Xray tech~ more $$$ than RN???

Nurses Career Support

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Hi everyone. I'm a little confused about something. I know this girl, let's call her Miss Braggart. Anyhow, she's a friend of a friend of a friend and after speaking to her a few times i've come to the conclusion that I don't like her and I like just about everybody and anybody. She and her husband are those obnoxious type people who brag about EVERYTHING. Example- My son wears this brand, what does your kid wear? We have a boat, do you? Etc... Anyway, to my point...she is an x-ray tech (for 3 years, oh and don't let me forget to mention she has a best-friend relationship with all the doc's at the hospital, they all love her and say she's the best ...EVER! ) and when I told her I was going to school to be an RN (I'm taking my pre-req's now) she laughed in my face and said "I'm in x-ray and I make more money then most nurses that work there, besides nurses get no respect" Of course I just smiled because I was so shocked by her blunt comment I didn't know what else to say. This can't be true can it? A big part of me thought she is one of those "try too hards" , you know those people who try so hard to impress they leave the opposite impression? If I remember correctly she said she made $18 an hr. Well, of course I'm not following my dreams for money....BUT...I do have 4 children and a husband who is the breadwinner and I want to know that if something ever happened where I'd have to support my boys I could. I'm sure most of you can relate. My question is....will I go to school and bust my rump for 3 and a half years in nursing school to make less income than someone who finishes school in a lot less time? (Not that an x-ray tech is a bad thing, please don't get me wrong, but money does come into play when you're poor and eating beans and cornbread so you can pay for college.) I live in KY and I'm not sure what the starting salary is for new nurses here. Can anyone shed some light on the average pay for new nurses in your state/area please? :confused:

Thanks,

Christy

Specializes in ICU, PICC Nurse, Nursing Supervisor.

Dont ya just hate people like that. Tell her your allnurses.com sister makes over 21/ hour as a LVN, so she now can shut her pie hole. Dont forget to tell her I take my hillbilly self down to the governor's house for dinner once a week...:rotfl:

According to the job postings at a large hospital chain in my area, Radiologic Techs start out at 19.14/hr. RNs start out at 23.99/hr.

Oregon is sounding better and better by the minute. LOL :chuckle No one makes that much around here, unless you've worked somewhere for 10 + years.

Dont ya just hate people like that. Tell her your allnurses.com sister makes over 21/ hour as a LVN, so she now can shut her pie hole. Dont forget to tell her I take my hillbilly self down to the governor's house for dinner once a week...:rotfl:

LOL...thanks I needed a good laugh. I'll make sure to tell her. :chuckle

also it's all relative. a college graduate in biology teaching high school can look at my asssociates degree and be insulted that with two years of college i more more than him. so i not to be insulted what others make.
you're right, it is all relative. isn't it ironic how teachers and professors who help you get to where you can be a succesful member of the society and to help you further your education make one of the lowest incomes in the nation?????? they are a huge reason as to why we can do those silly little things such as read and write. if it weren't for them we wouldn't know what we know. it's dispicable. it says a lot about our country and our government. here is an idea the government can implicate...for every college graduate or every hs graduate that a teacher contributes to their success they get a bonus from uncle sam??? ahh well, it was just a thought.

which reminds me.......

don't forget to vote on nov. 2nd everyone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I could believe the academics are tougher in RadTech programs. And, in fact, a friend of mine started RadTech school and will be going straight through for 2 years--no summers off.

What I'm curious is, is the patient responsibility as great? I don't have any problem with the nursing academics--I have more problems with the actual application, and have lost sleep over my patients, wondering if I should have advocated for them better. What is the responsibility of the Rad Tech if an unstable patient needs to be xrayed?

NurseFirst

If a patient is unstable then more than likely the x-rays will be done with a portable machine either in the ER or the patients room, ICU, etc. It's pretty much a standing rule for diagnostic x-ray. CT and other specialties may be different. Also, if a tech sees an order come across that they know is wrong (ie order for a right foot when it is clearly the left foot that is mangled up) or totally off the wall, it's their duty to check w/ the ordering physician to clarify. If we were to perform the exam on the wrong part, we could be held liable big time.

The best part of working in radiology IMO is that you see a constant stream of patients, instead of caring for a set number for the day. I worked as a CNA when I was thinking of going into nursing and I just could not handle it. I love working w/ patients but I would much rather see them and then send them on their way. Different strokes for different folks.

To the OP: I didn't mean to try and turn this into a RT vs RN debate either. I was just a little off-put after reading posts of nurses being "insulted" by the pay RT's make. Felt like I needed to defend my chosen field, but I'll back off. :)

A

If a patient is unstable then more than likely the x-rays will be done with a portable machine either in the ER or the patients room, ICU, etc. It's pretty much a standing rule for diagnostic x-ray. CT and other specialties may be different. Also, if a tech sees an order come across that they know is wrong (ie order for a right foot when it is clearly the left foot that is mangled up) or totally off the wall, it's their duty to check w/ the ordering physician to clarify. If we were to perform the exam on the wrong part, we could be held liable big time.

The best part of working in radiology IMO is that you see a constant stream of patients, instead of caring for a set number for the day. I worked as a CNA when I was thinking of going into nursing and I just could not handle it. I love working w/ patients but I would much rather see them and then send them on their way. Different strokes for different folks.

To the OP: I didn't mean to try and turn this into a RT vs RN debate either. I was just a little off-put after reading posts of nurses being "insulted" by the pay RT's make. Felt like I needed to defend my chosen field, but I'll back off. :)

It's ok..it's sometimes hard to understand some peoples netiquette.

The answer (at least in NJ and the national average) is No, according to salary.com. In NJ RNs make 51,000(25th percentile) to 61,000(75th percentile) with the national average 45,000-54,000. Radiologic techs make 38,000 (25th) to 44,000 (75th) in NJ with the nat. average being similar. CT scan and MRI techs make approx. up to 47,000 MAX in NJ. Every postition a hospital is necessary and important....I personally don't feel like scrubing the floors or serving lunch, so I really appreciate people who do those jobs. But nursing encumbasses a lot more than any tech position. We must know all critical monitoring (cardiac, neurovascular, LOC, resp, psychosocial,etc) and who to respond EXACTLY to each if an emergency situation arises. If you work on a peds floor, you still have to understand adult concepts...what if a parent suddenly goes into cardiac arrest? X-ray techs (and others) must know how to do their jobs and be alert for complications, but its simply not AS much as nursing is responsible for. I really don't mean to insult anyone so please don't take any of this as a negative, I worked as a phlebotomist and a PCT before nursing school and felt very needed by nurses, pts, and drs. :)

Specializes in Operating Room,, Plastic Surgery.

just my. $ .02

my sister is a dental hygeinist. she started out at $30/hr in Boulder CO . eight years ago

whats the worst she can do to a patient

Make their gums bleed ????

That is pretty insulting.

(Gotta vent again) What kills me about this woman is that everything she does is better and everything she's gone through is worse and so on. You all know the story. You cannot carry on a conversation with her because she never lets you speak and as soon as you jump in she interupts you.

Thanks for listening guys.

You can't win with these guys so play with them. Tell her you are going into nursing just for fun and that money doen't matter cause you got millions coming soon from an inheritance. And tell her your husband has a 10" dick as you wink at her! :rotfl:

Specializes in Med-Surg, Trauma, Ortho, Neuro, Cardiac.

zenman, that's too funny. You certainly don't think that's going to make it past a moderator do you now?

:roll :roll :roll

You can't win with these guys so play with them. Tell her you are going into nursing just for fun and that money doen't matter cause you got millions coming soon from an inheritance. And tell her your husband has a 10" dick as you wink at her! :rotfl:

LMAO ....well it is true ya know!

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