I always think that even nurses that are relatively well paid are really underpaid for the job that they do. It is a highly stressful job doing a lot of really unpleasant things under difficult conditions. You have no real leeway for having a bad day -- people suffer if you don't perform. It requires a lot of study, experience and skill to do well. While computer programming is a scarce skill, in no way does it compare with the job of a nurse... and still there is no comparison in salary. And that's for nurses that are relatively well paid. The world really is unfair.