I was hoping some of you could help me out. I'm a high school student that writes articles for our local newspaper. Right now I'm working on an article about athlete, actor/actress pay versus more professions that have more education, require more skill and have more responsibilities.
I would appreciate it if you could answer the below questions. I hate to have to ask for salaries, but they are important so I can accurately display the revolting income disparity between nurse practioners and athletes. I would really love to hear from Nurse Practioners who work in free clinics or clinics for the homeless.
Where do you work? (doesn't have to be the name, but "free clinic", "homeless clinic", "drug abuse center", etc will work).
Where do you live and practice? (example: near Dallas, TX)
What is the highest level of education you have completed?
Including your BSN, any bridge programs (RN-BSN, etc) and MSN, how much was the total cost of your education?
Do you still make payments on your education loans?
If you do, how much do they cost a year?
What are your duties during the course of your day?
Peyton Manning, a player for the Indianapolis Colts, made $35 million dollars in 2004. Do you think he deserves to make that much?
If you had to choose a hero, who would it be?
What was the most rewarding experience you ever had while at work?
Do you feel the income disparity between nurse practioners, social workers, nurses and other similar professions and those of athletes, singers, actors is unfair? Why do you feel that way?
Some people say "you are worth exactly what you make." Do you think that is a true or false statement?
If you had the power to set the national salaries of the following professions, what would it be (annually):
It says what we value as a country. Sports heros are valued more than nurses and doctors who can save your life. I work in a college nursing program and the sports programs get more press/money than the nursing program does.
I disagree with this statement. It doesn't say ANYTHING about the values of our country. It is simple supply and demand.
There are hundreds of hospitals around the country. So there is room for literally thousands of competent NPs/RN's to make a salary, to make their dent.
The professional sports leagues have, most often, around 30 venues and so, in order to get in, you have to be the best of the best at what you do. If there were a 1000 football teams competing, professional football players would indeeed make less than nurses - because there would be thousands of players 'qualified' under those circumstances.
In truth, the owners keep few teams in order to focus attention on THOSE teams and as a result, become rich. I see no problems with the atheletes that make their owners rich sharing in the pile of money.
It's apples and oranges to say that a case of supply and demand means ANYTHING about the values of our country.
(The same thing is true, to a lessor extent, in college sports - except the atheletes aren't directly compensated, at all.)
Specializes in ER/Tele, Med-Surg, Faculty, Urgent Care.
A CRNA is an NP, it is just the specialty that they go into. They both have the MSN after their name.
Correction. I think you mean to say that CRNA (certified registered nurse anesthetist) is a type of APN/APRN (advance practice registered nurse) but CRNA's are not NP's (nurse practitioner) & actually your degree goes before your title.
I would also like to add that consumers are willing to pay huge sums of money for tickets to professional sports games and keep the licensed apparel and accessories market thriving. The last time I went to a professional sports event was when the Bruins were in the playoffs back in the early 90s and it was $100 for two tickets. As it was hockey and 15 years ago, I am sure the prices for say, a Dolphins game, would be much higher.
Many people look at healthcare as a basic human need that should be low cost or free, and balk at high copays, etc...
There are far more sports junkies out there than we "trauma life in the ER" junkies LOL.
Who will pay for the higher salaries? Doubt the CEO of United Healthcare or Kaiser will take a cut in pay and reduce the profit margin to raise salaries.
I'm not an NP, and neither am I an RN, so my opinion probably won't hold weight in the context of your research, but the topic got me thinking, so I just thought I would add in my thoughts....
Specializes in Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Nursing.
Sports figures in our society + worldwide allow people to escape to an imaginary world where they are free from their everyday drudgery and problems for the short time that a game is in progress. That's valuable, to me at least and I'm willing to pay big bucks to live vicariously through my favorite sports star when he dunks, scores a touchdown, or hits a home run. No matter how much I admire my nurse supervisor, I don't have any desire to pay to see her nail a catheterization with perfect technique or do a med pour in record time. :-)
ZASHAGALKA, RN
3,322 Posts
I disagree with this statement. It doesn't say ANYTHING about the values of our country. It is simple supply and demand.
There are hundreds of hospitals around the country. So there is room for literally thousands of competent NPs/RN's to make a salary, to make their dent.
The professional sports leagues have, most often, around 30 venues and so, in order to get in, you have to be the best of the best at what you do. If there were a 1000 football teams competing, professional football players would indeeed make less than nurses - because there would be thousands of players 'qualified' under those circumstances.
In truth, the owners keep few teams in order to focus attention on THOSE teams and as a result, become rich. I see no problems with the atheletes that make their owners rich sharing in the pile of money.
It's apples and oranges to say that a case of supply and demand means ANYTHING about the values of our country.
(The same thing is true, to a lessor extent, in college sports - except the atheletes aren't directly compensated, at all.)
~faith,
Timothy.