[Aimee03]

I'm not sure about what actually takes place, cause I am still a student. However, almost everyone who has came to talk to us from the hospitals told us that, our performance waslooked at every year and our pay raise was based on that.

[healingtouchRN]

I believe my area starts new grad RN's at $20-22/hr for fulltime on a med surg floor. I am topped out at my grad after 18 years in the system, a BSN, & Board cert in my area of expertise. NOT even $30/hr base rate. But I stay not because of the money but because I like my boss & co-workers alot & really like my job.

[mrmike]

New grad.

[Thunderball]

The Parade insert in the Sunday Birmingham News had a 27 or 28 yr old male RN in Birmingham making $76,000 I think it was. I want to know what you need to do to get to that pay ($30+ and hour) in so short a time (5-7 yrs) instead of this $20 an hour stuff that seems so common. My question from this is does a 4 year bachelors make any difference compared to a 2 year associates when it comes to pay in AL (or elsewhere for that matter)?

[Mommy TeleRN]

thunder - I have seen that type of pay for weekenders or non-benefitted positions.

[guy_nurse2b]

Originally Posted by Mommy Nurse2b

thunder - I have seen that type of pay for weekenders or non-benefitted positions.

Good point - you do have to look at the benefits, if someone reports making $35/hr, the next question on my mind is: Do you have insurance, retirement, paid days off, are you full time etc. I guess when you get older, you start thinking about the benefits.

My plan (I am a student) is to have a position at a hospital, and do some type of part time job at other facilities without the benefits for the extra money.

[a21chdchic]

5-10-2007
I don't know why you would want to live in an area where nurse's make so little. I live in AZ, and the base pay for an RN in my community starts at 28.00/hour. I'm sure AL RN's work just as hard as we do in AZ.

a21chdchic

[hushpupgrl]

Hello everyone! i am currently thinking about changing careers and pursuing nursing. i am really confused about a few things...any info would be very helpful. first...i was looking on salary.com and checking salaries for nurses based on different areas of the country. if anyone has done this, are the salaries on there applicable to what people really make? people have told me that nurses make good money, but after reading some posts on this website, it seems like they only make 35-40 dollars an hour if they don't have health insurance. i am currently single and will be supporting myself, so i would definitely need my own health insurance. also, what does it mean to work for an agency or per diem? some have said that if you work for an agency you make more moeny. anyway, like i said...i am very new to all of this, so any help would be greatly appreciated. i don't have another outsource to get information, since everyone i know is working in another field.

thanks,
hushpupgrl

[healingtouchRN]

we live in Alabama for different reasons. Alabama is a beautiful state, with sugar white sandy beaches on the Gulf of Mexico, the foothills of the Appalachian mountains to the north, a belt of farmland through her mid section along with lovely red clay, a plethora of rivers & lakes to explore, pine forests to camp, & people of all races & creeds. I was born here (at the hospital where I work) & my family/friends are here, so I stay. The cost of living is not as high as Atlanta, Georgia where I've lived before. I have a moderate sized home, 3000 sq ft, 4 BR, 3 BA with a pool & double garage in town on a nurses salary. We have 2 good trucks. I am 3 hours from our condo in Gulf Shores, AL, & 30 minutes from our lake house. We are also 3 hours from Atlanta for a fun weekend & 4 hours from the mountains of Eastern TN. It's true that the medicine practiced here seem archaic as compared to CA, AZ, NM, CO, NY, but I do continuing education from teachers who live in those states & practice the holistic & innovative methods, thereby hoping to bring new experiences & skills to my state & our people. True, I'd love a raise as would my colleagues. But money is not the only thing that drives me in my career. My friendships with other healthcare providers are my treasures. My clients I serve are jewels, some rough and unpolished but jewels nonetheless. I'd love to spend my summers in SE Alaska, Juneau or Ketchikan, where the weather is cool & rainy. That will be another time. I think some people get the idea that nurses in Alabama are poverty level. Well, I think that is an individual situation. Most of my colleagues have kids either in magnet or private school & live in nice homes & drive good vehicles & still give back to their commnities. Alabama is a nice place, a bit getting used to but a nice place.

[Atl_John]

I'm currently, in Auburn, AL graduating in December with my BSN. I've looked at places all around AL. We have a regional Medical center here (EAMC) they pay only $18 an hour, I was astounded, not to mention you have some pretty high patient/nurse ratios, I've seen as high as 6 to 1 in the CVSU. Kind of scary with some of those patients probably needing to be back in the CVICU. What scares me is they believe that this is a great salary since our COL is "low" WELL I just moved here from ATL, and I'll tell ya, I spend the same on electricity, cable, phone, water, and just $50 less on housing (my apt here is 15 yrs older, but 100sq ft bigger than mine in ATL). I spend the same on groceries, and the same on Gas, so for me the COL is no different in a college town than it is in Atlanta. In ATL working in the medical field I was making $16, so for someone to tell me that now that I'll be an RN/BSN that 18 is a good salary, I have to laugh. I must say I will only stay in this state if my salary is at least $26/hr to start. Which is what they are paying at Piedmont in ATL for ICU. So.....just my $.02