In this weekly blog, staff reporter Shannon Christian writes about the myths of healthcare and how it impacts students.
Dr. Germ: necessity of industry
“We are in a recession, no one’s job is really safe, you know?”
The patient in the emergency department was apologizing for being on the phone while myself and the registered nurse I was following were in the room attempting to collect information about her condition.
The RN laughed and simply said, “Well, us in healthcare will always be safe.”
This resonated with me, because in pursuing a career that is demanding not only in training but the amount of knowledge to be retained, and years of schooling to fulfill; one would want to have security surrounding their career decision.
For many individuals entering the field of healthcare, this is a major bonus. Being able to work in a completely necessary field allows freedom in location, in addition to the comfort of being able to find work because health professionals are scarce: meaning they don’t get turned away.
In recent years there have been advancements in the field of healthcare regarding new technology, but it will never completely replace the impact and care of human labor. There are surgical robots that are able to perform procedures such as colon resections, and appendectomies, however these robots are not able to diagnose, treat, or comfort in a way that a human would. In this instance as well is a way that humans in healthcare are irreplaceable.
Pay however, for many healthcare workers does not measure up to the role that they fill as irreplaceable workers. Nurses currently are scarce, as they are paid an average of $70,000 annually when doctors and physicians make upwards of $100,000 to $200,000. For the amount of labor that nurses do, some consider that the career is not worth it, causing the nursing shortage.
People everywhere get injured and sick. Healthcare workers will never be too excessive or not needed; it could be the one industry that persists others that are being overrun by technology. To sustain those entering the field though, and to prevent the shortage of workers in hospitals and facilities, the compensation should be raised.