Re: Pay Scale

At the facility I just left I was making $45/hr plus a pm shift differential $3.25/hr between 3-7pm and an extra $1.5/hr for weekends. That was an old contract, the new contract was kicking in as I was leaving with a 9% raise. My new facility will be a little more. Keep in mind I live in one of the most expensive places in the US and jobs are VERY hard to find right now. I have been a nurse for a couple years.

Re: Pay Scale

Originally Posted by youknowho

At the facility I just left I was making $45/hr plus a pm shift differential $3.25/hr between 3-7pm and an extra $1.5/hr for weekends...

What geographic area does this relate to?

Thanks.

Re: Pay Scale

Originally Posted by Havin' A Party!

What geographic area does this relate to?

Thanks.

SF Bay Area, CA

Re: Pay Scale

Originally Posted by fireandice

I was just so surprised of what I just learned! I think it's time for me to invite everybody to come here in Canada to work! I just started working in the ICU last year without previous experience on this area, came from another country, and yet...I am earning $24.00/hour. Not too bad eh? Please...we are desperate for nurses!

Really, then many American nurses who are having trouble getting jobs should go to where you are, where is it in Canada????
Are you only looking for experienced nurses, can't you train your own nurses? I know that does take time if you can get them to stay once trained.

Re: Pay Scale

Dallas-Fort Worth area ICUs:
New grads (in training) = $21-22/hr.
Once you complete ICU training = $24-25/hr.
From there, $25 to $38 per hour or more, depending on experience level.
This doesn't include differential pay. Add $6 per hour for weekend differential, $2.75 evening differential, and $3.50 night differential.

Re: Pay Scale

In alaska (big city) anchorage most of the hospitals are union. OUr wage starts out at ~$26/hr. of course cost of living is offset by that because food/living supplies are much more expensive. I am shocked to hear that RNs are making less than $20per hour; WE ARE LICENSED PROFESSIONALS! we take care of the sick, weak, and needy!
Sorry for the rant; prior to reading this, I was thinking how a nurse who takes care of pts in a higher acuity setting should be paid greater than those who take care of "walkie-talkie" upset stomach pts. I have a somewhat different view now as others are making even less....
btw I work in a CCU/ICU and take care of very sick people....
-e

Re: Pay Scale

Originally Posted by earache77

In alaska (big city) prior to reading this, I was thinking how a nurse who takes care of pts in a higher acuity setting should be paid greater than those who take care of "walkie-talkie" upset stomach pts. I have a somewhat different view now as others are making even less....
btw I work in a CCU/ICU and take care of very sick people....
-e

You are so right! I'm completing orientation for my new hospital and all of us new nurses have a list of tests and competencies we need to perform prior to working independently. There are 26 critical care required written tests opposed to regular nursing's 12. The test themselves require 30 pages of reading, 30 questions on tiny details, not concepts or policies. I have 26 tests! The other nurses finished their written tests in a day!
My ICU assessment specific written competency is going to take four hours opposed to everyone else's two. My required clinical demonstration of skills is going to take two days as opposed to non-critical nursing's 4 hours.

This does not seem fair. I'm required to have ACLS, PALS, TNCC. Unofficially I was told by my manager that they expect ICU staff members to have C.C.R.N.'s, though legally she can't require it. Does the hospital offer to pay for the course? Of course not. Do they pay anymore when you get the certification? Of course not.

Is nursing the only field where the more degrees and credentials you obtain has ABSOLUTELY NO influence on your pay? All the other nurses keep saying "You get specialty critical care pay."
No, I don't. That pay went to the floor nurses to keep them happy because they were being underpaid. I'm really questioning the value of working in critical care, like risk vs. reward. I love it, love the autonomy but I study most weekends, the work itself can be unfairly demanding. Frankly, I see no reason to be on the floor longer than 5 years. I know many of my newer co-workers feel the same way. We in critical care asked to do so much more, for the same pay. 2 patients whatever, they don't use CNA's in this I.C.U. or any I.C.U. I've ever worked at.
Might as well get an easier, better paying job.

Sorry for the vent but sometimes I just wonder...

Re: Pay Scale

Nurses (on the floor, Critical Care, etc) should be paid more for what they do! I was working a few months ago and we had a quiet moment in the ICU so we were chatting at the nurses station and a doctor (who's been rude on more than one occasion!) came in and said in all seriousness that we were being overpaid for our job. That just burned me up because, especially as someone relatively new to the world of critical care and who's busting her hump trying to learn and absorb as much as possible each shift, it was just a slap in the face!

*whew* sorry bout that....it just infuriated me!

Anyhoo, at our facility in Northern California, my base as a new grad was about $36 with a $4 diff for nights (I don't remember what PM diff was cause I never worked it so I didn't care) and $1.50 or something for weekends. Charge pay is $1.25, but believe me, it's not worth it! Together with the raises we've gotten via contract and experience, etc, I'm getting $43.80 and hour and I've been a nurse for almost 2.5 years now.

Cost of living is higher here than some parts of the country, but when I hear about nurses in other states getting $13 an hour I want to cry. It's so unfair.

Re: Pay Scale

New Grad, hired into a critical care rotation program at a level 1 trauma hospital that does heart and lung transplants in Tampa, FL, pay starts at 21.50/hour. We do get diff for nights (19%) and weekends (5%) but I'm on days so I don't really benefit from that. The hospital is great about paying for continuing education and pursing further degrees, though, so that's definitely a plus.

Re: Pay Scale

Wow. I never realized there'd be such a huge gap in pay...
I work in Fredericksburg, VA and make $27/hr w/o differential. I am fresh out of school and with differential for working nights I make $30-31/hr with weekend night differential of $8...

I feel that nurses are wayyyyyyy underpaid for the work we do.
$13/hr??? come on!! give me a break!!! ;(