I have no time to justify to you, fool, you're blind, move aside for me

[primroseburrows]

Private ER sets stage for showdown in Vancouver

Canadian flist people (especially topaz7 because I think she lives closest), what do y'all think about this? As an almost complete outsider (I'm not Canadian but I do work in the healthcare field), my reaction was basically a shuddery slippery-slope feeling. I may be totally off the mark, here, which is why I'm asking. This is just the first one in B.C., right, not in the whole country?

Also, Americans, what do you think about the way healthcare works in the US, either as opposed to other countries or just in itself?

Comments

[primroseburrows.livejournal.com]

Actually, the weird thing is that because of HMOs, most docs in the US aren't getting paid nearly enough!

I'll have to look at the stats. Most docs I know drive much nicer cars than I do. *pets temperamental but beloved Jetta*

I actually think the entire medical profession needs to be completely overhauled.

Yep. Starting with ACOG. Please, oh, please starting with ACOG. And after that the APA.

The idea that a "shift" for a nurse is 12 hours? Totally ridiculous!

My shift is eight hours. I've been an advocate for 12-hour shifts at my hospital, actually, because three days of 12-hour shifts is almost full-time, and I think that working three days of 12-hour shifts is less exhausting than 5 days of 8-hour shifts. Usually the days worked aren't consecutive, because hospitals usually have mandatory every-other-weekend type coverage. And the good thing is that if a nurse is working a 12-hour shift there'd be fewer freeze-ins, because it's illegal to work more than sixteen hours in a row (at least in RI). It's not for everyone, though, so the ideal would be a choice between 8-hour and 12-hour shifts.

And it's worse for Docs.

Interns and residents go through hell with their shifts. The "cap" on hours that residents and interns can work is a maximum of 30 consecutive hours and no more than 80 hours a week (according to this, that is). That's unconscionable, IMO.

But at least they can take breaks and sleep. Nurses can't.

This is very true. We do sleep sometimes on night shifts, because I work in a psych hospital which is very different than a medical one. Most, if not all of the patients are sleeping at night. Technically we're not allowed to sleep on our breaks, but it's absolutely a "don't ask, don't tell" situation, because, really, isn't it safer if we sleep?

But say like my family doc, who is a DO -- not paid enough.

I'd bet that MDs get paid a whole log more than DOs. It's isn't fair, especially because DOs are often a better choice, IMO. I don't have a doc at all. We go to a nurse-practitioner. Even my ADD person is an NP. *g*

[alexisyael.livejournal.com]

My step-mom likes her 12 hours shifts, but I personally think there's no way that could be safe (at least, if the nurse is in a ER situation, or surgery or something where she really couldn't nap.) My step-mom is in L&D (but she's cool). I don't think I'd want to be the patient at the end of a 12 hour shift, tho. (Actually, this reminds me that the suckiest nurse my best friend had during her labor was the first one, who was on the last hour of her shift. When the new nurse came on board, she was much cheerier and friendly... hmmm....)

I think my DO is making the same as a regular MD around here... but I don't really know.

Cars really aren't a great indicator of wealth. A lot of people (at least around here, and in Southern CA) put themselves into serious debt al b/c they want a new car with bling. Silly people. But whatever.

Though Psychiatrists and OB-Gyns are the docs that I would think would make the most in the States (oh, and surgeons). Family practioners, not so much. And those are the ones that are seriously lacking in Toronto.

Also, probably doctors in RI are paid more than the ones in Alabama... the standard of living is different down here, too.