Nursing Conspiracies - Do I Need a Tinfoil Nurse's Cap?

Nurses General Nursing

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I know it's human nature to want to place blame for our misfortunes, and instead of realizing the complex nature of things, we like to find the "real reason" for why things are the way they are. That brings us to conspiracy theories. I have seen that Nursing has its own collection; many of which have been presented and discussed on this forum. Like all conspiracy theories, they usually have some bit of truth to them (sometimes not!), and they can be entertaining. But, to a newcomer like myself, they can be misleading. So, what do you think of these conspiracies?

Here are a few examples:

1)

Who's out to get us: Nursing schools and hospitals

They are conspiring to get: Money from students and lower wages

They are manipulating us by: Lying about an imaginary nursing shortage

2)

Who's out to get us: Doctors

They are conspiring to get: All the respect and power

They are manipulating us by: Treating us poorly and casting us in a bad light

3)

Who's out to get us: BSN Nurses and hospitals

They are conspiring to get: All the jobs

They are manipulating us by: Taking a few extra theory classes at an expensive 4 year school

4)

Can you name some more??

I'm definitely no expert, just a guy from the outside looking in at this point. I start NS in a few months. But, my distance from the field may lend some clarity? I don't know... but, have some fun with it!

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I think all these topics have been exhausted on Allnurses. All you need to do is spend some time reading Allnurses threads and you will be "up to speed". Yes, getting through college, finding a job as an RN, and the actual life working as a nurse - all are more than potentially very difficult. If you want to do it and nothing else, do it. Like anything in life that whole deal is your decision only.

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Specializes in med-surg, OR.

I think that your #1 is a real nursing conspiracy theory...is there really a nursing shortage?

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
But, my distance from the field may lend some clarity? I don't know... but, have some fun with it!

Hi, there. . .

With all due respect, it is very difficult to have 'some fun' with this type of discussion when the aforementioned issues are negatively affecting many nurses' lives and careers. Good luck with your schooling.

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I think all these topics have been exhausted on Allnurses. All you need to do is spend some time reading Allnurses threads and you will be "up to speed". Yes, getting through college, finding a job as an RN, and the actual life working as a nurse - all are more than potentially very difficult. If you want to do it and nothing else, do it. Like anything in life that whole deal is your decision only.

I'm sure EVERY topic has been exhausted on allnurses.com. About a million posts pretty much guarantees it. It's the conspiracy part of it that hasn't really been explored that well. The logic and thought and critical thinking behind these complex issues could be better discussed.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Nsg QA.
Who's out to get us: Nursing schools and hospitals

They are conspiring to get: Money from students and lower wages

They are manipulating us by: Lying about an imaginary nursing shortage

I will only address this first concern, as I'm sure many others will weigh in on this. If schools were conspiring to get money from students (I'll assume you mean an absurd amount of money for tuition), then this should hold true for other college majors. In my experience, tuition is a standard cost based on the number of credit hours and the level you are taking regardless of your discipline. A fine arts major will pay the same amount of money for 15 credit hours as would a math major or nursing student (equipment of course, is extra).

As for the hospitals, they are running a business and as such they must cover their costs. Nurses are expensive, and graduate nurses are probably the most expensive when you figure in the cost to educate them during their first year of employment. Graduate nurses have a learning curve of about 6 months to a year. That is a huge investment for the hospital, and a bit of a gamble. If the hospital employs the nurse for 1 year and the nurse leaves, the hospital has lost a huge investment. The training received will transfer to the new place of employment, but the hospital is out big bucks for investing and losing the employee.

Imaginary shortage? Actually, if you look at the number of active RN licenses there probably is NOT a shortage. There is a shortage in the number of nurses that choose to work in the hospital. It's all how you look at the numbers.

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Yes this topic as well has been flushed out many times. Do a search upper right: Nursing Shortage, etc.

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Hi, there. . .

With all due respect, it is very difficult to have 'some fun' with this type of discussion when the aforementioned issues are negatively affecting many nurses' lives and careers. Good luck with your schooling.

I suppose I need to clarify. I didn't intend to say that the issues don't exist or are not negatively affecting lives. I want to identify ultimate causes instead of proximate causes. Sometimes we put such a simple answer on these things because it wraps it up so nicely, but it's often not the case. And like any true conspiracy, the explanations can be quite far-fetched. Again...or not! I enjoy a lively discussion. That's the fun part for me.

I don't mean to offend.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho, ASC.

Perhaps one's opinion of conspiracy vs. reality in any of your given scenarios is proportionate to how deeply one's own life has been affected by the negative factor (i.e., MD abuse, severe shortage of nursing positions, misrepresentation of employment possibilities by for-profit nursing schools)?

And BTW, all of those factors do exist.

And I'm NOT a nursing student, just a nurse.

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If this is research for school or not, you can try your online databases to search eg CINAHL. You just need to put in the time.

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If this is research for school or not, you can try your online databases to search eg CINAHL. You just need to put in the time.

Nah. That's not really what I was shooting for. I think my intended topic may be a little too esoteric to convey in this format. And, unfortunately, my chosen examples hit the "third rail" of Nursing. Maybe I'll think of a better way to phrase it later...

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Specializes in Med Surg - Renal.

Who's out to get us: Hiring managers.

They are conspiring to get: Only the prettiest nurses hired.

They are manipulating us by: Treating those they just hired like crap! (muwahahahaha)

(This was in the spirit of tinfoil hats and in no way represents an actual nursing problem.)

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