I just learned that nursing schools are extremely though to get into in the US, and nurses receive a lengthy education and training and make six figures, and considered almost like half doctors.(ok maybe quarter doctors)
In contrast with Germany for example where it’s seen as a lower middle class occupation and attained via occupational training, and is usually done by women(and men) from less well off backgrounds, and the job itself is a lot less comprehensive than the US, mainly just being a doctor’s assistant.
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Demanding yes, respected… depends on who you ask i guess, nurses do not get nearly as much respect as doctors in general. However personally I think nurses kick ass.
Demanding, very. Mostly very respected, but a very loud minority of unruly assholes has taken their “Karen” behaviors not just to Starbucks, but to the hospital too.
[There are different levels of nursing](https://www.nursingworld.org/practice-policy/workforce/what-is-nursing/types-of-nurses/) in the US, with increasing levels of education required. Sometimes a Certified Nurse Assistant would be referred to colloquially as a nurse, but they don’t have the education, responsibility, or pay of a DNP.
I don’t know how it is in Germany but the word “nurse” covers a lot of ground in the United States.
The amount of education, pay, prestige, and responsibility will vary an awful lot depending on what kind of nurse you are. A Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) only requires a couple of months of education and is a lower middle class if not outright low class job. On the other end of the spectrum is someone like a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) which requires a four year bachelor’s degree then 3 or 4 years of post-graduate study. Depending on the location, they can make about $150,000 a year. There are even specialists who can make upwards of $200,000.
So, to answer your question, it depends.
In this country if you work in a profession that doesn’t directly make a company money it’s not as respected
There are many different types of nurses. Some get a lot more pay than others.
Just like teachers, nurses deserve a lot more respect than they tend to actually get.
They are definitely more than just a doctor’s assistants here. My primary care physician is technically a nurse (a nurse practitioner). I like her a lot.
And even when I have seen specialists, sometimes my care has been primarily delegated to nurse practitioners. (And I’ve liked them, too).
Even when they are not nurse practitioners, nurses do a lot here. Doctors make too much money/their time is too valuable for them to spend more than five minutes with you, it seems. Nurses do pretty much everything.
Demanding, yes. Respected, probably yes by most people. Definitely more so than what you’re describing in Germany. Nurses are generally seen as legitimate and well-trained medical professionals.
At least in Indiana, there are three types of nurses.
**L**icensed **P**racticing **N**urse is something you can go to community college for and within a year or two you’re in a job. In a typical doctors office visit, they sometimes are the first patient contact. Take a brief history, take your vitals, go over your concerns that you want to address with the doctor, etc… This is probably more of the lower-middle-class occupation you’re talking about.
**R**egistered **N**urse is what you typically see in most hospitals. They can do a lot more than the LPNs, and its kind of why the LPNs are no longer seen as needed as much nowadays. This is more middle class, though you can make some serious money in certain sectors. There’s a lot of labor shortages post-COVID and a lot leaving the profession. Shits complicated.
Then there’s Nurse Practitioner, who have even more authority and automony. This is more middle-upper income.
Nursing schools aren’t (generally) tough to get into. You can go to a community college, which accepts basically everyone, and become a nurse.
You can become an RN in 2 years at one of our community colleges. You can go on for a 4 year degree as well.
You can also be an LPN which is only 1 year.
Nurses make a lot of money. Here in Massachusetts 2 years of nursing school makes more than 6 years to become a teacher.
As most have mentioned… huge variation in schooling requirements. Some can require almost as many years of schooling as a doctor. The median wage is $81,000 a year and the mean is $89,000, meaning some nurse pull the average up. They are pretty demanding jobs and many had a very tough time during COVID. They are also very in demand jobs.
https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes291141.htm
Everybody I know respects nurse, from the candy stripers up to the nurse practitioners. Nurses have a tough job and deserve respect.
Yes, they are very in demand. Nurses can be crazily overpaid right now. I’m not sure if it’s still the case, but during COVID, you could make more as a travel nurse than some doctors. It’s nuts.
As far as being respected, yes. To an extent. Nursing is kind of like peak blue collar work. You can find nurses from some very working-class areas where a college-based career path isn’t likely. Quality of education in nursing is also all over the place. For example, the rate of medical professionals being vaccinated for COVID increased with education. IIRC, MDs were virtually 100% vaccinated, PAs were slightly less, NPs were less than that, and nurses were at something like 50%. I think the best nurses are the ones that know their role and don’t try to play doctor.
With that said, I wouldn’t discourage my kids from going into nursing if they think that may be their passion. There is certainly nothing wrong with that career and I know some great nurses.
It’s demanding and units can be cliquey. Unit managers can be assholes about being short staff yet dont see to hire 1 or 2 more nurses to fill those gaps. In SC BSN RNs are paid well compared to most jobs in the area. At least in Columbia.
I would group nurses into tiers. 1 being best. 3 being needs work.
1. Nurses who have a BSN with RN certification. These nurses because of having the extra two years in school, in a traditional collegiate setting will usually be more adaptable to change, and abstract thought. Usually an interest in academia.
2. Nurses who work their butt off and do a good job. They are not bad, this group would be a mix of BSN RN and two year degree RN nurses and techs/lpns that do well. Basically those who want their check and do the jobm
3. Nurses that see themselves as genuine heroes that feel the need to comment on every issue. Ppl like asking them questions because they’ll answer but they don’t know what they don’t know. And aren’t willing to really stop talking. These are the nurses that will put things like “im a nurse” on their car. But this is because nursing degrees have varying entry levels. Certs, two year degrees, 4 yr, and then post graduate. These are a healthy mix of all levels of nurses.
A neighbor is a Nurse Anesthetist, which i believe is also a Masters past BSN. She works at a Level 1 trauma hospital. Pulls $170k easily. She’s also a LT Col in the ANG, and did multiple deployments to Iraq. She does not take any guff to say the least.
Very demanding. I’ve never heard a nurse say they were getting the respect they deserved, though.
“Nurse” is one of the really confusing words to translate across countries. There are a whollllllleeee bunch of different allied health and health support roles that could all technically be a nurse, depending on the given country’s vocabulary and standards. I’ve seen this confusion a lot over the years because my BFFs mom runs a votech nursing program. Those programs are just a few months each and they don’t pay a lot or carry any prestige at all. A lot of high schoolers complete the program before they even graduate, for example. These jobs do things like home health, nursing assistance at a nursing home, check people in at the doctors office, etc. From there you could build up to something like a surgical tech, maybe you keep going to become an LPN or something. These are basically technical/community college/associate degrees. Then you have people who go to university for a 4-year degree and then complete training. These jobs work in hospitals, rehab facilities, schools, etc. Sometimes they supervise the lower-level nurses or providers I previously mentioned, and some even have a clinical license that allows them to prescribe some meds or treatments. These can pay mid-to-high depending on their schooling, specialty, etc. Most of my nursing friends stopped here. They make very comfortable livings, especially if they’re able to work extra shifts, pick up work at a cosmetic dermatologist office, etc. You can also continue with a masters or even a doctorate degree, and that allows you to specialize in some REALLY cool stuff! I have a family friend who is now some sort of fancy robot nurse!! And my partners niece will soon be a specialist in a very specific type of neonatal intensive care support. Both of them needed a doctorate for this and they are going to out earn everyone else in the family once their training is complete. There also a lot of nurse practioners and clinical pysch nurses where I live. A lot of people prefer them over MDs for the simpler stuff because they tend to notice the entire sick body and not just the specific symptom. An NP is actually who diagnosed me after almost 8 years of MD misdiagnosis.
Nursing is a very demanding job and it is rather respected as well. In addition, there are a constant shortage of nurses so it remains a very popular career. Nurses do make a good salary but not all of them are at the six figure level. You have to understand that there are many different vocations of nursing and many different specialties. A Nurse Practitioner for example is an equivalent to a Physician’s Assistant and does make a high salary. An ER nurse on the other hand might not make anywhere close to that. Nursing is an umbrella term for many similar roles.
Both. Especially RNs and Nurse Practitioners make good money here in Southern California. But they have a rough work schedules work/life balance. All my wife’s friends are nurses. I’m glad she went into teaching because it’s way less demanding and tons of time off.
Scope of practice of an RN is very different between Germany and the US. The German krankenschwester is similar to our CNAs here (certified nursing assistants), so it’s really difficult to compare a “registered nurse” in the US to a krankenschwester in Germany since they are really not the same. RNs in the states have more autonomy and are more skilled/specialized.
Nurses are the backbone of the healthcare industry in the way enlisted ranks are the backbone of the military. Doctors (officers) make most decisions, but a senior nurse, like a senior NCO, has a *lot* more experience (and often expertise) than a junior doctor and they’re paid accordingly.
Doctors are a little thinner on the ground as a percentage of the healthcare industry in the States, possibly because medical training requirements are more expansive (and expensive) than in most other countries, so that may be part of why nurses have a more prominent role.
Demanding? Yes. Respected? Not by the actions of the population, IMO.
It’s seen as a good, respectable career. It isn’t considered anywhere near an elite career like doctors, though. Nurses can make good money, but they really have to work for it.
Hi, I worked in both the UK and US. Definitely nurses are more respected here. The education is also more intensive, the pay soooo much better. I bet US nurses wouldn’t believe what shit goes down in the NHS.
Time is the most valuable thing of all in a heavily capitalistic society, so nurses doctors and the like; all end up being reasonably well paid, depending of course on the scope of their responsibilities.
RNs and NPs are usually pretty well respected. They all have college degrees, and make at least middle class incomes, frequently in the 6 figure range
LPNs have a diploma, and generally less responsibility and respect. Many are working toward higher degrees, but plenty aren’t. They’re unlikely to be making high wages, and are generally working class. $50,000 is a typical annual income for an LPN working full time
CNAs and CMAs (nursing assistants) are not nurses, but sound similar to what you describe in Germany. They are frequently from poorer or working class backgrounds, or just starting their education and careers in healthcare. They make between $15-20 an hour, and frequently get dumped on