What do you count as a 'professional' job?

[Llamapalma]

My DSis and I have been arguing this tonight.

What in your opinion counts as a 'professional' job?

Certain wage? Anyone who works in an office? Anyone who has to dress smart? Certain job titles?

Oh, I think they were and that many of the sends were absorbed into srn roles due to their practice.

I am able to meet nursing students and I don't think many are of the same calibre as the girls from my school who got 3/4 O'Levels in 1978! It's quite scary.

It does make me wonder whether if nursing were instead dominated by 50 year old white men called Chris and John it would suddenly be deemed to be ‘a profession’ by those denying that it is on this thread!

Isn't opinion irrelevant if nursing is officially considered a profession by the powers that be?

The white male thing end up being redundant really as it's only internet randomers with odd opinions that seem not to recognise the nursing profession.

Pale blue top or dress: Junior nurse
Dark blue top or dress: staff nurse or sister

There’s no differentiation between a junior nurse and staff nurse anymore - every nurse is a staff nurse regardless of how long they’ve been qualified for.

Where I work, all the staff nurses wear the same colour of uniform and the only differentiating factor is what colour epaulettes they wear over their shoulders.

Qualified under a year : light blue epaulettes.
Qualified over a year : dark blue epaulettes.

When you get a Sister post your tunic/dress becomes a different colour to those of the staff nurses. Where I work you only need to a nurse for two years before you can apply for a Sister post.

Nurses have to have a specific qualification plus maintain their registration with the NMC, by completing regular study and other things. They pay £140 a year to maintain their registration. Of course they are 'professionals'.

@DifficultBloodyWoman you need to Google the defination of a professional and familiarise yourself with the correct term. People often seek a professional when they are in need of that particular qualified skill. Nurses have many of skill it takes years to pick up the ropes and not anybody could step into nursing. Same applies for teaching we cannot all teach our kids like a teacher can.

@FeelingInTheWrong that's interesting about the colour uniforms. In my trust all nurses at band 5 weather you have been qualified 3 months or 3 years wear the exact same shade of blue. Specialists nurses wear purple tops and outreach nurses and sisters wear similar navy blue you don't know who is who.

Something you need a degree to do.

I wonder if some of it is around whether as a professional (accountant, surveyor, solicitor, architect, etc) it is possible to set an organisation and practice as an individual. Something nurses/teachers/policemen/non professionally qualified civil servants, etc., can't do.

I don’t need to Google, thanks.

The OP asked for personal opinions on what counts as a ‘’professional’ job’.

To me, that is one of the professions, the definition of which I (personally) think has expanded since it was just legal, medical and clerical. How far it has been expanded is still subject to debate.

Other posters might think of professional as opposed to amateur.
Or professional behaviour versus unprofessional behaviour.
Or specialized education versus training or versus being untrained.
Or Chartered versus membership of professional bodies (like plumbers or bartenders).

The ease or difficulty of someone being able to step into a new job role doesn’t factor into my definition. Not many people have the qualifications, skills or temperament to do my teaching and training jobs. And I certainly can’t step into a nurse’s shoes!

My definition of a ‘professional job’ has no bearing on my respect for people doing jobs that I don’t consider to be ‘professional jobs’ (or ‘professions’).

I know specialist Nurses who have set up their own private practices. It is possible depending on your particular specialism and qualifications.

I replied to RealityLoom because her post appeared in my notifications but a quick (and incomplete) scroll has shown a number of other people have a
Robles with my definition.

To be clear - the OP asked about professional jobs. I took this to mean the professions, a term used for hundreds of years but which has, like lots of words, evolved over time.

I understand that other posters interpreted this differently. But please don’t be insulted by my definition. I believe nurses and teachers are professionals in the sense that they are paid for their work (definition of professional versus amateur).

I also understand that some people have received an education or training to make them professional. For example, there is a significant difference between a professional singer and the local AmDram group. That is the difference between occupation and profession.

Social worker is a protected title with an official register, but according to some on this thread it wouldn't meet the criteria for a profession. Same as nursing. Very strange 🤔 and possibly, as others have mentioned, because the professions are mostly female? I don't know.

Our Specialist Nurses wear the same colour uniform as the Ward Sisters but wear the same colour epaulettes as the staff nurses.

Some very senior specialists nurses wear the same uniform as the ward managers.

Male nurses/charge nurses wear different colour inform to female nurses/Sisters too.

You’re right, patients and relatives don’t have a clue who anyone is.

It’s bizarre.

Uniforms are all standard in Scotland; don't know why England doesn't follow suit?
Also, within our Trust ( not sure about others) we don't use outdated terms like "Sister" or "Matron", nursing is an equal opportunities profession!

@DifficultBloodyWoman out of interest what is/was your occupation? Not being facetious, genuinely interested

What terms do you use to signify seniority?

Or is everyone just classed as ‘nurse’ regardless of what pay band they are on or how high up the ladder they are?

Charge Nurse and Nurse Manager.

What is a “charge nurse” - the nurse in charge of the shift of either sex?

I think Charge Nurse is used as the male equivalent of 'sister', so a senior nurse, in charge of the ward.
I don't understand all the confusion about uniforms- there is a skill mix on a hospital ward, simple as that. No one expects the general public to be able to decipher it- it's there to denote different roles and levels of seniority, and is helpful for other staff. All members of staff should be wearing a badge which clearly identifies their name and job role.

The Charge Nurse is the band 7, equivalent to the old fashioned term "Sister". Length of experience would determine which band 5 was "in charge" of a shift if the band 6 was off. The Nurse Manager is the band 8, previously known as the Nursing Officer; I've been nursing since 1986 and have never encountered a Matron.

Male and female titles for the same job are not required.

Our Band 7’s are the Ward Managers who will also work clinical shifts on the ward if needed.

The Band 6’s are the Sisters and Charge Nurses.

The Band 5’s are the staff nurses.

There are 3 matrons across the unit I work in and 2 of them are Band 8 and one is Band 9.

True….but I can’t see the male Band 6’s being happy at calling themselves a Sister😂

Band 6s are the Deputy Charge Nurses.......it's no wonder the public get confused about who's who when there's so much variation throughout the UK. Perhaps a national standardisation is what's required ( along with that large pay rise!)

Hence the reason it's considered out dated. We don't need to be alienating half the potential work force by using stereotypical language.