TRN

I just have to vent. I have been interviewing for a cleaning woman and would you believe many of them asked for $20/hr!! That's cash by the way! I am so angry that many nurses are making the same hourly salary as a maid and WHY WHY WHY are more nurses not angry about thier pay? I am furious that so many non degreed positions make the same or more than we do. Why haven't nurses stood for their rights??? I am new but I would love to bring nursing salaries to the negotiating tables. I am so angry.

I work at a children's hospital in Chicago and they just sent out a notice saying that new grads would start at around $20 per hour. This is close to what I make and I have been there for five years!!! Not to mention that the rumor is they will adjust the pay for recent employees. but for the most experienced the pay will never reflect their years of experience. Some of the older RN's may not even get an increase at all. I guess they are "maxed out". What should we do? Call a massive strike for fair increases? This would never happen if we were union, right? I am so tired of this being acceptable behavior towards nurses.

RNCOUNTRY deserves applause for the changes she has tried to make in the nursing profession. She had been verbally attacked by many.... but thanked by so many more. I only wish I could meet her in person. I admire her.

I will be interviewing for jobs soon. I need some help devising important interview questions. In retrospect, what questions do you wish you would have asked during the interview? Thanks!

I don't want to hurt your feelings, but I would be offended if someone called me a "good lady". Ummmmm noooooo, I am a professional registered nurse. It seems a little degrading to me, but I wasn't there. It just sounds like "good doggie" to me. Am I being too sensitive? I would also be offended he gave me $50.

With all the changes in healthcare that have affected nurses, I wonder if doctors are affected in similar ways? The reason I ask is b/c I am considering going to med school, but I do not want to change one dysfunctional field for another. Have any of you heard the MD's talk about their field in such negative ways as nurses do? I do know that medicine does not pay what it used to, but it's still better than nursing. I was going to go for my Master's in nursing but then decided for another 1-2 years I can be an MD. Especially since a Master's in Nursing still doesn't help pay the bills any better. Now, nurses, don't crucify me for this question and the fact that I am considering med school.

Who saw tonight's ER? Did you hear the part where the boy was in CHF and the parents yelled at the MD,"Why aren't you in there with him? There's JUST A NURSE with him!" I am so outraged at the way this show portrays nurses lately. Join me in contacting the show and complaining about their lack of knowledge regarding what nurses are capable of!