Frustrated with the image of nursing

chadash · Jun 13, 2006

OOO! OOOH!

I stole this one.

A man went to a brain store to get some brain to complete a study. He sees a sign remarking on the quality of professional brain offerred at this particular brain store. He begins to question the butcher about the cost of these brains.

"How much does it cost for engineer brain?"

"Three dollars an ounce."

"How much does it cost for programmer brain?"

"Four dollars an ounce."

"How much for lawyer brain?"

"$1,000 an ounce."

"Why is lawyer brain so much more?"

"Do you know how many lawyers we had to kill to get one ounce of brain?"

Selke · Jun 13, 2006

Aside from the sexism issue, I've encountered a definite snobbery towards nurses. I'm now in an accelerated BSN program, with a previous B.A. in English, and many of my friends and colleagues were horrified when I told them I was going to pursue nursing as a career. Almost all of them regarded nurses as half-wits, or at the very least, people with no interest in intellectual or cultural pursuits. I find myself continually defending my decision to go back to school for nursing; it is so frustrating. I cannot understand where this attitude comes from...In fact, during my first degree, I was always in awe of all the rigorous science prereqs nursing students had to take-- the workload seemed so intense and difficult.
Any thoughts on how we can change this perception?

Not to derail the thread or get flamed, but I just want to interject a comment that I think this point you just made is the exact reason why many of the direct entry students (with non nursing degrees, in MSN programs in which they can get their RN licensure and become APRNs or CNMs) do NOT want to become nurses before getting their MSN and advanced practice education. Nursing is perceived as a working class to middle class female dominated occupation which is below medicine and many other occupations that those with degrees in other fields could go into, especially if they graduate with high grades from a top school. The type of feminism which is taught in these schools is concerned with women in the prestigous professions, like law and medicine, not nursing or child care or teaching, example, which are female dominated, lower status, and attract working to middle class women who generally would not apply to medical or law school or get PhDs, or study feminism or the liberal arts, for that matter.

I perceive that the frustration and blowback many RNs give these direct entry students on boards such as this and in real life (which I hear at work daily) comes directly from this perception that they ARE viewed as half-wits, low class schmucks, without a real education or interest in culture, &c, in comparison to the more upper class direct entry students, who don't want to "get a degree just so they can wipe butts" (to steal a phrase from another thread). Besides that, if someone can become an APRN without having bedside nursing experience, then where does that leave the bedside nurse and her experience in comparison to them? Not feeling very good about herself and her life's work. And those of us who were told we had to have x-number of years experience in nursing before applying to graduate school?

This entire topic is terribly complex and intersects with social class, race, feminism, economics, &c, &c. I can't even begin to address it adequately here in this forum, or what to do about it. (Alfred Lubano wrote a fabulous book about being working class and attending Columbia -- check out how he dealt with it.) Looking at social class and nursing and advanced practice nursing or midwifery, for example, would make a great sociological study. (For the record I'm a Marxist radical feminist lesbian, and a working class schmuck, single mother, &c, AND have a non-nursing graduate degree from a top ten school.)

Abestos suit on.

Selke · Jun 13, 2006

I have had the exact same experience and I think a big contributor is the perception of nurses as "saintly" angelic women.(and men!) Don't get me wrong, compassion is a huge part of what we do but it's not all of it. Many people don't realize the scientific knowledge involved in nursing. This sounds really nitpicky but I decided recently not to buy or wear any nursing stuff that does the whole nurse/angel thing. I'm NOT an angel-simply an intelligent professional who cares for her patients yet wants adequate respect and compensation for what she does. Think about it, angels don't demand respect or a decent wage.....

Sandy Summers has a great website in which she critiques media images of nursing: http://nursingadvocacy.org/news/news.html She also critiques that sickening Johnson & Johnson nursing campaign which portrays nurses as angels of mercy wiping brows, not as highly educated professionals who use their scientific knowledge and clinical expertise to save lives.

Susan Reverby wrote one of the best books I've read on nursing: "Ordered to Care."

Plagueis · Jun 14, 2006

I agree with you all in that I really don't like those campaigns by nursing organizations and others who are trying to promote nursing. The emphasis "angels" and "caring" totally ignores what nurses really do. It bothers me that some nurses themselves are the ones who are promoting these stereotypical views about nursing. Most people I know still think that nurses only comfort, wash, and give shots to people, and that they are somehow servants to doctors. :madface: They are getting these ideas from the media, and movies such as Meet the Parents (which mocks Ben Stiller's nurse character for not becoming a doctor) contribute to the idea that nurses are not as smart as doctors, or are not good enough to get into medical school. I think that the reason some women themselves may look down upon nurses is because of the more options that are available to women these days. They may feel that a woman should try to move beyond so-called "women's work," (nursing, teaching, secretarial) and enter fields that were not always open to them decades ago, such as medicine or becoming a lawyer. I have unfortunately read about too many "professional" women who wonder why a woman would want to become a nurse, and not a doctor, business owner, etc.

SummerGarden, BSN, MSN, RN · Jun 14, 2006

http://nursingadvocacy.org/news/news.html

Thank you for the website!!!! In a different thread I put down this commercial because I know a few silly pre-nursing students that think the commercial is great and a reflection of why they wanted to become a Nurse. The commercial is mindless drivel!

Physician commercial illustrate intelligence as well as having a caring side. Why does that not reflect Nurses?

I find it disgusting that very smart and dedicated women and men who work bedside are so deeply disrespected. I am NOT surprised that many males (not all) are going the CRNA route. Plus, I am not surprised that many males and females are going to move into a profession like PA or NP.

As for me, unless I find a position of respect and dignity such as serving within the US Military, I give myself 6 months to a year bedside! In fact I am going to use my MBA to move into Administration as soon as possible.

I already worked in a profession (Social Work) where my brains and degree were considered non-essential by Managers because I helped people one-on-one daily. :uhoh3: I do not plan to work under those conditions again.

jmeng · Dec 30, 2010

Thank you for the website!!!! In a different thread I put down this commercial because I know a few silly pre-nursing students that think the commercial is great and a reflection of why they wanted to become a Nurse. The commercial is mindless drivel!
Physician commercial illustrate intelligence as well as having a caring side. Why does that not reflect Nurses?
I find it disgusting that very smart and dedicated women and men who work bedside are so deeply disrespected. I am NOT surprised that many males (not all) are going the CRNA route. Plus, I am not surprised that many males and females are going to move into a profession like PA or NP.
As for me, unless I find a position of respect and dignity such as serving within the US Military, I give myself 6 months to a year bedside! In fact I am going to use my MBA to move into Administration as soon as possible.
I already worked in a profession (Social Work) where my brains and degree were considered non-essential by Managers because I helped people one-on-one daily. I do not plan to work under those conditions again.

Very well said...that's exactly how I feel. I wrote once on exactly how i feel about nursing and I got berated with such negativity from other nurses. I should have left within 6 months like u...but stayed 4 years mostly as a float nurse. It's way better than staff nursing. Good for you that u want to move up quickly to adminstration. Hopefully, i will move up to becoming CRNA soon if God willing!!!

BabyLady, BSN, RN · Jan 1, 2011

I'm getting really tired of the lack of respect I receive as a nurse. I would like to tell you about a recent example of something that infuriated me. I attended a Fantasia party (a home party for "sensual" items) at a friend's house a couple of nights ago. At one point, I left the room to use the washroom. Upon my return, the salesperson was showing off a "naughty nurse" outfit. The other guests of the party all enthusiastically agreed that I needed to buy that one. I like to think that I'm a pretty fun, open minded, easy going person, but this ticked me off! :angryfire I replied that I had no interest in such an outfit and as a professional nurse, I found it to be offensive. The conversation ended abruptly and the salesperson moved on to the "sexy maid" outfit. :icon_roll I think part of the reason that this upset me so much was that all of the other guests (including my friend who was the host) were female lawyers (traditionally a male profession). I have always got the feeling that my lawyer friend does not respect what I do. I get the impression that to her a nurse is someone who couldn't cut it in med school. Honestly, I haven't got all of my feelings on this subject worked out in my mind yet, but I do know that I have dedicated years of my life to getting where I am today. I completed a 3 year diploma nursing program 8 years ago. I did a 4 month critical care certificate program 5 years ago and most recently, I completed my BScN (I graduate tomorrow!). I have worked in a neuro/trauma ICU for 5 years. It is challenging work and I love it. Not just anyone can do it....I'm quite certain that my lawyer friend could not. I just want to scream that nurses are intelligent and play a huge part in our health care system. We are not hand maidens of the doctors and most importantly we're not doctor wannabes! Nursing and medicine are different professions and should be equally respected. I chose to be a nurse not because I couldn't get into med school, but because it was the right profession for me!!! However, I'm getting so frustrated with being looked down upon by society that I'm considering leaving the profession for one that garners more respect. This makes me very sad. Does anyone else feel this way?

I'll be honest...I think you are blowing this out of proportion.

Look at where you were...a "sensual" party for adult gifts/toys. Many profesions have been sexualized on some level...nursing is not unique...it happens to firemen, police officers, teachers, librarians, physicians too...especially OB-GYN's...heck, even Catholic Nuns have been sexualized in pop culture.

I get a tremendous amount of respect as a nurse and I the only people I have encountered bashing nursing AS A PROFESSION is OTHER NURSES!!!

We are our own worst enemy!!

I recently was in line for a long road block for a license check and a police officer asked if I was on my way to work...they didn't even check my license! They let me cut through so I wouldn't be late!

If I go to the grocery store in my uniform in the mornings after work, I have total strangers say to me in line, "Are you a nurse at ___________?"...when I reply I am...most of the time they share a POSITIVE story about the wonderful care a family member received at our facility or tell me how much they respect what we do.

I guess we are such a disrespected profession, that is why the AMERICAN PUBLIC has listed NURSING as the #1 most respected profession every year other than in 2001 when 9/11 hit by Gallop.

That speaks volumes folks!!!!

More nurse bashing goes on, on this message board that any place else that I have ever seen anywhere else on the internet...if you want people to respect the profession, then it is time we started respecting it ourselves!!!

SoCalRN1970 · Jan 1, 2011

Good news. I have been a nurse long enough that I am sort of in between the generations. Between the newbies and the ones who can retire. I see that old generation of being the helpless women, or rather being a doctor worshipper is going away.. but the Naughty Nurse is not.

I don't take offense to such garbage. However, when people make comments like that i just roll my eyes and think internally. You are a freaking idiot.... and move on.

love-d-OR · Jan 2, 2011

FYI Guys this thread is 5 years old