PACU offer, pay negotiation?

[skydancer7, BSN, RN]

Hello all!

I have never been one to negotiate salary, especially with many previous jobs having a union-mandated years of experience based pay scale.

I work in Portland, Oregon. I will have 7 years experience as of February, and currently make $44/hour in a big hospital. This new outpatient surgery center has offered $38 per hour. I counter-offered at $42/hour, hoping they will land around $40 or $41...

I was in the Operating Room for 6 years, with some pre-op and phase 2, but not a lot of phase 1 recovery experience. Also 8 months med-surg. No ICU experience.

I have heard ambulatory surgery centers often pay less and the tradeoff is no weekends/holidays and usually lower stress. Is $38 fair, or am I being taken advantage of?

If they come back with 40 or 41 per hour I think I will be content.

Thoughts?

Thanks in advance!!

[Double-Helix, BSN, RN]

Whether or not the pay is "fair" depends on several factors:

-The job market in the area

-Demand at the facility

-Cost of living in the new area compared to old

-Specialty skills/certifications required

-Non-monetized benefits such as schedule flexibility, shift preference, paid time off, insurance package, tuition reimbursement, etc.

-Your willingness to accept the salary

I'm not surprised to see that you were offered less $/hr as a new hire at an outpatient center than you are currently being paid in a specialty area of a big hospital with 6 years of seniority. The issue is whether that salary is something you're willing to accept after weighing the other benefits- such as a M-F job. If you're not comfortable with it, you have every right to counter offer, as you have done. Just be sure you can justify why you're requesting that salary, if asked. The facility is, of course, able to negotiate, refuse to negotiate, or rescind the offer. What they will do depends on how badly they need the help, how many other qualified applicants are interested, and whether they feel that your skill set and experience justify the pay.

[skydancer7, BSN, RN]

Thank you! Makes sense :)

They countered with asking whether I would be willing to float to the Operating Room and circulate once in a while. I am a very confident circulator, and willing so long as the surgeons are not condescending abusers :) so we shall see! I said yes, and can always re-evaluate if the environment turns out to be toxic like so many ORs... but I will give this a chance.