Would you like your job more if you were paid more?

Nurses General Nursing

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I was wondering, would any of you be more satisfied with your jobs and the stuff that comes along with it if you were paid more? I feel appreciated by my employer once a year when I get a raise, and that's about it. The rest of the time, I get the impression they feel we should just be satisfied with having steady income. I really do like my job and my unit, but I think I'd be more tolerant of things I was paid about $3.00-$5.00 more an hour. Would getting a $5.00 increase make you less frustrated with high nurse to patient ratios? Or would you feel better about being charge nurse if the pay was more than, what...$1.00 more?

Long Term Care Columnist / Guide

VivaLasViejas, ASN, RN

22 Articles; 9,987 Posts

Specializes in LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych.

There are some things you could pay me a million dollars a year for, but working on a dysfunctional unit with ridiculous nurse/patient ratios isn't one of them. NO amount of money is worth the headaches and the anxiety.:no:

annie.rn

546 Posts

I second VivaLasViejas' sentiments. A very resounding "no" from me as well.

roser13, ASN, RN

6,504 Posts

Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho, ASC.

Nah. $3 or $5 or $10 more hourly might seem better at first. Then you'd get used to that standard of living and your job would still be as crummy as it was before.

duskyjewel

1,335 Posts

Specializes in hospice.

Plus your tax withholding would go up and you might get bumped into a higher bracket. Which might end up meaning you actually take home less. :(

Specializes in Medical Oncology, Alzheimer/dementia.

Just makes me wonder because people will weigh the benefits of taking a job that pays $3.00/hr. more when you basically have to put up with the same crap at every job eventually.

westieluv

948 Posts

Specializes in Med/Surg, Tele, Dialysis, Hospice.

No. If you really love something, you love it regardless of how much money is involved. For example, I love American History, and if we could afford it and we lived in an area with a lot of historical sites, I would happily be an historical interpreter/tour guide for $8/hr. However, I have had nursing jobs that paid over $40/hour and I would literally pray to be called off, even though it would mean losing eight or twelve hours of pay, because I hated it so much.

llg, PhD, RN

13,469 Posts

Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.

No, I am "old and jaded." If I like a job, I am willing to work for relatively little. If I hate it, no amount of money will make it worthwhile. My time and happiness is too valuable to me to sell for a few dollars more.

I love my cat!

630 Posts

Specializes in ER, PACU, Med-Surg, Hospice, LTC.

Yes! Get paid more -work less hours.

Editorial Team / Admin

Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN

6 Articles; 11,658 Posts

Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.

I think there are things much more important than a mere $3-$5 more per hour- benefits, support from management, workplace environment that would affect how much I love my job more than the pay. What would make me love my current job more? A more reasonable amount of call (30-64 hours per week depending on whether or not it's our weekend, and we end up working quite a few of those) or at least surgeons who don't schedule surgeries that will run until late at night when there is no such thing as second shift.

BSNbeauty, BSN, RN

1,939 Posts

I love my job already, so getting paid more would be the icing on the cake. With that said, you couldn't pay me enough to work on a floor or specialty I didn't like. I wouldn't last so I'd be giving up the money anyway.

nurse4ever08

188 Posts

No. It would help me financially. But it would not make it more tolerable there

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