RN to BSN- homework question?

Jolie, BSN · Sep 29, 2008

I am NOT trying to start an ADN vs BSN vs diploma debate, just trying to offer some thoughts on how being a female dominated field has effected the nursing profession.

Do you believe that being a female-dominated field has had an impact on the lack of standardization of entry to practice for nursing?

Do you think that being a field where workers often transition into and out of the workforce has an effect on the profession of nursing? (By this I mean that unlike men, women often stop working full-time when they have families and re-enter the workforce later, or cut back to part-time and are not the sole or primary breadwinners for their families.)

rkrs6673 · Sep 29, 2008

Thanks you Jolie -- Your response has my brain thinking again

MikeyJ, RN · Sep 29, 2008

Do you believe that being a female-dominated field has had an impact on the lack of standardization of entry to practice for nursing?

That is an interesting question and I have never thought about that before. I have wondered before why admission to nursing school is far more relaxed than medical school.

llg, PhD, RN · Sep 29, 2008

Here are some other angles. ...

How has being a female dominated profession effected the politics and interactions of the nurse/physician relationship?

How has being a female dominated profession effected payscales?

Farmer Jane · Sep 29, 2008

Nursing is certainly more complex than "just" a female dominated profession, but female domination is still an important aspect of nursing's past and present. For starters, nurses used to be rather submissive to physicians, and part of that is the old pattern of male/female relationships. Second, nursing has not always been a well-paying job, and part of that reason is that women's jobs were seen as secondary rather than crucial to supporting families. The teaching profession still has this problem. Finally, the traditional women's role is seen as one of service to her family, church, community and that has extended to nursing--the idea that we're "angels" or that nursing is a "calling" rather than an intellectual profession.

That is an interesting question and I have never thought about that before. I have wondered before why admission to nursing school is far more relaxed than medical school.

Any grad school is harder to enter than an undergrad program, and medical school is more complex and advanced than nursing school so it makes sense that the entrance requirements are more rigorous.

MikeyJ, RN · Sep 29, 2008

Any grad school is harder to enter than an undergrad program, and medical school is more complex and advanced than nursing school so it makes sense that the entrance requirements are more rigorous.

I agree about the medical school portion; however, I disagree with the statement that "any grad school is harder to enter than an undergrad program."

There are certain nursing programs that are intense to be accepted into -- I had to wait to be accepted to my undergrad nursing program. I can guarantee you that most master level programs (not just nursing) are fairly easy to get into if you meet their minimum requirements.

And entrance to medical school is not more competitive just based on the fact that it is more rigorous and advanced -- you have to take in to account the limited # of medical schools, the increased # of applicants, and the historical mindset behind the profession (that it is an "elite" profession and that only the best should be admitted). But my previous comment regarding nursing admissions vs. medical school admissions was directed toward the historical aspect (should have made it more clear) in that why did nursing schools historically have a more relaxed admission process -- llg made a good point that it may be based on the fact that it has always been a female dominated profession.

Farmer Jane · Sep 29, 2008

Considering that a graduate program requires a bachelor's degree and a nursing program requires a few classes, I would say that by definition grad programs are harder to enter.

Medical school has always been more advanced than nursing. This may have originated with the male/female issue but now it's a simple matter of academics.

CraigB-RN, MSN, RN · Sep 29, 2008

RN to BSN- homework question?
Not sure if I am posting this in the right place. I am having trouble with this one question.
"How do you think being a female dominated profession has affected the development of the nursing profession?"
This one question is really throwing me for a loop :) I see nursing as so much more than a female dominated profession and maybe that is my problem.

First of all I think people are reading way to much into this question. It's only looking at one aspect of nursing. Dont' read anything more into the question and don't add any more information that isn't being asked for.

Now I won't speak for the long term, but if it was a male dominated proffesion, I don't think we would have gone through the sub servient phase that I started in during the late 70's.