This section contains 212 words (approx. 1 page at 300 words per page) |
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Although the women's movement influenced the rapid development of nurse practitioners, health experts thought the rise of the supernurse was largely brought about by urgent medical need. But problems arose both within the profession and between nurses and physicians as nurses struggled to define their new identity. A major source of friction was the wide gap in pay between doctors and nurses. In 1977 the average income for nurses ranged from $9,072 in Rhode Island to $14,216 in California — compared with an average income of $65,000 for doctors. Many nurses felt frustrated by the lack of income and the lack of professional opportunity. Some nurses said that physicians regarded them as competitors and saw the use of nurse-practitioners as an economic threat. In Atlanta nurse-practitioners competed directly with doctors for patients in the same neighborhood. In other cases, a growing number of doctors set up joint practices...
This section contains 212 words (approx. 1 page at 300 words per page) |
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