There was an insane shattering gulf between the status of the "bedside nurse" and the "hospital doctor."
The nurse determined who felt like total dogshit and lived in a space station among scratchy fabrics for longer than necessary, and who did not.
A good nurse granted health.
They were the only ones who could do so in the hospital.
They worked at direct, human care about their charges; they determined whether you were reclining in liquid shit or just tired and annoyed by beeps.
You were permitted to leave the hospital when a few blood assays match their ref ranges and a doctor signs off on your improved condition. You don't get to leave until you feel better.
Only the nurse, the sharp end of your care who actually implemented "orders" for "meds", who swabbed your every crevice, who not only knew the biochemical reasons for what was happening to you but were working towards fixing it while smelling you at very close range, could make you feel better.The "hospital doctor" didn't do that, ever. You pushed a button when you were in distress and they never, ever, ever were the first ones through your door. The doctor used the computer, typed, phone calls, used their Training and Experience to push buttons to put meds in you, metal in you, kV of electricity to get high-energy-emitter images of you. It's not as creative as it once was, since The Medical Record was their master, so they got no points for success if the boxes prescribed by The Medical Record were not ticked. "Standard of care."
That wasn't as hard as crevice work. It's an annoying stressful white collar job in a terribly-lit office, for sure. But I wouldn't put it above nursing.
Priors: I'm terribly biased against American hospital medicine, what an ugly workplace inflicting terrible and expensive things on pretty much everyone you know. If they fired the incompetent and/or lazy I'd be nicer about it but only serial, documentable, documented someone-dies negligence or malice will get anyone fired.