A "Profession"

As part of the class I am taking towards my BSN degree, I have to answer opinion based questions with adequate support for those opinions.

I will share with you here question #1 and my response.

Question:
What are the characteristics of a profession? Does nursing currently fulfill the characteristics of a profession?

My Response:
As explained in Nunnery, a profession is a skilled occupation that has received socially granted authority. Knowledge within that profession is achieved and passed on through an established, academic route. The profession is governed by laws and socially established standards and codes. The resulting professionals are included into and guided by the established professional culture manifested by collaboration and support as needed through groups, formally and informally.

I believe nursing does fulfill these characteristics. Socially, nurses are viewed as ethical and honest; and, they are esteemed with respect (Jacobs, 2005). In fact, nurses are consistently ranked among the top professionals who are deemed most trusted by the general public, according to gallup polls. Additionally, the path to becoming a professional nurse is soley through clearly defined academic programs. Then, when one does become a nurse, they are bound by a Code of Ethics and must practice within the nursing scope and standards of practice.
Finally, there are many formal professional nursing organizations that nurses may join for support and collaboration throughout their career.

Nunnery, R. K. (1997). Advancing Your Career: Concepts of Professional Nursing. F. A. Davis Company. Philadelphia, PA.

Jacobs, A.K., MD. (2005). Rebuilding an enduring trust in medicine. Circulation 2005; 111:3494-3498. Retrieved September, 2 2008, from http://www.circ.ahajournals.org/cgi/content/full/111/25/3494