Anti-Intellectualism in Nursing

[fakenurse]

I went into nursing because I love science and medicine, and thought working with like-minded people to deliver high-quality care sounded like a great job. Since entering the profession, however, I've discovered that there is widespread mistrust and criticism of education and research in nursing. Nurses who are curious and love to ask questions are sneered at, and nurses who pursue further education are labeled "book smart" and lacking the prized "street smarts", which seems to equate to knowing how to start an IV. I've never heard of any other profession where furthering one's education is seen as a bad thing. I'm feeling so disappointed about this attitude, and really disenchanted with nursing. I loved school, I love learning, and I think more education is always, always, always a good thing. Will I always be an outcast in nursing because of this? If we want to be taken seriously as professionals, shouldn't we be embracing theory and knowledge and intellectual curiosity?

[lub dub]

For some reason, there seems to be a strong "anti-intellectualism" following on this site. Entire threads have been dedicated to the merits of not getting your BSN. As I've stated elsewhere here, this is what is holding this profession back. It is sad, actually.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

Aren't rising expectations for education in nursing a good thing?

Rising educational requirements for nursing have arrived due to several factors, none of which were formulated with the specific betterment of our profession in mind.

Requirements for increasingly higher nursing education have transpired in part because of economic forces and in part due to degree inflation, also known as credentialism. Partly due to the fallout of the economic meltdown of '08, multiple nursing employment markets across the US now contend with a glut of nurses and not enough nursing jobs. Hence, a minimum BSN degree requirement substantially lessens the number of applications through which recruiters and HR staff must pick.

If anyone's been paying attention over the past few years, the vast majority of hospitals didn't require BSNs when a true shortage of nurses actually transpired. Hence, higher degree requirements in nursing have turned into an effectual weed-out tool.

A BSN degree requirement also serves as a rudimentary screening tool for employers. Attainment of a baccalaureate degree signals to some hiring managers that the applicant has the ability to complete upper division college level coursework with a specific degree of difficulty. The baccalaureate degree also speaks to employers about a nurse's perseverance since he/she followed through on a mission that took four or more years of time from start to finish.

Moreover, I strongly suspect the BSN requirement is a nuanced class-based sorting tool since completion of a university education has traditionally been an unspoken marker of middle/upper class background in society. Even though this is the year 2014, only 30 percent of all adults in the US have earned a bachelor's degree of any kind. Some people remain blissfully oblivious, but prestige is a crucial facet of the American higher learning process.

Universities (read: entities where baccalaureate and graduate degrees are earned) tend to be situated toward the top of the prestige hierarchy based on perception of the general public, whereas community colleges, trade schools and technical colleges (read: entities where most associate degrees, certificates and nursing diplomas are conferred) are positioned toward the bottom end of the prestige pyramid because of open admissions and general lack of exclusivity.

Before anyone grows upset or ruffled over my post, I earned my ASN degree at a trade school in 2010 and also earned a practical nursing diploma at a trade school in 2005.

[TU RN, DNP, CRNA]

You can become a nurse by completing a 2 year diploma program and passing a 75 question test, then once you actually get the job you can throw it all out the window. Your love of science and medicine doesn't matter in the real world, mine sure doesn't. Nursing is hardly a profession. I'd say it lies more along the lines of a service industry/retail job. "Retail healthcare," that has a nice ring to it considering all these garbage patient satisfaction/improved communication pushes by upper management. In mine they actually used the words "patient" and "customer" interchangeably. That's exactly what the patients think they are nowadays. Customers/guests bestowing orders upon you, their handy servant. "I would like a sandwich, juice, crackers, 4mg of dilaudid for my miscellaneous generalized indescribable pain (smiles), and while you're at it - could you increase my insulin gtt up to 10cc/hr? I foresee that my blood sugar will rise from 615-1030. If these demands are not met, I will pull my IVs out, make a lot of noise, demand to see the doctor, have my ass kissed by said doctor for want of proper reimbursement, then end up staying after creating a mountain of more work for you, the nurse, to do. You are welcome."

It doesn't take a college graduate to know that a BP of 70/40 is low or that 220/110 is too high. Besides situations like that you spend your time filling up water and being crapped on by patients and their families because you weren't there with the extra blanket soon enough (probably dealing with a BP of 70/40 while short a nurse). In my experience, the best qualities a nurse can have are customer service, patience to put up with endless nonsense, and a thick skin. I keep telling myself that the meek are blessed and we shall inherit the Earth, but damn if this hell I'm living in is what I have to inherit you can keep it!

[mhy12784]

Not really the same as the OP but

But im a new grad hire RN (been there 6 months) and I started an MSN program this month

I got called into one of my superiors office ( like my bosses bosses boss) that they were concerned with me leaving as soon as i graduate (in like 2.5 years) and wanted to know if i thought it was a mistake going there (to that unit) or something

came completely out of the blue and made me feel exceptionally uncomfortable

I mean I understand that i was extremely fortunate to get hired into a specialty unit as a newngrad (and thus have an extended training period by the unit/hospital) but it makes me feel really uncomfortable as an employee who is just trying to get an advanced degree so that I can take on more as I mature as a nurse

[ThePrincessBride, MSN, RN, NP]

I have noticed that there is a lot of anti-intellectualism in nursing. Just check out some of the threads here on allnurses. Too many posters have stated that they "resent" the push for the BSN, and a few have even gone as far as to write off the BSN-prepared nurses and demean their education (as if being clinically competent and educated are mutually exclusive). Some of these same posters have stated the reason they don't want to pursue higher education is that they don't want to "read" and "write papers" and just want to "take tests." One particular poster even had the nerve to call nurses with doctorates "old hags."

I find that SO disheartening, especially when MANY nurses complain about not being treated or seen as professionals. Nursing will NOT be seen as more than a trade/pink-collared job until changes are made (which too many nurses seem to be against).

In regards to psychomotor skills, all of my nursing instructors have told me that there is FAR more to nursing than starting IVs, putting in foleys, etc. Nursing school shouldn't be focused on tasks so much as critical-thinking and assessment. THAT is what distinguishes the nurse from the CNA, the MA and other non-licensed groups. Any layperson can be shown how to put in an IV or foley without having stepped a foot in nursing school, but the assessment and higher levels of thinking are not so easily taught and is what the nurses SHOULD be valued for...their knowledge.

[Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN]

Aren't rising expectations for education in nursing a good thing? Don't we want a workforce of smart, educated nurses? Maybe the nurses with high degrees who have never worked a day as a nurse are trying to improve the field of nursing through their knowledge of the extant research.

While I agree education is a good thing it is another thing altogether when you take intelligent, well trained, educated experts with 20+ years in their field of expertise with certifications up the ying yang and tell them they are no longer competent or worthy because they don't have a BSN.

[ProgressiveActivist, BSN, RN]

To the OP:

there are indeed many nurses who are content to do and learn the bare minimum to keep the job. If you really look at it they come from some unwholesome backgrounds and do not have a

very good foundation in basic science. They have difficulty with reading and

comprehension. They feel inferior to someone like you and it comes out as disdain for continuing education. When you are working with people who aren't exactly scholars just make sure they are safe nurses because some of them have been faking it for a long time.

[jadelpn, LPN, EMT-B]

Knowledge and learning are all good things. To be able to then apply that knowledge to patient care is the key. You can learn to your heart's content, but it needs to be applied. And applied skillfully. You can say that IV starting has no knowledge base, but it is useless to know what type of fluid/drugs to give through the IV if in fact one can't obtain access.

Everyone needs to know the process, use their resources, and apply knowledge effectively.

With that being said, that does not always equate a master's degree. There's a lot of depends on, mostly in what type of nursing one wants to practice, however, I see an ADN or diploma RN that is specialty certified much more of an asset (and LPN's very task oriented and can do a great deal more than most do in acute care) than someone who has spent many years schooling, and have never taken a patient assignment, so have no sense of how what they have learned actually applies to real life.

[504 medic]

It's part of a general cultural trend...Madison Avenue has realized if they set up an "Us -vs- Them" mentality, people demonstrate more loyalty to brands, to political parties, to cults of personality. In all facets of life, science and intellectualism is being cast as elitist, and is an easy target for the media to attack. Most intellectuals don't see the damage before it's been done, and they've been ostracized. The next intellectual in line says "Whoa...I'm not going to let that happen to me...I'll keep my mouth shut."

Medicine should be as embracive of knowledge as possible...patient outcome depend on it. Maybe in 20 years the tide will swing back the other way. Until then, keep learning as much, asking as many questions, respecting and engaging other people for their knowledge and wisdom, as you can.

[jadelpn, LPN, EMT-B]

While I agree education is a good thing it is another thing altogether when you take intelligent, well trained, educated experts with 20+ years in their field of expertise with certifications up the ying yang and tell them they are no longer competent or worthy because they don't have a BSN.

But before they tell one they are incompetent, they would like you to please be sure to precept and assist the BSN prepared nurse, show, mentor, and sign off on all of their compentencies, encourage, teach etc etc......and THEN, you are no longer welcome to be a nurse here.....

[fakenurse]

Thanks for sharing that, mhy12784. That's really interesting, and I've heard similar stories. I'm sorry they put you in that situation. If your hospital has a tuition program, it seems like they would be doing everything in their power to "woo" you, so to speak, to keep you on as an NP when you graduate.

[fakenurse]

I've noticed this too, lubdub. It's really polarizing and makes me feel belittled. I love nurses and I truly believe we have this hugely important role in society, so it's really upsetting to see the profession being torn down like that.