I am pretty bummed to hear a developer speak so dismissively of what it takes to be developer. I'm not sure what you mean about an "entry level" web job, of course - if "entry level" entails no background or skills, then I suppose I could prepare someone in no time at all.
However - and I fully acknowledge this is just anecdote - after 15+ years in the field, I have yet to see the mythical simple CRUD app. I came into this field after a major in math with a CS emphasis and a MS in Industrial Engineering, during which I wrote a lot of code for various numerical analysis problems. I've written apps that need to build and solve linear programs with a few million variables and communicate results to analysis within one minute, which we felt was the maximum amount of time anyone would wait for an interactive tool designed to explore multiple supply chain scenarios. It is hardly a work of genius, but these were real CS and math problems, with a dose of programming optimization.
In many ways, those projects were considerably easier than the "CRUD" projects I've been on. Seriously. You have to gather business requirements from people who do understand their business, but aren't accustomed to explaining it in a way that works within the strict confines of computer code. You often have to work with existing code bases, deciding how much customization you can get away with before forking yourself into a maintenance hell (and you have to deal with that maintenance hell). You have to integrate with many different data sources, back and forth, over networks, many of which are obscure, poorly documented, and poorly maintained. You are pressured to provide estimates and deadlines for systems that you have no idea about (how long will it take me to alter a code base for an existing application to integrate with a data source that I haven't studied yet? Uh, a week?). You have to weave through existing data structures, code bases that involve intricate logic, uncover magic documents that nobody told you about, interview and talk to business analysts, test, design UIs or work with UI people... and often encounter an (at best) irritated look when you didn't meet your "estimates" that turned into deadlines.
I maintain that even the "simple CRUD" projects are difficult, stressful, and require a very high level of logic, coding ability, and the ability to communicate will with people at many levels of an organization.
If you truly believe that web dev is simple, of course you have every right to make that point. You shouldn't back of from saying what you think is the truth just because the truth is harmful to the reputation of developers.
What pains me is that I absolutely don't agree with you, I think it's a really hard job, and I think we developers really hurt ourselves when we trivialize our jobs this way.
The world knows how difficult software development is - we don't need to put down other professions (which equally difficult yet in a different way)
We're both looking at exactly the same words, sometimes people just reach different conclusions. You've said that we don't need to put down other professions, but consider your words about software development and nursing...
"I am pretty sure I could teach her enough to do an entry level web dev job within 2-3 months, whereas there is no way I would be mentally or emotionally prepared to deal with working life as a 'real' nurse within that short amount of time, if ever."
I do see that as putting down software development in order to build up nursing. Like I said, we're looking at the same words, so this is just a matter of perspective.
Perspectives sometimes vary because of experience. I actually don't agree, as a general condition, that the world knows how difficult software development is. Some of the world does, and some software development positions are clearly respected. But as a general statement? No, I really don't agree - I see too many developers working loud, distracting open offices, back visibility, methodologies that reduce autonomy and long term thinking the to micromanaged 24 hour "sprints", and a career path where "successful" people should term out before age 35.
I certainly wouldn't argue that this describes all dev jobs, but it sure does describe a lot of them. I do think that the kind of denigration of the field I'm hearing here does contribute to this.
