‘Pink-collar’ label demeans health care professionals
I take issue to a comment made by Professor Keith Debbage during his interview on his State of the City report (May 23). Professor Debbage, there is no such thing as a “pink collar worker.”
First, many more nurses today are men.
Second, as a registered nurse, I am a health care professional. Health care professionals do hands-on work (like “blue collar”), yet are highly educated (like “white collar”). Neither label really fits what we do.
“Pink” implies something fluffy and emotional but not really important. Nurses do hard physical labor that requires enormous scientific knowledge, close observational skills, and the ability to critically think in a crisis and to prevent one.
So please don’t call me a “pink collar worker.” Find some other way of talking about health care professionals that shows respect.
Amy Crittenden
Greensboro
Comments (6)
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Did Debbage say “pink collar worker” or “pink commie worker?”
Posted on June 2, 2008 5:51 AM
I personally like pink--it's one of the few colors that look decent on me. Why can't pink be a powerful color? My granny would have been just as strong, smart, and amazing in pink as she was in navy blue or gray. If you are wearing pink and somebody disrespects you, it's their problem.
Posted on June 2, 2008 6:29 AM
"...as a registered nurse, I am a health care professional."
Perfect solution, why don't we call health care professionals......well......health care professionals!! We could get more detailed and call nurses...well...nurses, or even registered nurse if he/she meets that designation.
The presidential politicians got the term "green collar worker" into the mainstream, so it appears everyone has to have a color code now. It's surprising some don't get up in arms with the term "white collar worker" and perceive it as racist. Everyone has to be offended ya know.
Posted on June 2, 2008 8:01 AM
I would have talked about how any kind of label is disrespectful to the worker. But I was limited to 200 words, which wasn't enough space.
I don't like the labels white collar or blue collar either--because it implies that blue collar work is somehow less valuable because the worker doesn't (usually) have a college degree, or even a high school diploma.
Work is work, and the jobs people do are all important to society no matter what they are. Everyone is deserving of being spoken of with respect.
When I speak of nurses being health care professionals, the point is that nurses are not the only health care professionals out there--but I can't speak for them. Health care professions include nursing, respiratory therapy, physical therapy, occupational therapy, social work, nutritionists, psychology, a few more that I've not mentioned, and yes--physicians.
An awful lot of people are involved in the care of a single patient.
Amy Crittenden
Posted on June 2, 2008 8:12 AM
Homophobic labeling a concern of health care workers???
Shut up and pick up your needle and thread, take a drap of oxygen and get back to work . . . lifes are dependant on you . . .
. . . not your sissy whine of "labels" you dolts . . . I swear the things people get cheesed off at, at any given moment . . . WTF people?
Posted on June 3, 2008 10:46 AM
I guess I'd be a no-collar worker. Can't stand the things.
Posted on June 3, 2008 4:37 PM