Poor nurses

Nurses General Nursing

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I have been at my facility for 2 years now. I am not complaining about the work--we all know that it is exhausting, patients never satisfied, endlessly busy BUT....now that I have gotten to know some of the nurses at my hospital, it appears that they are POOR! I guess I might call them the working poor and this just does not seem right. My starting pay including diffs for nights is 19.00 per hour. Day shift makes about $18.00. I must also stress that everyone always says "well it is a low cost area of living". Well not entirely. My groceries cost the same here as they did in the city. While it is true that one can buy a very nice home for $180,000, there really is not much under 180k. Restaurant prices are the same. School supplies for my kids run about the same as those in the city. My car insurance is probably a little less but the price of the car was no different. What I am getting at is that there are nurses at my hospital that are in foreclosure. One I know has applied for food stamps. The reason is that we have not gotten raises now for 2 years. Also hours have been significantly cut. At the most I am able to get 32 hours per week. Our LPN's only get $10.75 per hour. I really do not know how they can live on that. I am considering getting a NP degrees online and leaving this area. The NP's around here start out at $23/hour I am told. Someone even thought that was really good! Are there any other poor nurses out there. I am sure someone will flame me and say be glad you have a job but I spent 14k to be able to do this!

Specializes in Nursing Education, CVICU, Float Pool.
Perhaps it's not my place, but I just wanted to point out that LPNs ARE nurses..

Yea, I noticed that too. I think it was an honest mistake by that poster. They might have meant to put registered in front of the nurses.

Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.
Yea, I noticed that too. I think it was an honest mistake by that poster. They might have meant to put registered in front of the nurses.

Don't know they sure harshed on poor fast food managers. :down:

Could it be that I work in a county hospital. We will not get raises for a second year now due to non payers at our hospital. I am still making 18/hr plus 1/hr for nights=19/hr.

I will also add that i work in Georgia and we just passed the hospital tax so maybe that is the reason.

RN's in this part of the country drive very old cars and live in trailers (I am very serious!) Please do not flame that is just how it is here.

I know this may sound silly, but what does Flame mean on here? I see it every once in awhile and I've been curious.

I know this may sound silly, but what does Flame mean on here? I see it every once in awhile and I've been curious.

Its where everyone gets their panties in a wad and jumps your butt for something you say.:uhoh3:

Specializes in Nursing Education, CVICU, Float Pool.

I think it means to "chew out" or "attack" because some will do it in a heart beat if you say the wrong thing or something they don't like. Lolz!!!! Believe me, I know from experience.

I am talking about the managers who are working in corporate McDonald's. At the McDonald's I used to work at, the managers were making $11-12/hr. An LPN, imo, should be making more than that, and a nurse should be making more than double that.
Are you aware that LPNs are nurses? I assume you mean RNs should be making double what an LPN makes, if so I find that really insulting to LPNs.

I don't think a manager of a fast food restaraunt should be making than a nurse who saves lives. EVER. And I think teachers are also underpaid.

Really? High school diploma or not advancing to manager of a fast food place requires time, brains and a lot of hard work.

How about plumbers and electricians? Both highly skilled, licensed trades.

Or Network Engineers? They need four+ years of college..

Or loggers? Or commercial fisherman? Back breaking, seasonal labor.

Are they all "less worthy" because they don't save lives?

How about nurses who have never saved a life, should they get paid less?

How about nurses that save a lot of lives but are otherwise worthless employees and everyone dreads working with them, should they make more or less?

If a housekeeper spots a choking patient and calls for help should they get a raise?

I think "saving lives" isn't much of a criteria for determining how much money someone should paid. Wages should be based on education, experience and effort.

Specializes in Med-Surg, NICU.
Perhaps it's not my place, but I just wanted to point out that LPNs ARE nurses..

I meant to say "registered" nurse. My bad.

I am HARSH towards the managers because I used to work at Mcdonald's and they were TERRIBLE. Many were lazy and didn't do their jobs and left the crew to do almost all the work. Many were unprofessional and didn't serve their customers with speed and accuracy. I was yelled at once for trying to serve a customer right in front of over twenty people. That is why I strongly dislike the fast food industry. I also worked at another fast food restaraunt, and again, very unprofessional and for the little work they did, I don't think they should be paid more than a RN or LPN.

Specializes in Med-Surg, NICU.
Are you aware that LPNs are nurses? I assume you mean RNs should be making double what an LPN makes, if so I find that really insulting

No. What I meant was that LPNs should be paid more than a manager at McDonald's and an RN should be paid double what that manager makes, not double what the LPN makes, but I think RNs should be paid more than LPNs.

Really? High school diploma or not advancing to manager of a fast food place requires time, brains and a lot of hard work.

No...it doesn't. Not at all. Some of the people I worked with at McDonald's were complete fools and as a result, we started losing business. At 17, I know for a fact I could have ran that place with much more professionalism and dignity that most of those managers, and this is not coming from a place of arrogance.

Also, an RN are oftentimes responsible for patients on their own. At McDonald's we would have SEVERAL managers there at once to share the oh so hard work at McDonald's, even on slower days. Both jobs *can* be stressful, but let's face it: A sick patient/dying baby is going to be far more stressful than running McDonald's.

How about plumbers and electricians? Both highly skilled, licensed trades.

Or Network Engineers? They need four+ years of college..

Or loggers? Or commercial fisherman? Back breaking, seasonal labor.

They are contributing a lot more than the manager who sells heart attack inducing foods.

Are they all "less worthy" because they don't save lives?

How about nurses who have never saved a life, should they get paid less?

How about nurses that save a lot of lives but are otherwise worthless employees and everyone dreads working with them, should they make more or less?

If a housekeeper spots a choking patient and calls for help should they get a raise?

I think "saving lives" isn't much of a criteria for determining how much money someone should paid. Wages should be based on education, experience and effort.

And that RN and LPN should still make more money than a McDonald's manager based on education alone. Many of those didn't have an Associate's, let alone a high school diploma (although a few did). As for experience and effort, that really is going to depend.

Specializes in Nursing Education, CVICU, Float Pool.

I can't believe there is a conflict on this point.

To me is seems that a good worker,is a good worker and they should be paid accordingly, regardless of what field their in.

Now although I'm positive it is not as hard as nursing. A High School Diploma does take brains, in my opinion, and I just graduated with honors from HS. Even as a honor and AP student/grad and a top ranking student I had to work my tail off to get there and I'm glad it's over with and I got my diploma. It takes a lot of will power and brains to figure out what classes to take that will help you in your unclear and ever changing future. There are so many people who wish they had their HS Diploma and don't ever get it.

Specializes in OB-Gyn/Primary Care/Ambulatory Leadership.
But yes, I have also seen documentaries of McDonald's managers making 100k with very little education, and that is ridiculous.

Why is that ridiculous? If they work hard, work long hours, and know their jobs inside and out, then they deserve to make that much.

Specializes in Pediatrics.
I meant to say "registered" nurse. My bad.

I am HARSH towards the managers because I used to work at Mcdonald's and they were TERRIBLE. Many were lazy and didn't do their jobs and left the crew to do almost all the work. Many were unprofessional and didn't serve their customers with speed and accuracy. I was yelled at once for trying to serve a customer right in front of over twenty people. That is why I strongly dislike the fast food industry. I also worked at another fast food restaraunt, and again, very unprofessional and for the little work they did, I don't think they should be paid more than a RN or LPN.

Just had to pipe in here really quick. In my former life I was a fast food manager. The general and assistant managers are on a salary, I was working 50+ hours a week. Making around $32,000 a year, not very much per hour, with the possiblity of making a $70-$100 bonus if you met your speed, inventory, secret shops, and sales growth, at least in my area that is a far cry from a RN wage. As a CNA I make $17hr, but then I am registry.

What do you think has prepared me to work in the ER, where you have to keep up with the fast pace and pt families complaining all the time:D

So those managers who are making more than nurses in which you see on the documenties eaither, manager more than one store, like a district manager of own more than 1 store

To the OP those salaries are really low :eek: is there anyway you could relocate to somewhere with a higher wage? and good for you for planing for the future

Do you work in a unionized environment? I live in Canada, I am at the top of basic RN scale and I make 40/hr (80/year) full time.

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