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

[keithjones]

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.

[rngolfer53]

"I'm curious: is there a source for the numbers you used? Is there a proposal out there in the initiatives being put forward for capping nursing pay? Or are you being proactive?"

I don't think he/she's being proactive - I think of it as spreading unfounded fear.

One of the ways proposed to keep costs down is reimbursement cuts, or at least lack of increases, to doctors and hospitals.

So, if there's less money coming in, it doesn't take much to figure out that pay is going to be constricted if not capped.

[netglow, ASN, RN]

...and facilities LIKES their money.

The for profit hospitals, the ones with "centers for excellence marketing tools"... how is that gonna work? It's no secret that cardiology is gonna take a huge hit for example (take a look at physician blogs). We all know that internists can handle a lot of that, or should be able to -Lo Tech. What is going to happen when those hi-cost but not necessarily better procedures stop bringing in the cash? Many hospitals that are doing well financially, in part get there by overburdening the nursing staff already. I know that the thought is supposed to be that once more people are insured, income will increase... but it might not balance the cost of treating so many. I can see some hospitals closing (the primary reason for existence as a business is money). Sure you have more insured, there will still be the same amount of people who cannot/will not pay their bills.

I'd love all this to work out somehow... I have had to purchase my own insurance often, having had my own business. If nothing else, I'd love to make preexisting condition exclusion illegal. I just am not sure that this all can work. Some stiff rules will have to be put into place.... probably rules that would seem unethical. But that all just depends on what we decide our societal morals to be now. That kind of thing is what's gonna shock everybody.

[NickiLaughs, ADN, BSN, RN]

I think I'd just go back to school and become a corporate health executive, which is apparently what I should have done in the first place. :wink2:

Supply and demand dictates salary, if salary was to decrease, then demand would increase.

[nicurn001]

If supply and demand dictates nurses pay , thats news to me , we constantly hear of nursing shortages , yet look at other threads and you will see how poorly nurses are being paid already .

[NickiLaughs, ADN, BSN, RN]

True.

I've also noticed salaries tend to be significantly lower in highly desirable areas, because nurses will sacrifice the salary to live there.

I happen to live in an area where cost of living/wages are reasonable. Yes, I do have the CNA (union) to partially thank for that as well. I can't honestly say that while I love nursing, I would be willing to do it for 15/hr. It is taxing on the mind, body and soul.

[Moogie]

Sure---if salaries for physicians are capped at $70,000 per year and salaries for health care CEOs are capped at $75,000.

[PostOpPrincess, BSN, RN]

hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha.

Yes, I would stay for the sake of the people who are sick because I shouldn't worry about my kids going to college or worry about my retirement. The government will take care of me. Power to the people! Oh, excuse me while I answer this customer....I'm at my second job...would you like some Fries with that burger?....

*SNARK*......

[PostOpPrincess, BSN, RN]

registered nurse salaries

staff rns working in the united states average a median base salary of $41,642. half of all us rn's are expected to earn between $38,792 and $44,869.

i was just capping them arbitrarily around the median! i am not saying they will ever be capped, in fact i would be seriously stupid to be preparing to go into nursing if i believed my salary would be capped. i envisioned a thread full of people saying... "not on your life" so that if the idea was ever proposed there would be some ammo to say "think again!" seems like you can't play devil's advocate around here without getting called a devil!

the simple truth is demand for nurses will be on the rise for the foreseeable future, recession not withstanding, and the higher demand is the higher pay will go. add to that inflation and the rise in minimum wage.... by the time i retire in 35 years a nurse will easily make 6 figures (and i'm not talking about california where they already do!).

35 years...6 figures? seriously, some of us....already there.....and will not go back to $40,000 per annum. not on your assum.

[nkara, CNA]

I would do it... who cares about the salary. I'm in it for the patients. :igtsyt:

[newohiorn, BSN, RN, EMT-P]

To answer the original question...he$$ no. There is no way it would be worth shouldering the responsibility we have for 40K.

[GadgetRN71, ASN, RN]

35 years...6 figures? Seriously, some of us....already there.....and will NOT go back to $40,000 per annum. Not on your assum.

I only have 3 years experience as an RN and make about $65,000 a year..could make even more if I went the next state over. I'm wondering if the OPs figures are from a few years ago?

[beachbutterfly]

Probably.I wouldnt want to waste all the things I learned in Nursing school plus 40k in my opinion is not at poverty line.I know people who make 13,000 20000 doing far worse jobs than nursing.Plus I like to use my brain at work not just hands.