Reclaiming our Profession

[harleypinkno15]

This is amazingly eloquent. I cannot describe to you how much I agree with what you have to say. Nurses are such an incredible part of the medical field and I cannot tell you that if we were not there Doctors would not know what to do with themselves. My God I want to make it clear that we are not comparing ourselves because there has been a week of comments regarding that subject. I agree this is the time for nurses to realize we have become an extremely important part of the medical field and I repeat myself when I say as nurses we are frontline and there are so many articles written. Nurses can make a difference in a matter of life and death. To any of my fellow nurses out there please take pride in what you do. Nursing today has changed drastically from what it was many years ago. Take pride in what you do every day because it is really important. Nurses today cannot be swept under the carpet for what they once might have been considered. My heart and my salute goes out to all the nurses who have chosen this job because it was a calling and because the best interest was in the patient and not the money. Don't get me wrong we all need an income but choose something else to do to make money if it is not in your heart. Your mom, your dad, your brother or your child could be in the care of that nurse. How would you want them to be treated. Carma is a terrible thing.

[washingtonrn]

AMEN!

[msn10]

Very well written. I am the same age as you and about as many years experience and it is nice to to see someone state our situation so well. I sometimes see the new nurses who are already jaded and I think how sad it is, but I hope they too will see what a wonderful profession nursing really can be.

[juzme]

Well written highlandlass! Let's start something grassroots style and do something! like I said on another post, I am in! marching in Washington, something and in large numbers! Anyone who is involved in healthcare needs to stand up for our rights and our patients rights. I know more than a few nurses who have quit nursing all together because of the treatment of nurses, from staffing issues to pay....LET'S DO SOMETHING! The insurance companies and the bottom line people have highjacked healthcare, we need to take it back.!

[Music in My Heart]

I continue to shudder at how many nurses continue to advocate the "calling" idea and the notion that we're supposed to give our all for our patients, our own well-being be damned.

As an older, experienced entrant into the practice, I've never bought into that notion. It is precisely that mentality which fosters the paternalistic and demeaning "not all angels have wings" attitude toward nurses and the idea that nurses are supposed to "sacrifice" for their patients, even as the folks at the top sacrifice nothing.

Even in this very thread, the "it's a calling" mentality is promulgated.

[Chin up]

Brava! Now get to getting. This is what the profession needs, voices! Your article, best I have read, well done!!

[mmm333, LVN]

I'm just thinking about what this all means to me, a male RN- and conversely, what I mean to it. I chose nursing without really looking up salaries and such, but I didn't do it out some sense of duty either. It was more about self-actualization and the pursuit of personal excellence. Sure nursing is a place where one can do more justice on behalf of the individual than most lawyers are ever able to do. Sure there are moments of altruism and emotion. But mainly I was at a fork in the road in my career and spent some time reflecting on previous jobs that I either loved or disliked. The ones I had loved had a whole lot in common with nursing, and my strengths and skills correlated pretty well with nursing as well. Then I remembered taking a career and personality test in high school which recommended firefighter or RN as good fits. The choice was a no-brainer when I considered all of these factors and took more tests to confirm it. I made the decision like any other sober-minded professional chose their career path. In getting to know my "sisters" in nursing school, I did get the overwhelming impression that the majority of them made their decision similarly. Many of them added a good measure of "heart" to this formula, which I still believe is a good thing in nursing. But it was not the only factor at play. I think the "calling" and "angels in white" stuff was probably never much more than a myth. Even the women who tended to the ill in prisons in England (who were often convicted of crimes, etc.) were simply seeking a way to find dignity and a role which carried responsibility and offered them means. Wars offered greater opportunities to demonstrate their importance and capabilities. The image of nurse was clearly imposed on early nurses by other forces.

[highlandlass1592, BSN, RN]

I continue to shudder at how many nurses continue to advocate the "calling" idea and the notion that we're supposed to give our all for our patients, our own well-being be damned.

As an older, experienced entrant into the practice, I've never bought into that notion. It is precisely that mentality which fosters the paternalistic and demeaning "not all angels have wings" attitude toward nurses and the idea that nurses are supposed to "sacrifice" for their patients, even as the folks at the top sacrifice nothing.

Even in this very thread, the "it's a calling" mentality is promulgated.

Actually, I am NOT promoting the idea of nursing being a calling. Far from it. I've reread the text mutiple times and show how I used to naively believe that farce but have come to realize the fallacy of that idea. I also discuess the idea of nurses being "angels", which is also a determinant to practice.

[Music in My Heart]

actually, i am not promoting the idea of nursing being a calling.

not you...

my heart and my salute goes out to all the nurses who have chosen this job because it was a calling and because the best interest was in the patient and not the money. don't get me wrong we all need an income but choose something else to do to make money if it is not in your heart.

it's a career/job/trade/practice/profession... it's not a mission/calling/ministry... at least to me.

(and i obviously had no idea what promulgated actually meant... my bad.)

[deemalt, BSN, RN]

I am newer to the field and the stark reality of nursing in the trenches has sunk in. We are pushed to our limits with high patient acuities, the "cover our ass" mentality, lack of support from management, lack of respect from family members and sometimes patients, and lack of financial compensation in some cases.

I can not help but to think that if this were a male dominated field, nurses would be better compensated and respected for the work that they do.( Don't over think that statement, I love my male coworkers and think that more males in the field would raise the bar for compensation). Look at other female dominated professions such as teachers - very similar situations.

So... what do we do from here? What do we do to change the way we are perceived?

[mmm333, LVN]

I think he/she meant to say "within this website" - that's how I took it.