So some nurses are making more than some doctors? Sad times...

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AUC 4th Semester

shortages are a wonderful thing when you're in demand

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AUC Post-5th Semester
Undergrad: UC Riverside

last i heard there are shortages of physicians too. I'm really hoping that the nurses who make more than any physician (or physicians who are making less than a normal nurse's salary) are few and far between.

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AUC 4th Semester

What makes You say that? If You were to compare base salary for MD/DO and an RN at the same place of employment you will find that physicians get paid a lot more. But ppl take things waaaaay out of context. They find some highly paid nurse, usually with yearfs of experience (for which pay is added), or better yet an advanced practice nurse (i.e CRNA) and some earning way below the mean doc to throw this "drama". Do You even have an idea on how many years it takes to become a CRNA? I can tell You from my own experience that one nurse does the work of what 2 or even 3 used to do. We carry our own liability, and if You think nurses are overpaid try to work understaffed or in unsafe staffing. It happens every day my friend. So nursing may be is not to shaby in the economy where the "republicrat" and "democan" mafia sells us down the river. So when ppl who have no idea of what nurses, and certainly other health care professionals do all of the sudden notice what we make when their jobs were gone. Why don't they outsourse blood-sucking leaches, this vermin lawyers? There is never a shortage of slip-n-fall shysters .

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No bastard ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country.

George S. Patton

I was referring more to typical nurses than advanced practice. I do know some very good nurses, both advanced practice and otherwise, and certainly recognize their importance and value. However, most nurses have either a 2 or 4 year degree. Physicians have the 4 years, plus another 4 years of med school and 3-7 years of residency. The knowledge base and responsibility is nowhere near the same, and that ought to count for a lot. It's not that I think nurses are overpaid as much as many physicians are underpaid.

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AUC 4th Semester

Its not the most physicians are underpaid, its that malpractice money that could be thrown toward the salary

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Birth is exciting, death is peaceful, its the transition that troublesome--Azimov

Amen to that!

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No bastard ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country.

George S. Patton

Even with the malpractice money, many would still be very underpaid. Particularly those reliant on insurance reimbursements.

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AUC 4th Semester

which physicians aren't reliant on insurance reimbursements?

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AUC Post-5th Semester
Undergrad: UC Riverside

Any who do elective procedures. Certain surgeons, some dermatologists, primary care physicians who don't accept it (the number is growing), etc. etc. Plenty doctors can bill on top of what insurance will reimburse. Or, even those who make a set salary from a hospital. The money a surgeon makes may come largely from insurance, but at least the hospital still usually gives them a good salary. I think it's mostly the primary care physicians, who have to try to individually collect for everything they do, who are the most underpaid.

Besides, not all insurance policies are bad for physicians... mostly Medicare and those which have somehow gotten away with following the medicare reimbursement schedule. My PCP bills whatever he bills, and that's what he makes. If your insurance doesn't pay what he bills, you cover the difference. If an insurance company doesn't allow doctors to bill patients for the extra, he doesn't accept it. But, you get what you pay for...he's a great doctor, isn't too difficult to get an appointment with, and actually takes the time to listen to you.

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AUC 4th Semester