[OSU_NS_13]

Hi! I'm a nursing student just finishing third semester (ADN). The practice I currently work for (7 years as a medical assistant) has an outpatient cath lab that I am hoping to transfer to once I get my license. I would like to take an informal survey of anyone out there who may be a cath lab nurse: starting salary, current salary, how many years experience. I don't expect to go into it making as much as an experienced cath lab nurse, but I don't want to sell myself short, either. Thanks!

[suzanne4]

The salary is not any different than a nurse working in the same facility with the same amount of experience. Units do not normally pay differntly in most cases. Whether it is cath lab, or OR, or ER, or med-surg, the salary is the same.

The years of experience that you had before getting your license, usually will not make a difference. They may start you slightly higher, but your previous experience was not in a nursing role, and only because you have been in the same facility. But that does not happen all fo the time either.

[OSU_NS_13]

The lab is a freestanding outpatient cath lab, separate from a hospital. I didn't really think that being an MA would qualify me for a higher salary as an RN, I just mentioned it is all...

Thanks.

[icucharge]

Unfortunately today most facilities have a standard pay rate for a set level of experience. So in your case, you would be considered a new graduate RN, so what every the normal starting salary for a new grad should give you a ball park figure. Secondly, most cath labs require at least a year experience with some of that being some sort of critical care nursing.

[zn3boys]

The years of experience will always help you be a more competent/safe nurse. The salary is the same in cath lab as in any critical care setting in the hospital. As for outpatient it may be slightly lower, unless you take call. I work part time, 15years of experience, about 100 hrs of call every 2 weeks, and make 70,000+/yr. in Southern California. My average productive hours a pay period, 30 hrs.