Published
I've worked in at least 4 hospitals and in all of them, pay was based on years of experience as a nurse, with some hospitals offering slightly more for a BSN. The area of work had no relation to pay (i.e. ICU and ED nurses did not make more than med/surg nurses). In one hospital, the BSN was worth a fantastic 10 cents an hour!
It depends on the hospital ... and the hiring conditions in the local community. Hospitals will sometimes pay more (or offer bonues, etc.) to people willing and able to work in areas/units in which they have particular trouble finding and keeping nurses. Those units are usually one of two types:
1. Specialty units that requre staff with special training and/or experience (Such as OR, ICU, ED, etc.)
2. Units that have particularly tough work environments, require unusual hours, have extra hazaards, etc.
It varies from place to place -- and can vary at the same place at different times.
I wouldn't let that determine your choice of specialty. Pick what suits you the best and make the most of that specialty, whatever that is. Good luck to you.
I'm sure every place sets their own policy in regards to this. I don't know about the situation where I work, but I can tell you that the hospice nurses are the only people in the whole system (hospital, two nursing homes, college nurses, several drug rehabs, and more) who have gotten any raise at all in the last two years (and I wholeheartedly believe they deserve it!)
A lot of nurses get specialty pay but it depends on the health system you work for. A lot get charge pay too.
If you go through an agency, I think most pay a few bucks more an hour for a specialty nurse.
I work in a federal health system. We have a ton of perks and I can't complain too much, but it really chaps my ass sometimes that I, as a highly skilled, trained, experienced ICU RN, makes the same as a CLINIC RN with as many years in as I do and the same level of education. We also don't get charge pay and I know a lot of the other local hospitals do.
mcpnurse
76 Posts
dumb questions but just wondering... people have been telling me that certain specialty RN's make more than others within the same hospital. Is this true? or do all RN's make the same? or is it diff. at diff. hospitals? (fyi, I live in NY)