If healthcare reform resulted in salary caps of $40k for nurses would you stay?

Published

I'm not asking for a debate about wether or not healthcare reform would result in salary caps, I just want to know would you stay in nursing if your salary was capped at $45k? what about $35k? where would you draw the line? for arguments sake lets say advanced practice nurses got a $10k premium.

Remember well back in the 1980's seeing pages of adverts for nurses in the New York Times, with wages running from 18K (new grads), to about 25K (RNs with various levels of experience). A cap of $40k would put nurses in this area actually below what they made twenty years ago when adjusted for inflation.

Even at 70K and above nurses in expensive living parts of the United States such as CA and NY barely earn enough to be called "middle class".

Middle class in MPLS for a family of 4 is 58,000/year. (according to EPI.org) Starting wage for a new grad is just about 59000/year on a 1.0 position....

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Secondly, we would likely retain salaries for health professionals at their current levels.

http://www.pnhp.org/facts/singlepayer_faq.php#40percent

this is from a single payer website which goes far further than the HELP proposal. Of course the fearmongers will always try to stir the pot rather than discuss the issues rationally.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in M/S, MICU, CVICU, SICU, ER, Trauma, NICU.
http://www.pnhp.org/facts/singlepayer_faq.php#40percent

this is from a single payer website which is far further than the HELP proposal. Of course the fearmongers will always try to stir the pot rather than discuss the issues rationally.

I won't fearmonger because I don't need to. I also do not need to be treated like a child or with someone without all of her faculties.

SHOW me this bill.

Details. Specifics. All I hear is rhetoric, from Obama and now from those like yourself.

SHOW ME THE SPECIFICS. Then let's talk.

Until then, you are blowing smoke; I am not impressed thank-you-very-much.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
I won't fearmonger because I don't need to. I also do not need to be treated like a child or with someone without all of her faculties.

SHOW me this bill.

Details. Specifics. All I hear is rhetoric, from Obama and now from those like yourself.

SHOW ME THE SPECIFICS. Then let's talk.

Until then, you are blowing smoke; I am not impressed thank-you-very-much.

If you link to a neutral source of information, I would be happy to discuss it with you on a separate thread. :)

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in M/S, MICU, CVICU, SICU, ER, Trauma, NICU.
If you link to a neutral source of information, I would be happy to discuss it with you on a separate thread. :)

Neutral source? I am asking for the 1000 page bill. That's pretty neutral isn't it?

I want the specifics. Where are the specifics? Anyone have them? Anyone? Hello? Anyone?

Or just all rhethorics, rhetorics, rhetorics.

Just show the details. Let me peruse; and then I make a choice as to whether it is good or bad. No other thread needed.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

General summary by a House committee. http://edlabor.house.gov/documents/111/pdf/publications/AAHCA-BILLSUMMARY-071409.pdf

The links at the bottom further explains parts of the summary, again by the same House committee.

http://www.speaker.gov/newsroom/legislation?id=0327

Oh, and the bill is available on the above site, but since it's 1000 pages it would take too much space up on my hard drive to download.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

That'd be about half what I make now so I can safely say NO.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

all you people claim that if the salary cap would really go into effect you would drop nursing with the speed of the light,,,,if you had no choice you would have to accept what you have and feed your family,thank you!!!!!!!!Maybe the question should be stated" Would you be upset and dissapointed with the salary cap?I really would pay to see who would be the first to just walk out of their job first thing in the morning.Haha.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
http://www.pnhp.org/facts/singlepayer_faq.php#40percent

this is from a single payer website which goes far further than the HELP proposal. Of course the fearmongers will always try to stir the pot rather than discuss the issues rationally.

While there's no need for fearmongering, pollyanna stances are just as dangerous.

What does "likely" to retain salaries at current levels mean.

First, if costs exceed projections--check out the Medicare projections made when the program was being born for a good laugh--"likely" will have as much value as :twocents:.

Second, current levels means that each year one is losing purchasing power, and given the level of debt being heaped on by the feds, there will be more rather than less inflation in the medium and longer runs.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
all you people claim that if the salary cap would really go into effect you would drop nursing with the speed of the light,,,,if you had no choice you would have to accept what you have and feed your family,thank you!!!!!!!!Maybe the question should be stated" Would you be upset and dissapointed with the salary cap?I really would pay to see who would be the first to just walk out of their job first thing in the morning.Haha.

Most wouldn't be able to drop nursing with the speed of light, but given the age of many nurses now, retirement is a serious option, and I'll guess that many would take it.

That said, it's pretty unlikely that salaries for current nurses would be reduced. What I see is a grinding reduction in the actual purchasing power value of the salary. Inflation will run ahead of any increases.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in M/S, MICU, CVICU, SICU, ER, Trauma, NICU.
all you people claim that if the salary cap would really go into effect you would drop nursing with the speed of the light,,,,if you had no choice you would have to accept what you have and feed your family,thank you!!!!!!!!Maybe the question should be stated" Would you be upset and dissapointed with the salary cap?I really would pay to see who would be the first to just walk out of their job first thing in the morning.Haha.

Hahah--you have no choice....hahahahahah....YOU may have no choice; but I do. Two weeks notice and out the door.

I have other choices. Mama always told me to diversify.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
all you people claim that if the salary cap would really go into effect you would drop nursing with the speed of the light,,,,if you had no choice you would have to accept what you have and feed your family,thank you!!!!!!!!Maybe the question should be stated" Would you be upset and dissapointed with the salary cap?I really would pay to see who would be the first to just walk out of their job first thing in the morning.Haha.

One cannot made a salary cap retroactive, that is called a wage cut. While it is possible to freeze wages, that only gets any employer so far. True they may save money on one side of the balance sheet, but costs often increase elsewhere for a variety of reasons.

As for leaving one's employment if wages were reduced to 40K and or forced to stay because one had to feed one's family: excuse me but if you are living on 75K or above, and your wages are cut in half, what makes you think your family is going to survive any better? This is happening already to all manner and sort of persons who have either been forced to take a pay cut, or lost their previous employment and cannot find new at the same pay grade. In short order most end up running through savings (if any), and then try to scramble to avoid being homeless and or in bankruptcy.

Until anyone provides written proof of this said salary cap for nurses, I'd say let the matter rest. In most areas of the country 40K is about what clerks, secretaries, and even housekeeping earn, and it would be VERY hard to get a nurse today, with all one is expected to know and perform to hang around for long on those sort of wages. Would have to look it up, but am almost certian depending upon family size 40K/yr would qualify for various types of welfare payments in some states.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion