A Profession vs Trade article

It's been mentioned here before and the word "profession" comes up a lot. So, what do you think after reading this? I think the last paragraph says a lot:

Is Nursing a Profession or a Trade? - Nursing Link
well, I do not agree withi the statement that nurses without BSN are rarely advanced. Nursing is a profession. It meets all the criteria outlined in the article. That is why I cannot conceive of a union representing me. We do a lot of harm, IMHO, by reducing nursing to "tasks".

I found it insulting that as a "floor nurse" I am a tradesman, nut my ICU counterparts are the "true" professionals.

Bleh....Who writes these articles? It's written on a 5th grade level with very little insight.

I don't think she's saying anything definite. She's seems to be trying to present both sides of the argument.

It was written by someone with a "passion for teaching the public about what nurses do" or some other such garbage. In one fell swoop, she managed to divide nurses into about 30 different little bits. There's the superprofessional BSN RNs working in the unit. Next to the very unprofessional tradesman RN with an associates working on the floor. But sometimes we lose our professionalism, and even though we used to be a professional working in an ICU, we'll move and have to demean ourselves working on a floor.I've had a run on GI patients lately. But that article was the biggest pile of poop I've seen in a long time.

I don't have a personal stake in this argument, but I have to say I consider the article's ending to be a cop-out. Of course each person, regardless of his or her job, can behave professionally in the commission of that job. Ditch diggers can behave professionally and brain surgeons can behave unprofessionally. However, even if all ditch diggers behave with complete professionalism, that still doesn't make ditch-digging a profession. If you're going to write an opinion piece about whether nursing (either in part or as a whole) is a profession or a trade, I'm not sure using a treacly bromide is a terribly effective substitution for an actual position on the question. Nor (in my opinion) does it seem very fair to the readers who slogged through three pages to read your specific solution to/position on that debate.

The entire article read like an exercise in semantics.

Quote from woohI've had a run on GI patients lately. But that article was the biggest pile of poop I've seen in a long time.

I liked the article because nursing is a very flexible career (which is why I chose it). There are several levels and many different aspects of the job and at any given moment one nurse could be both a white collar and blue collar worker. This is the best career for the ambitious and not so ambitious, the rugged and the polished, the republicans and the democrats, the movers and shakers and the hard worker bees. This career field is undefinable and uncomparable to most other fields. It is the best!!!!!

RNs are being phased out? That sounds a little ridiculous to me.

Quote from diamondmeadowsRNRNs are being phased out? That sounds a little ridiculous to me.

I've always regarded myself as a professional; as the article states, nursing fills the criteria of being recognized as a profession . I think the question is less "is nursing a trade or a profession" than it is "are artisans entitled to be called professionals". In all fairness, they too fulfill the criteria, especially in the light of the constant technical advances being made; they too have to constantly maintain their body of knowledge or fall behind.Frankly, I can't be bothered with the constant debate around the issue of 'professionalism". Nurses provide an essential service and deserve respect on that basis if no other. Anyone disrespects me, I disrespect back; except for patients. One of them disrespects me, I just get totally, clinically professional!