←back to thread

The hit film about overworked nurses that's causing alarm across Europe

(www.theguardian.com)
128 points mykowebhn | 8 comments | 29 Jul 25 15:53 UTC | HN request time: 0s | source | bottom
Show context
constantcrying ◴[29 Jul 25 16:12 UTC] No.44725147[source]▶
Much of the west is getting older and getting sicker. How unsurprising.

What even is the solution? Expand the already massive healthcare sector further? Where does the money for that come from?

replies(10): >>44725276 #>>44725292 #>>44725310 #>>44725317 #>>44725412 #>>44725448 #>>44725486 #>>44725495 #>>44725882 #>>44728716 #
FigurativeVoid ◴[29 Jul 25 16:38 UTC] No.44725495[source]▶
I have thought that we should make entering the medical professions much easier. In order to become a nurse, you usually need a 4 year degree. This has two issues:

1. This is way to much time in the classroom. Much of that coursework simply isn't necessary.

2. You have people that would be good nurses piking other programs because they can't get passing marks in classes that are irrelevant to day to day nursing.

Binding what are essentially professional programs to the academy is a mistake. Don't get me wrong, I love the academy. But we need nurses.

replies(5): >>44725553 #>>44725618 #>>44725641 #>>44725705 #>>44725759 #
1. evoloution ◴[29 Jul 25 16:56 UTC] No.44725705[source]▶
So are you hoping to be treated by nurses who are worse academically than the ones we have now? Or are you hoping that "others" will be treated by them while increased supply depresses wages for the good ones that you think will treat you? Also being a nurse is a very hard job, most people wouldn't last a year as an ER nurse in the US.
replies(3): >>44725821 #>>44725916 #>>44726127 #
2. kjkjadksj ◴[29 Jul 25 17:06 UTC] No.44725821[source]▶
We make them take classes like organic chemistry where they have to memorize the reaction of various metal catalysts. Calculus. Physics. These are all two semester classes that are considered hard in undergrad. And yet the nurse will never ever use what they learn in these classes outside them. They aren’t the ones synthesizing the drugs.
replies(1): >>44727953 #
3. ◴[29 Jul 25 17:14 UTC] No.44725916[source]▶
4. s1artibartfast ◴[29 Jul 25 17:32 UTC] No.44726127[source]▶
how much worse were nurses when it was a 2 years occupational program or associates degree?
replies(1): >>44727981 #
5. nradov ◴[29 Jul 25 20:34 UTC] No.44727953[source]▶
That's misinformation. Most BSN programs don't include those course requirements.

https://www.sjsu.edu/nursing/programs/bsn.php

replies(1): >>44737967 #
6. nradov ◴[29 Jul 25 20:37 UTC] No.44727981[source]▶
Huh? There have been multiple levels of nursing for many decades, probably longer than you've been alive. At the lowest level a CNA or LPN doesn't even need an Associate's Degree.

https://www.usa.edu/blog/levels-of-nursing-explained/

replies(1): >>44729851 #
7. s1artibartfast ◴[30 Jul 25 00:36 UTC] No.44729851{3}[source]▶
Have you looked at proportions over time?

In the 1980s 55% of registered nurses were working with diploma. It is down to 6% today. Bachelors or greater was 27% and is now over 70% today.

As your link points out, many states are continually raising the bar and many have already moved to a BSN minimum.

I'm probably dating myself, but there was a time when people started working occupational nursing programs while in high school and were licensed a few years later.

https://nap.nationalacademies.org/read/12956/chapter/9#186

8. kjkjadksj ◴[30 Jul 25 18:39 UTC] No.44737967{3}[source]▶
Some jobs that are basically nurse will go through standard biology major sequence (usually if there isn’t a more focus prehealth major offered). Physicians assistant is an example. PA school happens after undergrad. A lot of people going to med school end ul taking standard biology majors. Arguably they should have been able to drop all those undergrad prerequisites and spend more time getting clinical hours vs toiling on ochem. As a crude input filter, medical schools often expect you to volunteer for these hours shadowing workers in the medical system even though you have to find the time yourself on top of a full major load that doesn’t account for these extracurricular expectations.