How can a "Culture of Life" have a nursing shortage?

[underpants]

This is a completely unreported real crisis that can be fixed.

Most anyone who has had a friend or family member in a hospital or nursing home (this varies from area to area and hospital to hospital) can probably relate how many facilities basically expect a friend or family member to assist or at least be present as they are shorthanded.

I had an economics professor who told the class of how what we now know as EMTs was a program initiated by government(s) and the health care establishment using medics who had served in Vietnam to be IN ambulances. Prior to that the ambulance was just a means of transporting people to hospitals hoping they made the trip. Now there is medical treatment to at least sustain the patient between the point of pick-up to the hospital (BTW trauma centers were created with technology created and developed in another government program-the space program-NASA). I wonder how many lives that has saved.

Below are links from a quick google news search on "US nursing shortage". Check the dates on these articles.


California-Education can solve nursing shortage
Article Published: Monday, March 28, 2005
http://www.whittierdailynews.com/Stories/0,1413,207~12044~2786518,00.html

Florida-Lawmakers Study Nursing Shortage
Published Wednesday, March 30, 2005
http://www.theledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050330/NEWS/503300358/1004/NEWS

Pennsylvania-Experts predict nursing shortage
03/28/2005
http://www.heraldstandard.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=14230942&BRD=2280&PAG=461&dept_id=480247&rfi=6

Massachusetts-Funding freeze cuts into nursing home care
Thursday, March 31, 2005
http://www2.townonline.com/barnstable/localRegional/view.bg?articleid=215245

[BlueEyedSon]

1. Or want "tactical nukes"?

[mirandaod]

2. Let me guess...

Because they overwork and underpay them?

[underpants]

9. What if they paid them the same but they had regular hours?

Like if you know there were more nurses (of all kinds). Talk about a great employment project.

[mirandaod]

13. Might work.

The nurses I know complain more about being responsible for too patients, and having to work double shifts. They're worried that mistakes could be made.

[coloradodem2005]

3. Or for that matter no health care availability for millions of people.

[SouthernDem2004]

4. Unfortunately this is nothing new.

My mother was a nurse and this was always the case. It is a good profession to go into.

[BlueManDude]

5. Because "Culture of Life" is meaningless political slogan

much like say - Compassionate Conservatism.

[Liberal Veteran]

6. Or require it's citizens to choose between meds and food?

Culture of life my ass!

[Horse with no Name]

7. The fix isn't as easy as you might assume

and it isn't strictly a Repug problem.
With careful research:
You might find out how the industry actually treats nurses.
You might find that Wal Mart employees have access to better health insurance than nurses do--even though we take care of the sickest of the population.
You might find that the majority of the public feels that we are overpaid.
You might find that some hospitals treat nurses as if they are a dime a dozen.
You might find that mandatory overtime exists when you feel you can't work another day.
You might find that the everyday stress leads many nurses into substance abuse.
You might find that nurses burn out fairly easily.
You might find that taking care of 10 patients at a time isn't a cake walk.
You might find that a nurse doesn't get any more "sick" days or vacation days from work than a factory worker.
You might find that nurses have more on the job injuries than construction workers.

There are alot of reasons there are nursing shortages. Some reasons you may never have thought of.

[underpants]

8. I have heard of several of those

Especially how awful nurses are treated in college to "weed out" those who can't handle it. I went through a "weed out" class to get my degree but I wasn't really emersed into a culture of it.

Sounds to me that the first solution to many of those problems is to have more nurses. I'm not disagreeing with you (good points).

[Horse with no Name]

10. One of the reasons you don't have more new nurses

is that there aren't enough nursing schools.
They don't pay nursing instructors as much as they can make in other fields of nursing so it isn't a coveted job.
It is also a job of great responsibility.
You might have 20 students under you on clinicals in the hospital, and they are all working under YOUR license.
The nursing instructors have to be dedicated, selfless professionals and there just aren't that many around.
Talking about the weeding out, you are always only a procedure away, or a test away, or a clinical away from flunking out.
There is alot of pressure...but make no mistake, the pressure in nursing school is nothing when you hit the real world.
If you can't stand it in school, you won't survive it in the hospital setting.

[readmylips]

14. We got many degreed nurses in our family....

None of their children followed into nursing. They always viewed nursing as a dirty pukie job, not different from janitorial. And you need a four year college degree to be considered for a good job or promotion in a reputable hospital.

My cousin, at 58 years old, finally found a good paying job in nursing, and created her own business. After working for many years in a miserable hospital, she found work with a plastic surgeon and with his help, opened up her own 'one night' care center to service plastic surgeons.

[readmylips]

11. but we got Viagra.....

the fastest peepees in the world.

Everyday I see more and more Americans looking like people from third-world countries; they are toothless. Even people with some type of dental insurance can't afford a visit to a dentist. Many dentists don't want to take dental insurance and a visit is $145. and up. That does not include X-rays or any dental work that will cost $1,000 or more for a single tooth.

[underpants]

12. Originally I was going to mention the dental hygenist shortage too

That isn't much of a headline grabber but it does exist.

[doodadem]

15. This is one issue I've found just appalling in Calif.

I've lived in several other states, and I've never seen anything like this--doctors who refuse to treat you until they know EXACTLY how they are going to be paid. Doesn't matter if it's an emergency, doesn't matter if you have insurance. It comes across as, we are totally in this for the money, and you are incidental. There is no personal relationship.
Same thing for veterinarians here. I had the same horse vet in Cincy for 10+ years. She became a good friend, was always there for us, and always said, pay me when you can, I know you're good for it. Our horse vet here is 3 times more expensive (never less than $1,000 per visit), and will cut you no slack. Same thing for small animal vets--they are outrageously expensive, and even in an emergency, will leave your animal there bleeding while they work up your bill first. You have to agree in advance that you will immediately pay whatever they decide.
Healthcare of all sorts has become a money-grubbing game in this country. Nurses have fallen prey to profit as well. They CAN'T do a good job anymore--not profitable. Just look at what Arnold is trying to do to them here. No wonder no one is going into nursing as a profession anymore.

[LibDemAlways]

16. The size of a patient's bank account is

more important to my dentist than the size of their toothache. One day while sitting in the reception area I overheard the scheduler flatly refuse to make an appointment for someone in pain because he owed $300. Her exact words: "I'm sorry you are in pain, sir, but Dr. X will not see you until you pay the $300.00 you owe us. And, no, we will not accept partial payment."