Are We "Glorifying" Nurses?

Published

Specializes in Med/Surg/ICU/Stepdown.

A fellow nurse (and near family member) shared this article on Facebook the other day. Initially, I was furious while reading through it, but then I took a minute to think about it. I still share some of my initial shock and disgust, but it's subsiding. I'm curious to hear what some of my fellow nurses think!

So .. discuss!

Article: We Need To Stop Glorifying Nurses | Thought Catalog

Up Vote Up Vote ×

They have said too much...

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Med/Surg/ICU/Stepdown.
They have said too much...

Said too much? In what context? Does this mean you agree or disagree? I'm not following your comment.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Oh where to begin?

"Everyone in college could be a nurse." False, just false. In fact, the majority applying to nursing programs do not get in the year they apply. Why? Because it's hard to be smart enough to even get into a program. Then once a student is in a program, they could be one of the many many students who fail out of nursing school. And then once that student graduates, they have NCLEX. Do I even need to remind everyone how many threads we have here on AN entitled "failed NCLEX three times, need help!!"? Then those who pass NCLEX must find and hold a job, which, again, if you've frequented this forum long enough, you'll find that it is not always easy to maintain a job. Nursing is hard. It's idiotic to say otherwise.

Apparently the author of this article is 100% sure that chemical engineering and physics is way harder than nursing. How could the author know that? There is more to nursing than memorizing a list of medicines. Many nurses have to use critical thinking skills very quickly in order to help their patients. Nurses have to quickly sift through all of that knowledge in their heads in order to figure out what the right thing to do is for their patients.

And nurses get paid twice as much as teachers? Not always. My friend is a high school teacher and she makes more than I'll make starting out as a nurse.

Being able to get a decent wage by only going to college for 2-4 years certainly is a blessing, but let's not minimize that time. Nursing school is far more demanding than several other educational paths are. My next semester, classes will meet three times a week, clinicals will be two days a week, and the teacher may decide to have a half day of class on Saturday if he/she feels the need to elaborate on a certain topic. That's a lot of hard work crammed into two years.

Now do I think nurses are heroes? No. Do I think I'm any better than someone else because I've decided to study nursing? Absolutely not. I've chosen a career path. I love that my career choice entails helping people, and I really do feel that not everyone could do it well. But at the end of the day, I needed to choose a path that would get me on my feet, and nursing was a good fit for me.

As far as nursing students complaining about how hard it is? The author, I believe, hit the nail on the head with this one. If you choose to go into nursing, don't complain, because you willingly chose it. Nobody forced you.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

This thread will get defensive real quick.

I can't stand those I'm saving your life it's a thankless job statements anymore than the SAHM ones claiming they have the hardest thankless most altruistic 24/7 job of all.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Yea, I stopped reading when I saw her apostrophe confusion. *yawn*

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in PDN; Burn; Phone triage.

The writer of the article delegates all the gross stuff to the CNAs? I bet they just love her. (Or him.)

Up Vote Up Vote ×
The writer of the article delegates all the gross stuff to the CNAs? I bet they just love her. (Or him.)

NOADLS, dude, fix your apostrophes if you are going to write a real live article.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Med/Surg/ICU/Stepdown.
This thread will get defensive real quick.

I can't stand those I'm saving your life it's a thankless job statements anymore than the SAHM ones claiming they have the hardest thankless most altruistic 24/7 job of all.

I agree that the "thankless job" claims get old very quickly. In my opinion, part of the reward that comes from nursing is internally, and I think that many nurses would be served well to remember this. Accountants do not asked to be thanked any more than teachers, police officers, nurses, doctors, and/or firefighters. We do what we do for a variety of reasons and the satisfaction for a "job well done" should come from your own pride in what you do, not anyone elses'.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.

The comments...where oh where to begin? Apparently there are a lot of people out there who really hate nurses.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Med/Surg/ICU/Stepdown.
The comments...where oh where to begin? Apparently there are a lot of people out there who really hate nurses.

I felt the same way you do. I couldn't even begin to address all of the things wrong with that article. And then the person who posted it added a comment stating "Good perspective. More nurses need to remember this."

I was left scratching my head.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.
I felt the same way you do. I couldn't even begin to address all of the things wrong with that article. And then the person who posted it added a comment stating "Good perspective. More nurses need to remember this."

I was left scratching my head.

Lots of piling on from physicians, or at least people claiming to be physicians.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion