Yeah, that's right, it's my fault.

[oramar]

Last evening I was informed by a patient that the high cost of health care can be blamed on nurses and their high compensation and benefit cost. This is a afluent, well educated person in his late 70s. For past ten years he has been heavy user of health care due to a series of medical problems. He has had the most advanced medical care in the world, the best medical care money can buy. Indeed, I believe that he has had the best of everything all of his life. I am willing to bet it has cost millions of dollars to keep him alive here in his later years. But that has nothing to with the cost of health care and health insurance does it. It is me who at the end of my career, after years of being severly underpaid and over worked, who is now finally making a pretty good wage who is responsible for the high cost of health care. To bad I couldn't say what I was really thinking because it was a patient. However, if someone out on the street makes a comment like that they are going to be sorry they every met me.

[SmilingBluEyes]

Ever think to look toward malpractice attorneys and insurance companies?

No?

didn't think so....

[Nurse Ratched, RN]

Yeah, that's right, it's my fault.

Now that you've accepted the blame, what are you going to do about it?

(ducking and covering) :chuckle

You should get incentive pay for resitisting the urge to clock such dufuses.... Maybe that's where we make our real money lol.

[Zee_RN, BSN, RN]

My patient said just the opposite today, bless his heart. He has toxic megacolon. I held his hand during a CVP placement -- the look in his eyes and his "thank you!" when I grasped his hand were so gratifying. After a day of caring for him in ICU, he said, "They don't pay you nurses enough for everything you have to do and everything you have to know."

[DusktilDawn]

My patient said just the opposite today, bless his heart. He has toxic megacolon. I held his hand during a CVP placement -- the look in his eyes and his "thank you!" when I grasped his hand were so gratifying. After a day of caring for him in ICU, he said, "They don't pay you nurses enough for everything you have to do and everything you have to know."

Zee, this is exactly why we keep coming back, for people like this who are actually the majority. These are the ones that make us feel like we've chosen the right profession and that we make a difference.

[MissJoRN, RN]

Please... in the OR I've opened single disposable (!) supplies that cost more than my monthly salary. A table set up for an angio easily totals more than my annual salary (and probably the scrub RN/tech's, in addition) Maybe people who have frequents visits should look at their itemized bill and see what their charged for "nursing" OH yeah, $0. We're part of "room"

[meownsmile, BSN, RN]

Hmmm, i debated bout posting which part of the "room" i feel like sometimes,, but i wont. LOL

[SmilingBluEyes]

I think nurses who say we should charge for our procedures and interventions are really onto something.

[Jo Dirt]

I've heard it before, too. I overheard two women (around mid forties) talking about how ridiculous it is that nurses get paid so much.

I knew that they were not nor had ever been nurses and likely never knew any nurses.

A daughter of one of my home health patients (real loud mouthed woman) used to come over griping about if she had gotten paid ALL the money we got paid to to take care of her mother she would be a rich woman.

Excuse me????

[Jo Dirt]

Now that you've accepted the blame, what are you going to do about it?

(ducking and covering) :chuckle

You should get incentive pay for resitisting the urge to clock such dufuses.... Maybe that's where we make our real money lol.

I think the correct plural form is "dufi."

[TazziRN, RN]

*shaking head*

And just how much longer did you think you could get away with it???

Good grief! And I've had people still, to this day, treat me as though I am no more than a glorified servant. Yeah....I went to school all those years and sweated through my Boards just to be a servant.

[zacarias, ASN, RN]

Like the other week, an elderly patient was under the assumption that male nurses were med school drop-outs. Then I gave her a history lesson lol...

[MissJoRN, RN]

A daughter of one of my home health patients (real loud mouthed woman) used to come over griping about if she had gotten paid ALL the money we got paid to to take care of her mother she would be a rich woman.

Excuse me????

Unfortunately, if they think we get paid any more than half of what the agency bills for, I don't blame her for thinking we're rolling in it!