We are all familiar with the concept. Many of us make one every month whether on paper or in our head. Employers, especially those with boards that hold them accountable, put pen to paper or should I say keyboard to excel document annually. In The Villages we have many of these forward thinking employers that attempt to predict future expenses and profitability margins. One such employer is UF Health Spanish Springs Hospital. As an employee of the hospital and longtime nurse I have heard the term “the budget” many times throughout my career. From my vantage point as a peri-operative nurse the term “the budget” brings about anxiety, fear, and anger. Mostly because my co-workers and I have no say in “the budget” but are expected, dare I say even forced, to comply with it. It means change and not the good kind that leaves you feeling happy and hopeful for the future but the impending doom kind of change. In its wake “the budget” always leaves me with fewer co-workers, sub-optimal supplies and more work. And yet the people that put forth “the budget” seem strangely unaffected by it, even happy about the results. It makes me wonder if all the talk about bonuses and stock options only happens for those in the elusive budget forger’s realm of employees. Do they remember the mission? Promote health with high quality patient care, education and research. How can we do this as an organization when “the budget” forgers cannot put forth a realistic budget (without bonuses and stock options) that ensures all employees and patients get the best possible outcomes?