Why not nursing?

[MorningGlory]

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So I've got an interview coming up soon that I've been preparing for and can't seem to figure out a tactful way of answering this question without insulting the nursing industry. Is it wrong to say that I want to have more initiative in my job and not be subject to the daily grind of checking on IVs, cleaning up after patients, etc? I know nursing is more than that and they have more responsibilities.. even taking on patients themselves when there aren't enough doctors... they even probably get more patient contact and a better relationship with their patients than doctors do.. but I can't help but feel that trying to be a nurse rather than a doctor would be somewhat of a step down. How would you answer this question?

 

[PineappleGirl]

You could say you want to pursue medicine instead of nursing because you find medicine to be more intellectually challenging. A degree in medicine offers opportunities to perform research, while a degree in nursing does not.
That's fairly polite, n'est-ce pas?


Although the latter point perhaps won't work to well if you're not interested in research and have no research experience.

 

[AStudent]

Don't say "daily grind."

Say you prefer the autonomy and freedom of treatment that being a physician entails. (nice cookie cutter answer)

 

[me3]

Give them this example:

If someone was interested in criminal justice should they settle for being a security guard or should they strive to the top and become a judge or an attorney. As a person who is interested in healthcare, you realize that every position is important in its own way, however you would like to aspire to be the best that you can be if you have the potential for it.

 

[virilep]

I think the previous posts are missing the point. the whole reason behind the physician vs nurse issue is definately integrated into the control issue. having the ability to control the treatment of the patient and steering the nursing directive is the best answer i feel like. I take that back... Astudent refers to it.. my bad!

 

[chocolate-e]

I think the "intellectually challenging" answer is right on target. (Only don't say that nurses can't do research, because they can and do. 😉) I've looked pretty extensively at nursing school curricula on the bachelor's and master's level, and I just haven't felt that it offered the opportunity to understand physiological and disease processes in the same depth that a medical education does.

 

[AnotherDork]

Is this likely to come up? If you're not currently a nurse or in nursing school, I doubt that they would ask you about it. If you are, I think everyone else's advice is solid.

 

[GuyLaroche]

Well, for me, I couldn't possibly a nurse. I am a guy for goodness sakes! Seen "Meet the parents"? There is no respect for a male nurse. Imagine if I, in all my Marlboro man-ness, machismo oozing out of every pore, straddling all man stud, were to go into nursing? It's a hard image to conjure (and I don't mean the nursing part).

 

[bananaface]

Well, for me, I couldn't possibly a nurse. I am a guy for goodness sakes! Seen "Meet the parents"? There is no respect for a male nurse. Imagine if I, in all my Marlboro man-ness, machismo oozing out of every pore, straddling all man stud, were to go into nursing? It's a hard image to conjure (and I don't mean the nursing part).

I know male nurses. It's all good.