Monday’s Musings-clutching the pearls and the pocketbook with white knuckles

There is a legislative movement afoot to wage cap travel nursing.

In many states.

And many urging the federal government to move in the same direction.

This is an example of the free market.

And we all had to take economics in high school and many in college.

Oh, your school didn’t require it.

And you didn’t think you’d need it.

There is a meme that is going around attributed to nurselex.

A nurse in full PPE is embracing/supporting a clearly suffering patient.

The text underneath read

“If a lawyer can make $300/hour to defend violent criminals

and therapists can charge $250/hour for their work

and housecleaners can charge $100/hour

and tattoo artists can charge $150/hour

Then some nurses** making $100/hour should not be a concern of CONGRESS”

Nurses number 4 million in the US.

And we are expensive.

And a big part of hospital payroll.

Because the hospital is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

In case you need us.

We’ve been at the hospital throughout this ENTIRE pandemic.

Tending to the dying.

Cheering those who are getting better.

Taking care of those who cannot wait.

And if nurses want to leave to get a slice of something they think is better…

I’ve worked enough places to know that the grass is not greener on the other hospital.

And it is free market to pay nurses what they can get.

And now people in power are clutching their pearls and bleating out ‘wait! that’s too expensive’.

I know of managers who used to tell staff if they didn’t like the changes to go ahead and leave for another job.

I’ve heard from friends that this kind of behavior is still going on.

From hospitals big and small.

I’ve worked for a barely scraping by hospital and I’ve worked for a big corporation.

The poor hospital will have a problem with this.

Several poor hospitals in parts of the country have closed during the pandemic and before.

Because they could no longer afford to stay open.

That is another side of the economics discussion.

Instead of a blanket cap that will never fly because, as a group, we are not willing to be pushed around.

There can absolutely be a conversation about why you feel the need to take such steps.

And can we also talk about your salary?

And by you, I mean the executives, the lawyers, and the legislatures.

And safety?

Of the nurses who have too many patients to handle and care for during their shifts.

Of the patients who have overburdened nurses.

Of the rest of the sick people who need care.

Is this a conversation you are willing to have?

I thought so.