Why do physical therapist make more then....

llg, PhD, RN · Oct 25, 2002

They require more education. A person can be an RN with only 2 years of post-secondary education (ADN). I'm not sure of all the levels of physical therapists, but you might be surprised to learn how many positions require a Master's Degree.

llg

askater11 · Oct 25, 2002

Thanks for the response.

Why I ask is...my g.f.'s husbands at P.T. We went to the same University. I got in a B.S.N. nursing program at the same time he got in a B.S.N P.T. program. We both graduated from our programs at the same time.

He's not furthered his education and makes more then I.

Gomer · Oct 25, 2002

PT is a male dominated profession; nursing is a female dominated profession. Enuf said.

christianRN · Oct 25, 2002

Several of the PT programs around my area are going to require a DOCTORAL degree starting in the next few years.

UKRNinUSA, RN · Oct 25, 2002

Simply because a PT can bill for their services and RN services are included in the room rate.

kmchugh · Oct 25, 2002

I think the real bottom line is that nurses will take it. Period. An example I have listed elsewhere: If today, I graduated with my BSN and went to work at a local hospital, I could expect to make about $17 per hour. If I finished my Associates Degree as a dental hygenist today, I could expect to make $25 - $27 per hour. With an associates degree. With less actual responsiblity or liability than the average RN, or LPN for that matter.

As long as nurses are willing to put up with, and take whatever low salary they are offered, hospitals will continue to pay nurses that low salary. That's why hospitals fight organization of nurses so hard. Another reason I went back to school to get my master's.

Kevin McHugh, CRNA

Rav_810 · Oct 26, 2002

If we don't fight for better pay, the hospitals will keep on paying us low wages. Nurses are their own worst enemy!! Our profession has more infighting than fighting for the real causes. Till we overcome this, i think we will continue to suffer, Professionaly, Emotionally and Economicaly.

MICU RN · Oct 26, 2002

Most dental hygentist don't receive benifits, however, I agree nurses are thought of as the mules of the hospital. We are expected to do plenty of grunt work, aid work, wait on the patients, and be the clerk some times. Why do we put up with it?

TracyB,RN, RN · Oct 26, 2002

Alot of dental hygienists also do not work full time hours. My hubby's aunt has been one for about 15 years, and is able to work 40 hours per week with 2 jobs.

Roland · Oct 27, 2002

in a free market economy the price (in this case nursing services) of a good or service is determined by the complex interaction between supply, demand, and the availibility of substitutes. Thus, if the supply of Pepsi goes down we will see the price go up, but not nearly so much as if the supply of gasoline goes down. Why the difference? With Pepsi their are many substitutes (Coke, RC etc). However, with regard to gasoline the primary substitute is not driving something which most people cannot abide. How does this relate to nursing?

There is already a nursing shortage that's a good thing for nursing wages. However, the substitutes for health care facilities are still legion. They can simply go without nurses and live with the shortgage or they can hire more "quasi" nurse professionals such as medical technicians, nurses aids, and LPN's. In addition, they can "import" cheaper labor in the form of foreign nationals. So what steps can nurses take to enhance their long term compensenation?

I. Lobby state legislators to make the BSN the minimum requirement for entry level RN nursing. Existing ADN RN's and diploma RN's should be "grandfathered" into practice (as well as those currently in school) this will minimize resistence from current RN's to the idea (indeed ADN RN's and diploma RN's will benefit from the higher salaries generated from such legislation).

II. Seek to legislatively mandate holding an "RN" certification for as many aspects of patient care as possible. This reduces the "substitutes" availible for hospitals.

III. Support continued studies that show a correlation between hospital understaffing and negative patient outcomes. Furthermore, make sure that this information is easily availible to malpractice attorneys bringing suits against healthcare facilities. If hospitals see that understaffing results in more liability payments and higher malpractice premiums it will become relatively more expensive to maintain understaffed levels than to simply pay the wage necessary to retain sufficient nursing staff.

IV. Oppose ANY legislation which makes it easier for nurses from other countries to work here espcially if the educational levels from the originating country are substancially lowers in the nursing profession.

V. Work with nursing accredidation bodies to INCREASE the rigor of undergraduate BSN programs. Thus more classes like Organic Chemistry (at the majors level) and Pathophysiology should be required at the expense of classes like nutrition and educational psychology. In addition, push for a required one year internship after graduation before nurses can take board examinations (this requirement as been successfully implemented by professions ranging from accountents and electricians to pharmacists). Besides creating optimal restriction upon entry into the profession implementation of this reccomendaition will tend to increase the "prestige" associated with the profession.

VI. Use public relations and mass media techniques to heighten awareness among the public with regard to the potential ramifications of the nursing shortage for the health of their loved ones. In addition, the potential dangers of "undereducated" RN's should be accentuated.

VII. Long term there should be a concerted effort to make a master level education the minimum for RN practice. Consider that teachers have successfully implemented such a requirement (teachers must obtain a masters within five years in most states) and pharmacists have managed to raise the bar to SIX years of education.

Nurses don't necessarily need to unionize but THEY do need to pool a significant portion of their political clout to accomplish these objectives.

2MagnoliaTrees · Oct 27, 2002

I work in the school system and they hire out for a physical therapists to work with the children who need therapy. Now I'm sure she worked hard for her degree but I also know that she gets paid about $50.00 an hour and most of the time doesn't even touch the kids. A lot of them are on a tracking basis. She has come in and told the APE teacher how, where and when to stretch the child. All I can say is everything goes around. These kids wouldn't be down for physical therapy if they didn't really need it. Most of them only get this service thru the school system because of their limited incomes. I wish I had been better in Math because I would be one now possibly. The other physical therapist is wonderful. She gets down on the floor with them and stretches them out and they all smile when she is working with them. She's so sweet.