Humans need not apply

Welcome to NurseCafe, the newsletter you can read before the NOC assignment you accepted without realizing you work the next morning at your full-time job.

In today’s email:

• Nursing is still strong: Despite setbacks in travel assignments, per diem is still a strong option for nurses.

• Tax day: We hope today is not the first time you have heard about the 2025 deadline!

• Humans need not apply: AI companies are looking to fill more roles in healthcare.

• Around the web: Pets, income, and heart.

P.S: If you want to read any previous editions of NurseCafe you can on our website and if you were forwarded this email you can subscribe here.

WHAT’S HAPPENING

Taxes and new opportunities

💪Nursing is still holding strong: Despite evidence that the travel nursing boom has slowed since the pandemic peak, demand for nursing services shows no signs of decreasing. According to salary data from Vivian Health, the average hourly RN salary nationwide was $43.63 as of late 2024, with rates reaching as high as $71 in some states. Nwitimes This data suggests nursing will remain a financially rewarding career choice.

💵 Tax day is tomorrow: Tax day is tomorrow April 15th. We hope this isn’t the first time your thinking about filing your 2024 taxes. If you worked for an agency in 2024 and were paid $600 or more you should have received your 1099 form. Don’t be late!

🏫 Free training for new CNA: JVS Boston has launched free CNA training programs starting in April 2025, offering both 6-week and 14-week options to help people enter the healthcare field. The shorter program is for those with proficient English, while the 14-week program includes ESOL classes for those with intermediate English skills.

ONE BIG THING

Humans need not apply

AI is making major moves into healthcare, with programs like "Ana" from Hippocratic AI answering patient questions 24/7 in multiple languages at just $9/hour (compared to our $40/hour). Other AI systems are monitoring patients, flagging emergencies, and even directing care plans.

Hospital administrators see AI as the perfect solution to our staffing crisis (remember those 100,000+ nurses who left during COVID?). They claim it helps us work more efficiently and reduces burnout.

But hold your stethoscopes! Nursing unions are pushing back, organizing demonstrations nationwide for the right to have input on AI implementation and protection from discipline if we override automated advice. Many nurses report experiencing barrages of false alarms and dangerous recommendations - like one ER nurse whose AI system nearly made him administer dangerous fluid levels to a dialysis patient!

While some AI applications make sense (like making after-hours calls to surgery patients), nursing experts worry about replacing human judgment. As one dean put it, "We should embrace what it can do to augment our care, but we should also be careful it doesn't replace the human element."

Next time you're charting, remember - AI might analyze data, but it can't detect facial expressions, smells, or provide that reassuring touch. Some things just can't be automated!

What do you think about your potential robot colleagues? ☕👩‍⚕️🤖

AROUND THE WEB

😺 We all wish: Why does it seem we get the worst deal compared to our pets?

🤑 Money Breakdown: This nurse listed his income since 2014.

📈 More CNAs: The number of CNAs is expected to grow 4% by 2033.

❤️ Heartwarming story: 2 year battle sees improvement!

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

"Nursing is a progressive art such that to stand still is to go backward." - Nightingale

That’s it for this week’s newsletter. If you have any feedback or story you would like covered, reply to this email. We read every response. 🤓 

See you next Monday! ☕️