Nursing salaries/nursing shortages

[grantRN]

Nursing salaries have not increased significantly to meet the increase in the cost of living. As a result we see more and more leaving the profession, less entering, and a nursing shortage that continues to grow. Its time for nurses to ban together and present alternatives to our politicians to help eliminate the shortages. The solution is not to import nurses from other countries. Its time for the good old USA to step up and take care of her caregivers. National caregivers deserve better wages, better insurance benefits (we receive some of the worst nationally), more assistance with educational debts and other programs that encourage retention/recruitment in our field. In underserved areas doctors get their student loans waived while working in these areas. Why couldn't there be programs like this for nurses since there are short comings of almost 20% even in metro areas. Nurses deserve to be better taken care of since we are the backbone of health care. Its time we collectively speak out to our officials and claim what we deserve.

[Ms.RN]

is there a way something can be done with this issue? maybe a tv exposure? i really hope all nurses walk out of their job to make our issue very clear, because i'm frustrated and am ready to quit my nursing profession.

[Tony35NYC]

Wouldn't it be great if nurses united to form a powerful national political (if you will) organization like say the NRA. But, ahhh, to dream... Of course, that will never happen and for many reasons, the main reason being that too many nurses spend more time working against other nurses than we do supporting one another. I'm new to the profession, and I've already seen this soooo many times.

IMO, the corporations that own most of the hospitals in this country couldn't care any less about nurses, and that is clearly reflected in the low salaries and horrible working conditions in many places. To them, hospitals are cash cows to be milked for as many dollars as possible for their board of directors and shareholders. Doctors, are treated like gods and given every perk imaginable because they are the ones who are doing the milking. Nurses, on the other hand are treated with far less respect because to management we are nothing more than an expensive line item on the debit side of the balance sheet. The only reason many of us even have jobs is because management hasn't yet figured out a way to cut or get rid of us without increasing their liabilities. For the most part, healthcare is a business just like any other. The bottom line is to turn a profit.