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.

[ThePrincessBride, MSN, RN, NP]

Bedside nursing is extremely blue-collared. I say this as a daughter of an actuary and an accountant. I went to private school, took horseback riding lessons and learned how to play the flute. The other kids (upper class, unlike myself) in my school had parents who were doctors, lawyers, sports team coaches, etc. There was a push for higher education (particularly grad school).

Nurses don't make **** in comparison to many white-collared professionals. Educational standards are minimal and so many nurses are against making a four-year degree the entry requirement. Nurses are not treated with the same amount of respect as professionals with advanced degrees.

But...

In certain circumstances, nursing can put one firmly in the middle class to upper middle class. A single nurse with several years of experience with no debt, minimal expenses and zero kids could easily be UMC. A single nurse with five kids and consumer debt could be riding the poverty line.

I have come across nurses driving 70k cars and living in large homes and while others live frugally. Guess who is truly middle class?

I find nursing is very good as a supplemental income for a dual income household. I know plenty of nurses who work part-time or contingent because their spouses make great money and their salary is for savings and extras.

Nursing is a great and flexible field to get into and if one plays his or her cards right, it is possible to become financially independent many years before traditional retirement age.

[Libby1987]

I think expectstions define social class as well. Some of the stuff I read on this site, the way people are treated and what they will tolerate, says much about the class they perceives themselves to be.

I flat out expect to be treated well and short of my first couple of years as a emotionally immature 22 yo new grad, I have been. I don't think about it until I hear from someone is isn't/hasn't been. It isn't something I've fought for, for me it's just an inherent norm, albeit I was born into a somewhat privileged class and have had many blessings so I do not assume credit.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

Another important, but often ignored, attribute of social class is the cultural capital, life experience, and worldview that each person brings to the table.

For instance, one of my former coworkers is a 43-year-old RN who has never traveled by airplane at any point in her life. In addition, she has no interest in future air travel even though it is statistically safer than automobile travel.

Contrast her experience with another former coworker (age 37) on the same floor who takes multiple trips abroad each year. She's visited several countries in Europe, South America, Asia and Australia. She's always planning the next trip.

So, even though these two RNs have roughly the same income, education and occupational status, their tastes and lifestyles are totally divergent. This results in differing class-based worldviews.

[MrChicagoRN, RN]

I see myself as middle class, I live fairly simply: one car is 2004, other 2013, pay myself first, and don't take fancy vacations. But according to Pew Research, I am upper middle class based on income

Are you in the US middle class? Try our income calculator | Pew Research Center

[whichone'spink, BSN, RN]

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.

I know that. There are times I do have to use my brain, like when I have a patient crashing after surgery. Of course, no one recognizes that nursing is knowledge work and unfortunately we aren't compensated well enough. Nursing has to be the worst paying career for a bachelor's degree holder. If the entry level was a master's, like for teaching or social work, it would be even more insulting.

[Horseshoe, BSN, RN]

I see myself as middle class, I live fairly simply: one car is 2004, other 2013, pay myself first, and don't take fancy vacations. But according to Pew Research, I am upper middle class based on income

Are you in the US middle class? Try our income calculator | Pew Research Center

The OP isn't talking about economic class. She's going beyond that, specifically talking "social class."

[cherryelle07]

At the moment, I consider me and my partner lower middle class or firmly middle class. With both our incomes, we roughly make about $50K to $60K. That will definitely go up in the next few years once I get my license. I personally grew up lower class. My mother was disabled and received disability. My step father worked, but made a pretty modest income with his high school custodian salary. He too ended up going on disability after Type 1 Diabetes made him go legally blind. If we got anything nice, it was because of our grandparents who were upper middle class. My grandfather worked for the Department of Energy and made a very nice living, so they were usually the ones who took us on vacation or bought us Christmas gifts that weren't second hand or from the dollar store. I don't resent my mom, because she did what she could with what she had, but we definitely struggled. Her and my grandparents had a complicated relationship, because they did contribute so much and to a lot of points of view, they indirectly raised us. I think it upset my mom a bit that my grandparents were able to give us what she couldn't.

[georgiapeach27]

This is completely fascinating topic to me. I've thought about how when I was younger we were 'poor' and my dad climbed the ranks (w/out a college education, despite his experience it still hurts him on job hunts) but never my 'social class'. I suppose I was raised middle class and my husband was raised blue collar. In fact, one of the reason I'm going to school now is because not having an independent income and flexible budget bothers me. I'm going to ponder this one for a while, thank you OP.

[cherryelle07]

I will interestingly enough that I felt like I was raised in both social classes. Going from my mom's house where we often had generic store brand food to my grandparents who had the more expensive name brand stuff was interesting. I think having that sharp distinction affected my attitude as a teenager and I think it hurt my mom quite a bit when I preferred to go to my grandma's where I had my own room and TV and such as opposed to being at my mom's where I had to share a bedroom with my kid sister and take turns watching the one TV we had or even suffer through the sports games my step father wanted to watch. At 14, I didn't care who the Dallas Cowboys were playing. lol

[llg, PhD, RN]

I listed myself as "upper middle class" -- having some things in common with middle-class values, but also sharing some things with the upper class.

Most of the cultures where I have worked have been pretty solidly middle-class -- and I have seen that cause problems for some upper middle class and upper class students and orientees. I have seen the staff be biased against that more privileged culture and reject those students/orientees because they did not share the same middle or lower middle class experiences and perspectives.

That's why I am usual careful not to speak too much of some aspects of my life lean more to the upper class end of the spectrum when I am work or with my work friends.

[Wisenurn55]

You know it's always something with nursing. This cliquish profession with it's women. And it's crap. I can't wait to get out of this profession. I'm counting down the days. To answer your stupid question, not necessarily. It depends on how long you've been a nurse; if you're PRN or full time. if you work night shift or not determines your pay. What's up with stepford wife crap???? I haven't seen one yet maybe they work in psych where they don't do anything but sit on their butt and medicate people. the nursing profession is a waste of time. if you're in it now get out. i told this 16 year old girl to not go into nursing. it'll be the best decision she'll ever make. she'll be thanking me 20 years down the line when she's my age. i'm glad that i didn't become a nurse.

[Wisenurn55]

i always thought that nursing was a "blue collar job".