Illegal Alien- frustrated!

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Specializes in Cardiac.
Some of the posters here need to look in the mirror and see, regardless of how long you have been a nurse or how new you are to it, are you in the right profession?

You're right. I know I'm in the right profession. That's the point that the PPs were making. A student telling nurses to ask themselves if they are in the right profession. Were you there with me last week when I was working with a young kid with 20 feet of dead bowel? Did you see me juggle the multitude of doctors and rush him off to surgery-safely? How can you possibly tell what kind of nurse I am? Ignorance.....

Talk to us when you actually get out of school and into the workplace.

My opinions are as a result of living 60 miles from the Mexican border. I don't withhold care or treatment to ANY of my patients. Otherwise, I'd be without a job, being that a lot of my pts are illegal.

Your statements are naive.

Specializes in Cardiac.

Do you see what's happening here? Soon, because you can't be forced to show ID to vote, they will vote in their own into office and take control of the system from the inside.

So, it's not just healthcare that's in danger here.

Today, voting day, we here in AZ must show 2 forms of ID to vote.

casi, ASN, RN

2,063 Posts

Specializes in LTC.

Legal or illegal those who simply use the system should be found out and booted out. There are too many WORKING TAX PAYING AMERICANS who can’t get affordable health insurance.

I had applied to state health insurance in high school after my mom lost her job. I as a working teenager still had to pay the state $100-120/mo for health insurance. At the age of 21 when I had to reapply because I was at the age where it wasn’t mandatory for them to cover me I was told I was making too much money working part time at $8.90 an hour and going to school part time as well. I’ve been without insurance since. I just cross my fingers that I don’t get sick and pay out of pocket when I do.

It just absolutely burns me that those who have been working and paying taxes for YEARS can’t get a bit of help from their government when they need it. Instead there are those who work illegally, get paid under the table, or have found ways to cheat the system who get full rides with no out of pocket expenses.

Hellllllo Nurse, BSN, RN

2 Articles; 3,563 Posts

Yes, I am a student nurse, one semester to go. Does that make me idealistic and to have blinders on? No, it doesn't. I have my eyes wide open and I live in area with a large hispanic population (many of whom are undocumented). At one of my clinical sites this summer, as we sat in report, we as mere students listened to the "season nurses" (who, as one poster wrote are tired of being judged by students) make very inappropriate comments about a pt of another nationality and speculated on her legal status. As students, we try to take the best attributes of the "seasoned nurses" that we work with (and many of the nurses we work with are wonderful and remember that we are their future coworkers and treat us with the same respect that we treat them) and try to incorporate it with how we want to be. We also, unfortunately, see some nurses who we do not want to be like. I wanted to become a nurse, later in life, because I care about people. I care not about where they come from, how they got here, or whether others deem them worthy of our taxpayer dollars. I care about how I can help them,and by helping others we help ourselves to become better human beings. Some of the posters here need to look in the mirror and see, regardless of how long you have been a nurse or how new you are to it, are you in the right profession?

IMO, the most effective nurses are realistic, not idealistic.

Euskadi1946

401 Posts

Specializes in Medical/Surgical/Maternal and Child.
I'm sorry that little girl died because of someone's mistake, BUT....if she had survived she would have been on medicaid because of her condition. Do you have any idea what immunosuppressives cost?? Being on assistance would have meant hers were paid for. When my father was evaluated for a transplant the coordinator kept asking about his insurance status. I finally said, "We've told you he's on Medicare, why do you keep asking?" Medicare pays for meds for only two years post transplant. After that the pt is responsible. Not everyone is lucky....my father happened to have a service-induced condition that led to organ failure, so the VA covers his meds 100%. Otherwise he could have been looking at up to $2000.00 per month. If that child had survived, or any other illegal who received a transplant, you and I are picking up that cost.

Hmm, it's really comical to read some of these posts because some of the people posting are in apoplexy over paying taxes for illegal aliens, some of them extremely poor and can't afford good medical care, getting free medical care but are not in apoplexy over the wealthiest in our nation not having to pay any income tax whatsover and can really afford the best medical care money can buy and guess what, we pay for that too!!!:uhoh21:

PANurseRN1

1,288 Posts

Specializes in Day Surgery/Infusion/ED.
You're right. I know I'm in the right profession. That's the point that the PPs were making. A student telling nurses to ask themselves if they are in the right profession. Were you there with me last week when I was working with a young kid with 20 feet of dead bowel? Did you see me juggle the multitude of doctors and rush him off to surgery-safely? How can you possibly tell what kind of nurse I am? Ignorance.....

Talk to us when you actually get out of school and into the workplace.

My opinions are as a result of living 60 miles from the Mexican border. I don't withhold care or treatment to ANY of my patients. Otherwise, I'd be without a job, being that a lot of my pts are illegal.

Your statements are naive.

Don't let it get you down. I take posts from students with less than half a grain of salt when it comes to telling me what kind of nurse I should/should not be.

I would be willing to bet that most of the students who are so critical of experienced nurses here wouldn't have the guts to say such things to an experienced nurse's face. Such is the faceless form of communication called the internet.

Hellllllo Nurse, BSN, RN

2 Articles; 3,563 Posts

You're right. I know I'm in the right profession. That's the point that the PPs were making. A student telling nurses to ask themselves if they are in the right profession. Were you there with me last week when I was working with a young kid with 20 feet of dead bowel? Did you see me juggle the multitude of doctors and rush him off to surgery-safely? How can you possibly tell what kind of nurse I am? Ignorance.....

Talk to us when you actually get out of school and into the workplace.

My opinions are as a result of living 60 miles from the Mexican border. I don't withhold care or treatment to ANY of my patients. Otherwise, I'd be without a job, being that a lot of my pts are illegal.

Your statements are naive.

Agree totally. I have worked six miles from the border. Working conditions are terrible. I rarely had an english speaking or citizen pt the whole time I worked a surgical unit near Brownsville, TX.

The huge financial burdon contributed to super-short staffing, non-existant supplies, very low pay for nurses, and very frustrated nurses unable to even comminicate with their pts. It was generally miserable.

TheCommuter, BSN, RN

102 Articles; 27,612 Posts

Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
I agree. We should take care of our American citizens first.

Does anyone remember the 17-year old illegal immigrant, Jesica Santilan, who received organ transplantation in 2003? It was big news because a major medical error was made during the surgical procedure. I felt bad that she was so sick, but those organs should have gone to a deserving American first.

So Americans are more deserving of a chance at life than other nationalities? If there is one thing Americans are good at, it is taking care of themselves first even if it is at the expense of others.
First of all, I would not be able to obtain a free organ transplantation surgical procedure in Mexico. Tens of thousands of gravely sick American citizens are awaiting organs, and I personally think they should be given priority instead of having illegal aliens bumped up the waiting list.

Finally, Americans spend entirely too much money on other nations. Other nations are being cared for at the expense of the working class Americans.

TazziRN, RN

6,487 Posts

the wealthiest in our nation not having to pay any income tax whatsover and can really afford the best medical care money can buy and guess what, we pay for that too!!!:uhoh21:

At least they're legal and working!!! If not having to pay taxes is a perk of their jobs, right or wrong they've earned that right. I stand by my opinion. Which, by the way, is my opinion. Never asked you to agree with it.

tvccrn, ASN, RN

762 Posts

Specializes in Critical Care.
I don't think there is any easy answer.

However, I believe that there are a lot people who don't realize how frustrating/expensive/time-consuming/difficult to understand our country's immigration system is. Should people come here legally? Absolutely, if they can. I worked (not too many moons ago) in a community health center where one of the things we did was immigration physicals. There were people from Mexico who began their immigration cases in 1988 that were just getting them processed in 2003! Those were people already in the US. Trying to get a visa from Mexico to the US is virtually impossible, upwards of 10 years and even then you're not guaranteed entry. So when I hear people say, "They should just come here legally!" I cringe because I know I sure wouldn't wait 10 years to go someplace legally and my kids are starving today, now.

My husband is Mexican. I am a US citizen. We have been married almost 5 years. We own a house together. We have a child. Our vehicles, bank account, church tithe account, all of it is in both our names. He has no criminal record. We pay taxes. Do you know that he still does not have his immigration stuff straight? Do you think it frustrates the life out of me? (the answer is yes, by the way.) Do I think there ought to be grace shown? (not just for me, but everybody in similar situations...)

I am not in agreement with people coming here to pop out babies just so the kid can carry a US passport. I'm not in agreement with anyone coming here -- legally or otherwise -- for the sole purpose of taking advantage of our system. Or US citizens who do the same thing for that matter. But I think there is a tendency -- and I mean nationwide, not necessarily on this forum -- to attribute to "illegal aliens" what is true of humanity in general.

In this neck of the woods I hear about drunk driving, pedophilia, working the system, not paying taxes, etc., all with "illegal aliens" somewhere in the same sentence. As if there were no good ol' home grown folk who drive drunk, molest children, and sit on their butt collecting disability when they're healthier than I am.

I realize everyone may not agree. But as someone who is right smack in the middle of the issue, I think it's far scarier from far away than from up close. I don't feel threatened by "illegal aliens" and I don't think they're contributing to our country's downfall.

The fact of the matter is...your husband is trying to become legal. What I have a problem with is the ones who don't even TRY. I know it's a long drawn out process. but, at least start it and carry it through. Getting my BSN is a long process because I have to work and take care of a family while I do it. Does this mean that I should just get the beneifts of having a BSN because I don't want to take the time to do it? No.

It's getting increasingly hard to take care of a family on ADN's wages so I am bettering myself (just as those who come here from other countries are doing) for the sake of my family. Why should they get a free handout while I have to wait until I go through the entire process?

tvccrn

texas_lvn

427 Posts

Specializes in Med/Surg, ER and ICU!!!.
America's first responsibility is to take care of Americans. Mexico's first responsibility is to take care of Mexicans.

It's not working that way, and I completely empathise with the OP.

Agreed.

When my MIL came over from Thailand 35 years ago, she did it the legal way, "payed her dues" LEARNED TO READ AND WRITE AND SPEAK English, became naturalized, and PAYS TAXES. She also votes, volunteers, and much more because she is grateful to be in America. She did not come over to live off other people like so many ILLEGAL immegrants are doing nowadays.:angryfire

Ans I have to admit I have always wondered if these people are willing to go against our laws to get here, they are more probable to go against our laws while they are here. Send 'em back!!!

CIRQL8

295 Posts

Specializes in Only the O.R. and proud of it!.

If it weren't for this wonderful country of ours, accepting of all nationalities, races,religions, and creeds (melting pot), my family would have perished in the Holocaust, and I would not be able to write my thoughts to you all.

Rather than try to make it more difficult to enter this country (which makes it easier to get in illegally), how about making it easier to get folks in. In order to keep our homeland secure, a way would need to be devised to do background checks, etc. But, we could make work permits, temporary resident alien status, permanent resident alien status, and a special status for permanent aliens married to Americans. Give them 'work social security' numbers. Require income taxes, health insurance, etc. Make it less attractive to those wanting to hire illegals under the table, and more attractive to enter the country in a legal manner.

Lots of work, red tape, and politics, but it could work... The taxes that is brought in from those programs could pay for it...

Not a great set-up, but at least an idea.... (Then again, no policy would be perfect, or please everybody)

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