Question about the future of nursing

zacarias, ASN, RN · Feb 9, 2005

Enduring faith,

While I don't have any answers to your thought-provoking questions, I did enjoy your post and think you would be fun to have in an ethics class.

I think before anything changes for the better, our country is going to have a healthcare "crash." I mean where 1/2 the ERs close in the US, riots break out etc. I could be being dramatic but who knows you know? It is already a really bad situation.

Healthcare reform needs to be major, drastic, and imminent!!!!!!

EnduringFaith · Feb 9, 2005

enduring faith,
while i don't have any answers to your thought-provoking questions, i did enjoy your post and think you would be fun to have in an ethics class.
i think before anything changes for the better, our country is going to have a healthcare "crash." i mean where 1/2 the ers close in the us, riots break out etc. i could be being dramatic but who knows you know? it is already a really bad situation.
healthcare reform needs to be major, drastic, and imminent!!!!!!

hello zacarias! thanks for responding.

lol about the ethics class! i took an ethics class already and the instructor was always anticipating my papers--he just loved them. i think ethics is fun.

as for closures, riots, etc....you sound a lot like me. i believe it's going get to the point that patients, and consumers in general, are going to fight back and mightily. the potential energy is building. the way we are going, it seems like the only thing left is a major healthcare crash. i don't think you're being dramatic at all.

as a patient in the working poor class, i have had great difficulty getting care and i have stopped utilizing the healthcare system out of fear of the bills. i don't believe i am alone. in addition, i have actually become fearful of even utilizing my health insurance because of frequently hearing doctors in particular repeatedly complaining about their reimbursements. many people i think are dreadful of the potential debt from medical bills, they do wait until it becomes a true emergency situation. i have been there, done that numerous times. it sounds crazy, but i have heard of possibly boycotting the system altogether.i would not be surprised if this were to happen. it could be done to retaliate against the pharma companies, the insurance companies, high medical care costs. in other words, it seems to some that the only way to get the point across is to stop being their customers. and by the looks of everything going on with our budget issues, this may happen involuntarily.

actioncat · Feb 9, 2005

Hello,
I am new to this site today and I am trying to ask others out there in the Nursing profession a burning question. I am trying to research the issue, but cannot seem to find information to answer my question.
We hear of and know of the current nursing shortage. (Or as I have read on this site, is there a true shortage?) It seems that employment security is strong with this profession, especially doing the bedside work. I personally have a great desire to bring a lot of committment and devotion to nursing and I have been very fortunate to be able to get accepted into nursing school in the past (I couldn't attend though due to personal obligations and I wish to consider my options now very carefully).
The question I have involves our healthcare system. As we have learned recently, nearly half of bankruptcies are because of medical bills. 45 million people in this country lack health insurance and the number continues to increase. I as a patient have experienced first hand what it feels like to be uninsured--I have been bankrupt and I don't often get the care I need. Which leads me to my question...
Isn't it logical that with more and more people unable to afford healthcare, and many hospitals having to close units or close down entirely, that there could be potentially enormous layoffs of nurses if it's not already happening? Has anyone seen this first hand? I ask because I have heard of nurses getting laid off in the past. At minimum I wonder if our deteriorating healthcare system would offset a nursing demand(?)
I have much enthusiasm I would like to bring to the nursing profession, but I am not sure if I can endure the heartaches of our healthcare system.
I would love to hear what others out there think about this. Thank You!

You know, I was thinking the same thing myself. The federal budget and our state budget is allocating much less money for Medicaid. Health care costs rise faster even than college tuition(!) and our population is aging.

For nurses, I wonder if these days will be looked back upon as "fat and happy days." Hard to believe with all the problems now, but I don't see the government tackling this problem with the current administration in power.

Onthe other hand, nurses are difficult to replace and the population is aging, so that means they can't lay off too many of us.

I just don't know. I'm not overly optimistic.