NURSING,PROFESSION OR OCCUPATION

[Big Blaz]

The debate goes on! Is nursing an occupation or a profession?Someone please help me.

[oramar]

This is an old question, I even recieved a questionaire via mail a long time ago asking the same thing. I will say now what I said then. Nursing is taught as a profession in nursing school. With few exceptions, every nurse I have ever met has held his or herself to a professional standard when taking care of patients. However, many nurses find it quite stressful that nursing is considered an occupation by their employers. Most the time they are just doing a job as far as the boss is concerned. Oh by the way, the boss will remember you are licensed professional real quick when you make a mistake or refuse to stay for a mandate.

[Jenny P]

Oramer hit it right on the head: nursing is taught as a profession; individual nurses have their own professional standards which they uphold; but employers consider nursing a JOB (occupation) until the nurse makes a mistake: then the NURSE is suddenly a LICENSED PROFESSIONAL. Because employers consider nursing a JOB, employers think that just anybody can do that job-- why else would employers try to have unlicensed assistive personnel do nursing activities that require a skilled professional to do? And why else would employers continue to erode nurses salaries and respect?