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ViewsWhy Nurses Deserve More Respect than Doctors
Many people today still regard nurses as “the assistant to the doctor,” but we all know that’s not the case. Nurses are not the hospital’s little helpers. Some think nurses only exist to support doctors in saving lives, without actually knowing what nurses do on a daily basis and without the constant supervision of doctors or other “more qualified” personnel.
What’s to blame for this common misconception? The hospital’s hierarchy, usually headed by male doctors at top and their female “nurse assistants” at the bottom of the ladder. The belief of this hierarchy only gets in the way of proper patient care.
According to sociologist Anne V. Bell, who addressed attendees at Rosalind Franklin University’s second annual symposium on the gender divide in health care profession, emerging studies observed the “flattening the hierarchy” in hopes of improving patient care as women make their way into traditionally male roles. Despite the progress already made, women still need a significant place in the profession. This issue was shown in full when, recently, a Florida anesthesiologist with connections to an important medical school posted demeaning comments about nurse practitioners.
Dr. David Glener, said on social media that “nurse practitioners are not, I repeat, not physicians. They lack the education, IQ and clinical experience. There is no depth of understanding. They are useful but only as minions.” This derogatory comment towards nurses around the world was posted by the doctor on Doximity, a popular social network for medical personnel. The comment was reposted to Twitter, where people reacted swiftly. However, this incident called for both doctors and nurses to unite and create a better work environment to improve their overall care.
Keep in mind, this issue doesn’t just exist between nurses and doctors. Male nurses who are trying make a career for themselves in a female dominated industry go through similar issues. Even if they’re experienced and well-prepared, male nurses are consistently questioned by other nurses who have been in the field for a longer time.
Still, Dr. Glener’s comments, which were followed shortly by other derogatory comments from Dr. Wendell Perry, an emergency physician, speak of a much larger issue present in the workplace of many medical and healthcare professionals, which is connected to both the gender and hierarchy of employees.
However, the timing of the Glener rant couldn’t have been better. As policymakers are hard at work trying to create better work conditions for every nurse. These comments only serve as a good reminder of the ethical obligations that everyone, from the highest specialized physicians to the lowest sanitation workers, have towards both the patients and amongst themselves. Those who work in a health center, regardless of public or private, are expected to build collegial relationships with each other, and with all other healthcare professionals.
The American Medical Association is very clear in its statement regarding inter-professional relationships. These views are even stated in the association’s code of ethics, where they are described as part of a “common commitment to patient well-being” which “should be based on mutual respect and trust.”
Personal relationships and fraternity in the workplace aside, nurses are much more than just doctor assistants.
Just like doctors, nurses work long shifts, sometimes more than their higher-ups to make sure that each and every patient receives the care that they require. According to the University Of Pennsylvania School Of Nursing, 65% of nurses work 12 to 13 hour shifts several times a week. Many of these nurses say that these shifts frequently end up extending to 14 hours each if the situation demands (which it always does).
Besides the long shifts, nurses tend to more patients than doctors, and they are charged with administering treatment and performing follow-ups on those who are hospitalized. According to a 2013 study, they found that doctors see around 13 patients per day, on average. Meanwhile, a 2012 study found that nurses can see around 15 patients on a standard shift, which is not that much higher. However, considering that these shifts tend to extend regularly, the difference can really add up with time. The results from this study contrast with another, which states that a nurse can examine up to 3 patients per hour, which adds up to around 36 patients on a standard 12-hour shift.
With all the responsibilities they have on their hands, nurses are much more than assistants; they are fundamental personnel in any hospital. They are a cornerstone in every medical facility.
That’s how important they are.
4 comments on Why Nurses Deserve More Respect than Doctors
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Why Nurses Deserve More Respect than Doctors
By nurseadvisorofficial
Many people today still regard nurses as “the assistant to the doctor,” but we all know that’s not really the case. Here’s why nurses need more respect, and why they should be considered more than the “assistant”.
Both my husband and my business partner have been patients during the last two months. I hope I don’t have to be a patient there anytime soon, as I am sure certain people will remember me – probably not too favorably. Is it okay for a nurse to be so hard headed that after trying IV heparin, so you could see every bruise that was left. I was disappointed in how nurses had to be reminded several times that although my husband was being treated as a septic pt, he had been readmitted 24 hours after discharge as a cardiac pt. A gain of 22 pounds in less than 3 days was not addressed until I, one of our sons, and my sister-in-law who is another RN raised hell about it. We noticed it first through his mid-section and then his legs that didn’t look like his, and were dense and heavy. Every nurse that came in had to be reminded that yes, he may be uroseptic, but he is also a cardiac pt having had 2 stents placed on either side of an aneurysm 7 days ago. Then, when my business partner was admitted with a stroke, some hospitalist (do not get me going on them!) decided that she should be discharged to a SNF vs. an Acute Stroke Rehab because, after 4 days of test after test, she was so exhausted and nauseated, she just wanted to sleep. Fortunately, her husband had visited both sites and had told the discharge planner where he wanted her placed. He literally barred the door and said “I am her husband and I do not authorize this transfer.” Of course, he was threatened with having to pay for the extra days, Memorial Day weekend. This gave her the extra days to heal a bit, be able to keep some liquids down (they had removed her IV while she was still vomiting everything that went her mouth), and was able to walk several steps -with assistance by Tuesday. They were still going to send her to the SNF until the Acute Rehab called and asked if she was coming or not, and where was the paperwork. One of the discharge coordinators stated they had a hard time sending patients there. Why? They never sent papers to the right hospital, that’s why.
While I agree with the premise of your argument and respect the place nurses have in the practice of healthcare, I disagree with your title that nurses deserve “more” respect than doctors. That is extremely offensive to doctors who have sacrificed years of their personal lives to study. Yes NPs and nurses have their place but I think it is also important to recognize that doctors contribute a unique expertise to healthcare that cannot be replicated by someone who has not dedicated endless hours of studying. If an NP claims to have the same knowledge and skill set as a doctor, that is entirely unfair to the doctor. Rather they should go to medical school if they desire the same knowledge and status. This, while I agree that the medical hierarchy is a broken system, I don’t think it’s totally fair to say that nurses deserve more respect than doctors since they each have their own struggles and battles. While the nurse is well equipped to provide excellent practical care and expertise, the doctor has spent years laboring over medical book knowledge that should be respected in its own right and not downplayed as less important.
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Imagine having to pay thousands of dollars and studying for 10 years to read this nonsense about someone who is oh-so-overworked over a job that you can learn in 3 years or less.
No, nurses are not better than doctors. Nurses are nurses. They have a different job and yes, that job is an ASSISTING one, unless a nurse can suddenly perform surgery and take responsibility for diagnosis and treatments.
Dear nurses, you work more hours because you chose a job with less responsibility and less skills. The system is not ideal, I agree, and needs change, but you will not achieve change by shitting all over doctors who are the reasons why you have a modern place of work in the first place.
Wanna make more money, work less hours but carry the LEGAL responsibility of your patient’s life? Go study medicine. Take a loan you will need years to pay off. Can’t do it? Biology or math skills too poor to make the cut? Oh well.
Everyone in the lower half of a food chain feels this way, not just in medicine. A secretary will never make more money that her manager. A labour worker will never make more money than the product designer. It’s not injustice, it’s the result of choices and work you are ready to invest in your skills.