Greener grass?

[c27_AEMT, BSN, EMT-I]

I am finding myself somewhat frustrated with my pay as an RN. My total compensation is very good, I feel but due to my overall financial situation (pre-nursing school student loans), I am considering moving to a higher paying organization.

My current situation: I work as an emergency nurse in a level one trauma center but also can pick up shifts at a smaller er within the enterprise. I am a new grad with prior emergency experience and while I do have the new grad feelings of being overwhelmed from time to time, the people I work with and the overall nature of my experience limit that feeling to a manageable level.

I make in the low 20s/h plus shift differential for nights and weekends although I primarily work days. Insurance is cheap and good, school is free, and we have a good match on money toward retirement.

I have been here a year and have taken PALS, ACLS, TNCC, ENCP, audited ATLS, gotten my CEN, and plan to take TCRN after the review course being offered free in May. I also have taken the neonatal resuscitation program (NRP), and plan to take a peds critical care course and cross train into the peds er next year. There's a ton of cool stuff going on here and a lot of free education as you can see.

My question to all of those out there more experienced than I..... should I look to move based on the low pay, wait for the clinical ladder to kick in (more pay), go back to school, or something else? Does the above situation sound like a good deal for a new RN? I really like it is but then I know some other places pay more but offer less overall. Many of the travel nurses I have talked to come back here because of the environment and overall benefits. Is this a case of the grass not being greener on the other side? Thanks in advance for reading this long post.

Oh yeah, the weather is gorgeous but the housing market is kind of expensive for being in the Midwest.

[ruby_jane, BSN, RN]

The grass is usually greener over there because it's fertilized with poop....so said one of my favorite bosses. You've hit your magic year mark. You sound comfortable with a good support system in your current environment. You could go travelling and make more money and bonuses, but you'll give up a good thing. In my world, a little security and comfort is worth more than money. However, the world of opportunity is open to you. Good luck!

[c27_AEMT, BSN, EMT-I]

Thanks for the reply. I hear about some nurses making quite a bit more yearly but I guess a lot of that comes down to experience. I don't want to leave a place where my only complaint is the pay and find myself in a place where the people and organization aren't what I want but make more money. I also want to make sure I am being compensated fairly. I'm ems I worked for far to little and don't want to get into a position like that again. Now I'm thinking give it 3-5 years and reevaluate while taking advantage of everything I can here.

[KelRN215, BSN, RN]

You say the other places "pay more but offer less overall". If they over less overall, do they really pay more when you look at the whole picture?

My last job change, I took a $15K per year pay increase. However, it came at a cost as I have significantly worse benefits. Now I am starting a new position next week and, while it is a small increase in pay from my current position, the bigger draw to it for me was the better benefits. I'll take twice as much PTO and a health insurance plan with no deductible over what I have now any day of the week.

[AceOfHearts<3]

I really don't think more school and more tuition/loan payments are a good thing if you already have a good amount. Payoff what you owe then consider more schooling if that's the path you want to take. I plan on going back for a masters, but I don't want to do that while paying off my BSN.

[mmc51264, BSN, MSN, RN]

work weekend nights. Usually the shift differential is fairly significant. Then you might not have to take any extra shifts.+

[JKL33]

Why don't you look for a per diem job in a different system and just see what's out there a bit? Picking up shifts at a smaller ED in that same low-paying system might not be the best thing you can do with your extra time; I do think the pay is very low. It's nice that you've been able to get in on so many classes, but you have other needs (your loans, saving/investing, etc.). So keep the FT position with its benefits for now but look for something on the side to put more cash in your pocket.

[c27_AEMT, BSN, EMT-I]

Good points KelRN215. My friend who is a travel nurse here but also started here was saying that if we started out around $30 it would be more commensurate with the work we do. Overall it is a good place but I guess I will see what happens once I can get a few steps on the clinical ladder program.

[c27_AEMT, BSN, EMT-I]

AceOfHearts

The shifts I pick up are time and a half at their base rate befor shift diff or actual overtime so they are around the same pay or a little more than I would get from other organizations in the area. I think I am ok sticking with it here for now...at least until I have enough experience to travel or a good idea of where I want to go. Midwest nursing just seems to not pay as well generally. I know its not as bad as the south in some places but its just pretty average, even in places where the cost of living, housing, etc is higher. Thanks everyone for the replies and insight.

[applewhitern, BSN, RN]

Your benefits sound great to me. My hospital offers ACLS and that's it. ONLY ACLS. No other education classes or anything for CEU's. No tuition reimbursement. Poor pay, expensive insurance. But I stay simply because it is only a ten minute drive for me, and they don't work us to death.

[MrNurse(x2), ADN]

So, a little reality, because it is all relative. Nursing is unusual because, unlike most professions, there is OT. You are hearing annual salaries and they may not be on a 2200 hour year. Your friends may be working 2500-2800 hour years. A lot of the nurses I work with are experienced and disillusioned because of FB and other social media making everyday a class reunion. We see people in other professions, who started out less than we did, making many multiples of what we make. Nursing has a narrow pay window and, all things equal, nurses work a lot of OT in their youth and less as they age. This makes for a career salary overview of about 2x what you start at. Compare this with accountants, PT, etc. making 5x their start and it is easy to feel even worse about your pay. Stay for the benefits, pick up OT for extra if you want and enjoy the career aspect of the job.

[c27_AEMT, BSN, EMT-I]

MrNurse(x2) thanks for the advice. That really makes sense and as someone coming to nursing in their 30s, is a little tough to grasp at times. I honestly love what I do most days but they do work us to death with boarders (including ICU) that can just drain your soul.

Applewhite the benefits are great...if the pay was a little better I would be fine, but also, I can become an RN II, III, IV, etc after another year, which increases pay and benefits. I guess the waiting is what is killing me. I guess I have answered my own questions with everyone's help, but the last gripe is that the housing market here has had a sharp uptick in cost without much or any adjustment to starting pay and the only way to increase is time. Getting my BSN or MSN won't even do anything for my pay.