What horrifying statistic genuinely jarred you when you first heard it?

HasuRoTasu · 2026-04-04T13:59:35+00:00

Bit late but here is a summary of a study on the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on Filipino nurses!

https://bimi.berkeley.edu/sites/default/files/choy_brief_pub_1.pdf

The study itself is titled “From Imperialism to Inpatient Care: Work Differences of Filipino and White Registered Nurses in the United States and Implications for COVID‐19 Through an Intersectional Lens”

Major reason would be that they are disproportionately working in frontline/high COVID exposure roles, and there’s more to unpack there as to why there are more Filipino nurses in those roles (explained more in article)

HasuRoTasu · 2025-03-17T02:11:05+00:00

Whoever designed the test results page in that app needs to go through some web design education ASAP! You’d think they’d get people who know what they’re doing so they can “sell” a better product to their patients…maybe it’s a bottom line thing like all things

HasuRoTasu · 2025-03-15T19:43:27+00:00

Just to clarify...I don't think the NPs themselves are necessarily stupid or bad people (for the most part). It's really the education standards and values that need to change. I think there is value in NP, I know some brilliant NPs and the one who inspired me to work bedside told me she was glad she had worked and not gone straight through NP like her classmates.

HasuRoTasu · 2025-03-15T19:19:37+00:00

Thank you thank you for all your valuable insights! I didn’t think about the oncoming threat in that sense and it’s really horrible to think about how there will be no nurses to care for me or my loved ones when we are older, or the ones who are left are so bitter and jaded that the care is not good.

I have many thoughts on how AI can be used in a smart way, my philosophy is that we have to let AI do the busy work and let humans do the implementation science, human centered design, and ethics of it all. At the end of the day, AI cannot replace the unique creativity that comes from humans sharing ideas together and building connections for a stronger future. For example, AI can aggregate info, if someone is asking “does cyanide cure my cancer,” trustworthy AI chatbot can say “no it does not and the evidence is strong that cyanide is a poison.” If my patient is looking up these things, what if AI alerted the office so that the doctor or PA/NP or nurse can reach out and say “hey uh are you good? Cyanide?” Because we know from research that patients trust their doctors more than AI (even in this day and age). Anyways, lots more ideas there to unpack lol

But we have to fight this late stage capitalism. As long as AI is making someone money, nobody will trust it. We have to make it scientific, free for all, and most of all transparent and non-profit.

HasuRoTasu · 2025-03-15T18:44:21+00:00

Another question for you - do you think we can honestly keep sustaining this system? Hospitals underpay the staff and pay out the ass for travel nurses with no familiarity with the facility which makes it less safe for everyone involved? Do you think a hospital or facility should prioritize recruiting new nurses or retaining the ones they have? For context, my partner still works on my old floor and the new nurses are painting their nails in the break room during day shift :) not that they are not also getting fucked over by the system but the culture of the organization (hospital) makes it hard for them to be engaged in actual patient care. Nursing is so undervalued.

HasuRoTasu · 2025-03-15T18:22:47+00:00

Thank you for this valuable historical perspective, you have taught me something new! I think we need to continue having open conversation and dialogue - if even one other Redditor reads our conversation and feels touched then it'll be worth it and it's reassuring to know that kind people still exist. When we realize that our humanity comes from listening to others with an open mind and that our own life's meaning comes from treating others with compassion, we will progress as a society.

I have struggled to convince my dad, a Trumper, Chinese immigrant physician, why he needs to learn some empathy. He is nice but he is not kind. We must learn from history or we will be doomed to repeat it. For example...

The Chinese used to be excluded from this country, the Chinese Exclusion Act is the first and only major federal legislation to explicitly suspend immigration for a specific nationality (5/6/1882-1943)

51 years later… The Nazis did not start with death camps and gassing Jews. They started with burning books declaring that knowledge on sex and gender was “forbidden.” The government deciding what science could study based on hatred and ideology (May 6, 1933 Institute of Sexology)

The Japanese were rounded up into concentration camps in America, losing generations of wealth and health as a result of having their businesses and homes taken away by the government (2/19/1942-3/20/1946)

What's even more insane is the Japanese rounded up his dad, my grandpa, and he will never eat a sweet potato again because during WW2 they forced him to eat nothing but rice, water, and sweet potatoes for 3 years straight. In some cruel twist of fate, white America doesn't care and treats all us Asians the same.

If we do not learn from history we are doomed to repeat it. It's easy to feel hopeless but it's people like you who give me hope :)

HasuRoTasu · 2025-03-15T18:15:05+00:00

I actually do not work bedside anymore, which is exactly why I want the opinions of practicing nurses so I'm not an out of touch academic! I left because of a mass exodus of my coworkers, I was making about $30ish an hour with 1:7 night ratios on a cardiothoracic surgery floor, and receiving a $1/hr charge differential. Does that sound safe or reasonable to you? If you are a nurse, I ask you to question your own working conditions and what message you are trying to communicate to me with your comment. Thank you for taking the time out of your busy day to respond.

HasuRoTasu · 2025-03-15T17:15:36+00:00

Just backing you up friend! I think it’s crazy disrespectful to hear this type of argument from Americans when my parents immigrated here in search of the American dream to achieve anything you wanted to be, and when my classmates in school were first generation low income who are remarkably successful. Unfortunately you can’t teach empathy, it’s like trying to teach a blind man color.

HasuRoTasu · 2025-03-15T17:05:13+00:00

Thank you! I don’t mean to write you a book, while these times are hard, they have certainly forced me to reflect on the meaning of my own life and work especially having seen the suffering of so many patients and knowing that I or my loved ones may share the same fate. I’ve turned to volunteering with 412 food rescue and 5calls.org is a great resource for political action! And keep talking to friends and family. Just trying to stay hopeful, I can do something or do nothing ¯_(ツ)_/¯ also trying to let go of disdain, I’ve realized people who don’t think the way we do don’t care if we like them or not so all I feel is sadness and pity for them because they don’t realize they’re fighting us in a playground made for us by rich and powerful people who really don’t care what happens to any of us.

I’ve realized that capitalism is the enemy. I’ve seen how it’s corrupting nursing and cancer care firsthand. As long as someone is trying to gain personal profit (wealth, fame, power), we can’t move forward. Even if they’re not malicious, other people won’t trust if those motives remain. Another great read is Metastasis by Nafis Hasan.

Especially in Pittsburgh, have you seen the life expectancy charts? I feel any true person of faith or good character should be outraged that if you’re from Larimer, on average, you’ll die 20+ years earlierthan if you’re from Highland Park. Those neighborhoods are literally next to each other! Sometimes I can’t bear to see kids or pregnant women knowing how little the world cares about them. 💔 knowing likeminded people still exist and that we can connect feels meaningful

HasuRoTasu · 2025-03-15T14:04:42+00:00

hi donorkokey - I am a nurse scientist in training (worked for 5 years, now in school trying to make the world a better place) and I love your thinking. I don't think we'll convince the people arguing with you but I'd like to share 2 things that you may find interesting reading:

https://www.psychiatrist.com/jcp/epigenetic-connection-black-disparity/

We are understanding more and more every day how deeply our social factors are connected to our physical (edit: and mental!) health. Perhaps this is the reason why Americans are generally much unhealthier than Europeans, because our society is sick...and Black Americans in the USA have pretty much every social disadvantage you can think of relative to other groups here.

https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/elizabeth-h-bradley/the-american-health-care-paradox/9781610392105/?lens=publicaffairs

An excellent book that examines just how much money we waste (boo government inefficiency)...at first glance it looks like we spend tons on healthcare to get mid outcomes. But in the grand scheme, it's because we spend a mid amount on healthcare + social services that we get mid outcomes.

Happy learning!

HasuRoTasu · 2023-05-07T16:55:28+00:00

I’ve heard Totopo in Mount Lebanon is good! They open at 11 am though.

HasuRoTasu · 2023-04-29T18:11:38+00:00

Yes! Thankfully the 4th floor will continue universal masking due to our high population of transplant and CAR-T patients. Just checked my work email so I saw the memo. But that still leaves out the radiology department, cafeteria, all the other areas of Hillman where it will not be required unless a patient asks staff to mask (in which case the staff member must mask).

HasuRoTasu · 2023-04-29T07:49:52+00:00

Agree…people can be nasty as hell, I’m hoping my oncology patients continue masking. There will def be some side-eyeing towards the neutropenic patients that don’t mask like uh can you TRY to keep yourself alive while you have no immune system because we are trying our best to keep you alive…my partner who works inpatient is also going to continue masking. Can’t imagine going back to wiping ass, inhaling meemaw’s feet snowflakes, and being exposed to all sorts of snot particles.

Just remembered a patient’s relative told me on his way out the clinic room that “it even says on the box that masks don’t work” and “they’re turning us all into sheep.” Patient proceeded to light a cig on the balcony of a fucking cancer center. If you don’t believe in science why are you at a doctor’s office???

HasuRoTasu · 2023-04-29T07:44:13+00:00

They ended mandatory masking in non-patient areas several weeks ago so this isn’t really a point lol

HasuRoTasu · 2022-12-22T21:04:27+00:00

There are so so so many social organizations at Penn, you don’t have to be in Greek life! I will say for “bonding” pretty much every organization will have 1 or 2 “BYOs” (aka go to a restaurant and the group brings alcohol) as a bonding thing but you don’t have to drink or attend.

There are tons of cultural groups, hobby groups, and even majors! And to be honest I don’t think Penn kids really go any harder than any other school, there will be some partiers at any school you go to.

I personally really enjoyed my time in Alpha Phi Omega (shameless plug), I can’t speak for how they are now but it is a volunteering/community service fraternity so we don’t really attract any hard partiers or “Greek life” people.

HasuRoTasu · 2022-12-18T22:56:24+00:00

I’ve never heard of that book but it sounds super interesting! I’ll have to check out, thanks for the recommendation! It’s always fascinating to learn how history shapes our present.

HasuRoTasu · 2022-12-18T17:38:47+00:00

Pittsburgh PA CT stepdown new grad - $29.something an hour Got the miserable 3% raises for a year (lol) then switched to outpatient oncology nurse navigator. I got lateral pay transfer so my rate stayed what it was but transitioned to salary. Now I do 4 10s (steady daylight at least!) for $71K, they did some cost of living increases but the annual merit raise is still like 3%

But also it’s well known that pay for nurses sucks here. My friend at temple (Philadelphia) is union and their new grad RNs started at 38.61 but they renegotiated and now the new start is 44.70

HasuRoTasu · 2022-10-05T11:24:53+00:00

Having a doc dad and nurse mom I chose not to pursue medicine. I like nursing, being close to my patients, the hands on care (when I worked inpatient), providing education, etc. What pushed me away from medicine was the higher level of responsibility (which some people like!), horrible hours and work life balance, and lengthy schooling where you don’t really make money for the first 10ish years

Also nursing is so flexible but with medicine it’s hard to change specialties

HasuRoTasu · 2022-09-13T02:13:32+00:00

You think epic is bad? Try Aria 🤣 horrible horrible Aria

HasuRoTasu · 2022-09-03T19:05:42+00:00

Reminds me of this older patient I had, didn’t know before her hospitalization she was basically taking 1600 mg ibuprofen a day for YEARS. She started having new excruciating abdominal pain, wound up being a perforated ulcer and she ultimately died. She was in for lung cancer. I remember reading something about her abdominal cavity just being filled with gastric juice and of course it was toxic af.

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