i just read this article that down plays the work and hard study that rn's all put in to obtain a degree in college or a university. i feel insulted and plan to write them. :angryfire and a i am trying to "edit" to stay legal here, it is the fact that nursing is lumped into the mind set of a "lower skilled job" that precisely burns me up.
no college? not necessarily a problem
report points to 16 good fields for lower-skilled workers
by andrea coombes, marketwatch
last update: 7:36 pm et oct. 27, 2005
san francisco (marketwatch) -- the reigning assumption among many americans is that teenagers go directly from high school to college, but that's not the way life always works.
just 27% of americans over age 25 hold bachelor's degrees or higher, according to 2004 census data. see the census data.
the report details 16 jobs, all in growing industries, that pay more than $25,000 a year, are available to workers holding an associate's degree or less, and don't require a significant amount of previous work experience.
those occupations include nursing, carpentry, bookkeeping, plumbers and electricians. (see full list below.)
"there's no question that the payoff for a college degree is highly valuable and getting more valuable every year, [but] there are major occupations with large numbers of jobs going wanting that pay reasonably good wages, and are within reach of working adults that don't yet have postsecondary education," rubin said.
some barriers to entry
but just because you don't necessarily need a college degree doesn't mean entry into these jobs is easy.
for instance, "registered nurse" tops the list of 16 jobs because it has the greatest number of projected annual job openings, but that job poses barriers for some lower-skilled entrants, including training programs that tend to be highly competitive and full-time.
"registered nurse is certainly an excellent paying occupation and an occupation where there are tremendous shortages," rubin said. but, he added, entry to the field usually requires at least three years of full-time study and "very, very strong math and science skills."
an alternative is to become a licensed practical nurse, another job on the list. certification is often available through part-time training programs, making that occupation a more manageable entry point into the nursing field for those needing to support themselves and a family.
I agree that the article's title is inappropriate and degrading, but the article itself seems to be very truthful, speaking to the difficult admission process, and the math/science skills needed to become a nurse. Also give them props for including the LPN aspect. I think this article might just bring some new nurses into the field, simply because they never realized that they could get a nursing degree without having to go to a 4 year college/university. I think that is a great thing!
I'm earning my BSN and I can tell you right now I'll never be paid what I am worth. And I'm a bit insulted when people tell me they can get "degree" in two years. Can you get your RN in two years? Yes, go ahead, but it's not a BS.
I had to laugh, because I was insulted that the OP thought that it was insulting that nursing was compared to plumbing (a "lower skilled job"); My dh is a Master plumber, he went to school-yes, school, for 4 years, and went to another school for another year to become a master plumber; he understands more about the medical gas and dialysis systems than most nurses, even though we use them and count on them everyday. My husband is highly skilled, highly trained, and earns almost double what I earn as a BSN; and quite a bit more than double to what is listed in the article for plumbers.
Everyone's job is important, regardless of what you consider skill. I know what I do counts, just as much, and no more than the excellent job housekeeping does at our hospital. I'm only insulted if someone would consider me useless.
Don't flame me please. My only point is that one article does not the truth make, and don't look down on others or yourself based on career.
I'm earning my BSN and I can tell you right now I'll never be paid what I am worth. And I'm a bit insulted when people tell me they can get "degree" in two years. Can you get your RN in two years? Yes, go ahead, but it's not a BS.
Nor does a BS automatically make a better nurse
(we could go round and round on any career, any degree over this, but it does nothing but insult.)
I'm earning my BSN and I can tell you right now I'll never be paid what I am worth. And I'm a bit insulted when people tell me they can get "degree" in two years. Can you get your RN in two years? Yes, go ahead, but it's not a BS.
I am attending an ADN program and it took me 2 years just to complete my prerequisites. And yes, I have completed them in a college, not in highschool. I just do not like that the article does not see associate degree as a college degree. I am working very hard to get mine.
Specializes in Happily semi-retired; excited for the whole whammy.
I had to laugh, because I was insulted that the OP thought that it was insulting that nursing was compared to plumbing (a "lower skilled job"); My dh is a Master plumber, he went to school-yes, school, for 4 years, and went to another school for another year to become a master plumber; he understands more about the medical gas and dialysis systems than most nurses, even though we use them and count on them everyday. My husband is highly skilled, highly trained, and earns almost double what I earn as a BSN; and quite a bit more than double to what is listed in the article for plumbers.
Everyone's job is important, regardless of what you consider skill. I know what I do counts, just as much, and no more than the excellent job housekeeping does at our hospital. I'm only insulted if someone would consider me useless.
Don't flame me please. My only point is that one article does not the truth make, and don't look down on others or yourself based on career.
No flames here. I've never understood where the idea that plumbers are akin to laborers came from. After all, haven't most of us written checks to plumbers? We should certainly know what they charge, and we must all agree that their service is worth it since we pay it. I know several plumbers, and there's not a dimwit in the bunch, that's for sure.
No flames here. I've never understood where the idea that plumbers are akin to laborers came from. After all, haven't most of us written checks to plumbers? We should certainly know what they charge, and we must all agree that their service is worth it since we pay it. I know several plumbers, and there's not a dimwit in the bunch, that's for sure.
I'm earning my BSN and I can tell you right now I'll never be paid what I am worth. And I'm a bit insulted when people tell me they can get "degree" in two years. Can you get your RN in two years? Yes, go ahead, but it's not a BS.
While I am sure you are working hard for your BSN, please don't underestimate the difficulty of an Associates/Diploma nursing program. I am sure the ADN vs BSN vs LPN debate has had alot of action on these threads in the past, but keep in mind we are all on the same team here. Treating nurses who don't have a BSN as if they are inferior to those who do only makes our jobs more difficult. If you enter the hospital setting feeling superior simply because of the letters after your name you will soon find yourself without alot of good nurses as resources.
While I am sure you are working hard for your BSN, please don't underestimate the difficulty of an Associates/Diploma nursing program. I am sure the ADN vs BSN vs LPN debate has had alot of action on these threads in the past, but keep in mind we are all on the same team here. Treating nurses who don't have a BSN as if they are inferior to those who do only makes our jobs more difficult. If you enter the hospital setting feeling superior simply because of the letters after your name you will soon find yourself without alot of good nurses as resources.
Specializes in Med-Surg, Geriatric, Behavioral Health.
Let us agree here that "nurses" are ALLNURSES.
Now, is that a plug for this site or not?
We all have worked hard to become one or are working hard towards it. No dispute there. Let's not fractionate into the old debate and whip the dead horse again.
estrogen
227 Posts
Yup... Agree!