Purely hypothetical... IF Hillary Clinton gets elected and IF she pushes through her socialized medicine plan then what would happen to the payscale for U.S. nurses? Would it drop $10 an hour per nurse?
I know these are big IF's and I am not here to argue if her plan could ever work but I am just trying to plan ahead in case it DOES happen.
Also I cant seem to find anything to tell me how much nurses make in the socialized medicine countries like canada or united kingdom. Does anyone know how much these nurses make on average?
HOT STUD- Are you still in Nursing school? Or at least close to finishing? Personally, after seeing what is happening with socialized medicine, it's a gamble that one takes. If you decide to go into the nursing field expecting to become rich and are just think primarily about the money, think it would be time to really reflect upon your priorities. I've worked in the medical field for 12+ years and i truely enjoy it. All that matters to me is that I'm able to buy my food and support a family when the need comes. Besides, with Nursing, you always have the oportunity to expand into other areas, not just the clinical setting. Going into nursing was the hardest decicion that I have made, but you know what? I don't regret it one bit at all.
Yes I am still in nursing school and have awhile to go but the main reason I got into nursing is to support my parents (no retirement at all) and I am scared of wages being cut for nurses if there is money cuts due to government run socialized medicine...
I used to be in the mortgage field and have already had the rug pulled out from under me with a change in the marketplace and I cannot afford to have it happen again. It kind of feels like the same thing where as a loan officer money was good when people were getting ripped off with horrible home loans and it seems the same way with people getting ripped off with horrible insurance premiums. Eventually the loan market came crashing down and I fear the same thing if socialized medicine comes as well.
In certain socialized countries Ive seen how the nurses there barely make ends meet so I am just a little worried.
I wish I had the source at my fingertips, but I seem to remember a news article that quoted Hilary many years ago as saying that nurses were paid too much. I believe this was right after her stepfather had been hospitalized just prior to his death. Does any one else remember this?
Although I know of no other field where I could get paid what I do for a 2 year degree, I know my salary is based on my 39 years experience, not the education I got in my distant past. However, I think that only teachers put up with as much abuse as we do in a so-called "profession", so no, I don't think we are overpaid at all.
You do realize that cops, firemen, and teachers get paid a tiny pittance of what they're worth, right? I've got members of all three professions in my family and they are pratically the lowest paid workers in the community. Their salaries certainly don't compete with that of a RN in our community and they were all required to have the same level of (if not more) education.
Without doubt. Many if not most of us -- with the exception of overpaid athletes and celebrities, for example -- are only paid a fraction of what we're worth. (Of course, there are always exceptions. As has been noted on other threads, teachers in some parts of the country make a handsome living.)
My point, which I could have made better, was that the OP was singing the refrain that is typical of people whose only argument against single payer health care is that it amounts to "socialism." We already have plenty of socialism in this country, yet I don't hear anyone complaining about how socialized fire departments do their jobs or how we ought to switch to a "subscription only" fire protection system.
I fail to see how a single-payer system would make nurses' wages go down, particularly given demographic trends. The problem with health care isn't nurses' wages. It's the obscene profits that insurance and pharmaceutical companies demand.
I also think it's interesting that the OP chose to single out Hillary Clinton for what the OP calls "socialized" health care when virtually all of the candidates have health care plans. It's as though he wanted to bash Clinton, not spark discussion about health care. And that leads me to the real question: Why does anyone defend the current system?
I love nursing, really I do, but I'm sorry I need to make a good income for the high level of work I am required to perform. Like others have said I doubt it will happen but if it does I will also find a less stressful, less physical way to make a living.
I feel the same way, Jules. I like the patients but there has to be a win-win situation in order for me to stay in nursing, and the way I see myself winning is by making a good salary. I guarantee that if my pay drops at all I will be falling back on my public health degree and leaving the nursing profession. I may still get less money doing that but the job would not be nearly as taxing. Any decrease in pay to a nurse is a huge slap in the face, IMO. Even if my hourly rate was only decreased a quarter I would still quit just on principle.
I wish I had the source at my fingertips, but I seem to remember a news article that quoted Hilary many years ago as saying that nurses were paid too much. I believe this was right after her stepfather had been hospitalized just prior to his death. Does any one else remember this?
Although I know of no other field where I could get paid what I do for a 2 year degree, I know my salary is based on my 39 years experience, not the education I got in my distant past. However, I think that only teachers put up with as much abuse as we do in a so-called "profession", so no, I don't think we are overpaid at all.
Oh yeah I remember that too! Hillary said something like "nurses are overpaid and undereducated"... looking for the exact quote
You do realize that cops, firemen, and teachers get paid a tiny pittance of what they're worth, right? I've got members of all three professions in my family and they are pratically the lowest paid workers in the community. Their salaries certainly don't compete with that of a RN in our community and they were all required to have the same level of (if not more) education.
One other point: Perhaps cops, firefighters and teachers are required to have the same level of education as an RN where you are, but that is certainly not the case elsewhere.
In my home state, police officers must have high school diplomas and undergo 12 weeks of training at a police academy. They typically earn less than nurses. Ditto for firefighters, who must have high school diplomas.
Teachers here earn substantially more than nurses, and their education requirements are substantially higher. They're required to have at least bachelor's degrees to be certified; many towns now require master's degrees.
It differs from location to location. In my area and for the department I worked for, degrees and state certifications for fire and EMS must already have been obtained. I took a pay cut to change my career to nursing which I did for scheduling reasons. Police officers and firefighters around here make very good money.
If a pay decrease is implemented in the future for nurses, I guess I'd try to make it work somehow and go back to dragging hose!
Specializes in Spinal Cord injuries, Emergency+EMS.
emmanuel mentioned insurance payments
i pay 185 gbp/ year before tax relief for my RCN membership
as well as the union representation this gives me it also provides 3million GBP professional indemnity insurances valid world wide apart from the USA and Canada...
there is also limited general legal expenses cover and potentially full legal expenses cover for work related issues
I wish I had the source at my fingertips, but I seem to remember a news article that quoted Hilary many years ago as saying that nurses were paid too much. I believe this was right after her stepfather had been hospitalized just prior to his death. Does any one else remember this?
Nope. I'm willing to be you won't find an original source, either.
I also think it's interesting that the OP chose to single out Hillary Clinton for what the OP calls "socialized" health care when virtually all of the candidates have health care plans. It's as though he wanted to bash Clinton, not spark discussion about health care. And that leads me to the real question: Why does anyone defend the current system?
Clinton is leading in the numbers for the Democratic ticket. Perhaps the OP believes that she might be the Democrat's candidate. Correct me if I'm wrong, but Hillary has been working on reforming healthcare and vocalizing about the issue since her husband's presidency. I would guess that people strongly associate healthcare reform and Hillary due to her passion for it.
Future-nurse
80 Posts
Yes I am still in nursing school and have awhile to go but the main reason I got into nursing is to support my parents (no retirement at all) and I am scared of wages being cut for nurses if there is money cuts due to government run socialized medicine...
I used to be in the mortgage field and have already had the rug pulled out from under me with a change in the marketplace and I cannot afford to have it happen again. It kind of feels like the same thing where as a loan officer money was good when people were getting ripped off with horrible home loans and it seems the same way with people getting ripped off with horrible insurance premiums. Eventually the loan market came crashing down and I fear the same thing if socialized medicine comes as well.
In certain socialized countries Ive seen how the nurses there barely make ends meet so I am just a little worried.