Counseling Psychologists/Family & Marriage Therapists HELP PLEASE!

[winneythepooh7]

Yeah, keep us posted. My position sucks right now (if you've seen my other threads) but I am looking for a new job. Hopefully something will come through in the next couple of weeks. The one thing that you run across in our field is that certain positions are definately not for everyone, and we are definately underpaid for everything they want us to do as you mentioned! I've actually had to pack meds in the past because the program I worked for just couldn't find a p/t nurse because the pay was so low. Yeah, right there shows that we are asked to do unethical things that are not part of our expertise. I wouldn't do it now though anymore. Which is part of the reason I want to leave my current position. I didn't spend 60grand to go to Social Work school to be a police officer and get yelled at every day by other providers who are NOT my clients............If you are not my client, there is no reason you should be treating me like S%*T if you are also a social work professional..........

[nikki1920]

Which I dont understand. We spent three days on Med administration, followed by a written test, followed by a demonstration with one of the RNs on duty. But you only want to pay me 8 an hour?! And I have a college degree? Uh, no. Where is all this money that the program gets from the state and Medicare/Medicaid going? That bothered me. But anyway, I am still pressing on with schooling and getting a foreign language down.

[PsychTau2]

Originally posted by nikki1920
Update. I went through two weeks of training, including medicine administration, and decided that the job was not for me. They were asking me to do way too much for the minimal pay I'd be getting (you want me to give ppl beh. mod drugs for $8 an HOUR? wtf?).

Nikki...
Sorry that it wasn't a good match for you. However, I see a BIG RED FLAG in your post. From my understanding, you cannot adminster medications unless you have a Nursing license. When I was an RTC, only the nurses had keys to the med room, and only nurses could physically hand the medication to the patient.

This of course was in Arkansas, so it could have been a state specific law, but I figure it is a law that everyone follows. Plus, you'd be SOL if that patient had an adverse reaction to the meds and you didn't have enough medical background to treat it.

Probably a good thing you said "Adios!" to them, huh?

Good luck on your search!!
PsychTau

[nikki1920]

Actually in MD, I am now a CNA, a certified nursing assistant. I can do everything except give shots, but i can give oral and topical meds, plus first aid, cpr, restrictive techniques, etc...

still wasnt enough money though. and i feel selfish and greedy for saying that, but still..

[winneythepooh7]

Originally posted by nikki1920


still wasnt enough money though. and i feel selfish and greedy for saying that, but still.. [/B]

Never feel selfish and greedy for saying that! While we don't go into our profession "to make money" we still need to make a decent salary to live on. Non-profits especially are infamous for trying to save a buck any way they can and if that means cutting corners and having other employees do the work of 2 or 3 employees, to save money on hiring others, they will do it. I am actually going through this right now at my very own program and is just another reason I am getting ready to say adios. I actually have an interview this Thursday and the man scheduled it for 7 AM so I can go there and then to work without raising a lot of suspicion . AND this is for a position where I will actually be supervising other employees and NOT working in mandated-client hell, so wish me luck. Good luck to you too and keep us posted!!!

[AChiOAlumna]

Originally posted by winneythepooh7
Never feel selfish and greedy for saying that! While we don't go into our profession "to make money" we still need to make a decent salary to live on.

I completely agree with this statement. I went to a seminar a couple of weeks ago on private practice. The presenter stated, "You need to charge what you are worth...this is a business and you need to be able to sustain yourself."

Yes...If I wanted to make $250,000/year, I wouldn't have become a therapist, but there is no reason that I shouldn't be able to live a comfortable lifestyle that I'm accustomed to...

[PsychTau2]

Originally posted by nikki1920
Actually in MD, I am now a CNA, a certified nursing assistant. I can do everything except give shots, but i can give oral and topical meds, plus first aid, cpr, restrictive techniques, etc...

still wasnt enough money though. and i feel selfish and greedy for saying that, but still..

Ahhh....CNA....didn't think about that....

I echo what everyone else has said. We did not get into this field to make tons of money (well...I'm not in the field anymore...I'm in Higher Ed...which I also did not go into to make tons of money... ) HOWEVER....this is a difficult job and one that deserves pay relative to the risks we take. A lot of non profits just don't have the $$$ to pay more, but if it's a good, positive place to work, the non-$$$ benefits make up for it. However, theres also lots of non profits who (in order to show a "non profit" at the end of the fiscal year) uses up what they have left buying new computers every year and other crap (things that aren't really needed). Those are the companies that probably won't give you a rewarding feeling working for (I speak from experience!).

Keep looking you guys!!! The right fit is out there!!

PsychTau

[nikki1920]

Thanks, you all. As much as I love psychology, I did not get into it to become rich, but I would like to be able to feed my kid at the VERY least.