From the July 7, 2002 Asbury Park Press:
Invest savings in nurses
Kudos to the nurse who wrote the letter "Nurse shortage
a money matter" because she has addressed the heart of the problem: Show her the money.
Nurses are the eyes, ears, nose and monitors for the doctor's sick patients, and have been under-appreciated by the health care system for years. It's ironic when hospitals need the nurses most, the administrators/CEOs and hospital trustees permit downsizing the most experienced nurses to save money, jeopardizing patient care.
It's time to pay the nurses a salary commensurate with their work. We see CEOs and hospital vice presidents making astronomical salaries, with perks (limos, bonuses, etc.) for work that doesn't warrant such remuneration. Let's see the hospital trustees cut those astronomical administrative salaries and invest that money in our nurses.
Nurses care, but nobody cares about the nurses. That's why we have our present nursing shortage.
Dr. John Wrable
TOMS RIVER
It is time that the public become fully aware of how healthcare executives, both hospital and health insurance company, are scammming the people they are supposed to be serving! There is plenty of money available to pay us what we are worth but they aren't willing to give up their lifestyles of the rich and not so famous.
It is time to put the money where it belongs: salaries that will attract new nurses to the profession, keep those of us with experience and allow us to have healthcare benefits in our retirement years.
Jul 7, '02
Well said! Hopefully someday someone will listen and we'll see some results.
I am soon to be entering the profession and I hope all you wise experienced nurses will still be around for guidance. Please don't give up yet!
Jul 7, '02
A great letter fedupnurse and hopefully the first of many defending the nurses and pointing out where the waste is in healthcare.
The suits are so interested in their short term bottom line, (and their own salaries) that they forget that it is the experienced nurses who teach the new nurses and also keep long term costs down by properly taking care of the patients. They just don't want to admit that nurses are necessary to the running of the hospital. They only see us as the "most expensive department" in the hospital and therefore, prime targets for cost cutting.
Jul 7, '02
Two supporting letters from Docs in the past year.
More need to wise up. Let's send this one to all the docs we know!
Jul 7, '02
I am going to post it on my unit and on the door to the docs lounge where their mailboxes are. At some point people will finally come to realize that patients are in hospitals for NURSING CARE!!!!
Jul 7, '02Joined: Jun '02; Posts: 32; Likes: 10Well said! Hopefully someday someone will listen and we'll see some results.
Jul 7, '02Occupation: Utilization Review, prior Intake Mgr Home Care Specialty: 40 year(s) of experience in Home Care, Vents, Telemetry, Home infusion ; From: PA, US ; Joined: Oct '00; Posts: 27,547; Likes: 13,754Two supporting letters from Docs in the past year.
