While debate continues about President Barack Obama’s health care proposal, associate nursing dean Denise Link said she doesn’t think future nurses have anything to fear.

As associate dean for Clinical Practice and Community Partnerships at the College of Nursing & Health Innovation, Link has been monitoring the government’s actions regarding health care reform, she said.

“I am 100 percent for it,” she said. “We definitely need some sort of health care reform — the current situation is not sustainable.”

But some students said they’re still unsure of what this reform may mean for their future careers.

“I heard it’s going to lower the salary,” nursing junior Dana Dooley said. “Going into it we thought we were going to be making ‘X’ amount of money and now with the changes we’re going to be making less.”

While the reform is a good idea, it’s not a practical one, Dooley said.

Nursing junior Hannah Felix said she sees both sides of the issue.

“It’s not really financially practical, but emotionally I can see why people think it’s a good idea,” Felix said.

“When you’re in the hospital and there’s a little kid that can’t get health care because their parents can’t pay for it, it’s kind of sad.”
However, Link said she hasn’t seen any indication that nurses’ pay will decrease.

“Actually with the emphasis on prevention and health promotion, I think their stock is going up in the public health sector and the community health sector. I think they are going to be even more in demand,” Link said. “The fact of the matter is that health care needs in this country have changed dramatically.”

The system in place now — where practitioners are required to move from one person to another at a quick pace — isn’t what America needs, she said, and technology can help solve problems.

“There’ll be an increasing recognition of the value and the role that nurses can play in the health care delivery system both in terms of nurses in entry level positions and the traditional hospital settings,” Link said.

Even though the public still views nurses as playing the stereotypical roles seen on shows like “Grey’s Anatomy,” they will soon be proved wrong, she said.

“Out in the community … we can take the role of the primary care provider, which we do already but it’s not as well recognized,” she said.

Link said she is optimistic about the reform ideas and sees no reason for students to worry.

“Diversity in the profession will remain,” she said. “People are going to need all kinds of health care still and probably more kinds that we haven’t even thought about yet.”

Reach the reporter at vajones2@asu.edu.