Are We "Glorifying" Nurses?

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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

Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.
I didn't say cost of living impacts salary. Location impacts salary.

And cost of living is dependent upon location. Salaries are dependent upon location and cost of living. I feel like you're missing my point, or intentionally ignoring it. An RN in Omaha, Nebraska, while probably not making $60K to start, is still going to be starting at a higher salary than most other associate's degree-prepared careers in Omaha, Nebraska.

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Specializes in Med/Surg/ICU/Stepdown.
But that was the point of the article. For many, it *is* a bragging right. She was specifically addressing that point from a previous article, and the tone, which was braggy and "we're so awesome and caring because we go home and cry about our patients."

To be honest, I have never met anyone that thinks they're great because they go home and cry about their patients. To the contrary, I think more nurses wish they didn't get impacted by their patients as opposed to feeling superior because of it.

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Specializes in Med/Surg/ICU/Stepdown.
And cost of living is dependent upon location. Salaries are dependent upon location and cost of living.

Cost of living may impact what one deems as "well compensated" but it doesn't necessarily dictate a salary. Location does. Demand does. Cost of living may but it's a smaller fraction.

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Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.
But that's not what you said. You said name any associate's programs that can make that much money. I gave you two..

You're right - I said or suggested that RNs are the highest paid. They may not be. But my overall point remains - when compared to other associate's-prepared careers out there, while they may not be THE highest, they start out higher paying than the vast majority of careers. That was my point.

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Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.
Cost of living may impact what one deems as "well compensated" but it doesn't necessarily dictate a salary. Location does. Demand does. Cost of living may but it's a smaller fraction.

Good lord, do you not understand my general point? Am I not being clear?

For every post I made, substitute "cost of living" for "location," then. Better?

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Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.
To be honest, I have never met anyone that thinks they're great because they go home and cry about their patients. To the contrary, I think more nurses wish they didn't get impacted by their patients as opposed to feeling superior because of it.

Okay. But the whole point of the article you take issue with is a rebuttal of another article, where the author DID talk about how nurses go home and cry about her patients, and the overriding theme of that article was making nurses out to be martyrs. Did you actually read the original article that she was rebutting? It was self-congratulatory and implied that she was speaking for nurses in general.

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Specializes in Med/Surg/ICU/Stepdown.
Good lord, do you not understand my general point? Am I not being clear?

No. I fully understand your point. I feel the issue is that you're not seeing MY point. What you make as a new graduate RN as a base salary depends upon where you live, among other factors. It is not exclusively dependent upon cost of living. Cost of living, however, would make someone agree or disagree that they are "well compensated" in comparison to other positions and/or relative to the work they do.

By the way, the sarcasm is completely unnecessary. I'm having a very non-sarcastic discussion with you. The dialogue is not malicious. If you are frustrated by what I am saying, that's okay, but the sarcasm isn't called for.

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This does not read to me like it was written by a nurse. It reads like it was intended to knock nurses down a few pegs. Were contract negotiations in the air in May of 2014? This is my intuition.

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Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.

I'm done. This thread is causing way more frustration than I need in my life right now. I'm not in a good head space to be engaging in debate right now. Out.

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Specializes in Med/Surg/ICU/Stepdown.
Okay. But the whole point of the article you take issue with is a rebuttal of another article, where the author DID talk about how nurses go home and cry about her patients, and the overriding theme of that article was making nurses out to be martyrs. Did you actually read the original article that she was rebutting? It was self-congratulatory and implied that she was speaking for nurses in general.

I certainly did. And I think both represent a slim percentage of a population of nurses. I was simply sharing my opinion and observation in response.

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Specializes in Med/Surg/ICU/Stepdown.
I'm done. This thread is causing way more frustration than I need in my life right now. Out.

Well, that's sad. I'm sorry you feel that way.

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OP, are you saying in some locations nurses start out with comparatively low wages than other 2 yr degrees, because say there is no demand for 2 yr RN's while there is a strong demand for say nuclear technicians?

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