I just cannot believe that dental hygienists make the same amount as nurses . Cannot believe it. We have SO much immense responsibility. Nurses monitor and often save peoples lives.... We get sued and physically / verbally abused on countless occasions... We deal with peoples emotional issues, death and dying....Physical stress, emotional stress. SERIOUSLY!
Why did I get my BSN? Should have just cleaned some teeth!
Katy
 |
|
|||||||||||
 |
||
search realityrn
sign up for weekly cartoons, tips, and blog posts
Register to win a pair of RX Medical Silver Fox Crocs
|
|
|
 |
October 2nd, 2008 at 11:12 am
I don’t know, every time I go to the dentist and the hygienist finds out that I’m in nursing school, they always tell me that they want/should have/are going back to school for nursing. Mostly because it pays more, they say. Maybe it’s different in different states?
October 2nd, 2008 at 6:05 pm
Yes well, in austin tx, per salary reports its the same! When i look on the salary reports, my salary is accurate… so I am assuming the salary report is accurate for them too.
Im just a little peeved about it lol
October 3rd, 2008 at 7:54 pm
I’m pre nursing and a lot of the other people in my classes are pre dental hygienists. I really want to be a nurse but sometimes I’m thinking that if I just went that route I would be able to graduate and start working sooner. It’s depressing, I’d love to be a nurse but the lack of space available in the programs, it’s easy to get discouraged.
October 8th, 2008 at 6:08 pm
I had no idea that dental hygienist makes as much as a nurse! At first I thought, that seems so unfair! We’re doing so much more work – who would choose nursing if they knew that?
Then I thought about the great perks of nursing. Flexibility, availability to be promoted and advance your career and practice… you can work, days, nights, weekends, holidays – whatever fits for your life and your family’s life. I think dental hygienists are pretty much stuck with a M-F 9-5 job.
When it all comes down to it though, both careers are doing a service to people. It’s all about what you want out of it!
October 8th, 2008 at 10:36 pm
I agree with Lindsey, it depends on what you want out of a career. There are so many opportunities worldwide for nursing. I’d be interested to see what the salary comparison is for a nurse with 10 years experience versus a dental hygienist with 10 years experience. Initially they may start the same but I imagine the real difference comes down the line. This is pure speculation though. Plus, you can advance your career while staying within the field. In my opinion a dental hygienist’s options are much more limited than a nurse’s.
November 17th, 2008 at 10:08 pm
It depends on what you want, but does a dental hygienist get to run down the hall with a crash cart? Sometimes, the rush of nursing totally rocks!
December 28th, 2008 at 7:27 pm
I think it’s only fair to all of you that I take the time to answer some of your questions. A Dental Hygienist is an active participant in the diagnosis and treatment of periodontal disease first and foremost. The daily task of “cleaning teeth” is defined as a preventitive procedure recommended by the ADA to prevent the onset of gingivitis and/or periodontal disease.Over the last 10yrs, extensive research has been done on the link between periodontal disease and several common diseases and conditions acquired by a large percentage of the American population.It’s a privelage as a hygienist to be an active participant in the education, diagnosis, and treatment of a condition that can have such an adverse affect on the general health of a patient.
January 18th, 2009 at 11:19 pm
See original post- I am not trying to degrade your job. I just think that as a nurse, I should be paid more- just a personal opinion . I am sure you disagree, and thats fine. You cannot argue that we have more responsibility on our shoulers, and have a very stressful job in comparison. That is all I am saying. As a nurse, I am well aware of the correlation between oral health and the risk for cardiovascular disease, decreased life span etc. You provide a very valuable service to people and I am aware of the health benefits of it.