Nurses working harder than doctors?

nursejohio, ASN, RN · Mar 21, 2009

:chuckle Tell that to a resident at the end of a 30 hour shift at a big teaching hospital.
Docs have insane schedules. I wouldn't wish a surgeons life on anyone. Or a residents. Residents are underpaid and overworked.

Exactly! When I was still a lowly NA, taking my prereqs for nursing, I kicked around the idea of going the pre-med BSN route. If I decided to end up in medicine, I'd already have my bases covered. Researched it a bit, and there's not enough money in the free world !!!!!! :bow: Granted, the money is nice as an attending, but you gotta get there first. And yeah, the residents in my hospital make about 50k/yr, not a shabby amount of cash. But break that down over the hours they work? I was making almost twice what they did, and I got to sleep! Real sleep, not just naping between 48hr calls!

It's all in your perspective, but you can't judge how hard someone elses job is until you've actually thought about all the tasks and responsibilities that person has.

lovehospital · Mar 21, 2009

I'm suprised you guys defend doctors,while majority of them look down on nurses...

GilaRRT · Mar 21, 2009

I'm suprised you guys defend doctors,while majority of them look down on nurses...

Pretty big words. You have proof other than a few anecdotal stories?

However, you assume we are defending doctors? Many of us call it how it is. Doctors work hard, cannot really argue that point.

RN1982 · Mar 21, 2009

Don't you think it's better to work together rather than against each other? I mean, the main focus of the care that physicians and nurses give is the patient. I've only had very, very few doctors look down upon me because I am a nurse, the majority respect me and what I do so I don't know where you get your info. Do you work side by side with physicians all day to really have the "facts"?

Sarcolemma · Mar 21, 2009

I'm suprised you guys defend doctors,while majority of them look down on nurses...

i thought the question was who works harder, not who looks down on who?

i posted my observations on the subject of the amount of work between the two professions, which happens to correlate with those of most people i know.

i submit that perhaps it is you that looks down on doctors? Or envies their position of authority and importance within the medical institution?

nursejohio, ASN, RN · Mar 21, 2009

I don't know that there's a lot of "defending" going on, merely giving our opinions. As someone who had the option to go in that direction, I got to see the whole picture of nursing vs. medicine. I chose nursing because it was the best path for me. I *need* to sleep, and there isn't enough money in the world for me to put myself through residency.

I have my share of "oh no she didn't" doctor stories too, but I've also got tons of the opposite. Like the intern who was on the verge of tears trying to get everything her uppers were shoving down the line to for her to do, but stayed to help me change chux after she'd finished what she was doing with my patient...

You can't make a decision about anything based on a few anectdotal bits. When Hurrican Ike blew through Ohio and half the houses on my street were damaged, roofing sounded like an awesome career switch. They were booking 2 months out for 2k and up repair jobs that would take them a day or so to do. $2,000 and up for a days work? Sounds pretty sweet right?. But really, walking on a 45 degree incline on a 90 degree day with the sun beating down on you for 8 hours? Probably not as much fun as it sounded at first impression.

Gotta get a bigger picture before spouting off with a generalization like that.

lovehospital · Mar 21, 2009

Don't you think it's better to work together rather than against each other? I mean, the main focus of the care that physicians and nurses give is the patient. I've only had very, very few doctors look down upon me because I am a nurse, the majority respect me and what I do so I don't know where you get your info. Do you work side by side with physicians all day to really have the "facts"?

The one that respect nurses are maybe 20-years into the medicine.

nicu4me · Mar 21, 2009

So reading these posts it seems as though people are saying that it depends upon WHAT kind of MD you are as to how hard you work. How about a dermatologist or an opthamologist or even a psychiatrist or neurologist. You have to be an ER or family doc to be considered a hard worker? Look, we all work hard but like another post says I am not going to compare it based upon education levels. The garbage man (who is probably union!!) is making more than I am and what does he have to do??? Skip some trash and no one dies. I screw up......

RN1982 · Mar 21, 2009

Don't you think the whole Us vs. Them is a little childish and immature?

lovehospital · Mar 21, 2009

Don't you think the whole Us vs. Them is a little childish and immature?

I will get back to you on that one,got to study.

RN1982 · Mar 21, 2009

The one that respect nurses are maybe 20-years into the medicine.

Well, seeing as how you don't work side by side with docs on a daily basis yet, I can tell you that you are DEAD WRONG. I work with a lot of attending physcians and residents and I can tell you that both have been very respectful. They ask for MY input, what I think would be best for the patient....You are making a lot of generalizations without any facts to back up and support your "claims".

hypocaffeinemia, BSN, RN · Mar 21, 2009

It's not a competition. Both professions are demanding mentally and physically (with the possible exception of niche specialties in either).