Is money everything in this profession?

[WhyNurse]

Being a newly grad nurse, I can't deny the fact that we are in need in money to help paying bills that have been piled up since we were in school. We doesn't love money, right? I am sure we all do, and we work hard for it.

But after listening to these nurses, I am wondering where is our professional/ethical practice?

I have recently picked some odd shifts and start working in a rural hospital through agency and happened to chat with few nurses who used to work in NWT and Yellowknife in isolated Northern Canada in the lunch room.

All they said is "working up north is good money and in fact, it is like our gold mine"... they went on and on about going through the loop hole such as ask the patient to come and see you after hours and you can get paid for call back, which is legal service just different time slot.. and get paid more.. etc

The more I listened, the more I feel wrong - first thing crossed my mind was "is that why we can't get too much work cause majority of the hospital / nursing facility is out of budget"???? Where is our ethic? I thought we all took an oath.

Well, maybe I am still a "new blood" to the profession and over-reacted with things like that, which is technically happening everywhere (someone has to watch out for themselves kind of mentality)?

"A reputation once broken may possibly be repaired, but the world will always keep their eyes on the spot where the crack was.” - Joseph Hall

[No Stars In My Eyes]

I've not had a raise in 5 years. In fact our pay was reduced by 2.3%, giving me 27 cents less per hour. If it is all about the big bucks, I'm the schmuck and laughing stock.

We also don't get a shift or w/e differential any more. Holiday pay no longer includes the 'eve's" prior to, and there is no longer any accrued time to use for 1/2 pay for any hours we might need to use. They decided to ditch that when I had about 47 hrs built up, and though I've been employed there close to 30 years, was I allowed to use those accrued hours up? HA! And sick-pay? Don't make me laugh.

I can never get ahead, because even if by some weird fluke they decided they needed me to work an extra shift, this too shall pass, once the census is down or the number of available warm body's to work goes up.

Slash, slash, slash! More lack than luck.

As it is, my nose is just above the water.

Kind of doubt it will ever turn around, either. What penurious company would admit to a large increase in business after crying poor-mouth for so long? If I ever heard we, the employees, were to benefit from their increase of income, and get a raise? I'd be dubious, to say the least!

I've cleaned many a dirty bottom in my long career, but my employers' bottom line is more the filthy method of pay, aka 'eff-eau' .

[OrganizedChaos, LVN]

I only got into nursing because my parents firmly suggested it. I didn't know what else I wanted to do so I said, why not? As I got offered less & less money as I was gaining experience I quickly learned I would never do this for free. I made more money as a new grad than after being a nurse for 5 years. I don't miss the bs of nursing.

[Footballnut]

I do what I like and I like my nursing job. I also like being paid for it. I also would not like losing my license by participating in fraudulent activities to earn more money.

[NurseDiane]

Yep, money is all that really matters. There's nothing wrong with it---money is all that matters to administration, to insurance companies, to big pharma, so there's nothing wrong with it being all that matters to nurses.

[wolf9653]

Everybody likes to feel valued. Usually with money, but there are other ways.

[WCSU1987]

I am hoping to be accepted into a nursing program and become a nurse soon. I am doing it for the stability and increase in income.

[PACUpleeze]

I do what I like and I like my nursing job. I also like being paid for it. I also would not like losing my license by participating in fraudulent activities to earn more money.

I do nothing fraudulent to make my money. I simply use every pull I have to make sure I am paid the most per shift. No doctor gets a lecture when he calls back call team for OR and PACU to do a midnight surgery for non threatening cut to the finger, which costs the hospital thousands...so I don't feel bad for my extra $200 here and there at all.

[PACUpleeze]

I've not had a raise in 5 years. In fact our pay was reduced by 2.3%, giving me 27 cents less per hour. If it is all about the big bucks, I'm the schmuck and laughing stock.

We also don't get a shift or w/e differential any more. Holiday pay no longer includes the 'eve's" prior to, and there is no longer any accrued time to use for 1/2 pay for any hours we might need to use. They decided to ditch that when I had about 47 hrs built up, and though I've been employed there close to 30 years, was I allowed to use those accrued hours up? HA! And sick-pay? Don't make me laugh.

I can never get ahead, because even if by some weird fluke they decided they needed me to work an extra shift, this too shall pass, once the census is down or the number of available warm body's to work goes up.

Slash, slash, slash! More lack than luck.

As it is, my nose is just above the water.

Kind of doubt it will ever turn around, either. What penurious company would admit to a large increase in business after crying poor-mouth for so long? If I ever heard we, the employees, were to benefit from their increase of income, and get a raise? I'd be dubious, to say the least!

I've cleaned many a dirty bottom in my long career, but my employers' bottom line is more the filthy method of pay, aka 'eff-eau' .

Sounds horrible. That's like Cartoon horrible. Your corporation is my worst nightmare. Wouldn't suffer that for a second. I would go back to insurance adjusting if they were my only choice!

[No Stars In My Eyes]

Sounds horrible. That's like Cartoon horrible. Your corporation is my worst nightmare. Wouldn't suffer that for a second. I would go back to insurance adjusting if they were my only choice!

Ah, well, yes, there has hip-deep excrement at my company, off and on over the years. I'm not excited about my pay, I have paid my dues though, and am not looking to advance in my career, nor take on a physically challenging position at my age.

There are problems at EVERY workplace. I do stay away from the office as much as possible. But I do like the office staff we have at the moment; it is Corporate that has a nest of bees deep inside their patoots. I stay with that company because I have gotten some of the BEST private-duty cases from them over the years.

Feeling happy at my job is more important to me than the money I could earn elsewhere.

[cisneroj]

Money pays the bills. I know many Nurses that would work 2 full time jobs and a PRN job on the side just to save to buy a house. And they were LPN's making over $80k a year. Yea working 7 days a week 12 hour shifts is hard, I did it for a little while for the MONEY. I am in school right now getting my BSN, I am not doing it to get paid the same as I do now as an LPN.

[Maerzie]

Far too many administrations have become greedy toward the nursing professional needs. I had my last place of employment try to push me out with set-up, crooked, malpractice-type traps, so they could fire me and not have to pay my retirement pension. NOT ethical at all, but pure greed! I was wary because they had done it to two other RNs before me!

One of my directors, years ago, had told a group of us: "If you EVER feel like you're being 'set up' to be fired. document, document, document!!" So, I did! I was doing Home Health, at the time. I kept track of times, days, people present, suspicious circumstances, patient name, etc. When the day came, I was prepared, because I found out my contract allowed that I could file a grievance, in defense of the charges. I had to travel a hundred miles to get to the home base, and the committee, but I had miles on THEIR car to use, which I did. It was all very nerve-wracking and stressful, but I wrote up my notes the night before, and did such a good job in my own defense, they didn't have a leg to stand on. I went back to work, and never got setr up again. To this day, I receive my full pension every month. Always be wary of greedy crooks in any nursing/hospital administration. MANY have no ethics or consciences!