Education and Professional Status at Work: A Case of Nurses’ Perceptions

• In Event: 343 - Section on Medical Sociology Roundtables (one-hour)
  In Refereed Roundtable: Table 08. Healthcare Professions II

Abstract

Social status is positively correlated with education attainment. Higher levels of education are required in order for people to claim professional status, a specific type of social status. This study uses healthcare workers as a way to study the effect of education on perceptions of professional status in the workplace. Though we would expect nurses who have attained high levels of education to perceive themselves as professionals, our results suggest otherwise. Using data from the 2013 Survey of Indiana Nurses, we find that nurses who hold degrees at the post-baccalaureate level perceive themselves to be less professional than nurses at the baccalaureate level or lower. These findings suggest that nurses who attain high levels of education experience status inconsistency at work. In addition, highly educated nurses are more likely to recognize the rigidity of the division of medical labor. We conclude with implications and recommendations for the organizational structuring of teams of healthcare providers.

Author

• Clayton Thomas, Indiana University