how come nurses are in short supply and why are they important?

[Philippine Mango]

They say that there is a great shortage in the number of nurses out there and I was wondering, where did this shortage come from and why the urgency? They say the demand more nurses has increased incrementally and they're important. What I was wondering is wouldn't the need for doctors be higher than for nurses? Or is the need for nurses only in hospitals and not in clinics since nurses generally perform tasks that don't require a doctor...?

 

[Feldenak]

Nurses are like NCOs...

 

[ElFenix]

because women would rather be doctors now than nurses.

 

[DainBramaged]

I should be a nurse.

 

[Queasy]

Nurses spend FAR more time with patients in hospitals than doctors.

 

[JS80]

people get richer and generally care more about their health

 

[Yzzim]

Originally posted by: Queasy
Nurses spend FAR more time with patients in hospitals than doctors.

QFT

My wife is a nurse and I guess the saying is "A nurse is more likely to save your life than a doctor"

*shrug*

Don't know what that has to do with anything but I hear it all the time :frown:

 

[quikah]

Nursing has been viewed as a women's only profession for a long time. That cuts your potential candidates in half. Also nurses are less respected than doctors, so a lot of people would rather be doctors.

The only place I have heard of doctor shortages are in states without malpractice limits. I have heard a lot of OB/Gyn are moving and/or exiting the field due to cost of malpractice insurance.

 

[chrisms]

Its not a profession a lot of people can handle. You have to do dirtier work than the doctor on many occassions but you get paid significantly less.

 

[Jeeebus]

digital cable = more porn channels = increased desire for nurses

 

[PoPPeR]

those damn nurses sure do get paid well though.

the amount of overtime (according to my nurse friends) combined with their base salary and the types of shifts they work can make their profession sound very, very attractive

but then they talk to me about cleaning old people poop and all that stuff and i'll take the lower amount of $

 

[IGBT]

..who want's to work in the middle of a bio-hazard and stick hazard??

 

[IGBT]

Originally posted by: PoPPeR
those damn nurses sure do get paid well though.

the amount of overtime (according to my nurse friends) combined with their base salary and the types of shifts they work can make their profession sound very, very attractive

but then they talk to me about cleaning old people poop and all that stuff and i'll take the lower amount of $

..most of their money is hazard pay.

 

[JACKHAMMER]

Apparently you have never visited or been hospitalized. Nurses are the blood of the medical system. And with the outrageous costs of health care fully expect more RN, NP, and PA's every time you see the doctor. Lets be honest, for most the things people see doctors for - a NP or PA is perfectly fine.