Nursing, No Longer A White Woman's Job?

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Discussion overheard at lunch today: ER RN (white female) "discussing" her opinion with Respiratory Therapist (white, male) and EMT (black, male) that within 10-years white women will no longer be in the majority as far as bedside nursing goes. Her argument was that women have more opportunities to go into other professions than when she was young (guessing she's in her late 50's) and that since we are importing nurses from "third-world countries" no white woman will be a bedside RN in the future. EMT agreed and said that it's not just white women, that he wouldn't want his daughter or son to be a RN. The RT kept quiet and continued to eat his tuna sandwich.

So, I wonder, do any others of you feel that way? That is, that women (white, black, brown, etc) in America have more opportunities, more career choices now than ever before; and that the nursing profession will become the immigrant's first job in America?

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Specializes in Adult internal med, OB/GYN, REI..

wow...that's an unfortunate opinion to be heard...I mean, of course ALL women are getting more opportunities, but the fact that I am a "white woman" never entered my mind when I wanted to become a nurse.

Too bad some people seem to think it a profession that is so easily passed off...of course if you can't handle it...then move on...

....to administration! :D

I love being in L&D ....and so far ( from my fairly virgin voice) I really like being a nurse! In fact when i don't have some *mean* "50's- something" nurse standing over my shoudler just waiting for me to do something wrong, I LOVE being a nurse.....

luv---joy

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

frankly i would not care the color, creed, religious conviction, sexual orientation or age of the person caring for me as long as he/she is competent and caring. and if we cannot draw such people into the profession from our own country, demand will make it such that they will come from overseas....it is happening already. like i said, competence and caring....they are what matter to me. not the other "stuff". just my less than 0.2 worth.

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I felt so cross to read your post

NO nursing is about caring, empathy and having professional skills and knowledge not about the colour of one's skin!

the reason we need to employ nurses from the third world is due to shortages in qualified nurses. I know that in the Uk the powers that be decided in the early 80's that there were too many student places to meet the demands. It was at this point we were fighting to get jobs.{I know cos I was one of them.] What the powers did not take into account was the increase for demand in the late 90's after all we are a population of aging societies.

Yes today women have more oportunites but there will still be people like ourselves who want to be nurses

If I had overheard such a conversation I would certainly address this matter with senior management because little minds breed and should not be given an opportunity to do so

Best wishes and continue to be a caring nurse

luv

j

:kiss

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Originally posted by jevans

....because little minds breed and should not be given an opportunity to do so...

:D !!!

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Big fricken deal. I don't understand how this would bring concern to people's mind. Those who feel threatened by change in the face of any profession, whether actual or perceived, have bigger problems then just job competition. It's this kind of thinking that is the cause and will continue to be to cause of so much unnecessary disharmony within our profession.

- strange white girl

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Gomer, honey,

puhhh-LEEEEZE don't go there... :rolleyes:

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Im not a woman and dont have any plans to change into one. I second the opinion, all i care about is that your a somewhat caring nurse and a very competant one.

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Specializes in Adult internal med, OB/GYN, REI..
Originally posted by jevans

I felt so cross to read your post Joy

NO nursing is about caring, empathy and having professional skills and knowledge not about the colour of one's skin!

the reason we need to employ nurses from the third world is due to shortages in qualified nurses. I know that in the Uk the powers that be decided in the early 80's that there were too many student places to meet the demands. It was at this point we were fighting to get jobs.{I know cos I was one of them.] What the powers did not take into account was the increase for demand in the late 90's after all we are a population of aging societies.

Yes today women have more oportunites but there will still be people like ourselves who want to be nurses

If I had overheard such a conversation I would certainly address this matter with senior management because little minds breed and should not be given an opportunity to do so

Best wishes and continue to be a caring nurse

luv

j

:kiss

a bit confused here....cross at me? I don't know why...could you explain?

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Specializes in Everything except surgery.

I agree with all the posters here...doing the happy

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You know, I'm getting just a LITTLE BIT TIRED of reading and addressing race issues on the BB.

I don't feel it serves a productive purpose and I feel it's silly to even bring it up!

Lets move on people!!

-Russell

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Originally posted by Rustyhammer

You know, I'm getting just a LITTLE BIT TIRED of reading and addressing race issues on the BB....

-Russell

Amen!! :cool:

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