Nurses overlooked over worked and underpaid

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The goals of the nursing profession have remained relatively stable for centuries. On the other hand, compensation for nurses has undergone many changes. Early nursing services were mainly voluntary and related to religious practice. Early on nurses did not receive any form of compensation. In other words, nurses were not paid for the services that they performed. In early cultures, human life was less respected and caretakers generally had very low status. The first to demand higher education for nurses were The Sisters of Charity, which was established in the 1500s, was the first nursing order with a systematic education program (Wolfe). By the 1800s, the nursing profession and nursing education were undergoing major reforms. In the United States, the civil war stimulated the growth of nursing and after the war, nursing education and practice expanded as nursing schools provided classroom instruction as well as clinical practice. Traditionally viewed as a female dominated field, nursing is one of the most underpaid occupations when compared to male dominated job categories.

A 1955 study showed a marked disparity when the salaries for nurses were compared with those of other workers. “The average gross monthly salary for a general duty nurse was $235, which included the estimated cash value of any benefits provided by the hospital. Nurses’ salaries were below those of accountants, draftsmen, teachers, social welfare and recreation workers, and librarians” (Wolfe). Therefore, nurses where paid less than most average jobs. Nurses despite long hours and difficult working conditions were being denied their rightful salary. In some cases the educational requirements and professional responsibilities of nurses exceeded those of th...

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...expected in future years. Experts expect that in 2025, the nursing shortage will grow to 260,000 registered nurses. Occurring just as 7,000 U.S. citizens will be turning 65 every day. There has been documented 9 to 16 patients assigned to one nurse, and numbers were higher on the night shift. To cover gaps, nurses work overtime and are assigned to other units. “During one particularly frenetic evening on an unfamiliar unit, I was given only a tape-recorded report and assigned ten patients with whom I was unfamiliar” (Adams). This emphasizes how nurses are given patients they have no familiarity, this is a hazard because these nurses have not been properly informed of specific patient care and proper handling. Potentially dangerous medication errors can happen. Also insufficient nursing coverage can result in patients going unmonitored and unexamined for hours.

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