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Are nurses treated with the same amount of respect as doctors?

In greys anatomy, (I know, a very credible source) they seem as if its an insult to be a nurse, though I know it is not! Are they treated worse IRL?

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June Veara Duke’s Answer

Nurses today don't always receive the same amount of respect as physicians within their companies due to poor media presentations such as the one you mentioned but also due to poor company workplace environments who focus more on a physicians contribution to the company as a revenue generator. This is not necessarily the case in all companies but there are some who feel since physicians are better educated as advanced care providers that they are more valuable within the company. The best way a nurse can better assert their contribution to their company is by always staying educated and empowered in their professional career and to take the initiative to seek out new learning and training opportunities whenever possible to provide the best patient care possible. A nurse has to show themselves to be educated, trained, competent and relevant within their company at all times to get the respect they deserve. Fostering healthy workplace relationships among peers, co-workers and the team of interdependent care providers is a great opportunity for nurses to grow respect for themselves and others within the company. Self-empowerment is key to advancing their professional career and continuing to show themselves to be invaluable assets to their company. Nurses are worthwhile the comparable respect of physicians because they provide a personable, holistic, and patient-first level of care that many physicians fail to address due to their opportunity to be at the bedside more often than their physician counterparts.

June Veara Duke recommends the following next steps:

Foster healthy workplace relationships by offering to start a new group to address nursing/physician issues within the company.
Take educational courses to advance learning and competency as a care provider.
Assert independence and self-respect as a invaluable member of the patient care provider team.
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Susan’s Answer

I was taught in residency you earn your respect by working hard and caring about your patients. Respect is not in a title.
Nurses and doctors get equal respect in my opinion and standouts are the ones who know their patients well ( histories and meds included) and respect others .
The end goal is never about you in medicine. It’s always about the patient in front of you:)
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Courtney’s Answer

Excellent question! Never believe what you see on TV, especially about doctoring. I think the answer will depend on who you ask and in what context. For example, some patients prefer interactions with their nurses and trust them more. Some patients prefer their doctors. It's really variable depending on the context. Nurses can now practice independently in some states and have a lot of respect.

In a different scenario, attending physicians are treated with a lot of respect by nurses and staff, but resident physicians are given little to no respect sometimes by hospital staff and nurses. It is all relative. I have had a lot of respect for many nurses, and I hope many have respected me as well. Some are my mentors. I have also been treated utterly disrespectfully by nurses which is extremely hurtful, especially when you are working really really hard and sincerely care :(.

Ultimately, I hope you find a good working environment where you feel respected. If its not, keep looking!

Courtney recommends the following next steps:

When looking for a job make sure to take a tour to see how different professionals interact
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