nurse, despite an advanced degree and years of experience. Is that fair? If she had no patients, she would make nothing.

A mediocre baseball player makes money a chief of thoracic surgery only dreams about. A midwife or a college professor makes a decent living doing work she loves.

I don't know, and we sure don't need another war of the sexes, but maybe it's because I'm a guy: "daring to care" sounds pretty daring, to me.

P.S. I may rethink the stillettos, fishnets, and low cut dress for next Halloween. Feeling a little ambivalent about showing off my cleavage, anyway.

Specializes in Home care, assisted living.

From what I've read here about the general public's view of nursing, it makes me wonder if there's some confusion between nurses and nurses's AIDES (or youth volunteers). People actually think you become a nurse by taking a class about temperature-taking, bed-making, and following orders??? Honey, that's how you become a CNA!! Cuddling babies? Let's see, I did that as a youth volunteer in the hospital, and that's ALL we were allowed to do in the nursery.

Nursemike? . . . .careful what you say about farmers - we never "cobble" things together "quick and dirty". :) :chuckle

steph :)

Specializes in Rodeo Nursing (Neuro).
Nursemike? . . . .careful what you say about farmers - we never "cobble" things together "quick and dirty". :) :chuckle

steph :)

Really? Around here, farmers aren't slow carpenters and they aren't fast carpenters--they're half-fast carpenters. Also mechanics (gas and diesel), accountants, veternarians, elctricians, plumbers, geologists, engineers...

I've met very few who could afford to pay someone else to do it fancy.

Really? Around here, farmers aren't slow carpenters and they aren't fast carpenters--they're half-fast carpenters. Also mechanics (gas and diesel), accountants, veternarians, elctricians, plumbers, geologists, engineers...

I've met very few who could afford to pay someone else to do it fancy.

Ah, well that's Virginia for you. :)

I come from a long line of farmers and married one too. He is quite handy with the art of carpentry. My grandfather built beautiful furniture.

But you are sure right about the other part of what farmers do . . . we love the life and wish we could make some money at it so we could be farmers again.

steph

I love how that crap article put nursing in with day care and secretarial work, rather than with other "female" professions that also require a degree (such as teaching). Some journalists are not worth the ink and trees it wastes to put their thoughts into print.

We can be so bigoted ourselves! My goodness! Daycare workers are often ADNs or Bachelors. Their pay and benefits suck way worse than Nurses. To top it off, they are RAISING AMERICA'S Children, which we so often claim, is "our most precious resource"...yet, we can afford to place them beneath us? Who was watching the chioldren of so many of our nurses and students while at school or work? We trust them with the most important people oin our lives, yet not show the same respect for them that we want for nurses??? Smacks of hypocrisy to me.

We can be so bigoted ourselves! My goodness! Daycare workers are often ADNs or Bachelors. Their pay and benefits suck way worse than Nurses. To top it off, they are RAISING AMERICA'S Children, which we so often claim, is "our most precious resource"...yet, we can afford to place them beneath us? Who was watching the chioldren of so many of our nurses and students while at school or work? We trust them with the most important people oin our lives, yet not show the same respect for them that we want for nurses??? Smacks of hypocrisy to me.

Just a P.S. Is this how we make Nurses look better, by putting down other professions as "less" than ours?

Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.
Just a P.S. Is this how we make Nurses look better, by putting down other professions as "less" than ours?

Excellent point.

Specializes in Rodeo Nursing (Neuro).
Ah, well that's Virginia for you. :)

I come from a long line of farmers and married one too. He is quite handy with the art of carpentry. My grandfather built beautiful furniture.

But you are sure right about the other part of what farmers do . . . we love the life and wish we could make some money at it so we could be farmers again.

steph

OK, one little thing, then I'll try to stay on topic, for a while. I was afraid my "location" line was confusing. It's actually WEST (by golly) Virginia, the true Wild West, Wild and Wonderful, take me home, country roads and all that.

So, you know, not such a little thing, after all. I mean, we seceded from the Confederacy.

I have seen some very nice farm-built furniture, and a few houses that have stood for centuries. I've also seen mechanics shake their heads in dismay over things I've done to keep the truck running until I could finish whatever job I was on. Peace and love.

nevermind...

:rolleyes:

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