I think a better way of approaching the conversation about our country's disproportionate pay scale would be to consider where we as a society place our values. I think one could easily argue that we value celebrities and athletes over educators, social workers, military employees, etc. There are plenty of other developed countries that compensate these professions fairly, so it's not an impossible feat.
@thisusername I completely understand that you and your H enjoy working in a selfless profession, and good for you both. However, that doesn't mean you and others don't deserve to make a living wage, in particular one that more appropriately reflects the relationship between the real value of that work and the corresponding compensation. I don't think it's fair to say that because an occupation is selfless, the pay for it should be irrelevant.
My UO: I don't think professional athletes are paid too much.
I know that sounds crazy, BUT I dated one for a long time and he was a nice guy, good at his job - but that's it. His value as an entertainer lined the pockets of owners, sponsors, franchises etc. to a much higher dollar amount than he ever saw but he had absolutely nothing to fall back on. Too many of these men either don't have a post secondary education or have been handed a degree with their scholarship and have no other job experience. So when they hit their career length average (4-6 years depending on the sport) they have nothing else to fall back on. Basically, they have to make enough money to last a lifetime early on and hope that they're surrounded by "good" enough people to help invest/spend it properly so that when they (more often than not) suffer some sort of career ending injury they have something to sustain them. It's honestly a very fragile career path.
But don't you think it would be reasonable to put away a portion of the money that they earn to go to school after they retire and pursue another career? Or fall back on the degree that they already have (I know not all professional athletes finish college.) I know that they work so hard to get to that point, give up so much of their personal lives to play, wreck their bodies, etc. But I would think that the vast majority of athletes are able to work after they retire, so why shouldn't they? I guess I'm just curious
Definitely. I guess I'm just saying that, in my experience, these guys aren't set up well to do anything other than play their sport. Leagues like the NHL will draft them before they're even finished highschool and even the highschool education they receive while in junior leagues is a major joke. A lot of them aren't terribly bright and aren't surrounded by people who have their best interests at heart. Ultimately they should be fine financially, sadly lots of them aren't. And that's not even mentioning the crippling brain injuries the leagues are starting to take note of or the addictions that their painful injuries lead them to.
Sure, there are some QBs making millions. But that's hardly the norm. And it's a fraction of what the people running those organizations are making. Which, is ultimately because average people are happy to spend big bucks on their teams.
@thisusername It's been long time since I had rotations in a military hospital, so correct me if I'm wrong, but I didn't think corpsman were nurses? (And by nurses, I mean registered nurses... The only ones that should be called that).
Also, at any clinic appt I've ever been to, you never see a nurse. It is always the MA.
But anyway.. I think a lot of careers in this country are not fairly compensated, but I think nursing does ok for the most part. What's lacking more than financial reimbursement is respect/recognition for the profession, much of which is compounded by this broad term of "nurse" that people inaccurately use to describe CNAs, MAs, LPNs, etc (no, I don't believe LPNs and RNs should both be called nurses, even though I know that's normal practice). And I disagree that most doctors make an unfairly high wage.
@thisusername It's been long time since I had rotations in a military hospital, so correct me if I'm wrong, but I didn't think corpsman were nurses? (And by nurses, I mean registered nurses... The only ones that should be called that).
Also, at any clinic appt I've ever been to, you never see a nurse. It is always the MA.
But anyway.. I think a lot of careers in this country are not fairly compensated, but I think nursing does ok for the most part. What's lacking more than financial reimbursement is respect/recognition for the profession, much of which is compounded by this broad term of "nurse" that people inaccurately use to describe CNAs, MAs, LPNs, etc (no, I don't believe LPNs and RNs should both be called nurses, even though I know that's normal practice). And I disagree that most doctors make an unfairly high wage.
ETA: tag
(Most) Corpsman are not RN's. Quite a few here are in the RN program though. Walter Reed is a teaching hospital so it's basically run by nurses and students. When I say I think they should make more, I'm talking about RN's and not corpsman. They are still considered nurses to the staff though. Like if you look at their schedule, I would post a picture but for obvious reasons I can't, PII everywhere, they are listed in the nurses section. The corpsman in the ICU undergo extensive training , more than a clinical corpsman would as well.
Almost every clinic here you see a nurse first, each in a different degree program, before a doctor will look at you. The doctors here essentially just check the nurses work and are like "ok signed off on your prescription. Have a good one" I don't know if it's just the way this hospital is set up, but in specific regards to these nurses, they deserve way more. You'll see quite a few of the night shift nurses walking family members to the fisher houses after their shift or during in special circumstances. They give up so much for their patients.
@acuteangles I'm not a nurse, I'm an IT. (Just in case I didn't say that earlier so no one thinks I'm pretending to be something I'm not) I still work extra jobs to make more money of course, we get a pretty decent amount though. We are receiving (in my opinion) above living wage from that, I just work extra because of previous bills and the fact that we pay some families bills, since they're unable, namely my mom. Her checks are teeny. I suppose that's another reason why I don't find it necessary to raise the militaries pay as far as this goes. I'm not saying the pay is entirely irrelevant in that sense, I just think we already make enough. BAH alone where I am is 2100, we found a cheaper place a decent distance away and use the extra for more food. Fatties at heart, no lie. I can't stand how little nurses make though. Hearing some stories from other people and how their hospitals are run makes me wonder if this feeling is going to wind up being specific to this hospital. You technically go to a provider (doctor) during each appointment, but you rarely see them. They just sign our stuff and the nurses do the work and report to them, like I was saying earlier. The charge nurse on my husbands floor today handled 6 patients on her own. That's a lot for how much he makes. [the SICU isn't normally THIS full, but everyone is scheduling surgeries before the holidays and it's a lot of older people so they need close monitoring] . Also while I was in the hospital earlier (thank goodness everything is fine now) I had a nurse, named Rachel , I even remembered her name, who literally went so above and beyond i almost cried, thanks to my hormones. She gets paid even less than my husband. Which is totally insane!!! He's only an E-3 so he doesn't make THAT much. Civilian side, I don't think you could survive off that base pay. I'm not sure if they get BAH and BAS as well since their also government employees.. I'll have to ask someone that tomorrow. Anyhow. That's just my apparently very unpopular opinion. I favor the nurses, and I strongly disagree with the size of their checks.
I think I'm going to see a civilian hospital for an appointment soon just to get that experience and find out if it's just the way a military hospital runs that makes me feel this way.
I dislike it when people think that doctors are always right and no one should seek out other people's opinions or even research anything. Doctors are human.
I also dislike it when people only research things to support their belief system vs both sides. Like in circumcision. There's no legitimate immediate health benefits and the ones currently presented are small and occur when your son is an adult. Shouldn't it be HIS choice then?
I dislike it when people think that doctors are always right and no one should seek out other people's opinions or even research anything. Doctors are human.
I also dislike it when people only research things to support their belief system vs both sides. Like in circumcision. There's no legitimate immediate health benefits and the ones currently presented are small and occur when your son is an adult. Shouldn't it be HIS choice then?
I don't like when people ot research one side of any issue either. Luckily we are having a girl, and I won't lie, I'm acting like the circumcision debate isn't in existence because I don't have to decide right away though. Maybe next baby! I don't believe anyone can make a TRULY informed decision if they haven't at least looked into the other side of things. Like chocolate vs vanilla. How do I know chocolate is better? I've kept an open mind and tried both.
"What's lacking more than financial reimbursement is respect/recognition for the profession, much of which is compounded by this broad term of "nurse" that people inaccurately use to describe CNAs, MAs, etc"
By calling your husband a nurse, other non-registered nurses "nurse", the people you meet in the clinic (who you say are in different degree programs.. Most of them likely aren't RNs), you're perpetuating the problem above.
There are definitely days that I think they should be making more, but I don't believe theyre unfairly compensated. I do think that there are many issues with cost-of-living adjustments, which exist across the board and all professions. I make the same in a MCOL as I do in a HCOL area.
I'm curious to know, what kind of wage/dollar amount are you referring to that seem so low? I'd be interested to see how it compares to the wages in my area.
I'm just gonna say that the care at a civilian hospital is significantly better than a military hospital, lol. At least in my opinion and every other person I know that goes to our military hospital.
They don't take issues seriously and definitely have a high rate of misdiagnoses. I'd like to blame it on being a training hospital, but unfortunately the helpers/nurses/whatever are not the ones doing that part of the care.
Benjamin born on - 4/5/12 BFP 12/31/14, EDD 9/08/14 ~ Natural M/C 2/21/14 at 11.5 weeks BFP 5/24/15 - EDD 2/4/16
I'm just gonna say that the care at a civilian hospital is significantly better than a military hospital, lol. At least in my opinion and every other person I know that goes to our military hospital.
They don't take issues seriously and definitely have a high rate of misdiagnoses. I'd like to blame it on being a training hospital, but unfortunately the helpers/nurses/whatever are not the ones doing that part of the care.
Really? This is the first hospital I have gotten answers at! Their diagnoses have been spot on , even in situations where I didn't think the answer could've been been a problem.
The hospital I went to in Florida, (again, military) was awful though. They were the very "we couldn't care less and it's obvious" type.
"What's lacking more than financial reimbursement is respect/recognition for the profession, much of which is compounded by this broad term of "nurse" that people inaccurately use to describe CNAs, MAs, etc"
By calling your husband a nurse, other non-registered nurses "nurse", the people you meet in the clinic (who you say are in different degree programs.. Most of them likely aren't RNs), you're perpetuating the problem above.
There are definitely days that I think they should be making more, but I don't believe theyre unfairly compensated. I do think that there are many issues with cost-of-living adjustments, which exist across the board and all professions. I make the same in a MCOL as I do in a HCOL area.
I'm curious to know, what kind of wage/dollar amount are you referring to that seem so low? I'd be interested to see how it compares to the wages in my area.
I'm mostly focussing on the pay of the ICU nurses. Everyone up there has been through either a C-school for nursing or some type of school civilian side.
I don't know what the charge nurse makes, but some of the 1-1 care nurses, who are mostly RN's with civilian schooling, make 1800-2200 monthly. Even I am making more than that. I don't know if they're getting BAH&BAS like the military does though. Still, that's insanely low for base pay with the work they do.
I'm just gonna say that the care at a civilian hospital is significantly better than a military hospital, lol. At least in my opinion and every other person I know that goes to our military hospital.
They don't take issues seriously and definitely have a high rate of misdiagnoses. I'd like to blame it on being a training hospital, but unfortunately the helpers/nurses/whatever are not the ones doing that part of the care.
Really? This is the first hospital I have gotten answers at! Their diagnoses have been spot on , even in situations where I didn't think the answer could've been been a problem.
The hospital I went to in Florida, (again, military) was awful though. They were the very "we couldn't care less and it's obvious" type.
Yup, they just don't care. A friend of mine's baby stopped growing (33 weeks) and there was one doctor who is supposed to be a specialist in her case that said "no you're measuring on track, you just got your date of conception off by a few weeks" when she knows for a fact when they conceived and this is the second baby she has had with this problem so she knows what she is talking about. This doctor argued for weeks about it with another doctor who says she is right, which she was. Then they kept pushing her csection date back over and over saying it wasn't necessary when it was. She started being in excruciating pain and they did NOTHING for her. Finally a different doctor agreed to come in early this morning to get her csection done. Thankfully the baby is okay, but she waited until 38 weeks to get her csection done that should have been done weeks ago when the baby stopped growing 5 weeks ago.
Then a friend of my husband just got put on quarters for possible appendicitis and they told him if his pain becomes unbearable to go to the ER. Well...he went and they just gave him meds and sent him home basically saying to "deal with it". No ultrasound to check the problem even knowing he was on quarters for appendicitis, nothing.
So yeah, I'd say they just don't give a shit and have no idea what they're doing.
Benjamin born on - 4/5/12 BFP 12/31/14, EDD 9/08/14 ~ Natural M/C 2/21/14 at 11.5 weeks BFP 5/24/15 - EDD 2/4/16
@thisusername no way in hell any Registered Nurse is making $2000 a month working full time. That's $13/hr if they're working 36hrs/wk.
(ETA: the current starting wage in my MCOL area for a new grad is $5300/mo)
7 years ago, the civilian nurse wage at the Army hospital was $27-28/hr for a brand new, fresh out of nursing school RN.. and they were lower than the other private hospitals. Wages have obviously gone up a lot in 7yrs.
@katec4vt I know that that's the correct term now as it stands, I just wish there was different wording for the two, since they have different roles, education, job requirements, etc and they're not the same thing.
I'm just gonna say that the care at a civilian hospital is significantly better than a military hospital, lol. At least in my opinion and every other person I know that goes to our military hospital.
They don't take issues seriously and definitely have a high rate of misdiagnoses. I'd like to blame it on being a training hospital, but unfortunately the helpers/nurses/whatever are not the ones doing that part of the care.
Really? This is the first hospital I have gotten answers at! Their diagnoses have been spot on , even in situations where I didn't think the answer could've been been a problem.
The hospital I went to in Florida, (again, military) was awful though. They were the very "we couldn't care less and it's obvious" type.
Another antidote story on military misdiagnosis: I had a deviated septum my entire life (while we were stationed at Ft. Carson, CO my mom passed out walking with me in her arms from the car due to altitude and my nose hit the pavement). I've had sinus infections several times a year from toddler-adulthood. It wasn't until I was out of the military system that someone actually thought to look in the chart history and saw that 4+ SI's a year isn't normal and to send me to a specialist...Military hospitals just gave me antibiotics and sent me on my way..
@thisusername, with all due respect, talk to me again about military pay after you've had your first baby. I think you'll find it doesn't stretch nearly as far as you think.
My UO: I don't think professional athletes are paid too much.
I know that sounds crazy, BUT I dated one for a long time and he was a nice guy, good at his job - but that's it. His value as an entertainer lined the pockets of owners, sponsors, franchises etc. to a much higher dollar amount than he ever saw but he had absolutely nothing to fall back on. Too many of these men either don't have a post secondary education or have been handed a degree with their scholarship and have no other job experience. So when they hit their career length average (4-6 years depending on the sport) they have nothing else to fall back on. Basically, they have to make enough money to last a lifetime early on and hope that they're surrounded by "good" enough people to help invest/spend it properly so that when they (more often than not) suffer some sort of career ending injury they have something to sustain them. It's honestly a very fragile career path.
But don't you think it would be reasonable to put away a portion of the money that they earn to go to school after they retire and pursue another career? Or fall back on the degree that they already have (I know not all professional athletes finish college.) I know that they work so hard to get to that point, give up so much of their personal lives to play, wreck their bodies, etc. But I would think that the vast majority of athletes are able to work after they retire, so why shouldn't they? I guess I'm just curious
I 100% agree.
I know not everyone cares for him, but look at Cam Newton. He went to the pros is making bank in his NFL salary + endorsements but his promise to his mom that he would get his degree was important enough for him to actually go back to college in the off season and sit in a classroom to earn his degree. He proved that if it's something you actually want, you can do it regardless of your status on the field/court/ice/whatever. I think he knows that football isn't going to be around forever and I think he's setting himself up for a future without it by getting that degree and doing his non-profit and working with kids like he always said was important to him.
@katec4vt I know that that's the correct term now as it stands, I just wish there was different wording for the two, since they have different roles, education, job requirements, etc and they're not the same thing.
I think there's just been quite a shift in thinking about the LPN vs RN roles over the last decade or so, at least where I am from. From the time that I was accepted to a wait list for nursing school until the time that I graduated (about 3 years) the mentality completely changed in my hometown. I went through a 2 year RN program and prior to starting was told by several RNs in the community that the hospitals preferred to hire new grads from the 2 year programs vs the 4 year bachelor degree programs because the 2 year program focused more heavily on clinical practice. About six months after I graduated, both hospitals put it into policy that they would no longer hire any nurses with 2 year degrees, and anyone currently working in their facility with a 2 year degree had to complete their bachelors degree within a certain number of years. I went on to finish my bachelors degree right away because that had always been my plan, but if not it would have been really difficult to find work in a hospital. I think that same kind of shift happened with LPNs about 10 years ago, and now even the nursing home that I was employed at 5 years ago no longer employs LPNs. The technical college that I got my RN degree through actually discontinued their LPN program a few years ago, because there is no longer a demand. I guess it's good to see that education requirements for health care providers continue to improve?
This is inspired by a new comment in the engagement ring thread. I don't get the idea of an upgrade.
I am all for the idea of buying diamond rings/ jewelry for whatever reason after you get engaged/ married, but the idea of an "upgrade" is weird to me. Diamonds are pretty and if you want to get a big ring (and can afford it), go for it, but I feel like it's odd to replace the ring that represents the engagement and union of two people. It was obviously 'good enough' when people got engaged, so what happened during the marriage that all of a sudden it is no longer acceptable?
Hubby and I got engaged when we were still in high school. At the time, all he could afford was a nice "promise ring" style ring. I wore it proudly and we both knew it was engagement and not a pre-engagement. A few years later, in college, he got a good deal on a "real" engagement ring and gave it to me for Christmas that year. I still wear both rings to this day. The original one is worn on my right ring finger and the new one has a permanent spot next to my wedding ring. We've been married 8 years.
I have a UO! I hate when women say, "I don't have a penis so I don't get a say in whether my son is circumcised or not." Umm it's a medical procedure, and it's your child. You get just as much of a say as the child's father. It doesn't work this way for anything else, why for this issue? You don't hear dads saying, "Well, I don't love the idea of my teenage daughter having sex, but I don't have a vagina, so it's her mom's decision, not mine." Parenting is up to both of you (assuming you're a two parent household, obviously), not the person with matching parts.
*Clearly, as with any issue, if one parent doesn't care at all and one is passionate, that's fine. What works for you and your partner is cool. I just think the argument in terms of circ-ing is kind of a cop out. You don't want to take the time to research and make a decision, so you put it off on your partner because he's a guy. I think both parents should take responsibility to be research and be informed, especially about something THAT important.
My UO is that I feel that same way about men when they say they don't have an opinion about abortion because it's the woman's body, so it's her choice. Yes, it's partially her choice, but it's your child in there, so you should have an opinion on it.
I don't let my kid drink juice, not even watered down unless it is a special occasion. I never let her have period until she was around 18 months or so and the only reason shed tried it then was because a family member gave her some without my permission. She drinks water and gets milk at breakfast and dinner. I won't let my next baby have juice either. I don't judge or care when other parents give their kids juice but it's just not for my kids.
My DD is over 2 and has juice twice... both times about a half a cup of watered down apple cider (unpasteurized, gasp!) because we were hoping it would make her poop.
She's also only had ice cream once, has never had cake, has had maybe 3 (homemade) cookies in her life, never had candy, etc. It annoys me, because people always say, "you're no fun", or "you need to let loose". Uh, no? She doesn't even know what those things are. It's not like she's asking and we're telling her no.. So why give them to her when she doesn't know the difference? Someday she'll want them and ask, but until then, why feed her junk she doesn't even "want"?
Wow, I'm impressed that you have been able to avoid the junk for this long! I have way too many people in the family who give my son all sorts of junk food when I'm not around (he's 2). I held strong and didn't let him have cake until his first birthday. I wanted to not let him have any sweets except fruit until he turned 1 and was fuming when I found out his daycare provider at the time gave him a freeze pop without asking me. He was like 5 months old. He hadn't even advanced to solid food yet, had barely started on the homemade baby food that I had been oh so carefully preparing and she shoved junk sugar in his face.
What did you do for birthdays in place of cake? Did you just skip it, or did you replace it with something else with a candle in it?
@VitaLuna I'm a registered nurse. Now, an advanced practice registered nurse (FNP). I'm a civilian working in private sector, but the pay varies tremendously depending on location. As a new grad RN, the starting pay in North Louisiana is $20/hr. That's with a 4 year bachelor's degree in an ICU setting. Yes there are also hourly differentials for night shift, weekend shift etc. But I was only bringing home $3000/month working full time with mandatory overtime (7 12-hour shifts per pay period). Just wanted to throw in another perspective. Depends a lot on what region you're in.
@life is exciting (I don't know if that tagged because of the spaces). I made her a "cake" for her first birthday that didn't have added sugar, just from the fruit, and then spread softened cream cheese on for the "frosting".
My mom watches her 3 days a week, so I know she's had homemade muffins and stuff there, but they're pretty good about keeping up with our wishes. It's easier because they don't eat much junk type food, and we don't keep it in the house either (or else I'd eat it all!)
@ju11130 I'd hardly consider Bethesda the same as N. Louisiana which is why I said there's no way they're only making $13/hr. I'm aware that wages are lower elsewhere.. They lowest I'd seen was in Arkansas at $25/hr (family member works there).,And I'm certainly not referring to take home pay being $5000+! I don't think I'd see that in my lifetime.
@thisusername no way in hell any Registered Nurse is making $2000 a month working full time. That's $13/hr if they're working 36hrs/wk.
(ETA: the current starting wage in my MCOL area for a new grad is $5300/mo)
7 years ago, the civilian nurse wage at the Army hospital was $27-28/hr for a brand new, fresh out of nursing school RN.. and they were lower than the other private hospitals. Wages have obviously gone up a lot in 7yrs.
@katec4vt I know that that's the correct term now as it stands, I just wish there was different wording for the two, since they have different roles, education, job requirements, etc and they're not the same thing.
They make between 13 and 15 an hour, same schedule on 12s the military is on. That's why I think it's insane!! Is it different because it's a teaching hospital? I don't know. These are the "bottom tier" nurses according to the charge nurse. The hours per week depends on the rotation. Two on, two off.
@VitaLuna I'm a registered nurse. Now, an advanced practice registered nurse (FNP). I'm a civilian working in private sector, but the pay varies tremendously depending on location. As a new grad RN, the starting pay in North Louisiana is $20/hr. That's with a 4 year bachelor's degree in an ICU setting. Yes there are also hourly differentials for night shift, weekend shift etc. But I was only bringing home $3000/month working full time with mandatory overtime (7 12-hour shifts per pay period). Just wanted to throw in another perspective. Depends a lot on what region you're in.
None of them have bachelors, they went through a basic RN program through the military. Its how much I know at least 4 of the nurses make. Last night while I was in my room they were visiting me and we were all talking about it, which is what sparked my UO.
DS just turned two and we don't do juice or anything sugary really. My MIL has a HUGE issue with it for some reason. Last visit she wanted to get him a small cupcake at Sprinkles and she and I had a huge disagreement about it. She then tried to slip him a chocolate bar when I wasn't in the room. Thankfully my hubby told her off far more forcefully than I intended to so I didn't have to address it.She then tried to get me on her side and I told her our kid our rules. Hubby said growing up they barely had candy or sweets she he's not sure why she's so focused on giving to our kid.
@VitaLuna I'm a registered nurse. Now, an advanced practice registered nurse (FNP). I'm a civilian working in private sector, but the pay varies tremendously depending on location. As a new grad RN, the starting pay in North Louisiana is $20/hr. That's with a 4 year bachelor's degree in an ICU setting. Yes there are also hourly differentials for night shift, weekend shift etc. But I was only bringing home $3000/month working full time with mandatory overtime (7 12-hour shifts per pay period). Just wanted to throw in another perspective. Depends a lot on what region you're in.
None of them have bachelors, they went through a basic RN program through the military. Its how much I know at least 4 of the nurses make. Last night while I was in my room they were visiting me and we were all talking about it, which is what sparked my UO.
Again, I highly doubt they're registered nurses. I used to work at a large teaching hospital, and the current entry level is $30/hr (HCOL). You can look up to see what their registration is through the state board of nursing (you can google MD state board of nursing credential check). It's a great resource to creep on peoples' credentials Even military RNs would be registered with the state board.
@VitaLuna I'm a registered nurse. Now, an advanced practice registered nurse (FNP). I'm a civilian working in private sector, but the pay varies tremendously depending on location. As a new grad RN, the starting pay in North Louisiana is $20/hr. That's with a 4 year bachelor's degree in an ICU setting. Yes there are also hourly differentials for night shift, weekend shift etc. But I was only bringing home $3000/month working full time with mandatory overtime (7 12-hour shifts per pay period). Just wanted to throw in another perspective. Depends a lot on what region you're in.
None of them have bachelors, they went through a basic RN program through the military. Its how much I know at least 4 of the nurses make. Last night while I was in my room they were visiting me and we were all talking about it, which is what sparked my UO.
Again, I highly doubt they're registered nurses. I used to work at a large teaching hospital, and the current entry level is $30/hr (HCOL). You can look up to see what their registration is through the state board of nursing (you can google MD state board of nursing credential check). It's a great resource to creep on peoples' credentials Even military RNs would be registered with the state board.
ETA: punctuation is hard
That's what they and their badges say, but I love a good creep so now I'm looking it up!! Also I agree that punctuation can be hard, Especially on here! But it's the difference between eating grandpa and eating, grandpa.
DS just turned two and we don't do juice or anything sugary really. My MIL has a HUGE issue with it for some reason. Last visit she wanted to get him a small cupcake at Sprinkles and she and I had a huge disagreement about it. She then tried to slip him a chocolate bar when I wasn't in the room. Thankfully my hubby told her off far more forcefully than I intended to so I didn't have to address it.She then tried to get me on her side and I told her our kid our rules. Hubby said growing up they barely had candy or sweets she he's not sure why she's so focused on giving to our kid.
I don't understand why family of all people can be so disrespectful to someone's wishes. I hope she grows out of it, your MIL I mean. My grandmother always gave me healthier food than my parents did. She said, "I wan t you to be healthy not fat" I mean she was always joking and not rude about it, so it was funny. It's just so weird how people will try and force junk upon kids. You'd think it'd be the opposite.
DS just turned two and we don't do juice or anything sugary really. My MIL has a HUGE issue with it for some reason. Last visit she wanted to get him a small cupcake at Sprinkles and she and I had a huge disagreement about it. She then tried to slip him a chocolate bar when I wasn't in the room. Thankfully my hubby told her off far more forcefully than I intended to so I didn't have to address it.She then tried to get me on her side and I told her our kid our rules. Hubby said growing up they barely had candy or sweets she he's not sure why she's so focused on giving to our kid.
I don't understand why family of all people can be so disrespectful to someone's wishes. I hope she grows out of it, your MIL I mean. My grandmother always gave me healthier food than my parents did. She said, "I wan t you to be healthy not fat" I mean she was always joking and not rude about it, so it was funny. It's just so weird how people will try and force junk upon kids. You'd think it'd be the opposite.
As much as I'd love to think she'll grow out of it, it's highly unlikely. We've been married 8 years and she likes to think she knows her son better than I do. My kids won't spend any time alone with them based on the way she behaves, so her loss really if she can't be an adult!
DS just turned two and we don't do juice or anything sugary really. My MIL has a HUGE issue with it for some reason. Last visit she wanted to get him a small cupcake at Sprinkles and she and I had a huge disagreement about it. She then tried to slip him a chocolate bar when I wasn't in the room. Thankfully my hubby told her off far more forcefully than I intended to so I didn't have to address it.She then tried to get me on her side and I told her our kid our rules. Hubby said growing up they barely had candy or sweets she he's not sure why she's so focused on giving to our kid.
I don't understand why family of all people can be so disrespectful to someone's wishes. I hope she grows out of it, your MIL I mean. My grandmother always gave me healthier food than my parents did. She said, "I wan t you to be healthy not fat" I mean she was always joking and not rude about it, so it was funny. It's just so weird how people will try and force junk upon kids. You'd think it'd be the opposite.
As much as I'd love to think she'll grow out of it, it's highly unlikely. We've been married 8 years and she likes to think she knows her son better than I do. My kids won't spend any time alone with them based on the way she behaves, so her loss really if she can't be an adult!
Dang.. My husband and I have been married for only (almost) 2 years and my MIL is already like "well you know him best now" after 8 years, she really believes that? You see him daily and sleep next to him, I think you can probably recite his bowel movement patterns if needed! What the heck is her issue.. Well, one day your kids will talk and tell her off themselves!
@Monkeybutt80 I'm getting a different engagement ring Bcuz since becoming engaged I've done more research into the ethical sourcing of diamonds and realized that mine probably wasn't. Since I don't want to wear a blood diamond that children had to die for I'm going to get a lab created engagement ring. My only problem is now I don't want to give the other one up Bcuz it is the one that he proposed to me with but I would feel wrong wearing it.
Re: Unpopular Opinions 10/22
@thisusername I completely understand that you and your H enjoy working in a selfless profession, and good for you both. However, that doesn't mean you and others don't deserve to make a living wage, in particular one that more appropriately reflects the relationship between the real value of that work and the corresponding compensation. I don't think it's fair to say that because an occupation is selfless, the pay for it should be irrelevant.
Definitely. I guess I'm just saying that, in my experience, these guys aren't set up well to do anything other than play their sport. Leagues like the NHL will draft them before they're even finished highschool and even the highschool education they receive while in junior leagues is a major joke. A lot of them aren't terribly bright and aren't surrounded by people who have their best interests at heart. Ultimately they should be fine financially, sadly lots of them aren't. And that's not even mentioning the crippling brain injuries the leagues are starting to take note of or the addictions that their painful injuries lead them to.
Sure, there are some QBs making millions. But that's hardly the norm. And it's a fraction of what the people running those organizations are making. Which, is ultimately because average people are happy to spend big bucks on their teams.
Also, at any clinic appt I've ever been to, you never see a nurse. It is always the MA.
But anyway.. I think a lot of careers in this country are not fairly compensated, but I think nursing does ok for the most part. What's lacking more than financial reimbursement is respect/recognition for the profession, much of which is compounded by this broad term of "nurse" that people inaccurately use to describe CNAs, MAs, LPNs, etc (no, I don't believe LPNs and RNs should both be called nurses, even though I know that's normal practice). And I disagree that most doctors make an unfairly high wage.
ETA: tag
Almost every clinic here you see a nurse first, each in a different degree program, before a doctor will look at you. The doctors here essentially just check the nurses work and are like "ok signed off on your prescription. Have a good one" I don't know if it's just the way this hospital is set up, but in specific regards to these nurses, they deserve way more. You'll see quite a few of the night shift nurses walking family members to the fisher houses after their shift or during in special circumstances. They give up so much for their patients.
I still work extra jobs to make more money of course, we get a pretty decent amount though. We are receiving (in my opinion) above living wage from that, I just work extra because of previous bills and the fact that we pay some families bills, since they're unable, namely my mom. Her checks are teeny. I suppose that's another reason why I don't find it necessary to raise the militaries pay as far as this goes. I'm not saying the pay is entirely irrelevant in that sense, I just think we already make enough. BAH alone where I am is 2100, we found a cheaper place a decent distance away and use the extra for more food. Fatties at heart, no lie. I can't stand how little nurses make though. Hearing some stories from other people and how their hospitals are run makes me wonder if this feeling is going to wind up being specific to this hospital. You technically go to a provider (doctor) during each appointment, but you rarely see them. They just sign our stuff and the nurses do the work and report to them, like I was saying earlier.
The charge nurse on my husbands floor today handled 6 patients on her own. That's a lot for how much he makes. [the SICU isn't normally THIS full, but everyone is scheduling surgeries before the holidays and it's a lot of older people so they need close monitoring] .
Also while I was in the hospital earlier (thank goodness everything is fine now) I had a nurse, named Rachel , I even remembered her name, who literally went so above and beyond i almost cried, thanks to my hormones. She gets paid even less than my husband. Which is totally insane!!! He's only an E-3 so he doesn't make THAT much. Civilian side, I don't think you could survive off that base pay. I'm not sure if they get BAH and BAS as well since their also government employees.. I'll have to ask someone that tomorrow.
Anyhow. That's just my apparently very unpopular opinion. I favor the nurses, and I strongly disagree with the size of their checks.
I think I'm going to see a civilian hospital for an appointment soon just to get that experience and find out if it's just the way a military hospital runs that makes me feel this way.
I also dislike it when people only research things to support their belief system vs both sides. Like in circumcision. There's no legitimate immediate health benefits and the ones currently presented are small and occur when your son is an adult. Shouldn't it be HIS choice then?
I don't believe anyone can make a TRULY informed decision if they haven't at least looked into the other side of things. Like chocolate vs vanilla. How do I know chocolate is better? I've kept an open mind and tried both.
"What's lacking more than financial reimbursement is respect/recognition for the profession, much of which is compounded by this broad term of "nurse" that people inaccurately use to describe CNAs, MAs, etc"
By calling your husband a nurse, other non-registered nurses "nurse", the people you meet in the clinic (who you say are in different degree programs.. Most of them likely aren't RNs), you're perpetuating the problem above.
There are definitely days that I think they should be making more, but I don't believe theyre unfairly compensated. I do think that there are many issues with cost-of-living adjustments, which exist across the board and all professions. I make the same in a MCOL as I do in a HCOL area.
I'm curious to know, what kind of wage/dollar amount are you referring to that seem so low? I'd be interested to see how it compares to the wages in my area.
They don't take issues seriously and definitely have a high rate of misdiagnoses. I'd like to blame it on being a training hospital, but unfortunately the helpers/nurses/whatever are not the ones doing that part of the care.
BFP 12/31/14, EDD 9/08/14 ~ Natural M/C 2/21/14 at 11.5 weeks
BFP 5/24/15 - EDD 2/4/16
The hospital I went to in Florida, (again, military) was awful though. They were the very "we couldn't care less and it's obvious" type.
I don't know what the charge nurse makes, but some of the 1-1 care nurses, who are mostly RN's with civilian schooling, make 1800-2200 monthly. Even I am making more than that. I don't know if they're getting BAH&BAS like the military does though. Still, that's insanely low for base pay with the work they do.
Then a friend of my husband just got put on quarters for possible appendicitis and they told him if his pain becomes unbearable to go to the ER. Well...he went and they just gave him meds and sent him home basically saying to "deal with it". No ultrasound to check the problem even knowing he was on quarters for appendicitis, nothing.
So yeah, I'd say they just don't give a shit and have no idea what they're doing.
BFP 12/31/14, EDD 9/08/14 ~ Natural M/C 2/21/14 at 11.5 weeks
BFP 5/24/15 - EDD 2/4/16
(ETA: the current starting wage in my MCOL area for a new grad is $5300/mo)
7 years ago, the civilian nurse wage at the Army hospital was $27-28/hr for a brand new, fresh out of nursing school RN.. and they were lower than the other private hospitals. Wages have obviously gone up a lot in 7yrs.
@katec4vt I know that that's the correct term now as it stands, I just wish there was different wording for the two, since they have different roles, education, job requirements, etc and they're not the same thing.
Baby F.......02/02/2016
Blog!
Wow, I'm impressed that you have been able to avoid the junk for this long! I have way too many people in the family who give my son all sorts of junk food when I'm not around (he's 2). I held strong and didn't let him have cake until his first birthday. I wanted to not let him have any sweets except fruit until he turned 1 and was fuming when I found out his daycare provider at the time gave him a freeze pop without asking me. He was like 5 months old. He hadn't even advanced to solid food yet, had barely started on the homemade baby food that I had been oh so carefully preparing and she shoved junk sugar in his face.
What did you do for birthdays in place of cake? Did you just skip it, or did you replace it with something else with a candle in it?
My mom watches her 3 days a week, so I know she's had homemade muffins and stuff there, but they're pretty good about keeping up with our wishes. It's easier because they don't eat much junk type food, and we don't keep it in the house either (or else I'd eat it all!)
They make between 13 and 15 an hour, same schedule on 12s the military is on. That's why I think it's insane!! Is it different because it's a teaching hospital? I don't know. These are the "bottom tier" nurses according to the charge nurse. The hours per week depends on the rotation. Two on, two off.
ETA: punctuation is hard
Also I agree that punctuation can be hard, Especially on here! But it's the difference between eating grandpa and eating, grandpa.
That one always ales me chuckle!