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

UM Review RN, ASN, RN · Feb 14, 2006

just goes to show you the ignorance of our consumer population; and if all were to date on what skilled nursing entails, such statements would be non-existent. i'm so sick & tired of the glorified hand-maiden image. well, at least we all know you're worth every nickel you earn oramar. time to educate the public!
leslie

Not just consumers! I work with a few NURSES who think our salaries are "just fine." These are also the same ones who clock out on time and then stay on the unit to "finish up", who don't clock in for unit meetings, and who work through their breaks without charging for it.

They never get it. They never understand why we get more work piled on us. It's because "the numbers" show that we're doing just fine. And who's skewing the numbers???

Why the little angelic, altruistic martyrs themselves. Of course. :rolleyes:

By the way, I'm in Florida.

CrunchRN, ADN, RN · Feb 14, 2006

It's a shame you couldn't just say "you get what you pay for" - ha ha!

UM Review RN, ASN, RN · Feb 14, 2006

It's a shame you couldn't just say "you get what you pay for" - ha ha!

It is a shame that the opposite is true; we're probably the best bargain the patient has.

MrsWampthang, BSN, RN · Feb 14, 2006

Not just consumers! I work with a few NURSES who think our salaries are "just fine." These are also the same ones who clock out on time and then stay on the unit to "finish up", who don't clock in for unit meetings, and who work through their breaks without charging for it.
They never get it. They never understand why we get more work piled on us. It's because "the numbers" show that we're doing just fine. And who's skewing the numbers???
Why the little angelic, altruistic martyrs themselves. Of course.
By the way, I'm in Florida.

Hmmm, what brand of crack are they smoking?!?!?!? They must be the ones that stop in the middle of a crisis and clean the patient coffee maker!!! I guess I'm a loser, cause I actually finish on time ON the clock, and, sorry, if I go to a meeting, I clock in! How dare me!!!!! Oh the shame!!!!!! I'll just hang my head and skulk over to my desk so I can barely pay the bills I have laying there, because "I make too much!!"

Pam

Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN · Feb 14, 2006

It varuies on the area you're as to whether people think their salary is just fine or not.

In the next town over, if i were an RN, i would think my salary was perfect. Same as an LPN. However, i'm not ready for the spawling hospital yet.

By the way, Oramar, if it's all your fault, what address are we to send the hate mail to? j/k

OliveVinesRN · Feb 14, 2006

It seems to me that these patients, nowadays, have become hostile to nurses. I don't know if they feel that we do this job for the money or what. Because I can definitely tell them that they do not pay me enough to do this job. I do it from my heart, but lately, it seems that my heart is heavy due to the way so many patients behave.

This job is physically, mentally, and emotionally demanding and if it wasn't for nurses, patients would not get the care they require. I would have told that man, "Let's see if hospitals were staffed by doctors how much attention would you get then". The whole health care delivery system would shut down if we nurses chose to just all sit out for a couple of days. But we won't do anything like that because we care for our patients too much. Who is it that leaves their family behind to make sure patients have someone to look after them when natural disasters break out? It's a majority of nurses who do this. And for this man to speak of nurses as nothing more than an occupation is a kick in the chest to me.

SmilingBluEyes · Feb 14, 2006

Not just consumers! I work with a few NURSES who think our salaries are "just fine." These are also the same ones who clock out on time and then stay on the unit to "finish up", who don't clock in for unit meetings, and who work through their breaks without charging for it.
They never get it. They never understand why we get more work piled on us. It's because "the numbers" show that we're doing just fine. And who's skewing the numbers???
Why the little angelic, altruistic martyrs themselves. Of course.
By the way, I'm in Florida.

No angelic martyr here. You are right, we all have to learn the medical / hospital BUSINESS side of things (they should teach this in nursing school period!!!) and learn to band together to be treated and paid as the professionals we really are. If there were ONE thing I would recommend every nurse do, is learn how a hospital is really RUN and what capital goes where. We all need our eyes opened.

sunnyjohn · Feb 14, 2006

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.

The high cost of healthcare? Who do we blame?

1. Expensive Technological advances.

2. Price inflation

3. Chronic, PREVENTABLE illnesses and conditons (Diabetes, Obesity, High Blood Pressure) in a society unwilling to take responsibility for individaul health needs with proper diet, exercise and smoking cessation.

sunnyjohn · Feb 14, 2006

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

Heck, I haven't even graduated yet and I say this!

nicunana · Feb 14, 2006

I'm afraid I have to agree with him. After all, it's not like we do anything that REALLY matters--like throwing a little round object at somebody, so they can hit it with a stick! THOSE are the people who make a difference in the world!! Right??? What the heck-- what's life & death compared to Baseball? Get your priorities in order.

sunnyjohn · Feb 14, 2006

I'm afraid I have to agree with him. After all, it's not like we do anything that REALLY matters--like throwing a little round object at somebody, so they can hit it with a stick! THOSE are the people who make a difference in the world!! Right??? What the heck-- what's life & death compared to Baseball? Get your priorities in order.

GO WHITE SOX! GO BRAVES!! GO NURSES! hehe

Thunderwolf, MSN, RN · Feb 14, 2006

Yes, it would be very eye opening to see an Itemized list of cost of all monies that come and go in the hospital...including CEO salaries. I agree, the costs of materials and meds have come to the point of ridiculous...but, who is to stop this upward trend.

Recently, I came across one patient med...a very small little tube of dermal cream costing $1,500. I almost fainted. This is the crime.

Yes, we, as nurses, are nothing more than the package included with room and board...like the nice warm footies, soap, ice pitchers, et cetera that patients get. Patients don't see this or understand it. CEOs and pharmaceuticals do though....and they have a nice little racket going.