I am a student. However, I always remembered a quote. " The Pen is mightier than the sword." Example, you get pulled over by a cop....do you fear his gun, or what he writes? Most file a report after the facts. Also, it's their report. Can it be Bias? Yes. However, the pen is mightier. I think if we talk value....Nurse Practitioners could make an argument. Their pen makes money. Giving orders, writing scripts etc. Without that, ( Docs, PAs, NPs ) orders don't get filled. X-rays are minimal, medication dispensed that the hospital and Pharmacy makes way over 100% in their investment does not happen.
I think it comes down to reimbursements, the dx code of patients and services provided. A N.P could argue this hard core. If the hospital( and it will ) make x amount of dollars in profit off the ( Doc, N.P, P.A ), based on the DX codes etc ....This is direct worth. Indirectly, they make hospitals more money, by their Pen! Meds, X-rays, Ultrasounds.....
So I guess the question is where do Nurses fall into the cut, as the worker. Well anytime your employed, you will never be paid what your worth...or else the company would not make money off you, hence not make profit. I mean patients are now called clients, aren't they? The more a company can make off you, the better for them. That is business. If you gave a medication that costs say .50 cents, and the insurance gets billed $7 for that pill. The hospital just made a 1400% profit, hand an I.V bag....How long did it take you to do it? How much did the hospital charge the " Client ". How much of the client's insurance paid the charge? What dx codes were put in...so the said client could be billed? The last part should not matter, bc the Pen is stronger than the sword. However, if you think for one minute, a hospital HR Director is losing sleep over a stressed out Nurse, who cares about their " Patients"....and that might be the reason they are stressed out...and who is underpaid! You might be kidding yourself.
Supply vs demand concept? I think not. There are demand for Nurses. I admit, as a male, Salary plays a factor into going into Nursing. Funny quote, which was sexist, but I agree....A director told a B.S.N.." The moment a field makes money with security, Men will start to join it." I laughed....bc well...in today's P.C era, where ppl are told to hinder the truth to spite a feeling....this is probably an accurate statement, from a Female Nurse with experience. I am a male, so I laughed.
So lets take away supply and demand. I say this because with every pen, typically something needs carried out. Can Doctors, P.As, and N.Ps draw blood? Yes. Can they hang an I.V? Yes. Can they despense meds? Yes. Can they put a catheter in? Yes. Do they want to? No. Hello Nurses. Also, if they did do those things, they are spending less time with a Pen...which equals money. This would hurt hospitals. So, I think you need to go back to the first things, How much is the hospital making off that Med at over 1000% profit, and you hanging an I.V, etc. How long did it take you to do that work? Example if the hospital made $400 profit, off what it took 10 minutes to do. Now someone has to put that dx code in. Who is managing those codes? How much is it to use that computer system where your intaking the patient? So obviously there are cuts that come out of that $400 profit. Also among that, is what is being reimbursed out of that $400, that took 10 minutes.
Since Nurses don't have Pen Power....You can't use the Dx variable. One can argue, P.As should be paid more, and N.Ps...for those reasons. As they , well in private practice, are driving force behind the numbers. However, how much profit is there during this Profit gain off Clients doing protocals..or work? I think then, we can make an argument.....Nurses indeed should be paid more. However, you will never be paid what your worth because, the hospital would make no money or a lot less money.
My Opinion, I do want to say again...I AM NOT A NURSE. I am a student. However, I do like to understand the human body as a whole, I do like looking at data to improve patient outcomes, and do like analytics, and most effective ways to streamline. I know, I might be out my place, out of my element, in which, I am not a Nurse yet myself. However, I digress. If you asked me this question 5 years ago, I would of said, Yeah $25-30 an hr for a nurse is about right! That's before....All the above, and really studying my Butt off. Tbh, I grew much more respect for Nurses. I think let me simplify my thought...There are other professions who covet nursing, and think Nurses make $100k, and wish they were in your shoes. Don't believe me? Go to other forums...like public health, People with Masters in Biology. So it's not the lack of respect for Nurses in other areas, it's just....the lack of understanding at an inflated belief.
My two cents, and I could be missing a penny. Nurses should make $4-5 more an hour than whatever their average is now. Some might counter this premise, and say well, then N.Ps would need to make more. Uh yes, they should as well. However, you get paid more for caring for your "Patients", while HR gets enough from their "Clients" in this Moq example...there is budget and profit. So, let's say in an area that a nurse makes $26-28 an hour. Would this change and help others, $30-34 an hour. Of course there is a $4 margin of error because different backgrounds, experience, education, etc.
I grew more respect for Nurses and congrats in all your efforts. Yes, as a mere student, I think Nurses are underpaid, but should it be 150k? I would say, maybe that is the true worth, somewhere in the numbers. However, would you have a place to work if those were the numbers? Do I think Nurses....should make more, Yes! Also understand, if you have one Nurse willing to take less, that plays the role of the drive down. I know I will get flack for writing this, but .....here it goes.
