First Job As A Nurse! HELP!

Nurses New Nurse

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The only job offer I have is from a very nice hospital. They have excellent benefits and the nurse manger is such a sweet heart. I have a few issues however, for one they offered me $18.10 an hour. Is this too low for a new grad nurse? Also they only have about 2 CNA's working a 33 bed step down unit, and the nurse manager was admittedly short staffed and was expecting to hire a lot of new grads in the coming months. It sounds to me like this is going to be a really difficult floor. Especially if they are having to train all of us new grads. Should I hold out for something more appealing to me, or am I being totally unrealistic and this is just how it is in the real world?

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Specializes in UR/PA, Hematology/Oncology, Med Surg, Psych.

$18.10 an hour is ridiculously low for a RN where I live. But maybe it's competitive where you are? Sounds like the manager is trying to rebuild the unit staff and that can make for a tough while, but only you can decide if it's worth it. Important to know is, what will be your patient ratio?

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I spoke briefly with a nurse that has worked there for 10 years and he said he has taken on up to 12 patients.

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Specializes in UR/PA, Hematology/Oncology, Med Surg, Psych.
I spoke briefly with a nurse that has worked there for 10 years and he said he has taken on up to 12 patients.

In Acute Care on a Step-down floor?? Turn and run

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Specializes in SICU, trauma, neuro.

I don't know what the COL in your area is, but $18.10/hr seems really low. I started at $26.something 13 yrs ago; in an urban midwest teaching hospital. How many pts does each RN typically take? 3:1 is an appropriate ratio for stepdown, IMO...4+ and you're getting into med-surg ratios. The first unit I worked on was a specialty floor with two intermediate care beds; on nocs one RN had those two plus two floor pts which was a lot.

Also, what exactly is their ratio of novice nurses to experienced ones? Are they hiring ONLY new grads, or are they recruiting experienced nurses as well? What resources do they have for ovice RNs? Because you WILL continue to need help. Nursing school doesn't teach you everything you need to know.

I would suggest is trying to negotiating that wage. It's possible it's non-negotiable (for example, where I work now they have a wage schedule which is strictly related to your hours of nursing experience and highest held nursing degree)...but as my husband who negotiates everything says, "They're always going to lowball the offer, and once you accept their offer you have no more power." Nothing to be lost by doing some market research and finding out what a competitive new grad pay is for your area, and then bringing that to the table. The worst they can say is "no."

Or else you can say that the wage they are offering is low so you still have applications submitted (yes, do actually submit other applications--don't bluff and do keep your options open), and when do they need your answer by? If they really want you they may try to make their offer more attractive.

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Specializes in SICU, trauma, neuro.
I spoke briefly with a nurse that has worked there for 10 years and he said he has taken on up to 12 patients.

12???!??!???!??!!?!?? On stepdown?????!??!??!?! Please tell me you meant "sub-acute," and not "stepdown" as in ICU>stepdown>floor.

If this is truly a stepdown unit....run like Usain Bolt away from that place. No wage increase would make that job worth it.

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It's a step-down unit, he didn't say how frequently that happened. So i'm hoping that maybe that was just a really bad day where everyone called in and their was no one able to float.

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Specializes in UR/PA, Hematology/Oncology, Med Surg, Psych.
It's a step-down unit, he didn't say how frequently that happened. So i'm hoping that maybe that was just a really bad day where everyone called in and their was no one able to float.

No way!! Even if it only happened once, that is once too many. The managers should have taken patients and worked the floor or agency nurses be called in. I would NOT take a job with that hospital, nope, no way. No wonder they're short staffed, everyone has left or died of overwork.

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I did say this to him," Do you honestly like working here?". He replied," honestly, yes. I wouldn't have stayed so long if I didn't." So that answer is what is making think I should go for it. Also a lot of my fellow classmates said they really enjoyed clinicals there. They want an answer by tomorrow. I think I'm going to see if i can negotiate the pay a bit.

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You can probably look on the hospital website and see what the starting pay range is for a new grad. Our boss usually tells people that the job pays what it pays--not what you think you are worth. That doesn't mean you can't negotiate, but depending on the cost of living and new grad salaries in your area, the starting pay may not be negotiable.

If it has great benefits, those are worth something too. Only you can decide.

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
I have a few issues however, for one they offered me $18.10 an hour. Is this too low for a new grad nurse?
I suspect $18/hourly for a new grad is very competitive in the region where you are located, although it would be very low in the cities where the rest of the AN.com membership resides.
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What state or region are you in? I'm on the West Coast and starting was $28/hr about, but it all depends where you live and cost of living. Also, will you have a Residency? I think you're entitled to at least a 3-month Residency/Orientation (w/preceptor), ESPECIALLY in a step-down unit since you're dealing with such high acuity pts.

But, 12 pts on a step-down unit is way too much. My hospital has 3-4 on it's step-down unit (thank God), a lot more safe.

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