Pandemic flu and the economy

printsess · May 1, 2009

The economy has caused the layoff of nurses so we do not have enough to handle this. There are more layoffs pending. There needs to be more consideration for how to handle public health nursing and the budget.

oramar · May 7, 2009

I feel for you. I am wondering how nurses are supposed to deal with this when then have employers that are threatening to fire them if they take off during epidemic. At the same time who will take care of sick children at home?

lamazeteacher · May 7, 2009

I feel for you. I am wondering how nurses are supposed to deal with this when then have employers that are threatening to fire them if they take off during epidemic. At the same time who will take care of sick children at home?

This is the essence of "It Takes a Village". We all need support from others in case of situations when we ourselves can't be there. There are thousands of married and single parents in the military, who had to make the decisions needed in case they're called up to "be all that they can be". The only difference is that those soldiers chose to be in the military, with their primary responsibility for us and our country.

The opportunity for heroism happens seldom yet when it does, rising to the challenge isn't a choice but an oibligation. Ask any hero if that is what happened at their pivotal instant..... they'll describe it. As health care providers we've already made the choice to serve others.

We have a government now that understands and protects our needs. There will be resources to help us meet obligations that couldn't be met in an emergency. Ordinary remuneration won't come from our employers, but from the government. Trust that. Our President Barack Obama is for us! Any act of courage will be appreciated in this atmosphere of mutual respect. I believe in that, and I hope you do. The budget we have now is unlike any other, in that those who have means will be obligated to provide for those who don't.

Tax shelters that dictated that "the rich get rich and the poor get poorer", as Doris Day sang so happily, accepting its inevitability in the past, are not possible today. Foreign banks can't hide the fortunes made without being taxed before. The time has come for social responsibility, not to be interpreted as socialism as those with fortunes label it, to keep past gains without being fairly taxed for them. They'll still have what they had before. But in today's tax structure, they'll not have the vast multiplication of it as they did before, at the expense of those without means. The allocation of funds is much more fair now, and transparency prevents misuse and abuse of the laws regarding business practises. No longer will the wool be pulled over anyone's eyes.

printsess · May 7, 2009

I am not a public health nurse, but writing in support of them. The funding is being cut for them disproportionately to other positions. One group with many layoffs has a manager that received a 5% raise at the same time. We need them and they need to be valued.

indigo girl · May 7, 2009

I am not a public health nurse, but writing in support of them. The funding is being cut for them disproportionately to other positions. One group with many layoffs has a manager that received a 5% raise at the same time. We need them and they need to be valued.

You are absolutely right. This is no time to be cutting funding for public health positions.

lamazeteacher · May 8, 2009

I haven't heard of any PHN position cuts in VA.

With the impending pandemic, we'll need every experienced PHN there is.

printsess · May 12, 2009

That's great. In Washington State and a few other states, the cuts are huge.