Just moved here, where is the great RN pay at?

U.S.A. Arizona

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Hi All,

I just relocated here from out East. I kept hearing about how Phoenix has such a nursing shortage. I heard hospitals were in bidding wars trying to attract RN's to their facilities. My question is where is all the great money? I have called a few temporary staffing agencies and have been really dissapointed with the salaries they are offering! Do any hospitals pay really well? If there is such a nursing shortage here, why doesn't the pay reflect that? Any ideas or input will be very much appreciated!

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I know that hospital regularily check the salary market in the phoenix area and adjust salaries if needed -- I suspect the hospital salaries are not greatly different. If you are not interested in benefits, then you can make a better hourly rate working at hospitals and you could check that out too.

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Mytoon38 - where in the east are you from? What are the rates you are hearing from the staffing agencies? ---This data would help folks give better feedback, I think. (And would also help educate folks like me!)

I am interested as I am preparing to enter nursing school. --In my last prerequisite class.

Hmmm....question for folks ---are the figures offered by salary.com accurate? Below find data from a few of the positions listed there per working in the general Phoenix area.

Staff Nurse, RN

48,885 $53,722 $63,611 $67,778

Staff Nurse, RN CCU

$48,127 $53,106 $64,413 $69,729

Staff Nurse, RN ER

$47,770 $52,567 $63,406 $68,479

Staff Nurse, RN OR

$50,090 $55,244 $66,002 $70,643

Nurse Practitioner

$66,203 $71,797 $84,242 $89,978

Nurse Practitioner, ER

$65,139 $72,821 $88,437 $94,974

Nurse Practitioner, Specialty Care

$68,876 $75,244 $91,619 $100,159

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I work for at Chandler Regional Hospital and not a registry. For example at my hospital, a RN working in the flex. pool can make $35/hr, without benefits -- including med-surg. They just started a benefits included float pool -- it is your salary plus 10% & benefits which is good deal too.

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im thinking of moving to chandler regional center but no idea how much an NICU nurse makes there lets say i have a 2 year exp. how much will they start you with anyway im not even sure if there is an NICU in chandler regional hospital

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Specializes in OR, Telemetry, PCCU, Med/Surg.

I'm actually thinking about moving East once I graduate Nursing School - how are the RN pays over there? Considering the low housing cost, it might actually be better back East!

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im thinking of moving to chandler regional center but no idea how much an NICU nurse makes there lets say i have a 2 year exp. how much will they start you with anyway im not even sure if there is an NICU in chandler regional hospital

Right now CR's NICU is a level 2. They are in the process of changing to a level 2eq, though. I have a friend who works in the NICU there and she said at this time they are not hiring, things have slowed down a lot. I know in the summer she was working a ton, with lots of overtime as well. I'm not sure what her base salary is though, but during overtime she was getting double time, plus $250-500 just to come in.

HTH

Keli

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Hi All,

I just relocated here from out East. I kept hearing about how Phoenix has such a nursing shortage. I heard hospitals were in bidding wars trying to attract RN's to their facilities. My question is where is all the great money? I have called a few temporary staffing agencies and have been really dissapointed with the salaries they are offering! Do any hospitals pay really well? If there is such a nursing shortage here, why doesn't the pay reflect that? Any ideas or input will be very much appreciated!

I live in Tucson and am an LPN going on to obtain my RN. I decided to call the nurse recuriters at my employer to find out what RN's are making. Imagine my dismay at being told they are hiring all new RN grad's at $23.50/hr-this is only a few dollars more than I making now!! Plus I have an AA degree and BS degree in business admin. So I am a bit discouraged by this to say the least. And I am told my employer's rates are comparable to the rest of the hospitals in town. So much for the big "nursing shortage" and the "great demand"-yeah there is demand alright, they work you as if you are two people and pay you as one it sounds like.

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Specializes in L&D, ICU, Family Medicine.

At my hospital as a New-grad they start you off at 24.25/hr w/no prev. exp. in healthcare. I think it's more if you were an extern/aid/etc...I have heard rumors that Chand. Reg & Mercy Gilb. are starting new grads at $27/hr and $29 if you were an LPN before. Also, recently they have been paying triple time for overtime, and bonuses to come in on your day off. Some as much as $500. If it is true or not, I don't know for a fact. This is just what I've heard through the grapevine. If anyone knows if this is true, please let me know! And if you ARE an employee for one of these 2 hospitals, what are the working conditions like? I wonder why the pay is so much greater than the hospital that I work at, but we have great benefits and never get more than 4 pts, and we all help each other if another is drowning.

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At my hospital as a New-grad they start you off at 24.25/hr w/no prev. exp. in healthcare. I think it's more if you were an extern/aid/etc...I have heard rumors that Chand. Reg & Mercy Gilb. are starting new grads at $27/hr and $29 if you were an LPN before. Also, recently they have been paying triple time for overtime, and bonuses to come in on your day off. Some as much as $500. If it is true or not, I don't know for a fact. This is just what I've heard through the grapevine. If anyone knows if this is true, please let me know! And if you ARE an employee for one of these 2 hospitals, what are the working conditions like? I wonder why the pay is so much greater than the hospital that I work at, but we have great benefits and never get more than 4 pts, and we all help each other if another is drowning.

I just pm'd you.....

Mary

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Specializes in Cardiac.
I live in Tucson and am an LPN going on to obtain my RN. I decided to call the nurse recuriters at my employer to find out what RN's are making. Imagine my dismay at being told they are hiring all new RN grad's at $23.50/hr-this is only a few dollars more than I making now!!

That's a little low for Tucson. Mind telling me which hospital this is? (You can PM me)

You would think you'd get more than a regular new grad being that you already have nursing experience. Did you ask them if they factored your LPN into the equation?

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Specializes in ICU, Research, Corrections.

Staff Nurse, RN

48,885 $53,722 $63,611 $67,778

Staff Nurse, RN CCU

$48,127 $53,106 $64,413 $69,729

Staff Nurse, RN ER

$47,770 $52,567 $63,406 $68,479

Staff Nurse, RN OR

$50,090 $55,244 $66,002 $70,643

Nurse Practitioner

$66,203 $71,797 $84,242 $89,978

Nurse Practitioner, ER

$65,139 $72,821 $88,437 $94,974

Nurse Practitioner, Specialty Care

$68,876 $75,244 $91,619 $100,159

I think these numbers are on the low side. For example, I made 65K last year but I only worked January through August. I was staff, not pool.

It seems the hospitals with the worst benefits have the highest pay. If you work pool instead of staff it is quite possible to make over $40 an hour.

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