[TheCapn]

>especially nurses typically do so despite the working conditions.

This mentality is what's being exploited. And nurses are getting fed up.

They want to help people. But so much of the decision making is taking that away from them. Even the simple shit like bathing patients is being rushed or removed from them because they're too busy. Simple things like brushing a person's hair helps humanize them. At a certain point they're so overworked with terrible ratios that they can see all the inevitable near miss scenarios that have almost caused harm to patients or themselves/coworkers and without any support from the system to correct these issues they're giving up.

Again, they want to help, but they also can't repeatedly stand back and watch the train wreck in action. Many of them are saving themselves and exiting the profession because the mental and emotional toll they pay each shift is becoming too much.

My wife is an ICU nurse. Most of what I've said here comes from her, or her colleagues who I talk with.

[pmoriarty]

"This mentality is what's being exploited."

There was a BBC article about this recently, titled "The workers leaving their dream jobs"[1]:

"....workers have always hoped for roles that coincide with their interests and passions ... Yet this 'do what you love' narrative comes with drawbacks. Many people find that their dream jobs require more work, under worse conditions. Others discover that the industries they idolise trade on workers' passions to keep pay low..."

[1] - https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20221010-the-workers-le...

[saganus]

As someone very far from understanding what is going on, what is the rationale that governments are using to justify not increasing salaries/working conditions?

I know it's probably a variation of "there's no money", but, I would imagine nurse care to be something important for everyone.

I know I am being naive as I live in a country where the gov ia about to make significant cuts to health spending... but I always thought "first world" countries such as the UK would make saner choices in areas like this one.

[LorenPechtel]

Few people will suffer appreciably from the situation. Everyone will suffer from paying more taxes to fix the situation. Thus the voters will choose to underfund UHC systems. It's the inevitable result of having the same people in charge of spending and deciding if the standard of care is met. The solution that causes the least voter dissatisfaction is to lower the standards.

[ClumsyPilot]

> . The solution that causes the least voter dissatisfaction is to lower the standards

I believe there is no such consensus in UK, you are just trying to rationalise incompetent governance and ideology.

Last prime minister's best thoughts on Brexit was a 10 minute rant about cheese. Wether honest or corrupt, good or evil, how does a person of such modest ability come to top office? Trully the land of opportunity!

https://youtu.be/UFNRUuBARM4

[black_puppydog]

> This mentality is what's being exploited.

This is one of those things that I find schizophrenic about capitalism: the more you like your job, the less valuable (monetarily) your work becomes. Because, you know, you're being compensated in that warm fuzzy feeling when you do your work.

Except that this is insane! I can see the logic of the system ending up with that reasoning, but if that's the outcome then that system is stupid.

And also, turns out that fuzzy feelings don't feed a family.

And the fuzzy feeling crucially comes mostly when people are able to do their job well, not rushing it because the allocated minute to do it is running out.