Pay better to increase the number of nurses
DYLAN CRAIG; Gig Harbor
Re: “Fund state nursing programs or face critical shortage” (Viewpoint, 5-6).
Having more registered nurses would save hospitals a lot of money. Patient outcomes would improve, and overtime and traveling nurse costs would lessen. Expensive medical supplies would be used more wisely.
The authors are big union leaders, though. I’m an RN and a member of the Washington State Nurses Association and cannot disagree more with them because theirs is a socialist ideology. The WSNA leadership takes several million dollars every year from RNs and produces minimal pay increases.
If the pay for RNs were to significantly increase, there would be a significant increase in the number of RNs. This is the rule of supply and demand. Capitalism can work if we let it.
This is much better than putting government inefficiency in charge and increasing our tax burden. Now we just need hospitals to step up to the plate.
