How do I explain to my snobby family why nurses are important and worthy of respect?

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Hello wonderful folks of allnurses!

I am currently a pre-nursing student who is just DYING to get into the nursing profession. I've been obsessed with medical science for years and after a considerable amount of research and speaking to wonderful people in the profession, I know this is what I want to do.

The problem is, my family thinks I'm a fool for not going to med school instead. I have tried to explain that nurses are not the "bedpan cleaners" that my family thinks they are, and that they are highly trained medical professionals who are the backbone of the healthcare system, but I feel like I'm not getting through to them. I have to go home to see them all for Christmas, and I would love some help explaining thoroughly why nurses are so vital.

Specializes in Peds(PICU, NICU float), PDN, ICU.

Tell them the doctors need nurses to catch their mistakes and protect the patients!

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Specializes in CEN, CFRN, PHRN, RCIS, EMT-P.

Tell them nurses are important too. Of course as a future nurse you won't be able to pay for their nice retirement at a nice nursing home but you will be able to have them move in with you at home and provide their Medical care lol

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I wouldn't encourage you to go into either truthfully. Not nursing unless you're going to be willing to move wherever in a few years regardless of what else is going on in your life and will to do whatever is available. Not medicine unless you're willing to get into something highly specialized and/or surgery and have the financial and intellectual chops for it, a lot of PCP's and hospitalists are pretty disillusioned too, even the ones on salary have their hands tied and are faced with insurance obstacles and time sucks everyday.

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Specializes in Med-Surg, NICU.

Nurses protect the patients from the doctors' mistakes. I'm serious. Many of these residents only stick around for a bit before rotating and don't have the vast experience that many seasoned nurses do. I have seen quite a few nurses save doctors' rear ends multiple times.

Nurses are THE patient's advocate and the backbone of the medical field. Anyone who thinks otherwise is delusional.

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Specializes in Pedi.

Meh, it's not worth arguing. I'd just try not to talk about it if it were me. But I will say this- I owned my own house 4 years after I graduate from college/nursing school. Had I gone to medical school (which I never wanted to do), I'd have just been graduating med school and would have well over a hundred thousand dollars worth of debt and no hope of having a life or making a liveable wage for a great number of years.

One of my nursing professors used to always say "the reason patients are in the hospital is because they need NURSING care"- if they only needed to see the MD, they'd just go to an MD appointment.

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My family was this way when I first told them i was interested in nursing. This was in the last year of my bachelors in bio.

I went on to get my BSN after that. They were not pleased that I chose this route with all the same reasons OP stated. Why would i possibly get a bachelors in nursing when i could be an MD? Sighh

I dont think they really understood the role of a nurse. They are much better now and have definitely come around. They certainly understand (now) the money rationale as one of the others had posted about (time commitment, cost of school etcetc).

I hope they do come around! Nursing is hard without some kind of family support system!

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Clueless families often don't understand the role of doctors either. I'm sure there are doctors out there sighing at the things clueless things their families believe to be true of doctors. Life isn't like a TV show.

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Marilena: I had to literally divorce myself from my parents to get on with my life when I chose to go to nursing school. They didn't think I could do it, they didn't see how it would benefit me in the long run. That was over 30 years ago, they eventually came around and now are very proud of my accomplishments. Sometimes we have to step away from those we love to get to where we want to be and knowing that they may not accept what we choose is just part of the process. There is always opportunity in Nursing. Just because you may start out as a bedside nurse does not mean you will always be one. Nurse Practionners do more diagnosing and prescribing now than ever before. Their perception is limited of what nurses do. With the limited availability of family MDs in general practice, the need for nurse practionners and advance practice nurses will continue to be in demand. You will be entering a field that is dynamic and needed. Perhaps one way to convince them is to look up the labor projections for the future and see how much nurses will be needed. Most likely available on a public web site. Nurses are the eyes and ears of the MDs, we are the ones who notify the MD of what the patient needs and what acute changes are occurring, what lab results are abnormal and suggest what treatments may be needed. We help to make the patients hospital stay a successful one and get them back to their normal lifestyle after an acute event. Nurses have a lot more input and power than the general public is aware of. Salaries can be just as much as any MD,so if it is money that makes them turn their heads, run a search for nurses salaries etc. Eventually they will come around, but it sounds like you may be on this journey without their support. Its OK, you can do it!!!

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.
Meh, it's not worth arguing. I'd just try not to talk about it if it were me. But I will say this- I owned my own house 4 years after I graduate from college/nursing school. Had I gone to medical school (which I never wanted to do), I'd have just been graduating med school and would have well over a hundred thousand dollars worth of debt and no hope of having a life or making a liveable wage for a great number of years.

One of my nursing professors used to always say "the reason patients are in the hospital is because they need NURSING care"- if they only needed to see the MD, they'd just go to an MD appointment.

This. :yes:

And THIS:

Clueless families often don't understand the role of doctors either. I'm sure there are doctors out there sighing at the things clueless things their families believe to be true of doctors. Life isn't like a TV show.

Try as you might, be prepared to go through your journey without your family's criticism; you might be successful without them...let your actions SPEAK louder than words.

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OP, if you are going home for Christmas, this is a time to enjoy the holiday, not get into it with your life choices.

If your parents are footing the bill, then of course they could have some say in what you study. Otherwise, what you do as an adult is your preference.

To discuss your passion for medical science, and that you feel nursing is a start to whatever your eventual goal is, and that you would like to enjoy the time together as opposed to argue about the pros and cons of your education, then back away, and do not engage further. Period. Don't be fresh about it, just factual, to the point and move on.

And if your parents would like to shell out 200K for a full medical doctorate course of study, that is lovely, however they could take the $150K left over from your nursing degree and buy you a nice condo.

Christmas is time to relax and recharge. Do not engage.

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Emergency, CEN.

From the sounds of it, you'd better study hard. These kinds of families (like mine) will talk badly about nurses, but when anything happens, you'll be the first person they call.

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Specializes in Cardiac, ER.

How about a simple "I am important and this is what I want",..:) Best of luck to you!!

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