TN BASIC PAY FOR RNs

U.S.A. Tennessee

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Hi! I'm a foreign nurse and I just got hired from an agency which is based there on TN..I am still having second thoughts though and I only have a few days left to decide whether i sign the contract or not...

Anyway,I just wanna ask some questions..How much really is the latest salary range there in TN? The agency promised a basic salary pay of $20/hour..Is that enough considering the cost of living there in TN?

How about apartment rents and other basic goods?

I hope you can all help me on this...I just want to know more about TN cause I'll be staying there for 3 years or so should I sign the contract...I am still soooo confused right now......

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20 dollars for agency? That seems kinda low. I started off with more than that as a new grad

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It depends on the part of TN you are going to work in and if you have benefits. If you are just getting $20 an hour with no benefits I wouldn't do it. You can get pretty much any job in TN as an RN for no lower than $18-$20 an hour plus all the diffs and benefits. I would try contacting the hospital directly if you are thinking of moving there and see how much they pay new grads and see if your pay is on par with that. As part of an agency I would suspect you "should" get paid roughly 1.5x more and not have benefits.

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hi!thanks for all the inputs.. Unfortunately,the agency didn't specify as to what part of TN I'll be working nor included the breakdown of benefits I'll be getting... I guess the $20/hour is a fixed rate..So I am not sure if I'll be able to get differentials..Part of their contract also stated that they retain the right to modify employee benefits...So im thinking that maybe I wont be able then to taste some (if not all) of my benefits... :(

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one word: caution. if you are doing agency nursing, you should be making much more than 20/hr. and if you are a traveler, it should be even more. i'm just afraid for you, afraid that the agency might be taking advantage of you since you are a foreigner and think you might be willing to work for less money than an american rn might demand.

i know in east tennessee (knoxville, chattanooga) the pay is around 18/hr for a new grad with benefits (non-agency). nashville it's about a dollar more and in memphis the starting pay for new grads is around 20/hr including benefits (non-agency).

definitely question your agency before you sign a contract. best of luck!!

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You can make much more than $20 in TN--I would not sign that contract!

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Hi! Thanks again for the helpful inputs...Anyway,I read the contract again and considered all the things you said..I finally decided to let this offer pass..Surely there are a lot of agencies out there with better pay and terms for foreign nurses...

back to "agency hunting" again...:chuckle

THANKS TO ALL!!!

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Specializes in Emergency Dept, ICU.

You were prob going to East TN anyways 20 an hour is like gold to them.

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