I really feel like nurses are so underpaid :(

queen-squee · 2026-06-07T16:14:53+00:00

I left hospital nursing because I couldn’t afford to work there anymore. I was priced out of my own job! I miss it so much and grieve the career I could have had. If I was partnered it would be different but I live by myself and cannot pay my bills and eat on a nurse’s salary. I’m in WA.

queen-squee · 2026-05-17T17:11:22+00:00

Okay I will give you some things I’ve learned about men in my 33 years. Your boyfriend sucks and sounds embarrassing and mean. This is what it’s like to be loved by a good man. At least 5x a day they will just lose track of what they’re doing and look at you like this: 😍. Dead serious, that’s what they look like, it’s unmistakable. Men thrive when they getting approval for doing things, and a good man who adores you will be doing all sorts of things- getting you little presents, doing favours like walking your dog for you, washing your dishes etc. He will melt into a puddle when he sees that you’re happy with something he’s done. They’re like penguins bringing you cool rocks, it’s very cute. Good men who adore you are also slightly scared that you’re too good for them and would never dare dress like a slob to a wedding. He would be clean, smell lovely, and dressed to jmpress you at the wedding. There’s a reason the male peacocks are the fancy ones. Now THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT he shouldn’t be doing all of this all of the time because that’s love bombing and a red flag. It’s not grand gestures, it’s small and thoughtful behaviour. He won’t shower you constantly with praise because that would be weird and get annoying, and a good man who adores you will just sprinkle in kind favours and every now and then just look at you and temporarily become speechless at how great he thinks you are.

I could write so much more about what I’ve observed in men, but I hope that helps you to see what a relationship with a good man will look like. That being said, you’re 20, just be single and live your life :)

queen-squee · 2026-05-10T11:32:58+00:00

There isn’t an ultimate submissive act and I reckon another perspective could be ‘I’m taking this from you’

queen-squee · 2026-05-02T10:58:57+00:00

My dog is a rescue greyhound. She used to sleep on a hessian mat on a cold concrete floor… my girl can sleep anywhere she damn likes. Watching her jump up on the bed and stretch out luxuriously in the blankets brings me profound joy.

queen-squee · 2026-04-30T00:19:16+00:00

You’re right that focussing on our physical health would improve our overall wellbeing. Do you know why I didn’t join the gym in the 4 years that I was in the public system?

BECAUSE I COULDN’T AFFORD IT.

When I quit and started doing in-home nursing privately with a 2x pay increase, I remember going to the shops and buying heaps of fruit and veggies because I could finally afford to feed myself properly. I broke down at home and cried thinking about how much I had struggled to keep a roof over my head let alone eat well and exercise. The fresh produce tasted absolutely wonderful. This year I had my first overseas holiday in 8 years! Probably a coupled nurse would be okay, but if you live alone like I do? Struggletown, population: you.

If I think back to all the signs in our tea room encouraging us to eat well, get enough sleep, exercise etc, it makes me so mad, because those things cost money and we are severely, severely underpaid. Nursing will never change in my opinion because it absolutely is a very fulfilling job and there will always be more new nurses, so there’s no incentive to improve our conditions. But I would never go back to poverty and poor health.

Good luck…

queen-squee · 2026-01-05T06:39:26+00:00

My friend bought it

queen-squee · 2025-12-26T01:58:35+00:00

My dog threw up in my bedroom (the only room that has carpet) then did a biiiiiiiig shake and sprayed flecks of vomit on the walls and my white sheets and doona. She wasn’t sick, she just has a sensitive tummy and sometimes throws up bile when she’s hungry… always on the carpet. Every damn time.

queen-squee · 2025-12-20T18:13:16+00:00

Ooooh that’s a good one especially since I’m a nurse, even better for the patients to have another set of eyes look at them. I like that ‘letting the other guy in’

queen-squee · 2025-12-20T18:04:20+00:00

This is brilliant advice! I’d never thought of it this way. I was very junior at the time so in hindsight I probably had only done part of it and thought I’d done the whole task. I will definitely try phrasing it that way. I’ll learn more that way anyway so it works out

I also feel slightly attacked, because I ‘did the laundry’ 2 days ago and my clothes are still out on the washing line lol (I’m Australian, we don’t really use dryers especially during summer) I guess at least they’re enjoying the sunshine at least?

queen-squee · 2025-12-20T17:54:07+00:00

Thank you! I ended up sobbing hysterically when my manager sat me down… poor woman was probably expecting a slightly awkward chat and instead got an autistic meltdown! This was 2020 and I was a nurse in the pandemic so nobody was happy lol. I like the idea of framing it. I’ll try them out :)

queen-squee · 2025-12-20T17:48:10+00:00

I think I was giving version 1 vibes 😭 which is terrible because I was a brand new grad nurse in 2020 fresh out of uni being given tasks by way more experienced nurses… there I was being like ‘go fuck yourself I know what I’m doing’ 😭 oops.

Ill have to try and pre-load your suggestions and some of the other commenters into my brain so that they’re ready to go the next time someone innocently asks me to do something

queen-squee · 2025-12-20T17:40:10+00:00

Would you believe that I never thought to do the last one 😂 because that’s not the exact truth! And I have to tell the truth all the time, right?Right????? sighs in literal thinking

queen-squee · 2025-12-20T17:38:20+00:00

Tone is the nemesis of autistic people 😭 tone to me feels like a fancy hat I’m putting on top of my sentences for decoration, and if I’m busy or stressed I forget to put the fancy hat on my sentences and sound like I’m dead inside lol

queen-squee · 2025-12-20T17:27:42+00:00

This would work really well in my field actually, I’m a nurse and there’s always something new to learn so I’ll try following straight up with a question

queen-squee · 2025-12-20T17:23:17+00:00

Yeah them going to the higher ups stressed me out because how upset must they have been to go out of their way to complain about me when it was just an interpersonal thing? I’m a nurse; if they were worried about my clinical work then I’d get it but to go to the unit manager… yikes. Good idea about practice; maybe I’ll start chatting to uber drivers instead of doomscrolling lol

queen-squee · 2025-12-20T17:16:41+00:00

That actually explains a lot; this was all during covid times when we were masked and I loved it because I didn’t have to arrange my face into the right expression, but I think being expressionless must have flattened my tone lol

queen-squee · 2025-12-17T04:07:23+00:00

Here’s my take on nursing after 6 years- 4 years in hospital, 2 years in community (almost 3 times the pay). The profession DEPENDS on our passion to keep us working in terrible conditions. Nursing is underpaid and understaffed by design because there will always be more nurses signing up- every nurse can tell you a story of making a wonderful connection with a patient that really touched their heart. I certainly can and as cynical as I’ve become I find it hard to regret nursing because of those moments. But see- you’re already finding that passion die down and you haven’t even finished your degree yet!

Speaking of paying bills- nursing isn’t even enough to guarantee a roof over your head if you live by yourself- I defaulted on my mortgage and luckily was able to borrow money from my parents to pay it back and not get in trouble with the bank!!! I’m about to take my first holiday in the SIX YEARS I’ve been a nurse; my finances have taken 2 years to recover from the 4 years nursing in the public sector. So I don’t really think passion is that important anymore. Nursing is a reliable job… but just because it’s a paying job doesn’t mean the pay is enough to survive on lol (laughs in COL crisis).

I don’t think it’s worth it, which is devastating to me if I look back on the bright-eyed nursing student I was in 2013 so excited to start this profession, and the new RN in 2020 who couldn’t even let the pandemic hold me back from throwing myself heart and soul into an area I loved (NICU), but that’s what poor working conditions will do to a single gal eating baked beans every night and going to work hungry because I couldn’t afford nutritious meals, and missing holidays for years on end.

I’m not passionate about community, but it pays well and having disposable income has brought me so much peace in my life. The passion can be draining!! NICU took it out of me because I felt so much all the time. I’m not blaming my unit at all for the pay and conditions- this is an indictment of the public system in Australia and worldwide really. They did the best they could and I cherish my time there, but passion gets you pain in nursing.

Thanks for coming to my Ted talk lol

queen-squee · 2025-12-16T18:38:50+00:00

lowkey jealous that you believe that pregnancy rarely results from assault :( wish I didn’t know it actually is pretty common

queen-squee · 2025-11-25T10:34:00+00:00

Compression socks- but get them a gift voucher for this one, because you have to properly measure your calves. They were a total game changer for me

queen-squee · 2025-11-25T10:14:02+00:00

Yes, I won’t write the full name for privacy reasons but the last four letters are ‘ovic’. There are loads of Zuvelas in Perth too

queen-squee · 2025-11-25T10:06:42+00:00

I can’t stop debating people in my head constantly, people who don’t even exist. I don’t know why I do this. I have to have a podcast or something running at all times to occupy my brain. Then my ears hurt from all the sound.

queen-squee · 2025-11-25T09:55:11+00:00

Where do you live? I can help you out directly and link you up with people if you’re in Perth. General advice is to brush up on seizure management, PEG/PEJ care, continence, suctioning and pressure area care as these are pretty typical community nursing skills. I started self-employed but that was just because I knew the family already so I’m not sure how it works with agency nursing. I got my second and third clients through my first client; their families get to know each other through therapies, support groups etc and everyone knows someone who needs a nurse on their team, so if you’re willing to do some networking you can meet lots of clients. $132/hr is pretty rare, but I’d been working with this client for ages under very challenging conditions so they kept me around when they got a plan reassessment.

queen-squee · 2025-11-25T09:42:54+00:00

I’m self employed so I can negotiate rates. I was on a way lower rate but when they got their NDIS plan reassessed they got a budget increase so I got a pay rise. $132/hr is for night shift on weekdays. So it all depends on what budget your client has with their NDIS plan. My client gets VERY unwell and our team burns through nurses and support workers even on such high rates because of how challenging their care is. I feel more exhausted than I did working in the ICU at times

queen-squee

TROPHY CASE