Today I was filling out a survey. Under the occupation section I immediately scanned for "professional"
Boy was I startled to see these first 2 options:
•professional (eg doctor, accountant)
•semi-professional (eg nurse, technician)
ummm what?!?! 😡😡😡 so frustrating to not be viewed as a professional when I have a bachelors degree, a speciality certificate, and 7 years experience not to mention a specialised knowledge and skill set for my PROFESSION of nursing!
Again, I'll reiterate that these medication aides and PCAs lack the educational preparation to fully understand the implications of what they're doing. However, utilization of these workers does somewhat bolster ISingTheBodyElectric's assertion that a reasonably intelligent person could perform many licensed nursing tasks with only a few weeks of training.
ISingTheBodyElectric said: "Ask yourself honestly if someone couldn't be trained in a month to complete the bare minimum tasks to get through a shift as a floor nurse." This person has mistakenly understood that floor nurses jobs primarily comprise carrying out tasks. An RN has responsibility for all aspects of the Nursing Process: assessment (subjective and objective), analysis of that information and determination of what action is appropriate to take, intervening appropriately, and evaluation of care given. While it's true that PCA's/UAP's have been taking over some of the procedures that were once strictly performed by a licensed nurse, an RN's license requires them to first assess that the procedures are suitable for delegation to an unlicensed person, and that a procedure to be delegated is appropriate for the individual patient i.e. can be performed by an unlicensed person without risk of that patient deteriorating, in accordance with the Nurse Practice Act of that state. This means that the procedure must not involve aspects of the Nursing Process, which must be performed by an RN in accordance with their Nurse Practice Act, such as assessment of the patient in regard to the procedure to be performed, monitoring of the patient in regard to the procedure, and evaluation of the outcome of the procedure. In acute care, an RN often has 5-8 or more patients and is responsible for assessing and ongoing monitoring of patients; administering medications and monitoring the effects of those medications; performing treatments/procedures; preparing patients for diagnostic procedures and surgery; receiving patients back from diagnostic procedures and surgery with all the assessment and monitoring that involves; co-ordinating care provided by other disciplines; admitting and discharging patients; evaluating the care plan; dealing with doctors, and more. The bare minimum tasks as a floor nurse include all of the above; there is no "bare minimum" for an RN whose responsibilities include all of the above and more.
Isingthebodyelectric, there is a basic fallacy in your example. You are comparing the most basic of nursing skills to more advanced examples of other professions. After 3-4 weeks of training one could type up the basic outline of a simple will, after several weeks of training one could file and collate drawings of a highway overpass. etc...etc...
I do agree that nursing falls short of the traditional "Professions" but at least give a reasonable and non-insulting example. The argument you present displays a great lack of understanding of nursing and healthcare.
Honestly, I think it is a bit of semantics in this argument. Nursing jobs vary by setting and responsibility. A person could be "trained" to perform some of the tasks of bedside nursing in a few weeks, however, some like assessments take many months if not years to master. As far as attracting one's own clients, dressing as one wants, and setting one's own schedule. Well, talk to those in the hospitalist role. They do not pick patients, cannot refuse care to patients, and do not set their own time. In some facilities, employed physicians like the hospitalists and ED docs must wear scrubs or lab coat of the facility's choice, not whatever they wish. I am thinking, "hey doc you aren't much of a professional." would not receive a warm welcome from these folks. People like plumbers, landscapers, realtors often solicit their own clients, but are much less educated than a registered nurse and in some cases, a licensed practical nurse. This definition of professional would seem to me to describe what we do and also to include some of these other folks too: 1.Person formally certified by a professional body of belonging to a specific profession by virtue of having completed a required course of studies and/or practice. And whose competence can usually be measured against an established set of standards.
Totally apart from the casual, colloquial use of the word "professional," there are established, agreed-upon characteristics of a "profession" in the academic and sociological literature, and nursing does not fully meet them (the (only) four traditionally, universally recognized "professions" are medicine, law, the clergy, and academics (college professors, that is). I haven't actually encountered the term "semi-professional" before, but nursing has often been referred to as an "emerging" profession in the sociology literature.
Ok... this definition also has some "holes." Where are computer scientists, engineers, psychologists, CPA's, MBA's, hospital administrators (who are non-physicians), and a whole host of others? Most would agree that these folks are professionals. As for the clergy, some have years or education. Some do not even have a high school diploma. This reminds me of trying to define nursing back in the 1980's in nursing school. We have a unique body of knowledge, a skill a core skill set, prescribed curriculum (educational standards set by CCNE,NLN, states, etc)a licensure exam, as well as a legally defined scope of practice prescribed by the state in which we are licensed and defined by professional organization such as the American Nurses Association (I do not always love them either). We have 'scholars" in nursing prepared at the PhD level and practicing nurses prepared at various levels from PN diploma to DNP who provide direct care. No matter what the definition in some article says, I consider myself a licensed professional.
As far as not being one of the "Big Four" professions, I think that is an archaic definition. To me, people like PA's, paramedics, and paralegals are also professionals. They are licensed, have a defined knowledge base, practice and educational standards, and are entrusted by the public to perform a defined skill set established by professional and legislative standards. To me, LPN's are professionals because they too have a defined set of skill, knowledge, license, educational standard, and an obligation to the public.
Based on all of this feedback, does a physician lose professional status if employed as hospital staff? Or a CPA employed by the same hospital?
What about an attorney employed by the county as a public defender?
[emoji122]🻠Thank you. This was another one of my points. Hospitals employ different types of professionals, not just nurses (and yes, I intentionally referred to nurses as "professionals") and yet we don't question a lawyer or social worker's professional status, even though many of them also punch a clock.
Specializes in burn ICU, SICU, ER, Trauma Rapid Response.
Skilled trade? Do you feel this way because you're held accountable to clock in and out? If so, my heart breaks for you, because clocking in and out should not be the determining factor on whether or not you feel you're a professional.
Additionally, many nursing positions do not require a punch card.
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Yes, in my hospital, and others in the area staff RNs usually clock in and out just like factory workers to. This has been true in hospitals I have worked in around the western USA. Our physicians, pharmacist, PT, and others do not punch time clocks.
No need for your heart to break for me. The time clock has it's advantages. Mainly that I get paid for every minuet I work and don't ever end up working for free. I am a full time nurses meaning I am scheduled for 80 hours a pay period. The time clock means that for every minuet I work beyond 40 hours in a week I get paid time and a half for.
Like many nurses I came to nursing from a very blue color background. First enlisted (not an officer) army, to farming to nursing. The label means nothing to me.
I am treated with respect by the physicians, nurse managers and my fellow nurses, as are all of the competent nurses I work with. My job is vital, I am very good at it, and others recognize that. We nurses are often in a position to immediately see the good we have done for people, from reassuring a child, to teaching good health practices to our patients, to intervening in emergency situations and saving a life. This is very satisfying and something we can feel good about. I am sure many here can say exactly the same thing.
How others label my job has no bearing on how I feel about doing it.
elkpark
14,633 Posts
The academic, sociological definitions of "profession" do not include anything about employment status. Lots of professionals work as employees.