Our profession deserves an accurate title; we have earned it. Regardless of gender, it is time for a change. "Nurse" is an archaic, irrelevant and inaccurate label which mocks the modern professional standard we represent. We are board-certified clinicians who have endured years of competitive education combined with strenuous clinical training.
The argument that we need to support this title for tradition's sake is weak. This field has come so far and changed so much that what we do would literally be unrecognizable to nurses fifty years ago - nevermind Florence Nightingale. True, nurses are caring figures who share special relationships with the sick, but I was taught much more than that in school and I am responsible for MUCH more than that at work. The sad part is that we are responsible for medical knowledge but our responsibility comes with few rights. We are usually the first providers to see lab results and we "respectfully suggest" drugs and treatments to the physician. In the hospital, we are the first to see changes in a patient's condition, and with ACLS training, who runs codes? Do you think Florence Nightingale knows the algorithm to treat PEA or V-fib arrest? No, she would probably suggest opening a window. So, men and women, alike, deserve a name with absolutely no reference to breastfeeding or trashy Media. This issue may be a joke to you, but many believe it affects their honor; and their salary.
I don't mind being known as a nurse and getting paid very well for what I do. I wonder if we should change doctor's titles because they do more than the first doctors did? There are stereotypes to male nurses but it doesn't change waht we do or how we do it.
When people hear that I am a nurse the response is always overwhelmingly positive. When people list who they trust in polls nurses are #1, year after year. And I am very proud of what I do.
When people hear that I am a nurse the response is always overwhelmingly positive. When people list who they trust in polls nurses are #1, year after year. And I am very proud of what I do.
It ain't broke.
You know, I don't mean to sound disrespectful but with all of the issues that swarm and engulf our profession, I'm a little tired (to put it very lightly) of hearing how "trusted" our profession is. Every year the same survey comes out and every year it seems the posts on this site become more negative and deflated and hopeless about the state of our profession...but yet we should all rejoice because...wait for it....We're the most trusted profession! Come on!
It seems as though every time an opposing viewpoint is made about how many things about this profession need to be changed, without fail, there always seems to be the same predictable responses that scream, "But every profession has this problem" and "You shouldn't complain about how much your job sucks...you should be happy to have a job!"
This profession is broken. We're disrespected, we bust our butts endlessly on the floor trying to save our patients, appease family members and humor management, but somehow at the end of the day we're supposed to feel like valued professionals....please.
I have alot of hope for this profession and I feel that Nursing can be so much more than what it is. However, it is the most disjointed profession I've ever come across. Let's be honest about the state of our profession...that's the only way any change will ever come about.
I don't disagree with you at all, wsuchic1. My point is that it is not the title that is broken. Indeed, the title is the only thing about nursing that still means something. That title is probably the only thing in the profession that does not need changing.
I don't disagree with you at all, wsuchic1. My point is that it is not the title that is broken. Indeed, the title is the only thing about nursing that still means something. That title is probably the only thing in the profession that does not need changing.
our profession deserves an accurate title; we have earned it. regardless of gender, it is time for a change. "nurse" is an archaic, irrelevant and inaccurate label which mocks the modern professional standard we represent.
please elaborate.
we are board-certified clinicians who have endured years of competitive education combined with strenuous clinical training.
passing a board exam and having a few years of education is the current standard to be a registered nurse in the united states. not sure where you are going with this.
the argument that we need to support this title for tradition's sake is weak. this field has come so far and changed so much that what we do would literally be unrecognizable to nurses fifty years ago - nevermind florence nightingale.
so, every time a profession undergoes changes, it should be renamed?
true, nurses are caring figures who share special relationships with the sick, but i was taught much more than that in school and i am responsible for much more than that at work. the sad part is that we are responsible for medical knowledge but our responsibility comes with few rights. we are usually the first providers to see lab results and we "respectfully suggest" drugs and treatments to the physician.
changing the name of our profession is automatically going to grant the ability to order medications and treatments? a type of nurse can do this to some extent. they are known as advanced practice nurses. again, i fail to see where you are going.
in the hospital, we are the first to see changes in a patient's condition, and with acls training, who runs codes?
emt's with less than 1,000 hours of training run codes all day long, not exactly a difficult concept. additionally, many facilities have set protocols that allow a nurse to initiate and run a code until the physician arrives.
do you think florence nightingale knows the algorithm to treat pea or v-fib arrest?
why would she? we are barely able to do much good with our current knowledge of cardiac arrest management.
no, she would probably suggest opening a window.
do you have evidence to support such a statement? remember, flo was one of the first nurses to successfully integrate a rough form of evidence based medicine into nursing practice. a concept we utilise today. in addition, she did it during a time when women did not exactly have much influence on the syntax of society.
so, men and women, alike, deserve a name with absolutely no reference to breastfeeding or trashy Media.
trust me, anything can be the subject of a "trashy Media." if it makes guys horny (and a few gals i would guess), it can be the subject of a Mediao. not that i have personal knowledge of such things, somebody told me that.
this issue may be a joke to you, but many believe it affects their honor; and their salary.
changing the name of a profession will increase the salary?
let's apply your theory to another field:
way back in olden times there was a rather strange guy called isaac. in the 1600s he developed the calculus and many other concepts such as explaining gravity at the level of the "big picture." he published these ideas in a publication known as the principia mathematica. really revolutionary stuff. like flo, isaac literally changed the world.
ok, all well and good. unfortunately, for isaac, some years later, a lowly little swiss patent clerk figured out,"hey newton explained allot of things well, but in special circumstances newtons thinking does not quite explain things." so, that makes ole isaac totally irrelevant in spite of his incredible contributions?
well, too bad for ole albert because some of his concepts could not explain things in highly unusual circumstances. now, we have quantum mechanics explaining the bizarre behavior of matter at the fundamental level and under extraordinary circumstances. clearly, albert's contributions were irrelevant as well?
perhaps we could focus on the real issues of nursing?
Seems to me there are other "professions" that have undergone name changes in order to impart some kind of upgrade or additional pride. Yet it never seems to have that effect.
I believe Florence Nightingale was much more of a nurse than one that would be just "opening a window" And to be honest, I'm a little offended by such a comment. God rest her soul.
I am a Registered Nurse and am very proud to be able to sign RN after my name.
Specializes in Emergency Dept. Trauma. Pediatrics.
I am not a nurse yet, so perhaps I will feel differently when I become one (although I doubt it), but I don't find anything derogatory or demeaning with the title Nurse. I am proud to be a Nursing Student, I wish more people knew what that entailed compared to other professions. But as far as the term Nurse, I don't find any negative connotation with the Title itself. In fact, I have known a lot of people to show a lot of admiration and respect towards the profession. Not all, but a lot that I have encountered.
Another poster talked about title changes and they didn't change much. I agree, I see all these "formal" titles for some professions (telemarketers, customer service workers, fast food employees, janitors) and although I find nothing wrong with these professions, I don't feel the title changes made me regard the profession and work it entailed any different. Again, not saying anything wrong with these types of jobs, I have worked them. Just jobs I can think of that went through title changes.
:dancgrp:
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deToxTech
19 Posts
Then what happens to nurse hammer?