will universal healthcare ( in the usa) cut RN pay?

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I been hearing this debate off and on for a long time about how if Obama gets universal healthcare to go ( if he gets elected of course)though in the US that nursing pay will be cut dramatically. I would think this has to do with the fact that we would all be working for the government and that there will no longer be competition. There are many people in my nursing class that said they will leave nursing if thats the case. I also talked to several doctors that said the same thing about medicine in general. Im just curious if anyone has some good info about this. Thanks

Question-do ANY government positions as a nurse that already exixt pay near as well as being a floor nurse in your area?

My pay as a VA nurse is directly comparable to the other hospitals in the MPLS/St Paul area.

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I make more working for the VA than at any private hospital that I have worked. The benefits are also better.

I should have said me 2 or yeah that...:>>

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I should have said me 2 or yeah that...:>>

I was thinking about becoming an aide at for the VA, but I have a question.. Are Walter Reed and other 'military' hospitals part of the VA or are they DoD?

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I haven't seen anyone mention that with socialized medicine that there is usually a waiting list for surgical proceedures that can save lives.

Not supported by the evidence....See PNHP.org or google Myths and Memes...

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Universal health care will provide needed preventive chronic healthcare for all Americans. Our ED's are inundated by the over 47 million people underinsured or uninsured. Did we all not enter nursing with concern for our fellow man, or are you in it for the money?

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Did we all not enter nursing with concern for our fellow man, or are you in it for the money?

Hmm, I'm in it for both... Really, I get to make loads of cash (yea not Doctor money but still loads) AND have a gigantic adopted family of extra grandparents to take care of!

It's a win-win situation all around!

On topic though, I agree. The VA's example provides all the example we need. Why not just do what other countries do and nationalize all the hospitals (slowly) of course and model them after the VA which is OBVIOUSLY more successful than most private hospitals...

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Specializes in Emergency.
The government doesn't feed kids junk food, the parents do. And before someone says that it's because its cheaper than buying groceries, NO ITS NOT.

Different states have different programs for food stamps...however, in the state where I live, food stamps covered limited items such as milk. You were SOL if you were lactose intolerant. It would also cover fruit juice (loaded with sugar), but wouldn't cover fresh veggies and fruits. There wasn't any substitutions for ethnic dietary practices (such as rice, corn, etc). If you were breastfeeding, you got an extra 2 cans of canned tuna per week.

Junk food is quick, cheap, and has a long shelf life. You don't have to cut potato chips, you don't have to wash ice cream, and you don't have to cook McDonalds.

I try to eat organic and the cost is OUTRAGEOUS. One pound of organic chicken is anywhere from $6-$8 bucks. Organic bananas are $0.50-$0.75 cents a piece. Eating healthy (and truly eating healthy, not just buying "real fruit juice") gets expensive very fast. Its my opinion that "healthy" food is organic foods with high nutritional quality (how healthy are strawberries covered in pesticides anyways). So yes, eating healthy is more expensive than eating junk food.

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In for a penny in for a pound. If people like CRNA don't want to pay for health care. I shouldn't have to pay for anything not directly affecting me...

I say let's be done with it. Dump SS, Medicare, Free Meal programs, Public Education and everything else that doesn't specifically benefit me.

I'll go all out and vote Republican too.

Hey we need to get rid of our local fire departments in a lot of towns and cities too! I mean if people dont think its right to want to help their fellow countrymen and neighbors to be healthy then I'm sure they dont want to help them put out their fires! :chuckle

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I was thinking about becoming an aide at for the VA, but I have a question.. Are Walter Reed and other 'military' hospitals part of the VA or are they DoD?

The military hospitals are DOD. VA is its own critter. Although members needing long term rehab are often sent to the VA for care. (Think acute polytraums.)

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Hey we need to get rid of our local fire departments in a lot of towns and cities too! I mean if people dont think its right to want to help their fellow countrymen and neighbors to be healthy then I'm sure they dont want to help them put out their fires! :chuckle

While we're at it drop that wildly successful public library system...We wouldn't want people learning critical thinking skills.....

(Tongue VERY firmly in cheek.)

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Different states have different programs for food stamps...however, in the state where I live, food stamps covered limited items such as milk. You were SOL if you were lactose intolerant. It would also cover fruit juice (loaded with sugar), but wouldn't cover fresh veggies and fruits. There wasn't any substitutions for ethnic dietary practices (such as rice, corn, etc). If you were breastfeeding, you got an extra 2 cans of canned tuna per week.

Junk food is quick, cheap, and has a long shelf life. You don't have to cut potato chips, you don't have to wash ice cream, and you don't have to cook McDonalds.

I try to eat organic and the cost is OUTRAGEOUS. One pound of organic chicken is anywhere from $6-$8 bucks. Organic bananas are $0.50-$0.75 cents a piece. Eating healthy (and truly eating healthy, not just buying "real fruit juice") gets expensive very fast. Its my opinion that "healthy" food is organic foods with high nutritional quality (how healthy are strawberries covered in pesticides anyways). So yes, eating healthy is more expensive than eating junk food.

That isn't a food stamp program, that is WIC. Depending on your needs you can get milk, eggs, cheese, peanut butter, dry beans, tuna, cereal, and formula. It is through the health dept, not DHS.

You can buy any food with food stamps, healthy or unhealthy. I personally think that they should limit the actual foods that can be purchased using food stamp cards. I don't agree with so much gov't involvement but if they are going to be involved then they need to regulate it more.

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While we're at it drop that wildly successful public library system...We wouldn't want people learning critical thinking skills.....

(Tongue VERY firmly in cheek.)

Those programs benefit everyone equally. No one has said to get rid of every government program..nor has anyone said that we shouldn't help our neighbors. To suggest that we are not or will not be good nurses simply because we have a different view of some issues is uncalled-for. We can still have compassion and empathy without wanting to give a huge chunk of our paychecks to the government to determine how it is spent. That's why I believe in the Fair Tax plan. It doesn't mean that we are in it for the money. Think about it. I put 6% of my income into a 401k, imagine how much more I'd have upon retirement if the gov't didn't take as much as they do. I could double my contribution to my own 401k if they didn't take out SS/medicare.

The Fair Tax plan is a consumption tax, not an income tax. You pay tax on what you spend. Each month, depending on the number in your household, you will receive a check for the taxes on the basic necessities of life. In Neal Boortz book there is a chart that shows how much you would get each month, I don't have the book with me to quote.

So instead of having your check garnished for things that you will not benefit from, you get to choose how you spend your money. If you want to give to charity, then that's your choice. If you want to buy a big screen tv and pay the taxes, that's your choice. It gives us back our hard earned money.

I know this was OT but the whole thread has been so I decided to throw this in so you can see where I'm coming from. People say they want change, well the Fair Tax plan is a change.

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