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

[CaLLaCoDe]

I just wondered if others as I do feel there are some in our line of work who look at money, security of earnings first rather than having a passion for their patient's welfare or wanting to work at finding ways to improve their performance as a nurse.

Any thoughts? Comments? Rants?

[steelcityrn, RN]

Just made me think of the old steel town image. Many a family member worked 50-60 hours a week in the mill, and it wasn't because they enjoyed working in a enclosed filthy hot oven, or at the other end loading steel onto rail cars in the freezing cold coming home exhausted, it was for the money. It was their skill with a pay that they could raise a family on. Same thing with nursing.

[Shantas]

I do work over time and I do care about how much I am getting paid for. I feel that I deserve every penny of it.

Not many people in this world will be willing to clean and handle all the dirty stuff that we handle just for nothing..... if the nurses did not do what they do now this world would be filled with sick and dying....who will take care of that confused 90 year old mother when the children go "out of town" for some "urgent work" on "X-mas day"??

[wooh, BSN, RN]

[bANANA]Well, I'm not an angel of mercy. I don't have a calling from God or anyone else to be a nurse. I do it because I've been educated in my field, and I'm good at it. And I deserve to be paid well. [/bANANA]

:bow::bow:

[RNdude123]

I have no problem with anyone in the field for the money, provided they carry themselves as a competent professional and at least try to act like they care about their patients' welfare. I know my wife appreciates the opportunity to stay home with our son full time. That wouldn't be possible without the monetary benefits this job affords.

[Hellllllo Nurse, BSN, RN]

We all need to be well compensated for what we do..

I do get annoyed, however, When I read posts that basically say:

"I want the money/flexability/status/job secuity that being a nurse brings, but I dont want to touch icky pts. I'm going to go right from school and go into mgmt. That way, I won't have to do icky stuff, and I'll be the boss of nurses who have far more knowledge and experience than I do. I'll be managing people who do all the things that I don't have a clue about. I'll get to be a nurse, without 'paying my dues', and without really having to be a nurse. Isn't that cool? Aren't I clever?"

:barf01::angryfire:trout:

[Xbox Live Addict]

I just wondered if other as I do feel there are some in our line of work who look at money, security of earnings first rather than having a passion for their patient's welfare or wanting to work at finding ways to improve their performance as a nurse.

Any thoughts? Comments? Rants?

There is nothing wrong with wanting money, as long as it is honestly earned. Money is the share of our world's limited resources to which you are entitled - the necessities of life as well as the goodies. You can't feed and house your family on altruism.

Secondly, money gives you an idea of how well-thought-of you are in the organization for which you work. Pretty words are cheap. A pay raise says more than all the pretty words in the world. Think about how you would feel if all of your co-workers were getting regular pay raises while your own pay stagnated, especially with the cost of living rising as it is. Not to mention thinking of people in other parts of the country doing the same job, or people in other industries. I live in a low-wage state. A brand-new NYC bus driver makes more an hour than any nurse I've ever met around here. And with a guaranteed $7.00 an hour RAISE after two years!

If you just want to help people and don't care about money, work among the poor in Africa or India. Most of us do care about our patients/residents/donors (in my case) and want them to be in reasonable comfort. But I want my family to be reasonably comfortable too, and I want some compensation for my skills, my time, and my labor.

[Agnus]

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?

NO. It does not bother me. Holier than thou people bother me.

The pay griper watching the value of his stocks is being honest about what he is doing. What does that make the person who grips about him?

[Agnus]

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.

What is fair depends on who you talk to. Life is not fair.

Is it fair a drug using ball player makes more than you I and the MD put together?

[Hellllllo Nurse, BSN, RN]

..... money gives you an idea of how well-thought-of you are in the organization for which you work. Pretty words are cheap. A pay raise says more than all the pretty words in the world......

Not always. I worked in a unit where I learned that I was the most highly paid of anyone else there, except for the manager (the person who did payroll showed me. Yes, it was inappropriate).

I made $5.00/hr more than a co-worker who was an excellent nurse, plus had more education and experience than I did. However, I was run to death, direspected and was never thanked for all of the stuff I did for that mgr and the unit.

I quit. A few nice words every now and then would have kept me there.

[Xbox Live Addict]

Not always. I worked in a unit where I learned that I was the most highly paid of anyone else there, except for the manager (the person who did payroll showed me. Yes, it was inappropriate).

I made $5.00/hr more than a co-worker who was an excellent nurse, plus had more education and experience than I did. However, I ws run to death, direspected and was never thanks for all of the stuff I did for that mgr and the unit.

I quit. A few nice words every now and then would have kept me there.

Hehehe... I will grant you that being dogged down constantly in the way that you just described can kill your morale.

On the other hand, over the years I grew weary of unkept promises made by glad-handing managers. As well as people that will try to guilt you for wanting something better by telling you that you don't care about your patients.

[Kyrshamarks, BSN, RN]

I got into nursing for the money. I am not afraid to say it and the only reason that I am still in it 20 years later is the money. I do my best at work everyday that I am there (and I am one of those who works 5-12 hour shifts a week) and no one has to pick up my slack. I do not deliver unsafe care EVER!!! I absolutely hate it when people think and equate overtime with unsafe care. I know nurses that deliver unsafe care every day they work even if it is not overtime. I will also be honest and say that after my shift is over for the night I go home and do not even think about the patients anymore. If they live or die when I am off is of no concern to me in reality. I am a true professional.. I get PAID for the work I do, and I get paid quite well for it. I have worked my way up from the trenches to management and I still work in the treches as well as work as House Supervisor.

As for the question of world war Three in the states...i would not vol. as a nurse. If that came to happen, I would have a gun in my hand defending my family and friends. What good is nursing when they are under attack.

[Agnus]

doulble post sorry