Comments on: News Flash: Clara Barton was a Nurse.

By: Jonathan

Jonathan — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 20:00:00 +0000

I am in a BSN program and only am doing it because there was a long waiting list for the ADN program. I feel like the ADN students probably get a better education because they learn critical thinking and judgment and technical skills. I sit around and write care plans. I don’t get to pass meds during my rotations…I just sit there and watch. I would be scared for my patients when I graduate if I hadn’t spent the last four years working full-time in an ER. I have gotten a better education at work than my silly BSN program has even offered.

By: laugh

laugh — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 20:47:00 +0000

yes but there are also many people who do not have nursing degrees that treat patients with the same lack of care. Its not just one sided, each person has a different way to treat a patient, whether they have a degree or not.

By: Some Random Girl

Some Random Girl — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 17:15:00 +0000

that is so true. just as some RN’s don’t think LVNs are nurses….it’s silly really. Why can’t we all just get along? Why is one better than the other? Can’t we all respect each others decisions to be nurses period? The patient doesn’t care whether or not you have a Phd or an LVN or just a plain ol’ RN from a 2 year program. As long as you are starting that IV with one stick or giving him his pain meds on time, I’d venture to say we all strive for the same thing….great care!

By: Ariel

Ariel — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 16:01:00 +0000

I’m a BSN student and I hope to God that I get to work with LPN’s as a new grad. There are some things you just can’t learn in school- the art of patient interaction, exactly the right way to do that difficult IV stick… I’ll have a BSN but it’ll be years before I can offer the same quality of care. Clara Barton was a real nurse. Kudos.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 12 Jan 2007 22:49:00 +0000

If Clara Barton was not a nurse because she didn’t have a degree, what was Hippocrates?

I agree with those who say the degree doesn’t matter, the character or personality does; the two simply don’t correlate. I’ve had a number of doctoral level teachers over my 25-year nursing career, and frankly, most “basic nurses” wouldn’t put up with what they have to, including 50-60 hour work weeks (often for less than what staff nurses get paid) for anything. Why do they do it? Mostly because they love nursing and teaching nursing, pushing frontiers, etc. They’re doing what they want and love to do, just like the rest of us. Arguing about the level of education doesn’t make any more sense to me than arguing about what specialty is most valuable or most worthy of respect.

I’m going to make an observation: Many of the nurses who say that nurses are a catty lot seem to contribute a lot to the cattiness. Just because you don’t understand what makes doctoral level nurses tick doesn’t mean they’re some kind of nursing subspecies any more than AD, diploma nurses, LPNs, etc.

Another observation: You can’t be a good nurse without caring, but neither can you be one without knowing a lot. All the warm fuzzies in the world don’t keep someone alive or sane, or help them die or be crazy with dignity. Nursing does not need ignorance. The primary drive for further education is based on just that premise. Theory is SUPPOSED to lead to better practice, to help us do our jobs better. Falling in love with theories isn’t any more helpful than falling in love with patients. Each should be appreciated. The one (theory), to help the other (patient/practice).

So, Clara Barton is a nurse. So is Susie Q., RN, AD. So is John S., RN, BSN. So is Elizabeth Kennedy Rothschild Morgan, RN, PhD, EdD, FAAN, C-PNP, etc., etc. (Pretentious, maybe, but still one of us.)

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sun, 07 Jan 2007 03:02:00 +0000

I have worked with some great ADN,Diploma and BSN nurses. In the long run, nurses need to be judged individually. When a patient is sick, he doesn’t much care which nursing theory is being demonstrated. He just wants competent, compassionate care.

By: h1berto

h1berto — Sun, 31 Dec 2006 12:07:00 +0000

The only purpose of education is to create doubts. With doubts we ask and investigate. this is the difference between we and common people. They do like we teach, we do because we know. Theory and practice should hang toghether. Unfortunetly, many times it does’t happen, and i think that’s why nurses are not united.

By: IAPsychRN

IAPsychRN — Sat, 30 Dec 2006 08:13:00 +0000

Clara was a nurse.

I really wish we could get beyond this kind of conversation. If you don't get education, you are limited as a nurse and a person. Education gives you the tools to be a better and more creative nurse.

Enjoyed the conversation.

By: Leslie

Leslie — Sat, 30 Dec 2006 01:03:00 +0000

I’m with Todd on this one. I take issue with anyone who says that says the better nurses are the one’s who have a diploma or are LPN’s etc… I have a BScN and I love nursing. I can assure you my hands are in the thick of things and I love the basic care.

Stop the in fighting about who’s a better nurse. Stick together and take care of your patients with all of the compassion and skills that you have.

Without a doubt Clara Barton was a nurse!!!!!!!!!!!!

By: olwyn perkin

olwyn perkin — Wed, 27 Dec 2006 23:01:00 +0000

Hi, I am a Nurse Practitioner in Manchester in Great Britain, I don’t know if I am relieved or troubled by the fact that over in the USA you fight amongst each other and jeopardise the profession in the same way we do over here. I trained a long time ago In 1975 and have seen so many changes, read each new paper initially with hope and these days with despaire as the powers that be “talk a good job” but don’t provide the resources to do one. In the long run the result of all the in-fighting and disrespect of each other is, its the patients that suffer. In my place of work the nurses who consider themselves above hands on care are known as ‘corporate nurses’. They are the poorer for it if they could but realise.

Olwyn Perkin
Nurse Practitioner
Gastroenterological medicine.