Master Degree Nursing, Nursing As A "profession"

Q: Do you think we would be getting screwed around if we were a male dominated profession? No, I don't think so. Doctors, lawyers, (male dominated), really don't have the same problems at all as this "profession", ran by a bunch of post-menopausal women. Sorry, but that is the truth as I see it. If nursing was male dominated, it would have a national registry, minimum pay of $40.00, etc. Just my opinion, think of it what you will.

A:I take exception to nursing being dominated by post menopausal women, as I have not reached that point...but I do know there are studies that indicate that male RN's make more money , even starting, then female RN's....I am sure you have a point, thought not for the reasons you indicate. There is no doubt that salaries have improved with the increase in male nurses. I think that as more men decide on nursing as a viable career that we will no longer be treated as the "doctors handmaidens". The catch 22 here is that it's hard to attract more men while we are so mistreatd and so change is going to be slow in coming. Like most mysogynists, you are asking the wrong question. Our failure has little to do with 'female domination', much to do with our failure to show professionalism. There are many 'male dominated' modes of work which are worse paid than nursing. And so long as we have people talking rubbish like you, we're doomed to be treated like idiots. I am afraid that I have to agree with you, to an extent. From what I've seen, tho, there are changes coming. A lot of these "post menopausal women" of which you speak are real hard chargers. Just within my own little hospital micro-cosm, I have seen some nurses go toe-to-toe with administration due to the fact that the bosses lose site of where the true care takes place. Right now, in my ICU, I work with some tough old broads (term used with affection, used in front of them even) who let these doctors know that as far as professionalism goes, we are right up there with them. Are we on the same level of "professionalism" as other so called professions? Probably not. Why? Because of the fact that no one has recognized the inherent importance of a nurse. Who's changing this? Probably those post-menopausal women.

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