Do you think you are adequately compensated in your job as a nurse?

As a new grad, I think it's relative. Just got my W-2 and in a little under 5 months made over 17K, plus good benefits, retirement, etc. Considering that amount is about the most I've ever made in a full year until now, I'm thrilled. I'm just not sure any amount of money can compensate for the stress, disrespect, various grumpy people, schedule nightmares, and everything else negative I've seen in my job so far.
But sometimes the good things that happen help things along quite a bit!

I am not a nurse yet, so I can't answer the question. And I agree that nurses should be paid more. For the type of work they do. The long hours, having a life (several lives) in their hands, how little respect they get. Especially compared to doctors, they make too little.

But I know I will be happy with the money. This past year, I made $17,000 for the whole year! I have an associates degree as well, but it is in veterinary technology. I work in a CCU for animals. So I do gross things too, I help to save lives, I get bit and scratched all the time. Hurt my back and knees. I have to deal with nasty clients and get little respect from some doctors. I have long shifts where I don't eat and hardly use the bathroom. So I understand that. But I started 8 years ago, and make $2 more an hour than when I started. There is no room for advancement, I can't go on with my degree. I can't pay all my bills, and I have kids to support.

My mother, however, has more money than she needs. She is an LPN, and last year made over $65,000 a year. I see RN listings for $24 to over $35 an hour. I do see some for more, but they aren't bedside nursing and usually require a BSN or MSN. (which I might get one day).

So even though they might not get paid enough, nurses do get paid well compared to a lot of us. The average salary right now is I think $28,000 a year.

I have traveled for over 2 years and have worked 2 full time jobs. We are paid a fraction of what we should be paid. In addition we are frequently not valued by the hospitals that we work for, Sorry but Its a fact. Working in the ER, assignment of 5-6 patients, no ancillary support, and then I have a patient with a strange diagnosis and go to look it up on google and find out the nurses are no longer allowed internet access. So the only option for me to access information is to ask one of the doctors. But i hate to bother them when they're busy shopping on Ebay or checking the latest sports scores. Sorry but it happens because WE ALLOW IT. One more year till my car is paid off and bye bye nursing.

I work in the community setting (low pay) with mental health clients (low pay) for a facility located in Iowa (low pay). Put all those things together and you get a RN with an MSN (BSN required for the job) with 16 years of experience getting paid less than 40K a year in one of the highest taxed states in the union. Good think I like my job and the people I work with and for.

I think I get recompensed very well. But I am young and single. Life is really very good for me. I live well. I live large. I love to take vacations.I think nursing is taking excellent care of me. I might feel different if I had to support children and a husband like some of the nurses I know. But for me, its very good.

Don't even get me started on this. I have been a nurse for over 40 years and though I make much more than when I first started, my son made more than me when he first graduated college. Now I have a 4 year degree as he did, so why after 40+ years ???? And what about football and baseball players and rock stars who make much more than we do because they entertain people and not save their lives as we do. No one gripes about the cost of tickets to the game or how much these guys get paid, but let us make money like that and we would never hear the end of it. I think I am worth much more than I get, I usually counsel the docs on what to do te relieve the patients' symptoms. We work hard and are sometimes in dangerous situations, especially in the home care setting. Our work is also physically hard and we have to make quick decisions at times. People will pay to be entertained but gripe at the cost of health care. Pardon me for rambling, but this is a very sore subject for me, trying to support my family and when I see the money these sports guys make it makes me POed. Thanks for listening.

A CNA at one of the hospitals where I lived made $44,000 or $48,000/year, forget which. I was wondering how I could get a job like that.

As a school nurse I get paid teacher's salary, and I think I have a pretty good deal. I work 187 days per year from 7:40-3:10 (7.5 hours) and make around $47,000. I think that works out to about $33 per hour. I work M-F, no weekends or holidays EVER, and my schedule is known a year in advance so I can plan. I can opt to work summer school if I want, which is 6 weeks from 8-12 and I make approximately an extra $2,000 (net) for that. Personally I think I even have a better deal than the teachers, because I don't have papers to grade at home or after school tutoring. The vast majority of days I get out on time, and if I have to stay it might be an hour or so maybe once a week.

As far as schedule goes, I think I have the best gig nursing has to offer!

Just a sideline thought of mine. Remember, these are NYC figures.

I see people graduating with a Bachelors in Business, Finance, etc. & they go to work at a hedge fund..or perhaps wall street, where they EASILY make 90-150k to start. I used to work @ Citadel & they were hiring newbies at that starting rate.

I figured, Nursing school is JUST as challenging, if not MORE challenging. After NS, a new Nurse must deal with life and death situations on a daily basis....or just situations that are generally critical. Why is the starting wage only 58-65k for them here in NYC? That sort of baffles the heck out me to be honest.

I worked at ConEdison (the major utility company for NYC) and knew NEW people there, with their Associates, who started off at ALMOST 50k. They were responsible for taking papers and entering the data in the computer. I KID YOU NOT. It just literally baffles me.

Why is the starting wage only 58-65k for them here in NYC?

I've lived in NYC all my life 31 years and trust me I've worked at Columbia University Hospital and St. Luke's-Roosevelt hospital with nurses (on the administrative side), and their starting pay is more close to 70K. Right now starting pay for City hospitals (kings county, harlem hospital, and so on) is about 65K and private hospitals like Mt. Sinai - 70K to start (http://www.mountsinai.org/Other/Heal...and%20Benefits) , and Lenox Hill - 70K to start (http://www.lenoxhillhospital.org/pdf...efits_2007.pdf). NYC private hospitals pay way more than the city hospitals, you might see a slight difference between manhattan and brooklyn hospitals but overall most of them are well over 65K to start.