Ethics: Does it bother you when people are in nursing to make money?

DutchgirlRN, ASN, RN · Apr 2, 2008

now ask yourself, if you hit the lotto, and had enough money to support yourself for the rest of your life doing anything you wanted to do. would you go back to work on some understaffed med/surg floor full time?

no !!!

i would like to do some type of volunteer work, like rocking

preemies.

allnurses Guide · Apr 2, 2008

NO!

I would simply do mission nursing - that is my passion.

steph

lamazeteacher · Apr 2, 2008

NO!
I would simply do mission nursing - that is my passion.

steph

Actually, a nurse at Kaiser Permanente in Santa Rosa, CA won a huge amount in the lottery there, about 10 years ago and continued to work nights in the nursery. She said she didn't want to let her co-workers down....... :yeah:

James Huffman · Apr 2, 2008

Actually, a nurse at Kaiser Permanente in Santa Rosa, CA won a huge amount in the lottery there, about 10 years ago and continued to work nights in the nursery. She said she didn't want to let her co-workers down.......

I know I sound pretty strong on this, but actually, I'm a big fan of work. Work because it pays the bills. But also because work provides a source of meaning in our lives, and gives us a chance to honestly be of service to others, to love them in a concrete, visible way. I tell my kids that I'm not going to retire until I turn 100 and of course, I'm joking, but only half-way: lots of folks -- especially us guys -- die pretty soon after retiring, and I think it's because we've lost a major focus and drive in life.

If I won the lottery (not possible because I don't play it :wink2:) I suspect I'd do the same thing as this nurse does. My only complaint is that she manages to carry on the feeling that her co-workers "need" her. I'm sure they appreciate and value her, but I hope her patients need her more.

I read another story a few weeks back. This British guy is 101, and he's getting ready to run a marathon. He went back to work 3 years ago because he was bored. Good for him!

Agnus · Apr 3, 2008

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Well, I'd have partially agreed with you, were it not that the TV news came on as I opened this thread............. with a story from Virginia Beach, VA about a "nurse" who, it may be, took enough money from a dead patient's money clip, to take himself to "Best Buy", and purchased himself a laptop computer (no doubt to join the fun on this website:chuckle).

You would have partially agreed except someone stole some money from a dead patient!? You lost me on that one. What does a thief have to do with anything I said? I don't like thieves either. You don't have to agree with me at all but please do not use this as your excuse. It implies some very nasty things I know you don't mean to imply.

lamazeteacher · Apr 3, 2008

We have many things that work does for us. It sustains us in all the ways we need sustainance.

For the past 2 1/2 years, I was unable to work, due anemia caused by a gastric hemorrhage when ibuprophen was prescribed for me in the enteric coated form.

Afraid to take too many transfusions, I was given iron IVs, but that all became too expensive, given my 20% copay.

I couldn't afford the medications I normally took, and begged samples from my doctors. It became all too clear to me that work meant money; however my sense of myself disappeared, too. I missed my coworkers terribly and they were too busy to visit. My children called me frequently, but live in different parts of the country.

I'm in VA now, with my daughter and will begin a new job next week. I can't begin to tell you how much more than money that job means to me. It is telephonic counseling, as I'm not up to physical activity, being short of breath a lot of the time.

The things that kept me sane during the time I was sick, were the anti-depressants and a wonderful program for professionals called PROFILE at EDD. I went there to attend classes to further my ability to obtain employment when I was able. That was a terrific social outlet and the information about creating a good resume kept my self esteem up. Now I know deeply the obstacles patients face.

CNAinNeb · Apr 3, 2008

It bothers me when they take a spot in a SON that could have been mine!!

CaLLaCoDe, BSN, RN · Apr 3, 2008

I am humbled by how many folks have given this thread life and recently life again. It is a joy to work with coworkers who strive for perfection and yes, enjoy the money too! :smokin: :twocents:

BrokenRNheart · Apr 3, 2008

Ok OK you have a very good point EG! We earn what we justly deserve in salary; some of us think otherwise...that MDs earn exponentially more than us and that's just not fair.
Does it bother you when someone comes to work, sits on there ass, complains about patient's in an unprofessional manner, gripes about pay, appears to have more interests in how well the Starbucks stock is doing than doing the tasks, the nursing process at hand or being even an inkling of the best nurse that they can be?

YES.

However there are people that might have chosen the pay and security and are professional and hard workers. What you described makes me... :no:

lamazeteacher · Apr 3, 2008

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well, i'd have partially agreed with you, were it not that the tv news came on as i opened this thread............. with a story from virginia beach, va about a "nurse" who, it may be, took enough money from a dead patient's money clip, to take himself to "best buy", and purchased himself a laptop computer (quote]
it will be interesting to follow this story and see if this really is a nurse--just working for the hospital proves nothing, and how often does the media get this wrong???
a later news report indicated that a hospital hr error resulted in the hire of this "nurse", who is licensed in west virginia.......not in virginia (?!?) i was hoping that the culprit wasn't really a nurse, too!

lamazeteacher · Apr 3, 2008

THIS is an example of someone that loves their job and doesn't do it for the money.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/topstories/2008/03/24/lottery-winner-luke-pittard-goes-back-to-work-at-mcdonald-s-89520-20361956/
Now ask yourself, if you hit the lotto, and had enough money to support yourself for the rest of your life doing ANYTHING you wanted to do. Would you go back to work on some understaffed med/surg floor full time?

No, I'd probably go to an undeveloped country (or American innercity neighborhood where health resources are unavailable due to danger and/or lack of public transportation) to organize, fund and work in a free clinic/healthcare centre.

Thanks so much for the referral to the London Mirror's article. I thoroughly enjoyed reading various articles therein, especially the one about the government breaking up "no go" neighbourhoods.

I've worked as a Home Health Nurse in dangerous neighbourhoods in the USA and the intervention I once experienced from a Peace Officer in south-central Los Angeles, was being stopped (police car's red lights flaring in my rear view mirror) to be asked "What are you doing here?", in a predominantly African American place. I replied that I had a sick child to see, and held up the paperwork of the agency, to which he replied, "Don't they like you at that agency, to send you here?", adding, "There's a gang there, and another one down that street! Be sure that family takes you right to your car after your visit. I'll take you there (motioning that I should follow him). Now that guy, as well as me, wasn't in it just for the money.........:heartbeat

However, I couldn't relate to a McDonald's hamburger slinger's return to his work due to boredom, compared to nursing's satisfaction in working toward enhancing the health and comfort of "peoplekind". :nurse: