Are nurses already overpaid,underworked and not really that good?

Question

Before we start with the "angels " stuff and would I complain if they were saving my life.
They are paid to do a job.They are paid far in excess of employees in like for like industries with equivalent skills.
They dont nurse for the love of the job,they get paid and paid well.
every person in any job is just as necessary but dont carry the romantic image of florence nightingale.
Nurses are getting to a point where they think they are above many of the jobs they ought to be doping in hospitals,hence the spread of mrsa.
if they want doctors wages then perhaps they should spend years at university,like doctors do.

Answer 1

Ouch! how dare vent your spleen at nurses and their pay! - Wash your mouth out with carbolic soap!... At least that would stop you getting a nasty infection!.

You are right though! Nurses are seen and do regard themselves has special cases. Its true they do have to study and pass exams! and some do go on to degree level education.

My recent stay in hospital made me ill with complaints i didn't have before i went in!,, The Nurses who where mostly Asians and Africans and a couple of Irish girls where nice enough! seemed to spend more time chatting among themselves and gadding about! - only when the ward sister appeared did they get down and do some work!, The cleaning of the bays was done by lowly paid no hope-rs from eastern Europe! who could not speak or understand much English!. God knows what carbolic soap translates too in Bulgarian !.

Oh did i mention that neither the nurses- doctors or cl earners used the alcohol hand wash that often?. i was glad to get home to recovered from my hospital visit!. Phew was almost a fait worse than death!.

Answer 2

First of all, I am sorry you have that view of nurses. Nurses are an essential part of health care. Just as doctors are, but also just as other members of the health care system are. That includes cleaners, porters, cooks, radiographers, cardiac technicians, health care assistants and so on.

Most, but not all, love the job they do. Why else would they do a job cleaning shi+, with anti-social hours, crap pay (for the work they do) and hassle of patients and relatives? The money they get is not comparable to the work that they do. Worse, thanks to health service 'reforms' they are working even harder in conditions that are more dangerous for them and patients and still, they do the job.

Yes, there are cases where nurses are getting above themselves, but that applies to all jobs, and not just in the healthcare system. But an experienced nurse can help doctors and, more importantly, patients, by taking part in some roles that doctors do. Some nurses are capable to seeing and treating minor, or less complicated illnesses.

You can not compare nurses to doctors. They have different skills. A nurse has skills a doctor does not have, and doctors have skills that a nurse does not have. One is not 'better' than the other, they are just different. Yes, there are bad nurses, there are bad doctors, but every profession has people in it who are not that good, look at politicians!

Nurses are underpaid, overworked and, most are very good. But remember, you can always refuse to have a nurse save your life, everyone has the right to refuse consent to treatment (though that refusal to provide consent is not binding in all situations). Of course, you would be probably be dead soon after doing so.

Answer 3

From what I've gained, you want to join the Army as a nurse. Then you will need to go through the same procedure as other soldiers. Where would you live? It depends on your future duty station. If you get deployed to Iraq, you will live on a local U.S. base. I don't think anything is guaranteed if you can't pass the physical tests but otherwise, you have nothing to worry about. Goozy: why don't you want to see a recruiter? They are more reliable than anyone. You don't have to sign up for anything, you can request first-hand info that you can rely on. If I were you, I would not rely on this site because although most of us are related to the Army in one way or another, we are not Army nurses. That's why we don't know the exact procedure while recruiters can give you info immediately.

Answer 4

NO! The nurses you despise are the ones who many times take the "fall" for the doctors. They are NOT overpaid for what they do. They spend a lot of time in universities getting educated and sometimes actually know more about a certain diagnosis than the doctor who diagnosed it in the first place. Who said they don't nurse for the love of the job? If they are in nursing that is a bold-faced lie. Paid in excess? Not true. When I started my RN career in 1976, I made $4.00 per hour!
I think you owe ALL nurses an apology for your stupidity who just happened to write without doing one little bit of research in what you said.
If you think nurses are overpaid, what do you think about the CEO's in America?

Answer 5

Not really.
On average they get paid about £25k once qualified, they have to work 12 hour shifts and they work 5 days a week. So in fact, compared to the national average of a 37.5 hour week the pay is pretty poor.
For £25k you can get a Monday to Friday, 9-5 as an office manager. I know which I think is easier!
Nursing is the sort of job you have to do out of love (I assume). I certainly can't imagine its easy watching people die, bearing bad news, putting up with crap from doctors (who, by the way ARE overpaid).
I think they do a great job, and besides, what would we do without them?
However, judging by most of your answers on here, I'd say your question is purely to court controversy. Bored are we?

Answer 6

You clearly don't have a clue about what you have chosen to talk about. Lots of assumptions. How do you know that they don't love their job? Can you tell me what the average nurse gets paid? Do you know what a nurse is asked to do, as opposed to the cleaners, health care assistants and other people who work in a hospital? Is it just down to nurses to stop MRSA? Who said they want doctors wages? Nurses do go to university to study before practising, do you know how long for? Do you know about how they continue their professional development? If you do know these things your question doesn't show it. PS No I am not a nurse but I do know several and can answer these questions.

Answer 7

LETS JUST HOPE THAT YOU NEVER NEED TO GO INTO HOSPITAL. As for being over paid, they are paid the minimum wage, hours are way above the E.U working hours, 2/3 years training. Over worked due to shortage of trained staff, and lack of funding, to many middle management bleeding the NHS with excessively high pay. Government dept not willing to give hospitals the money they need,but keep giving themselves massive pay rises. Get your facts right before you start running down the nurses pal. That badge suites you. SS.

Answer 8

Nurses, I think, could along with teachers now be classed as the uncaring professions, I don't think they are overpaid, I think its more a case of other workers being underpaid, I think they have overrated opinions of themselves, and except for a few who are no doubt about it 'nurses' the rest are rubbish, leaving food out of the reach of the ill, leaving patients on bed pans 'till they fall off! nursing degrees now, are like a lot of degrees given out as sweetie's.

Answer 9

Would you put up with people who vomit over you, wipe their arses, and so on. nurses on £25 grand are extremely qualified and are now known as managers, The lower grades are on the front line getting all the crap they are on £14 grand,
Then the home care assistants on minimum wage their all out there doing the job and its hard work. Do you know what work is or has your brain not that advanced or were you born stupid.

Answer 10

Nurses put up with a lot of chit. Especially from the doctors. I've seen doctors rip them from stem to stern. When a nurse gets too Florence Nightingales, they get taken down real quick by doctors. I've dealt with them all quit a bit this last year with my aging parents. I also have nurses and doctors in the family, even a few aids that if you ask them, nurses and doctors do and know nothing. Gets interesting.