How can we make jobs in healthcare more palatable for workers?
Asked by David
The healthcare profession is in desperate need of workers. Nurses, doctors, long-term care, etc... it is clear that this industry is only growing in size and with our rapidly aging population, care is increasingly important. However, the rate at which people become healthcare workers (nurses for example), is stagnant. So while the demand for them is constantly increasing, the supply of them is remaining the same thus creating a larger need for them. Why is the medical field not so palatable for workers? What needs to be done to make people want to be nurses or doctors? Like the rest of the population, a very large nuber of medical professionals are reaching the age of retirement, and so this need is only going to increase. How can we address this in the U.S.? At the same time, how can we do so while keeping healthcare affordable? 15% of our population is uninsured, and doctors are often unwilling to accept Medicaid patients because the returns are so little. What can we do?

Best Answer:
As an RN of 10 years I would have to say that we need fisrt and foremost to improve staff to patient ratios. Nurses leave in droves because we are spread too thin. This compromises patient safety, leads to worker burn-out and increases the likelihood of employee injuries. Being a nurse is hard work even on good days and soul-crushing on bad. State mandated ratios like they have in CA would be a start.

Well, apparently nobody has the answer, or that question and the related problems would have been solved a long time ago. And many have attempted to do so to no avail. The fact is that there are MANY problems with retaining healthcare workers: -Job stress -Working conditions/patient load -Shiftwork, working hours -Unprofessionalism and lateral abuse in the workplace among coworkers (usually most often in nursing). -Lawsuits/insurance (an issue in the US) -The nature of the job. Many people who thought they'd love nursing for example end up hating what the job entails. Let's face it, not everyone wants to wipe someone's @$$ or vomit, or give an enema. -For potential MDs, cost of education is a huge factor. Universities need to open up more seats, offer more bursaries and scholarships, etc. Paying healthcare workers more is always an incentive, but generally speaking, most get paid VERY well. In my province, LPNs make $24-$25 per hour, RNs make $29-$38 (with some areas making up to $43+) per hour, and doctors are living the good life (6 figures). You won't find many "millionaire" MDs in Canada (where I live), but they still have mansions, drive BMWs, and make a damn good living. Really, if I heard a Canadian specialist MD complain about their $250,000 or even $400,000 income, I'd slap them. A doctor's role is not to own 8 flat screen TVs, their role is to help sick people. And they get paid pretty darn well to do it. Even GPs. But more money is always a draw, I suppose.... Personally, there just seems to be something "wrong" with the American model of "healthcare". You have greedy profitable insurance companies controlling who gets what and when (and no contrary to popular belief the government here does NOT tell you what to do...we can see any GP we want and go to ANY hospital or clinic just by showing our health card), and deciding who gets to basically live or die. Then to add insult to injury, you pay deductibles, fees, and monthly rates on top of what does get covered. ? Anyway.... Personally, I love medicine so much that I would work even if I won the lottery! As a pre-med student, that's how I know I am studying the right field. ;) I don't know what to say about the affordable healthcare issue, as I am in Canada where everything is paid for no matter who you are or how much you earn (much like France, the UK, etc.). Personally, I don't know how a doctor could work in a system that allows them to turn away a sick/ill/injured person because of their socioeconomic status. The idea is strange to me! Your role as a doctor is first and foremost to help people who are ill, and do no harm. Hopefully this gives you some ideas. I know there are many insightful Americans on here who perhaps can be of more help. Right now a major issue affecting healthcare is the baby boomers. They are reaching the age where they are older, sicker, and living longer with complex chronic illness. And baby boomer healthcare workers are also now retiring and needing care themselves. It will put a drain on both the American and Canadian systems for awhile. But I think this trend will pass. Some studies suggest that obesity rates have peaked (and are even dropping), healthy living programs and education are everywhere (in Canada at least), less and less people smoke, and more and more people are taking steps to reduce their risk of preventable chronic disease. Preventative medicine and care is the focus. To help people BEFORE they get very sick. This, combined with once the boomers pass, will (hopefully) slowly improve the patient ratios and degree and number of complex cases over time. But right now, no matter how we slice it, we are going to feel the crunch for awhile as there are more people living longer, sicker, and needing more care. Good luck!
Answered by reginachick22