Social Class and Nursing

[AllOfMyWat]

This is not a question about ECONOMIC class/how much you make. I've noticed a fair number of nurses who make the same amount of money are varied in their social class. This isn't a value judgment, but it is visible in the food nurses eat, clothing choices, recreation, and behavior. (My prepatory school educated, Latin and Greek speaking, fair trade, organic eating husband readily points out my lower socioeconomic habits, which I enjoy and am unlikely to change.)

Does social class impact where you work? I've heard nurses complain you won't survive at the major hospital here if you're not a Stepford wife. I've also looked at facilities and thought I wouldn't fit into the predominant culture.

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

Social class means zip, zero, nada when fitting into the CORPORATE culture. In this case you WILL be a Stepford nurse, or you will not survive.

[Libby1987]

Social class means zip, zero, nada when fitting into the CORPORATE culture. In this case you WILL be a Stepford nurse, or you will not survive.

Not my experience, fortunately.

[WKShadowNP, DNP, APRN]

This is not a question about ECONOMIC class/how much you make. I've noticed a fair number of nurses who make the same amount of money are varied in their social class. This isn't a value judgment, but it is visible in the food nurses eat, clothing choices, recreation, and behavior. (My prepatory school educated, Latin and Greek speaking, fair trade, organic eating husband readily points out my lower socioeconomic habits, which I enjoy and am unlikely to change.)

Does social class impact where you work? I've heard nurses complain you won't survive at the major hospital here if you're not a Stepford wife. I've also looked at facilities and thought I wouldn't fit into the predominant culture.

The premise of the question keeps niggling at my mind and bothers me because it bases the placement of the nurse's social class as an impact on work or affecting existence as a nurse in various environments.

Even though wealth, behavior, education, and occupation influence the perception of one's social class, constructs vary from region to region and alter, even slightly at times, these beliefs.

What may even be considered is how social class affects those we treat. After all, illness is the great equalizer, is it not? Illness does not discriminate. What class does lend to is the reaction of the sick. If they have the resources, there is an increased chance that the patient will be compliant and adhere to prescribed regimens, as well as have access to care.

This, then, I think is the crux of the problem. While previous posters have now demonstrated that all walks of each aspect (wealth, education, behavior, occupation) can culminate and lead to a heterogeneous work force, the populations served might be more homogeneous in that not-for-profit organizations have a different payer mix than a private hospital. Therefore, how does the socioeconomic and educational background affect those we treat and what can we do to advocate for them?

Care should be equitable (not equal, because if I give the same care to someone who needs less than the next, this is a disservice. But giving each the level they require to get them to the requisite goal, that is equitable).

Social status can be fickle as can reception or misconceptions of it. I feel it should have no bearing on the work administered nor my employment provided it is competent and compassionate.

[AllOfMyWat]

My parents are a blend of immigrant Jews on my mom's side, and solidly poor Americans on Dad's. My dad worked hard as a military officer, got a college education. I would describe us socially as lower middle, based on language, culture, etc. My husband's family is dominated by the upper middle values of his mother's side. It's very odd, because of the four children,I would describe him as the only one with true upper middle values. (One is still a high school kid. Another one is a very true to her values hipster. Other is a layabout who believes social justice is measurable in handouts.)

Our family is upper middle, but I'd be lying if there wasn't a learning curve. I would clock myself as rising middle, and there are honestly "things to learn."

[martymoose, BSN, RN]

I'm lower- middle, but I aspire to be middle -middle.

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

Not the bedside. At least not all the time. With an advanced degree nursing is more likely to be knowledge based.[/quote']

Oh, for the love of Pete. If you're not using your knowledge base and critical thinking skills at the bedside, you're doing it all wrong. Getting an advanced degree isn't going to help if you don't use your brain at the bedside. More education just gives you more education; it doesn't magically install critical thinking or an ability to APPLY the education.

[RNBearcat]

Does social class impact where you work? I've heard nurses complain you won't survive at the major hospital here if you're not a Stepford wife. I've also looked at facilities and thought I wouldn't fit into the predominant culture.

I definitely see what you mean there. I went from working in an average suburban hospital where most of the staff/ clients were lower/middle class to a prestigious hospital in a wealthy city that serves upper middle/ upper class clients. For me, coming from a middle class family it has been a bit harder to fit in and make friends with other staff than at my previous job. However, I do really enjoy the culture of commitment to the highest level of care that both the hospital and patients hold us to and feel that overall it has made me a stronger nurse. At the end of the day I would still make the move to somewhere that maybe I don't fit in as much socially to somewhere that provides better care and also inspires me to be a better nurse. I don't think you have to be a Stepford wife to survive (or I wouldnt have) but I personally have found a major hospital to certainly be more competitive/ cut throat at times.

[NursesRmofun, ASN, RN]

I grew up lower class (seasonal blue collar Dad), pulled myself up to lower middle class and middle class, but incurred a lot of debt, so not sure where that leaves me now.

[RNDude2012]

Interesting thread. I always wonder where I fall. As an ICU nurse in California I made 127k last year before taxes. Solidly middle to upper middle income for my area since I live in an area where household income average is 60k per household. While I do feel that my job requires an extensive knowledge base, the things we're required to do as bedside nurses (wiping excrement, following orders, being required to fulfill the requests of homeless people that nobody would ever give a second look to) are not upper middle class traits. CRNA or NP are a little more white collar, but I think that as bedside RNs we are pink collar, and are grouped in with firefighters and cops.

I grew up in a very working class household. However, My wife is from a VERY upper middle class background (father worked on wall street, and mother was an administrator for multiple hospitals and had multiple income properties). Whenever I go to some of their social events which includes bankers, physicians, lawyers, business owners, and let it be known I'm a nurse, I usually get that "why in the world would you do that" eyes glazed over stare. Conversely, another individual who's an engineer and make less $$ than I do is generally viewed in higher regard.

Interesting world that we live in. Anyways, I guess I consider myself slightly upper middle based on income alone since the gap between upper class and lower class has widened so much. I don't group myself in with lawyers, executives, and physicians who make 400k+ though. Nursing has been good to me.

[Horseshoe, BSN, RN]

My DH makes more than most doctors. Our kids went to private schools with the doctors' kids, we lived in the same affluent neighborhood, and ran in similar social circles. The doctors treated me distinctly different than they did most of the other nurses. My background is lower middle class all the way, though I'm fairly well read and have two college degrees. I don't feel any different inside just because my DH makes a lot of money.

[emmy27]

This is not a question about ECONOMIC class/how much you make. I've noticed a fair number of nurses who make the same amount of money are varied in their social class. This isn't a value judgment, but it is visible in the food nurses eat, clothing choices, recreation, and behavior. (My prepatory school educated, Latin and Greek speaking, fair trade, organic eating husband readily points out my lower socioeconomic habits, which I enjoy and am unlikely to change.)

Does social class impact where you work? I've heard nurses complain you won't survive at the major hospital here if you're not a Stepford wife. I've also looked at facilities and thought I wouldn't fit into the predominant culture.

The Stepford Wife thing stuck out to me as totally alien to my experience of major hospitals across multiple states. Every unit has its own culture, largely determined by the age/personality makeup of the manager and majority staff, and possibly there are some out there that manage to be entirely composed of "Stepford Wife" types, but an entire hospital? That seems... improbable. Isn't the Stepford Wife stereotype a beautiful automaton who doesn't work or do anything except please her husband? At a minimum every nurse, regardless of social class of origin, is someone who for some reason desired to go to school and to take a physically and mentally demanding job involving a lot of non-glamour.

[NurseGirl525, ASN, RN]

I grew up poor. I never realized how poor at the time, but looking back, I see how many nights dinners were cream of chicken soup on toast. Lol. Certain meals like steak were luxury nights. I never wanted for anything but I know there were times we really struggled.

When I got married, my husband and I had nothing. We bought a nice, little house and started our lives. About 7 years in, we had saved a nice amount. We bought a vacation home, he started his own business. We lived very frugally and ended up paying off those two homes and had saved a crazy amount if money. I literally never had to worry about money again, but we still lived frugally.

I got half in the divorce. Despite our money getting cut in half, I'm still doing very well. Now, I'm working again making decent money. I'm saving again. I live in a bigger house now. I'm still frugal. I'm challenging myself to pay this house off in 10 years, not 30.

You would never guess the amount amount of money I have. I don't drive a fancy car, I don't have expensive toys. My phone is old and cracked, my clothes are not name brand. Honestly, I love having this hidden secret. I live debt free and I live it. I firmly believe you can't take it with you, but removing that stress of money out of your life is huge. Huge. Knowing if I were to have a huge repair here at my house or say on my car, that I could pay for it, is huge.

I worked hard though to get where I am. So does that make me the lower working class, or am I upper middle due to the money I have saved? My fiancé has a blue collar job and my ex has a blue collar job. They both are business owners but they both are small businesses.

I think our class system is difficult. It's hard to put people in one class. None of us in my family have ever had hugely high paying white collar jobs, yet, when it comes down to it by the way we have saved, we may have more money than many white collar people who are vastly in debt.