Are these really the people that should be required to work so much? Isn’t their job about handling life and death daily? Wouldn’t we want exactly these people to come fully rested to work every single day and be fully staffed?
I don’t know if there are jobs with similar stakes that are so carelessly staffed and disgustingly paid.
You know, healthcare jobs are the only ones I see “advertised” here in the Southwest. There are billboards for all sorts of medical careers. I’ve had friends and acquaintances talk about being a nurse as a backup career plan.
Nursing is a career path where you cannot rise to the top ranks. Nurses cannot ever rise above doctors, because the next step up is a doctor. The repeat clients in a hospital setting in the southwest are drug addicts or psych patients. The “average” person going to the hospital is going there with something severe. Not to say that everyone doesn’t deserve care, but know your patient base. Nurses are strapped in the entire shift, and being late from lunch is like being late to work. It’s incredibly stressful, and there are studies that essentially show that nurses are worked to the mental and physical limit in their lifetime.
Nurses are treated like shit, and there’s a steady stream of them leaving the profession or moving into admin positions where they’ll settle in; you’re way better off in every way to just aspire to the admin jobs with a master’s of public health. Tell your friends. You’re welcome.
Nurses can absolutely advance careers.
Either through more training to become a professional in a specific topic (or expanding to freelancing on the side) or going into a more administrative part of the hospital like schedules, ordering etc.
But medically speaking, you are right. Only as far as you can until you need to study humane medicine.
Nursing can advance quite a bit. A nurse can become a nurse practitioner, for instance. NPs can even open their own practice in some places. Or get a DNP, become a doctor nurse. Sure that pushes one more towards the admin side, but that doesn’t mean it’s removed from the world of nursing either.
But I guess one could say the same about being a physician as well. Where is there to go? It’s not really about advancing positions, but just doing more stuff that gets you paid more. Whether that be research/education/administration/specializing/whatever else.
i think its because GOP constantly attack healthcare funding, or it scares away potential health employees from working in those states, thats why they dont go to the red states, plus, they are now so desperate they are willing to pay MDs and some nurses to work there some bank apparently. i dont think they care about getting promotions, if thier COL is met, in many places they are making bank from just working shifts in the region(travelling nurses). i notice obesity related clinics(surgeries, do make bank there because the south is so overweight). seems healthcare quality in the south is quite lacking in non-affluent or blue areas.
My personal take is that since doctors are all paid commensurate with the cost of housing, they can go literally anywhere they want.
I’ve noticed over the years that here in AZ, many doctors here long term are centrist politically, unless they’re working for an aid organization like the AIDS foundation or a clinic that caters to the “needy”. Those that live here, want to live here. That said, the ones that aren’t in love with AZ dip out with no warning lol. Me personally, I’d move to Cali with zero hesitation. When abortion was momentarily made illegal here a few years ago, doctors just fucking left, mine included lol.
How is nursing a backup? Are the requirements that low in the US (I’m assuming “Southwest” is in the US?)
No, the requirements aren’t that low. But there are levels of nursing. Each requiring different levels of education and licensing. From LPN, Licensed Practical Nurse the entry level that takes about a year, to RN, Registered Nurse, can take 2 to 4 years. A 4 year BS degree is a degreed RN. Then you can continue to other licensing degrees like RN-P, Registered Nurse Practitioner-- with a limited doctor scope of medicine to take the pressure off of General Practitioner doctors. And a host of specialties nurses can go into. With median wages around $90,000US. And easy opportunities to earn well over $100,00US per year.
Much of the staffing issues centers around many nurses wanting to only work 20 to 25 hours a week. I have a friend that was head of a nursing department in a hospital for many years, and she was always complaining that she couldn’t get nurses to work more than 30 hours a week. And most refused to work more than 25 hours.
dint know they all wanted part time statuses, it make sense since they had to work 40+ for a long time. plus nursing seems stressfull , if you give your bosses an inch they will take a mile with your hours.
With how hard nurses work, I wouldn’t work more than 30 either lol. I’m willing to bet they’re doing 3 10s, some overnight. My aunt does 3 12s in 3 days then takes 4 days off.
Nurses don’t need much training for the lower tiers (e.g. bed pushers).
Or you can change careers and need to do training but the barrier to entry is IMO way lower than say business analyst where you need to know economy topics.
Diagnostics do doctors, medicine orders do doctors. What do nurses do that arent ordered/instructed by doctors beforehand? And what about it can’t be learned a few months in advance?
ive been seeing alot OF NPs, they get higher pay and can work in somewhat as a standin for PAs/ or MDs, my last healthcare group plan had mostly NPs.(they rotate all the health professionals like paper, so there is pretty much a high turnover, but its for the benefit of the PAs/MDs or NP, since the health network was more of starting your career type and getting more experience.
I know of a relative that is officially “just a” trained nurse (with various additional qualifications).
But the kicker: Doctors come to the relative for advice.
A studied medical professional overcame their ego and asked a nurse for advice.
I am working in IT with medical personal as my client. And instructing/giving advice to them is usually more like pulling teeth because they feel they are higher on the totem pole.
Some do listed to me but others…Man…