Compensating Nurses Could Relieve Shortage

I am writing in response to “Hospitals Seek Cures for Nurses Shortage,” April 21. The answer is simple. Pay us what we are worth.

I have been a nurse for 20 years. I have seen many changes over the years, and most are not for the better. Even with the years of experience that I have, I make less money than an entry-level computer programmer.

I have been spit on, bled on, vomited and urinated on. I have been called every name in the book by my “beloved patients.”

My husband is a newer nurse, with only three years of experience. He entered this field so we could travel. We are currently working in sunny California. His hourly wage in California is one-third his rate in Massachusetts. It is also the rate that he was making 10 years ago when he worked as an auto mechanic.

So tell me, where is the incentive? We are taking care of people, not cars.

Donna Sheeran, R.N.

Desert Hot Springs