by Cup Of Nurses | Aug 18, 2023 | Podcast
Exploring the World of Registry and PRN Nursing: Flexibility, Pay, and Considerations
Navigating Nursing’s Flexible Path – Registry and PRN Nursing
In the realm of nursing, there exists a lesser-known yet highly sought-after avenue: registry and PRN nursing. These terms might sound unfamiliar to some, but they represent a unique approach to nursing that offers both flexibility and the potential for higher pay. In this blog post, we’ll delve into the world of registry and PRN nursing, exploring how they work, the benefits they offer, and the considerations that nurses should keep in mind.
How it Works: Understanding Registry and PRN Nursing
Registry nursing and PRN nursing share a common thread – they both involve providing nursing care on an as-needed basis, without committing to a fixed schedule. However, there are some distinctions between the two:
1. Registry Nursing:
Registry nursing involves signing up with a nursing agency, which acts as a intermediary between nurses and healthcare facilities. Nurses on the registry list make themselves available to fill in staffing gaps in hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare settings. When a facility needs extra help due to staff shortages, they can request nurses from the registry.
2. PRN Nursing:
PRN nursing, which stands for “pro re nata” (as needed), is a direct arrangement between a nurse and a healthcare facility. PRN nurses are scheduled on an as-needed basis, often filling in for staff vacancies or during peak periods. Unlike registry nursing, PRN nurses typically establish a relationship with a specific facility.
Shifts and Hours: Finding the Balance
One of the most appealing aspects of registry and PRN nursing is the flexibility they offer. Nurses can decide when they want to work, allowing for a better work-life balance. Shifts can range from part-time to full-time, with some nurses even choosing to work sporadically to accommodate other commitments.
Pay: The Financial Upside
One of the major draws of registry and PRN nursing is the potential for higher pay compared to traditional full-time or part-time positions. Healthcare facilities often pay a premium to registry and PRN nurses to entice them to fill in when staffing is low. This can translate to a more attractive paycheck for those willing to take on these roles.
Benefits: Beyond the Paycheck
While the pay might be higher, it’s important to note that registry and PRN nursing roles often do not come with benefits such as health insurance, retirement plans, or paid time off. Nurses considering these roles should carefully weigh the financial benefits against the potential lack of job security and benefits.
The Appeal: Why Nurses Choose Registry and PRN Nursing
Flexibility: For nurses with families, other commitments, or simply a desire for a more adaptable schedule, registry and PRN nursing can offer the flexibility they crave.
Variety: Working in different healthcare settings provides a chance to gain a wide range of experience and exposure to various medical specialties.
Higher Pay: The prospect of higher earnings can be a major motivator, especially for nurses looking to maximize their income.
The Considerations: Downsides of Registry and PRN Nursing
Lack of Benefits: The absence of benefits can be a significant drawback, particularly for those who rely on employer-sponsored healthcare or retirement plans.
Job Insecurity: The unpredictable nature of registry and PRN nursing means that there might be periods of low demand, leading to potential gaps in income.
Limited Connection: As a registry or PRN nurse, you may not develop the same level of camaraderie or familiarity with colleagues and patients as full-time nurses.
Balancing Flexibility and Stability
Registry and PRN nursing offer an alternative path for nurses seeking greater flexibility, higher pay, and a diverse range of experiences. However, the decision to pursue these roles should be made with careful consideration of the potential downsides, including the lack of benefits and job security. Ultimately, finding the right balance between the allure of flexible schedules and the stability of traditional nursing positions is a personal choice that each nurse must make.
Watch the full episode: https://youtu.be/bGHJdK49IGE
by Cup Of Nurses | Aug 4, 2023 | Podcast
Surgical Costs Exposed: Unmasking Hidden Expenses
The healthcare industry is an intricate ecosystem, where patients and providers navigate a labyrinth of policies, practices, and pricing structures. Unfortunately, one of the most perplexing aspects of healthcare is the lack of transparent pricing, especially when it comes to surgeries. Patients often find themselves in the dark about the true cost of medical procedures, leaving them grappling with financial uncertainties. In this comprehensive blog post, we will delve deeper into the intricacies behind hospitals’ reluctance to disclose surgery costs, exploring various factors that contribute to this enigma.
Fragmented Pricing: Navigating a Complex Landscape
The financial aspect of healthcare is not straightforward. Hospitals have to deal with multiple parties, such as insurance companies, government programs, and other third-party payers, resulting in a fragmented pricing landscape. Each of these entities negotiates their rates for specific procedures, leading to a wide range of prices for the same surgery. Consequently, presenting standardized prices for surgeries becomes an uphill battle for hospitals, given the multitude of variations in pricing based on the patient’s insurance coverage or payment method.
To add to the complexity, hospitals may even negotiate different rates for the same surgery with different insurance providers or individual patients. The lack of a unified pricing structure makes it challenging for hospitals to disclose a single, all-encompassing cost for a particular surgical procedure.
Unveiling Billing Practices: Discrepancies and Realities
Behind the scenes of healthcare billing lies a maze of complexities. Hospitals maintain a charge master, a comprehensive list of services and procedures with their respective prices. However, these prices often diverge from the actual amounts patients with insurance end up paying. Insurance companies negotiate discounts and rates with hospitals, resulting in different billed amounts depending on the insurer’s agreements. This leads to a significant difference between the price on the charge master and what patients ultimately pay out of pocket.
Furthermore, individual cases may present varying complexities, leading to additional services, tests, or post-operative care. These additional elements further contribute to discrepancies between the originally billed amount and the actual final cost, making it difficult for hospitals to offer patients precise cost estimates upfront.
The Competitive Landscape: Negotiation and Discretion
Competition is fierce within the healthcare industry. Hospitals must vie for patient loyalty and secure profitable contracts with insurance providers. To maintain their market position, hospitals often engage in negotiations with various insurance companies and third-party payers. They may offer preferential pricing to some insurers in exchange for a larger patient volume or more favorable terms.
As hospitals navigate these competitive waters, they may be hesitant to disclose their negotiated rates openly. Revealing such information could potentially compromise their bargaining power, resulting in less favorable agreements with insurers and diminishing their competitive advantage.
The Absence of Consumer Pressure: The Urgency Factor
Unlike consumer goods and services, healthcare often involves urgent or critical medical needs. When facing a medical emergency or a necessary surgical procedure, patients may not have the luxury of time to shop around for the best price. The urgency of healthcare decisions limits patients’ ability to compare prices or negotiate costs, reducing the pressure on hospitals to be transparent with their pricing.
The Complexity of Variable Costs: Beyond One-Size-Fits-All
The cost of a surgery is not a one-size-fits-all figure. It varies significantly based on multiple factors, including the complexity of the procedure, the patient’s medical condition, the need for specialized equipment or personnel, and post-surgery care requirements. Each patient’s case is unique, leading to a wide range of potential expenses.
Attempting to provide a standard cost for surgeries that encompasses all possible scenarios is an immense challenge for hospitals. Instead, cost estimates may be best suited to be tailored to individual cases, taking into account the specific variables and nuances associated with each patient’s situation.
Unlocking a Transparent Culture: A Paradigm Shift
Transparency in healthcare has been a long-standing challenge. While some hospitals are becoming more willing to disclose prices, the overall culture within the industry has been relatively opaque. Achieving transparency requires a transformative shift in the entire healthcare system, involving collaboration among hospitals, insurance companies, and regulatory bodies.
To foster a culture of transparency, stakeholders must work together to establish standardized pricing mechanisms, promote patient education about costs and billing processes, and streamline communication channels between healthcare providers and patients. Additionally, innovative technological solutions, such as price transparency tools and online cost estimators, can empower patients to make more informed decisions about their medical care.
Conclusion
The complexities of hospital surgery costs are deeply intertwined with the fragmented pricing landscape, billing practices, competitive dynamics, urgency factor, variable costs, and the prevailing transparency culture. These factors collectively contribute to hospitals’ reluctance to disclose surgery prices, leaving patients grappling with financial uncertainties in the face of medical needs.
While strides are being made to enhance price transparency in healthcare, achieving comprehensive and straightforward pricing transparency remains an ambitious endeavor. Addressing the multifaceted nature of this challenge necessitates unwavering commitment and cooperation from all stakeholders involved. Only through collective effort can we create a more patient-centered healthcare landscape, where pricing transparency becomes the norm, and patients can navigate medical decisions with confidence and clarity. As we strive for a more transparent healthcare system, we inch closer to a future where patients can confidently access high-quality care without being burdened by financial uncertainties.
Watch the full episode: https://youtu.be/A8oypZ85FVk
by Cup Of Nurses | Jul 28, 2023 | Podcast
Navigating Ethical Dilemmas in Nursing Practice: Real-Life Scenarios
Nurses play a critical role in patient care, advocating for their well-being and ensuring ethical standards are upheld. However, the complex nature of healthcare often presents nurses with challenging ethical dilemmas. In this blog post, we will explore real-life scenarios where nurses encounter ethical challenges, ranging from respecting patient autonomy to navigating conflicts of interest. Let’s delve into these thought-provoking scenarios and discuss how nurses can navigate these ethical dilemmas while prioritizing patient safety and care.
Patient Autonomy vs. Beneficence:
Scenario: A pregnant patient with a life-threatening medical condition insists on continuing with a treatment that poses serious risks to her and the unborn child. The medical team believes that the treatment should be postponed until after childbirth to maximize chances of survival for both, but the patient is adamant about proceeding with the treatment. How can the nurse respect the patient’s autonomy while also ensuring the best outcome for both the patient and her baby?
End-of-Life Care:
Scenario: A patient’s advanced directive states they do not want to be kept on life support if they become terminally ill. However, the patient’s family disagrees with this decision and insists on pursuing all available life-sustaining treatments. The patient is unable to communicate due to their condition. How can the nurse advocate for the patient’s end-of-life wishes while balancing the family’s desires and emotions?
Resource Allocation:
Scenario: A hospital is dealing with a surge of patients, and there is a shortage of ventilators in the intensive care unit (ICU). Nurses must decide which patients should receive the limited number of ventilators, knowing that some patients may not survive without this life-saving equipment. Additionally, some patients may have pre-existing health conditions that put them at higher risk for severe complications.
Confidentiality and Privacy:
Scenario: A nurse discovers that a prominent public figure has been admitted to the hospital for a sensitive medical issue. The nurse faces pressure from the media and public to disclose the patient’s condition, but doing so would breach patient confidentiality. How can the nurse uphold patient privacy and confidentiality in the face of external pressures?
Informed Consent:
Scenario: A patient is admitted to the hospital with a life-threatening condition, and urgent surgery is recommended. However, the patient is in a state of confusion and is unable to provide informed consent. The patient’s family is unavailable, and the medical team must make a rapid decision. How can the nurse ensure the patient’s best interests are served while acting in the patient’s best interest under emergent circumstances?
Cultural and Religious Beliefs:
Scenario: A young patient’s parents belong to a religious group that rejects modern medical interventions. The child has a treatable condition, but the parents insist on using only prayer and faith-based remedies. The medical team believes the child’s life could be saved with medical intervention. How can the nurse navigate this ethically challenging situation that involves potentially life-saving medical treatment and respecting the parents’ religious beliefs?
Refusal of Treatment:
Scenario: An adult patient with a severe psychiatric condition refuses to take essential medications, which have previously been effective in managing their symptoms. The patient’s condition worsens significantly, and they pose a danger to themselves and others. The patient’s refusal raises ethical concerns, as they are unable to make rational decisions in their current state. How can the nurse balance respecting the patient’s autonomy with ensuring their safety and well-being?
Whistleblowing:
Scenario: A nurse working in a prestigious hospital discovers that some physicians and surgeons are engaging in unethical practices to manipulate patient data, including falsifying medical records and test results. The purpose of these actions is to move certain patients higher up on transplant lists and make them appear more eligible for specific surgeries, even when other patients may have a more urgent medical need. The nurse is deeply troubled by these manipulations, as they compromise the integrity of patient care, prioritize certain individuals over others unfairly, and potentially put lives at risk. However, the nurse fears the repercussions of reporting this misconduct, knowing that the involved physicians are influential within the hospital and may have strong connections with hospital administrators.
Conflict of Interest:
Scenario: A nurse working in a pharmaceutical company is asked to participate in a research study evaluating a medication produced by the company. The nurse is aware that the medication has potentially serious side effects that are not adequately disclosed to study participants. How can the nurse navigate the conflict between professional obligations and the company’s interests?
Social Media and Privacy:
Scenario: A nurse posts a photo on social media, inadvertently capturing a patient’s face in the background. Despite not identifying the patient by name, the post leads to the patient’s identity being revealed in the comments section, breaching their privacy. How can the nurse address the inadvertent violation of the patient’s privacy and take appropriate measures to rectify the situation?
As healthcare professionals, nurses face complex ethical dilemmas that require critical thinking, compassion, and a commitment to patient advocacy. By exploring these real-life scenarios, we have gained insight into the challenges nurses may encounter and the importance of upholding ethical principles in providing quality patient care. Through continued education, open communication, and support from colleagues and institutions, nurses can navigate these ethical dilemmas while remaining steadfast in their commitment to patient well-being and safety.
Watch the full episode: https://youtu.be/GFYVgduFV_k
by Cup Of Nurses | Jun 9, 2023 | Podcast
The Current State of Travel Nursing
Amidst the widespread infection, healthcare providers such as hospitals, private practices, and clinics faced significant challenges in acquiring essential resources beyond just personal protective equipment (PPE) and masks. The surge in demand for nurses and other healthcare professionals during this time led to an increased necessity for travel nurses. This unprecedented demand further resulted in remarkably high salaries for travel nurses.
Travel Nurse Salary Temporary increase
According to data from Vivian Health, travel nursing salaries reached nearly $3,500 per week by December 2020. However, the peak occurred approximately a year later, with rates soaring to nearly $4,000 per week. Between January 2020 and December 2021, the average pay for travel nurses experienced remarkable growth of over 99%. From December 2022 onwards, travel nursing salaries began to stabilize at approximately $3,100 per week.
Where did the increase in nurse pay come from?
The higher pay for nurses didn’t come out of nowhere. It didn’t magically occur out of thin air. Keep in mind that most hospitals are for-profit so they like to keep their labor costs low and maximize their revenue. Most hospitals wouldn’t have raised their pay nearly as much is they weren’t getting funding from somewhere.
- Federal funding: one-way hospitals had money was through the Allocation of Provider Relief Fund.
- The fund gave $178 Billion dollars to hospitals and medical facilities.
- PPP Loans: Federal Government loans that didn’t need to be paid back.
- Hospitals received about $68 Billion from the initial PPP loans and then another $29 Billion for the second distribution.
- Extra State funding: Besides Federal money being given to healthcare facilities States also increased their budgets and gave hospitals more funding.
- Illinois: The overall healthcare budget for Illinois was increased by about $250 Million for hospitals
- Safety Net Hospitals (24): Funding increased $81.4 million
- Critical Access Hospitals (51): Funding increased $14 million
- High Medicaid Hospitals (30): Funding increased $86 million
- General Acute Hospitals (69): Funding increased $62.1 million
- Psych Hospital (10): Funding increased $2.4 million
- Long-Term Acute Care Hospitals (6): Funding increased $1.2 million
- Rehab Hospitals (4): Funding increased $2.3 million
- https://www.illinois.gov/news/press-release.21790.html
Decrease in Travel Nurse Pay
There has been an overall decrease in travel nursing pay and even an overall decrease in travel nursing contracts. What is driving this change and what is pushing the cost for nurses down?
- Less Government funding
- The main factor for the decrease in travel nurse pay is a decrease in government money. Hospitals aren’t going to hire more nurses if they don’t need to even though the employees do. That’s exactly why there are no nationwide ratios.
- In 2023 according to Macrotrends hospitals are having some of the lowest profit margins since 2016 but are overall up from 2022.
- https://www.macrotrends.net/stocks/charts/HCSG/healthcare-services/net-profit-margin
- Are there fewer jobs?
- According to government projections (US Bureau of Labor and Statistics), an estimated annual increase of over 203,000 registered nurse positions is expected to be generated between the years 2021 and 2031.
- According to Indeed, states like California, Texas, New York, Florida, and Pennsylvania each have over 150,000 – 320,000 new RN positions opening each year.
- There are 290,000 Registered positions posted on Indeed. According to Vivian, there are 83,000 travel nurse positions available.
- https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/finding-a-job/how-many-jobs-are-available-for-registered-nurse
- There are no fewer jobs. People are always getting sick. Go to your local Walmart and you can see all the comorbidities. Nurses are needed everywhere.
- Seasonal changes
- Always keep in mind that nursing has multiple specialties and each specialty peaks at different parts of the year. For example in the warmer months as the season changes pediatrics gets hit harder because children start to get respiratory issues and the OR trends up because people tend to get more surgeries in the warmer months.
- During the winter months, there is a peak in older people getting sick so specialties like ED and ICU tend to get busier.
- Staff incentives
- There has also been an increase in incentives for staff nurses. Incentives such as higher sign-on bonuses if you stay an X amount of years. There are also nits that offer pick-up bonuses of a couple of hundred dollars extra per shift.
Overall State of the Travel Nursing Market
This happens every year. I’ve been travel nursing for the last 3 years and a year before the pandemic and this was always the talk of the summer. Travel nursing is always going to give you higher pay than your staff job done in the right way. Same way you can get screwed as a staff nurse you can get skewed as a traveler if you don’t do your homework. Travel nursing is not going anywhere prices are just stabilizing from the all-time highs seen in the last few years. There is also another trend rising which is PRN nursing.
If you want to learn more about travel nursing check out this link: https://cupofnurses.com/becoming-a-travel-nurse-get-to-know-your-dream-job/
Watch the full episode: https://youtu.be/uWS0r2d1Qsk
by Cup Of Nurses | Jun 2, 2023 | Podcast
Is Healthcare Moving in the Right Direction?
In this episode, we would like to introduce you to Raj Sundar. Raj Sundar is a full-spectrum family physician and community organizer. He hosts Healthcare for Humans, a podcast dedicated to educating others on how to care for culturally diverse communities so they can be better healers.
Questions and Topics
- Can you give us a little background about yourself?
- Why did you decide to start Healthcare for Humans?
- Why doesn’t healthcare translate over to culture?
- Often times we trim down treatment and approaches to patients into set protocols, once size fits all approach. When does that approach fail?
- It almost seems like the bigger the healthcare system, the less culturally sensitive it is.
- As a medical director, how can you help push healthcare in the right direction?
- What does a medical director do?
Watch full episode: https://youtu.be/7U5vRIopXMY
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