10 Common Myths About Nursing Profession

Nurses are integral members of a health care team. If you’ve ever come across any of the myths below, or even if you’ve perpetrated them, know that the truth is a lot more interesting than the fictions.

1. Nurses are like a doctor’s assistant.

Healthcare is a team-oriented industry. While nurses may certainly lend physicians a hand from time-to-time, the majority of a nurse’s time is spent working independently taking care of patients. It’s a common myth that physicians are the nurses boss. Nurses typically answer to other nurses who are higher up in leadership positions.

2. If I get my RN, I’m stuck doing the same job forever.

With over 100 specialties and numerous advanced degree options, nurses have the ability to create their own career path and change their jobs quite often. Nurses can obtain certifications to move to different specialties or earn advanced degrees to move up into leadership positions. AmeriTech College offers a fully online Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing completion program for nurses wanting to move into leadership positions. A number of outstanding masters and PhD programs available for nurses as well.

3. Nursing is a woman’s job.

We can’t bust this myth enough! What draws people to the nursing profession is the desire to interact with people and impact patients’ lives on a daily basis. This aspiration is not unique to women; it’s universal. Over 6% of nurses are men – and this number is on the rise! Men have always played a critical role in the nursing profession, dating back to the first nursing school in 250 BC.

4. Nurses are all the same.

Even patients in hospitals are rarely aware of what nurses do. They see people in scrubs walk in and out, but that’s about it. It’s easy to start thinking that all nurses have the same duties, training, goals, and career paths. But think for a second about the fact that you see nurses in all parts of the hospital, no matter what department or specialty you’re visiting. 

5. Nurses don’t get paid well.

The federal government reports that median income for RNs in 2008 was $62,450, with earnings ranging from $43,000 to $92,000. That’s nothing to sneeze at, considering that some studies show that anyone earning more than $70k a year has already hit peak happiness in terms of salary.

6. Nursing is a dead-end job.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics pegs nursing as a hot field, with prospects for RNs listed as "excellent." Why? Well, baby boomers are getting old, and we’re also living longer in general, which means there’s going to be a glut of Americans putting a strain on the health care system.

7. Being a nurse is easy. Anyone can do it.

Being a nurse is more than just putting on scrubs and showing up for work. Read our recent blog, 5 Signs You Have the Makings of a Great Nurse. We often say to our prospective students, the skills of a nurse can be taught – the heart cannot. 

8. I won’t make any money as a nurse.

Recent nursing grads earn some of the highest starting salaries compared to recent graduates in other industries 

9. Nurses are people who couldn’t hack it in med school.

One of the ugliest myths out there. It’s not unique in assigning a weakness to a particular medical job that’s misunderstood; dentists deal with the same stuff. 

10. Being a nurse isn’t as challenging as being a doctor.

Are you serious? Being a nurse requires education, critical thinking skills, and serious amounts of medical training. Nurses perform research, participate in surgeries, administer medicine and treatments, and act as the glue that keeps the hospital running.