Numerous outlets highlight how healthcare skill sets are a solid choice when it comes to job security, especially with the persistent shortage of healthcare workers following the COVID-19 pandemic.
But a recent TikTok posted by @theweathernurse may provide some insight as to why some folks aren’t necessarily rushing out to get jobs in the field, even if they’re being offered competitive wages.
The healthcare worker posted about working a 16-hour shift at a nursing home that pays $40 per hour while jokingly asking how bad it could be. Judging by the end of the video? Pretty bad.
@theweathernurse #cna #nursinghome #cnalife #healthcare #ihateithere ♬ original sound – bry
In the clip, she lip-syncs, “How bad can I possibly be? Let’s see!” while an overlay reads, “How bad can a facility offering $40/hour for a 16 hour shift be?”
The self-proclaimed “Muscle Mommy” and RN student answers her own question in a matter of seconds. At the end of the clip, she can be seen staring into the camera with a horrified look on her face as if she just went through some unspeakable trauma for the $640 before taxes.
This isn’t the first time she’s criticized the nursing home. She previously uploaded a clip that shows several older people sitting in wheelchairs in what looks like a hallway of a healthcare facility.
“When you find out why this nursing home is offering $40/hour,” she writes in an on-screen caption. In the background, she uses audio of Joe Pesci saying, “What the fuck is this piece of shit?” to emphasize the situation.
@theweathernurse #CapCut #agencycna ♬ original sound – 🌪️ CNARatched – #SVRStormz⛈️
In the comments section, viewers shared their thoughts on the TikToker’s situation.
“More they pay the worse it’s going to be lol,” one commenter remarked.
“I once picked up a shift that worked out to $102/hour as a cna,” a second shared. “I refused to ever go back.”
“Just got $48 for a 12 hour at night as a CNA it was bad,” a third added.
“My toxic trait is i would still think it’s worth it,” another said.
NPR reported that crowds of nurses have left the profession following the COVID-19 pandemic. In February 2022, the outlet wrote, “Nursing homes and other long term care facilities have lost a record number of residents and staff.” The outlet also quotes experts as saying, “long-term care … may not recover quickly.”
The Daily Dot contacted @theweathernurse via TikTok comment for further information.