Anonymous wrote:20 years ago nurses were white, today blue collar. Smart women become doctor's and lawyers.

You sound out of touch, and you can't control your rampant apostrophe use. Maybe you're old, or jealous of a nurse in your life for some personal reason? Many docs and lawyers do fine, but I know plenty of JDs who can't get a job, or dropped out of the workforce and can't go back. And plenty of MDs who are drowning in 6 figure debt.

Anonymous wrote:I'm Jewish and it seems Jewish nurses are very rare. Lots of Jewish women are teachers and social workers, but not nurses. I think it has a blue collar "stigma" in our community.

I'm a Jewish nurse with a master's degree. We exist! My family has been very supportive of my career choice.

I work at the bedside, have earned certification in my specialties, and care for patients who require advanced cardiac/pulmonary life support (ventricular-assist devices, ECMO, etc.). I chose nursing over medicine for many reasons (holistic approach to patient care, more lifestyle flexibility, ability to change specialties without obtaining a new degree, less student loan debt). I'm not sure what "collar" you would call me, but when sh!t gets real, the team I work with (MDs, PAs, NPs, and bedside nurses from all educational backgrounds) can save your life.

I'm married to a "pink collar" librarian, FWIW.

20 years ago nurses were white, today blue collar. Smart women become doctor's and lawyers.

They are angels.

It's a field that's growing in prestige and scope, and has become more grounded in research and evidence-based practice. It requires critical thinking and toughness. It's one of the professions I respect the most. I work in health care in provider education and work with MDs, nurses, hospital staff. I would be thrilled if one of my children chose this as a career path. There are so many directions nurses can take their careers, from bedside, to research, to OR, to public health, to health care admin, and for women it can offer priceless flexibility.

Anonymous wrote:Because of the schooling required, I consider it white collar even though it does contain a lot of manual work.

Not all nurses have a 4-year degree. Some have an associate's degree. And a lot of hospitals employ "medical assistants" to do all of the things that nurses used to do. The medical assistants aren't required to have any degree.

I think of nursing the same way I think of the trades (electricians, plumbers, et cetera). It's skilled labor that requires training but not necessarily a traditional 4-year degree.

Anonymous wrote:Doctors= white collar

For some odd reason

Nurse = blue collar that's why they're always lumped in with police officers & firefighters.

They aren't really "lumped in" with those professions anymore.

Anonymous wrote:http://allnurses-breakroom.com/general-off-topic/have-any-of-8905.html

Seems like they're married in good numbers to policemen and firemen, technicians and low prestige business/management jobs like "lumber broker" and restaurant managers.

Most of the nurses I know married men that make less than them. Not sure why?

Anonymous wrote:I'm a 2nd career RN getting BSN (BA in a different subject). This is what I've told my DH is the problem with nursing. The lack of respect. The nurses I've met are some of the most driven, hard working, well read (yes!) people I know. Many go on to teach or become NPs. some simply LOVE the bedside. Instead of wondering which collar they are, pray that the ones who love bedside are caring for you. I myself do not like bedside and hope to venture to education/mgmt. but truly they are scary smart. Fools don't pass the Boards.

Fools don't live through nursing school. My nursing class was 100% Hermione Granger types -- smart, hard working, a little neurotic about grades, tough, and brave.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:RNs are to physicians what lab technicians are to scientists.

+2

Doctors are nothing without nurses.

And nurses aren't much without doctors. We need both.

Medicine and nursing are related but separate disciplines. Nurses are trained differently than doctors. Nursing is a blend of social work, psych, medicine, and nutrition. They have a different scope of practice. Doctors diagnose and prescribe. Nurses treat and case manage. Doctors are specific and specialized. Nurses are generalized and holistic.

If you want to know what you have and what to take/do, see the doctor. If you want to know how to handle living with your illness, ask the nurse.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Blue collar, just like doctors. Very respected, though.

In what world are doctors blue collar workers? Are you nuts?

DP. If doctors are white collar, then so are nurses.

Right. And if the oil magnates are White collar then so are the roughnecks.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ah, DCUM and it's love of ranking and status. Stay classy, DC.

+1

+1! Give me a break!!

Anonymous wrote:My circle of friends find that firefighters and police officers seem to marry teachers and nurses. I'm an rn, dh is an officer. BFF is a teacher, her dh is a ff. We know lots of couples like this

Nurse/cop marriages make sense. They're both attractive jobs to the upwardly mobile from working class backgrounds.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd say the lab technician and the nurse is pretty comparable. Many are not college graduates but an increasing number are. And both have a professional type skill but are subordinate to the "higher" professional.

That is a very antiquated view of nurses. The field has and is changing, thankfully for the better in terms of more respect for the work nurses do.

Lab technicians aren't respected?

Anonymous wrote:Ah, DCUM and it's love of ranking and status. Stay classy, DC.

+1