[pagandeva2000]

As an LPN, I would say definitely not.

[jenn27]

I'm a lpn in Ohio. My hourly wage is good for my area, but there is no retirement, and lets just say I'm thankful for my husbands health insurance, right now if you have the insurance @ my work can you say 4,000 dollar deductible. On the plus side most days I like my job.

[BCCnurse]

Hi,

NO, I feel Very underpaid and under appreciated as an LPN! Dose any one know why MA's make more than me. I love and appreciate the work they do,but i don't understand why I make less than they do.Dose anyone else see this happening in their area?Mabyit is just good old south Mississipi

[chench53]

I voted NO. I didn't get to read everything yet, but the first page had nurse familiar with NYC benefits, as I am. However, I never was unionized, but my salary was over $90k two years ago (BSN/28 years experience) and still, I think it could have been higher. I started another thread about this before I saw this thread, but I'll say it again, I'm not happy with the compensation and benefits where I am.

Currently, I am employed in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia (Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Suffolk, Chesapeake, Newport News, Hampton, Williamsburg) and now I get
PAL - Paid Annual Leave - 23 days - to be used for vacation, holidays AND for the first 2 days of sickness
Sick time is accrued, however you can't use it for a 1-2 day illness until you have 5yrs time accured in the sick bank.

So basically, I went from 20+12=32 days off a year, plus sick time if needed (and I was never sick, nor did I just use them as mental health days)
To my leave breakdown of 18 vacation day+ 6 recognized holidays=my 23 total leave days...and if I'm sick, I have to use a vacation day.

Plus the salary is terribly lower than in NYC, even for an RN with a BSN.

And, one could argue that the cost of living is less, however it is only marginally less. Yes, property taxes are much lower, but sales tax is much higher. Grocery is about the same. Gas prices are slightly lower, but there is no mass transit so you need to drive more. So, overall, cost of living is not an equalizer.

I also think that here in this area they utilize LPNs much more here. I hadn't worked with LPNs in NYC for over 20 years. And (with my apologies to the LPNs, and I mean no disrespect to you, and they are underpaid also) I think that using LPNs in great numbers contributes to keeping lower salaries for the RNs, who are then acually taking on more responsibility supervising other personnel and should be paid even more.

anyway, I do miss the pay and the benefits of NYC.

thanks for listening.

[dropsofjupiterllc]

After 14 of critical care nursing, I had to become a travel ICU RN working as an independent contractor to finally make over $50/hr with no benefits. I am living out of a suitcase in a tiny apartment in northern California far away from my family in Mississippi (where you get paid in the 20s or 30s like I did in 1994).

Cocktail waitresses and blackjack dealers at the casinos in Mississippi make more money than nurses. They don't have to pay for nurse liability insurance, ACLS/BLS/PALS/CCRN recertification and all the CEUs, scrubs, stethoscopes, etc.

I have been able to live/work/travel to Hawaii, Alaska, Virgin Islands, etc. but this is making around $20/hr. Post Hurricane Katrina, McDonalds aned Burger King were offering fast food jobs around $15/hr (and I know the exotic dancers in New Orleans pre-Katrina were making big bucks at Ricks Cabaret).

So...do this because you love it, and eventually the money will come. But for the Responsibility of Lives, Handling of Bodily Fluids, dealing with Death/Dying Issues, etc. etc. not to mention the technical aspects of critical care nursing--I think we should be paid WAY WAY MORE!! $1,000 AN HOUR IS 1/2 of what MDS make...what do you think?

[bradleau]

I have never seen a degree of higher level get better pay. A two year RN will be signed on for the same dollars as a masters RN. ONLY if that Masters RN leaves the bedside nursing will he or she POSSIBLY make more. You change one kind of stress for another.

[Tracylvn]

Currently yes, and mainly because it is low stress, no hands on, m-f 8-4 10 paid holidays, 1 floating, 10 sick days, and 2 weeks vacation. I would make the same amount that I am making now to be a floor nurse, wich I am considering because I feel like my skills are slipping away. I will be starting lvn-bsn distant program hopefully within a yr so I may hang on to my cushion job till then.

[proud2b1]

Absolutely underpaid as an lpn!I started out 15 years ago.During my practice I moved to a different city,the pay was a little better.I have since seen nurses starting off just a little under,what has taken me 15 years to get.Not fair at all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[dropsofjupiterllc]

Another comment on compensation (No is my final answer): I have a Bachelors in Marketing, an MBA, and a Bachelors in Nursing. I still have to be a bedside, ICU travel RN to make an hourly wage above $30/hr.

Do you want to make the most money as a RN? My fiance' and I are going back to school to CRNA (anesthesia school). Not only will we LOVE it, the technical, hands-on part is still there--but you will be more of a professional (not a bedpan slinging CCRN). The pay is better and we deserve it!!

Like I have said, many of my friends are in less educated, less responsibility jobs like servers, hosts, bartenders and they pull in $90,000 plus in Biloxi or Vegas. Not to mention the dot.com generation with web companies pulling in the bucks. As critical care RNs at the bedside, we are servers/comforters/computer-literate educated people responsible for people's LIVES.

I do NOT think the compensation is at ALL there yet. Just wait until the massive nursing shortage and the younger generation has to do the gross work for $20/hr. They won't! They can make that much as a host for an upscale restaurant with no risk of bodily fluids/bedbaths/back-breaking 12 hr shifts nightshifts weekends/holidays.

We are in this profession because we have the compassion and intelligence, but we DESERVE EXCELLENT COMPENSATION. I just don't know where the future of nursing is going if the hospitals don't up the pay for bedside nurses...

[gerry79]

Originally Posted by dropsofjupiterllc

Another comment on compensation (No is my final answer): I have a Bachelors in Marketing, an MBA, and a Bachelors in Nursing. I still have to be a bedside, ICU travel RN to make an hourly wage above $30/hr.

Do you want to make the most money as a RN? My fiance' and I are going back to school to CRNA (anesthesia school). Not only will we LOVE it, the technical, hands-on part is still there--but you will be more of a professional (not a bedpan slinging CCRN). The pay is better and we deserve it!!

Like I have said, many of my friends are in less educated, less responsibility jobs like servers, hosts, bartenders and they pull in $90,000 plus in Biloxi or Vegas. Not to mention the dot.com generation with web companies pulling in the bucks. As critical care RNs at the bedside, we are servers/comforters/computer-literate educated people responsible for people's LIVES.

I do NOT think the compensation is at ALL there yet. Just wait until the massive nursing shortage and the younger generation has to do the gross work for $20/hr. They won't! They can make that much as a host for an upscale restaurant with no risk of bodily fluids/bedbaths/back-breaking 12 hr shifts nightshifts weekends/holidays.

We are in this profession because we have the compassion and intelligence, but we DESERVE EXCELLENT COMPENSATION. I just don't know where the future of nursing is going if the hospitals don't up the pay for bedside nurses...

I guess it all depends on where you practice as a nurse. In my neck of the woods I have seen many dot comers, business majors, and other professionals go into nursing. Their reason, pay and job security. Currently I am happy with my present wage ($75,000 per years. One year as a nurse) and many of my "professional" friends make no where near what I make and have been on their jobs a lot longer.