It’s not enough for young black women to admire Serena.

[IIOY]

Sept 7, 2015 9:42:27 GMT -5 1234FIF! said:

Even in an era of increasing gender equity, there are young women with unlimited potential who will still set their sights on becoming nurses — a noble profession in its own right — instead of taking the necessary risk to go for their true goal of becoming doctors. Others, talented poets and playwrights, feel compelled to take the “safe” career path to a government job or teaching position. There’s nothing wrong with the jobs they’ve chosen (hey, I’m a teacher), but there are already enough real societal challenges facing black women — in health outcomes, educational and employment opportunities — that it’s devastating when dreams are curtailed because of perceived limitations.
.

Wow.

[IIOY]

I think there are many reasons someone may choose to be a nurse or a teacher, and not all of them are pity-worthy or indicate curtailed dreams. I get her larger point but I am not a fan of how she has expressed herself.

Edited to correct sex.

[Deleted]

Some people, both men and women, are fine with being average and are fine with not living up to their full potential. There is nothing wrong or sad about it as long as it's their choice.

[sfy]

pennypenny, that applies to them, too, though. They're still holding that shit with the line judge against her and it happened over five years ago! It came up over and over in the comments attached to this article. She was wrong, but otherwise, she has always been so gracious, yet I see this will damn near be on her tombstone. Anyone else can have a bad day, be young, be tired, just plain make a mistake. But black women? ABW rep forever + 3 days.

Something about this article annoys me, but I'm not sure what, exactly. I need to think about it. The idea that people who decide to be nurses rather than doctors don't have high enough expectations is certainly a large part of it.

[sfy]

Sept 7, 2015 12:23:06 GMT -5 pennypenny said:

Sept 7, 2015 12:15:45 GMT -5 sfy said:

pennypenny, that applies to them, too, though. They're still holding that shit with the line judge against her and it happened over five years ago! It came up over and over in the comments attached to this article. She was wrong, but otherwise, she has always been so gracious, yet I see this will damn near be on her tombstone. Anyone else can have a bad day, be young, be tired, just plain make a mistake. But black women? ABW rep forever + 3 days.

Something about this article annoys me, but I'm not sure what, exactly. I need to think about it. The idea that people who decide to be nurses rather than doctors don't have high enough expectations is certainly a large part of it.

But it doesn't affect her career or her ability to be in tournaments and make money. I agree that people hold them in a different light than everyone else, but they still get paid, get endorsements, etc. Being perceived as an ABW in other professions can be a progression ender.

Oh, of course. I didn't mean for anyone to infer the consequences would be the same--but are they ever for celebrities and/or the 1%? I just mean that there is a standard for BW and even they are not immune to it. Cause, not effect.

[turboteal]

At first reading, I somehow completely skipped that line about nurses. So my reaction was wow, she is really admirable, and really gracious in her response to that question about Maria's pay being more than hers. I probably would have made a snarky comment about how the wage gap is real, just imagine how much she would be making if she were Native American. But kudos to her!

Then I saw the first comment and did a double take to re-read that part about nurses.

First of all, way to offend a massive demographic (nurses) while simultaneously reinforcing stereotypes about them and their career. Impressive.

Second, that argument is just bad, and shows the author's ignorance on the issue. I'm guessing she doesn't know that nurses can get doctoral degrees? As in a PhD, or an actual Doctor of Nursing Practice, which is supposed to have parity with a doctor of other health care areas (psych, medicine, etc). Not to mention the other types of nurse you could be, like a certified nurse midwife, a clinical nurse specialist, a nurse practitioner, or a chief nursing officer? There are many ways to fulfill your potential, and you can be an under- or over-achiever in any type of work, including as a doctor.

I chose nursing not because I didn't think I could hack it as a doctor, but because I was going to come out of college with student loans, and didn't want to quintuple them by going to med school. I also wanted to spend more time at the patient bedside, actually doing hands on work with my patients for the majority of my time, than rushing through appointments and dealing with paperwork/insurance. And yet I do more than "just" nursing care, I work on the Quality and Practice Committee for my hospital, addressing problems like preventing infections, falls, pressure ulcers, and adverse obstetric events. I attend and help plan nursing conferences and seek out evidence based practice and research to improve my practice, and that of the entire profession.

Anecdote: a girl I went to nursing school with (we graduated 6 years ago) is now a CNM, and regularly travels to Haiti to work in a clinic there for months at a time. It is usually her and 1-2 other nurses at this rural clinic in the mountains, by themselves, with maybe some local helpers who do not have formal medical training. She delivers patients, sometimes very sick patients (malnourished, ecclamptic, and more), and manages all their care, as well as that of their babies, including very premature babies who need oxygen and IV medication/fluids and NG/OG tubes for nutrition. They also care for young kids brought in with cholera, severe malnutrition, you name it. She blogs about it and it is amazing. I'm pretty sure she is fulfilling her highest aspirations.

Some people may be steered toward nursing instead of their true desire to be a doctor, and that's a shame. But a lot of people may actually know what they're doing and what they want, and we (society/other women) shouldn't perpetuate the idea that nursing isn't as good of a choice. That could cost us a lot of really good nurses! OK, off my soapbox now.

I'm not much of a tennis follower, but I will probably pay more attention now to news about Serena! I do think she is overlooked as a sports role model, certainly when you consider her accomplishments.

[bronxgirl]

Sept 7, 2015 14:50:47 GMT -5 turboteal said:

At first reading, I somehow completely skipped that line about nurses. So my reaction was wow, she is really admirable, and really gracious in her response to that question about Maria's pay being more than hers. I probably would have made a snarky comment about how the wage gap is real, just imagine how much she would be making if she were Native American. But kudos to her!

Then I saw the first comment and did a double take to re-read that part about nurses.

First of all, way to offend a massive demographic (nurses) while simultaneously reinforcing stereotypes about them and their career. Impressive.

Second, that argument is just bad, and shows the author's ignorance on the issue. I'm guessing she doesn't know that nurses can get doctoral degrees? As in a PhD, or an actual Doctor of Nursing Practice, which is supposed to have parity with a doctor of other health care areas (psych, medicine, etc). Not to mention the other types of nurse you could be, like a certified nurse midwife, a clinical nurse specialist, a nurse practitioner, or a chief nursing officer? There are many ways to fulfill your potential, and you can be an under- or over-achiever in any type of work, including as a doctor.

I chose nursing not because I didn't think I could hack it as a doctor, but because I was going to come out of college with student loans, and didn't want to quintuple them by going to med school. I also wanted to spend more time at the patient bedside, actually doing hands on work with my patients for the majority of my time, than rushing through appointments and dealing with paperwork/insurance. And yet I do more than "just" nursing care, I work on the Quality and Practice Committee for my hospital, addressing problems like preventing infections, falls, pressure ulcers, and adverse obstetric events. I attend and help plan nursing conferences and seek out evidence based practice and research to improve my practice, and that of the entire profession.

Anecdote: a girl I went to nursing school with (we graduated 6 years ago) is now a CNM, and regularly travels to Haiti to work in a clinic there for months at a time. It is usually her and 1-2 other nurses at this rural clinic in the mountains, by themselves, with maybe some local helpers who do not have formal medical training. She delivers patients, sometimes very sick patients (malnourished, ecclamptic, and more), and manages all their care, as well as that of their babies, including very premature babies who need oxygen and IV medication/fluids and NG/OG tubes for nutrition. They also care for young kids brought in with cholera, severe malnutrition, you name it. She blogs about it and it is amazing. I'm pretty sure she is fulfilling her highest aspirations.

Some people may be steered toward nursing instead of their true desire to be a doctor, and that's a shame. But a lot of people may actually know what they're doing and what they want, and we (society/other women) shouldn't perpetuate the idea that nursing isn't as good of a choice. That could cost us a lot of really good nurses! OK, off my soapbox now.

I'm not much of a tennis follower, but I will probably pay more attention now to news about Serena! I do think she is overlooked as a sports role model, certainly when you consider her accomplishments.

:Y:  It's amazing to me how little knowledge so many people have about the breadth and scope of the nursing profession.