Almost every doctor office I submitted applications to in my tristate area pays an RN, so it seems graduate wages or lower? I am a 20 year experienced nurse first LPN then RN. I was shocked since this is one of my alternatives to staying in the field. I cannot no longer keep up with LTC, there are to many issues; low staff ratio, and poor equipment to work with. I hurt my back helping move a 400lb woman, because theses facilities will take anyone for the money regardless if they have enough help. The hospital I've been there done that and cannot cope with it anymore. It's more so the long hours or 12hr shifts I do not like. I have this FMS, so I try to work more compatible jobs to avoid becoming fatigued.
I am presently giving Flu and Pneumonia vaccines with a clinic until November. It is so nice. I love meeting people and educating them. I really want to work for a doctor something I've never done before I certainly have the tallent to master the office ways, but it's accepting the low pay and revamping my lifestyle or should I say downgrading my lifestyle. I can do it though It just makes me sad that doctors offices pay so very little to the RN and LPN.
Specializes in Spinal Cord injuries, Emergency+EMS.
the simple fact is people will take the jobs , they deem the lower pay to be worth it for the regular hours ( and lack of nights, weekends, early starts and late finishes), lack of moving and handling , a fighting chance of getting off on time ...
the only way this will change is with national collective bargaining - even then where national collective bargaining is in place unless the Doctors offices are bound into it there will still be places who pay what they cvan get away with.
Oh Lord, I pray that is not a trend for the future in order to save huge money. They WOULD save huge money, but at what real cost?
It's not a matter of a "trend for the future" -- there's no physician office in my region that uses RNs, or has for the many years I've been paying attention; as already noted, they're simply not needed in that setting. In my experience, the MAs or LPNs don't do anything but escort people to the rooms, check VS, ask about CC, chaperone exams, and maybe, occasionally, give a shot or something. That's not a level of care that calls for an RN's skills or knowledge. Why would we expect physicians to pay acute care RN rates (or anything close to that) for a level of care/skill they don't need or use?
To me, it's kinda silly for RNs to want to get paid typical acute care RN rates for doing something that doesn't require an RN's skills or knowledge, just because we're RNs. If someone wanted to get away from the acuity, stress, and hours of hospital work and decided s/he wanted to clerk at the local grocery store instead, as a change of pace, would it be reasonable to expect the grocery store to pay her/him at an RN rate just because s/he is an RN, when all the other clerks doing the same job get paid a lot less? Obviously, that's an extreme example, but, to me, the principle is the same as the physician's office question.
I can certainly understand the appeal of working in a physician's office -- better hours, regular schedule, lower stress, etc. However, the trade-off for all of that is the low pay. :)
It's not a matter of a "trend for the future" -- there's no physician office in my region that uses RNs, or has for the many years I've been paying attention; as already noted, they're simply not needed in that setting. In my experience, the MAs or LPNs don't do anything but escort people to the rooms, check VS, ask about CC, chaperone exams, and maybe, occasionally, give a shot or something. That's not a level of care that calls for an RN's skills or knowledge. Why would we expect physicians to pay acute care RN rates (or anything close to that) for a level of care/skill they don't need or use?
To me, it's kinda silly for RNs to want to get paid typical acute care RN rates for doing something that doesn't require an RN's skills or knowledge, just because we're RNs. If someone wanted to get away from the acuity, stress, and hours of hospital work and decided s/he wanted to clerk at the local grocery store instead, as a change of pace, would it be reasonable to expect the grocery store to pay her/him at an RN rate just because s/he is an RN, when all the other clerks doing the same job get paid a lot less? Obviously, that's an extreme example, but, to me, the principle is the same as the physician's office question.
I can certainly understand the appeal of working in a physician's office -- better hours, regular schedule, lower stress, etc. However, the trade-off for all of that is the low pay. :)
That's not an extreme example that is a ridiculous comparison. Although you have a point to some degree I never said I expected to get paid acute care wages. Oh brother sister what kind of example is that your going from grocery store clerk to comparing them with a RN someone with a 2-4 year degree.
Bling, bling they are advertising here for RN's and LPN's for doctors offices, so I guess they still figure on using them.
Specializes in L&D; GI; Fam Med; Home H; Case mgmt.
It's not a matter of a "trend for the future" -- there's no physician office in my region that uses RNs, or has for the many years I've been paying attention; as already noted, they're simply not needed in that setting. In my experience, the MAs or LPNs don't do anything but escort people to the rooms, check VS, ask about CC, chaperone exams, and maybe, occasionally, give a shot or something. That's not a level of care that calls for an RN's skills or knowledge. Why would we expect physicians to pay acute care RN rates (or anything close to that) for a level of care/skill they don't need or use?
To me, it's kinda silly for RNs to want to get paid typical acute care RN rates for doing something that doesn't require an RN's skills or knowledge, just because we're RNs. If someone wanted to get away from the acuity, stress, and hours of hospital work and decided s/he wanted to clerk at the local grocery store instead, as a change of pace, would it be reasonable to expect the grocery store to pay her/him at an RN rate just because s/he is an RN, when all the other clerks doing the same job get paid a lot less? Obviously, that's an extreme example, but, to me, the principle is the same as the physician's office question.
I can certainly understand the appeal of working in a physician's office -- better hours, regular schedule, lower stress, etc. However, the trade-off for all of that is the low pay. :)
You misunderstood me - I was responding to the person above me who said they're beginning to see MOAs in the hospital setting now doing patient care. That scares me and I was saying I really hope that's not what we're going to end up with down the road, for cost-savings.
Specializes in ICU, ER, RESEARCH, REHAB, HOME HEALTH, QUALITY.
Almost every doctor office I submitted applications to in my tristate area pays an RN, so it seems graduate wages or lower? I am a 20 year experienced nurse first LPN then RN. I was shocked since this is one of my alternatives to staying in the field. I cannot no longer keep up with LTC, there are to many issues; low staff ratio, and poor equipment to work with. I hurt my back helping move a 400lb woman, because theses facilities will take anyone for the money regardless if they have enough help. The hospital I've been there done that and cannot cope with it anymore. It's more so the long hours or 12hr shifts I do not like. I have this FMS, so I try to work more compatible jobs to avoid becoming fatigued.
I am presently giving Flu and Pneumonia vaccines with a clinic until November. It is so nice. I love meeting people and educating them. I really want to work for a doctor something I've never done before I certainly have the tallent to master the office ways, but it's accepting the low pay and revamping my lifestyle or should I say downgrading my lifestyle. I can do it though It just makes me sad that doctors offices pay so very little to the RN and LPN.
Any thoughts?
cause they can, quit,, as long as someone is willing to work for those wages, they can away with it.. go get your NP and you can start your own clinic one day- the largest overhead in any business is personal..
I am not sure where you live but look for jobs in research, compliance, risk management and other jobs that are not direct patient care. I also know a nurse who works for a company that helps audit long term care facilities so they can keep their accreditation - that might be something for you since you have experience in LTC.
I second this. I worked in Primary Care for 2 years and while it did not involve a high level of critical thinking, it was pretty freaking stressful. I worked in two different practices but encountered the same headaches in each practice. Patients are really demanding and really expect a lot from their physicians, and the patient phone calls are out of control because patients expect providers to treat them over the phone, refill meds, get referrels, etc. without having to come in for a visit. Several appointments were double booked every day because in reality there is a shortage of primary care providers. I felt like the phone receiver was my 3rd arm because I was on the phone all day everyday. We saw our last patient at 4:45, but some nights I would still be there until almost 7 pm returning all the patient phone calls I'd received throughout the day. I really did love my interactions with my patients, but the job was so freaking stressful.
I have a friend who works in Utilization Management, and she loves it.
I second this. I worked in Primary Care for 2 years and while it did not involve a high level of critical thinking, it was pretty freaking stressful. I worked in two different practices but encountered the same headaches in each practice. Patients are really demanding and really expect a lot from their physicians, and the patient phone calls are out of control because patients expect providers to treat them over the phone, refill meds, get referrels, etc. without having to come in for a visit. Several appointments were double booked every day because in reality there is a shortage of primary care providers. I felt like the phone receiver was my 3rd arm because I was on the phone all day everyday. We saw our last patient at 4:45, but some nights I would still be there until almost 7 pm returning all the patient phone calls I'd received throughout the day. I really did love my interactions with my patients, but the job was so freaking stressful
And I second your statements. I kind of chuckle when I read posts that seem to imply that MD offices are so tranquil and serene. Physically, yes, it's a break from lifting people. And I could usually pee when I needed to:lol2:.
But the patients! So demanding. The phone calls out the wazoo. Running am hour behind because someone made their appointment for one concern, yet spilled out 10 other things while they were there. Working emergencies into an already crowded schedule. We often had 10 hour office days, then I still needed to address the phone issues that I hadn't managed to take care of between patients. It's definitely its own kind of stress. And I worked every bit as hard for quite a bit less money than I do now in a more acute setting.
And I second your statements. I kind of chuckle when I read posts that seem to imply that MD offices are so tranquil and serene. Physically, yes, it's a break from lifting people. And I could usually pee when I needed to:lol2:.
But the patients! So demanding. The phone calls out the wazoo. Running am hour behind because someone made their appointment for one concern, yet spilled out 10 other things while they were there. Working emergencies into an already crowded schedule. We often had 10 hour office days, then I still needed to address the phone issues that I hadn't managed to take care of between patients. It's definitely its own kind of stress. And I worked every bit as hard for quite a bit less money than I do now in a more acute setting.
I rather do this stressful work than deal with 40 medsurge beds, 10 of those telemetry; IV pushes heart meds, resp etc, IV's, Heparin IV, TPN and lipids, admissions, discharges, post and pre-ops, blood transfusions, tons of ports, drains, chest tubes out the wazoo. One day 3 codes including one DIC which we were pulling clots as big as my fist from his throat waiting on the ER doctor to arrive to the floor at which point by then was to late for heparin IV, a young 34 year old male with lymphoma (sp) cancer. Oh gosh, I was the head nurse unit team leader they called me day after day all sorts of stuff. Demanding oh gosh do I know that word. Year after year I did this 2:30p to 12MN no more.
I rather do this stressful work than deal with 40 med surge beds, 10 of those telemetry; IV pushes heart meds, resp etc, IV's, Heparin IV, TPN and lipids, admissions, discharges, post and pre-ops, blood transfusions, tons of ports, drains, chest tubes out the wazoo. One day 3 codes including one DIC which we were pulling clots as big as my fist from his throat waiting on the ER doctor to arrive to the floor at which point by then was to late for heparin IV, a young 34 year old male with lymphoma (sp) cancer. Oh gosh, I was the head nurse unit team leader they called me day after day all sorts of stuff. Demanding oh gosh do I know that word. Year after year I did this 2:30p to 12MN no more.
Give me the stress of the doctors office any day.
The person who said that doctors office are serene must have never spent time in the waiting room sick. Well I have and I had eyes nothing serene about it. But give me that over my med surge unit any day or LTC giving 40 people 100s of pills in a given time frame, transcribing tons of orders, documenting in lots of charts, dealing with pharmacy, family and adm.
I work outpatient/MD office and yes I am paid considerably less. And I run my butt off all day! We're always running way behind, adding people on, , people keep calling, gotta get the labs for that er visit and the SHOTS are out of control this time of year in a practice that sees children. I spend half my day drawing/documenting/giving shots for school vaccinations. I miss lunch, get out late and have to force time out to pee.
ZippyGBR, BSN, RN
1,038 Posts
the simple fact is people will take the jobs , they deem the lower pay to be worth it for the regular hours ( and lack of nights, weekends, early starts and late finishes), lack of moving and handling , a fighting chance of getting off on time ...
the only way this will change is with national collective bargaining - even then where national collective bargaining is in place unless the Doctors offices are bound into it there will still be places who pay what they cvan get away with.