I have the want to help my patients, and I respect their dignity. I don't like not having a raise in two years, and I don't like the shrinking bottom line of money. I have heard chatter of well I am not in this for the money, and I am only hear to help others.....
I call these statements drivel. Everyone needs to eat, pay mortgage, have gas money to get to work....so please don't devalue what you do by saying I don't need a good paycheck....
I beg to differ with Valerie99..... close family members in IT are definitely getting very nice annual raises (> 10%), project-related bonuses, $5k per year for continuing education, 100% tuition/certification reimbursement, & dynamite employee purchasing discounts -- like 10% off CARS!!!! All of that & no HCAHPS or Press-Ganey . . .
Yeppers - I'm in the wrong industry.
Wait, what?! I'd love to know what industry/region/companies those are as my IT hubby gets a 3-4% raise and none of those perks! Our health insurance with him is more expensive and provides less coverage than what I had when I worked for Costco. ?
You can still make a good living in nursing despite not getting raises. I understand it's frustrating...my husband is in a profession where raises were stalled for 7 years....yes, 7 years!! If you are doing something you love to do and are getting paid a decent wage, it's still frustrating....but in an economy like this what can you really expect?
If you really want to feel like you are helping others for not much pay, try working for a non-profit hospital. ? It's sad to see RNs that I trained as new grads or new to my specialty area taking their newly gained experience to a for-profit hospital and getting a pay raise that is more than I am making at the non-profit.
Anon, my husband and I both work for nonprofits. When it comes to the getting rich game, we're doing it wrong. LOL.
However, the compensatory benefit of feeling like you're not a "boil on the butt of humanity" as my DH once put it, can be worth a lot. (My husband is a financial professional and was getting lots of job offers from predatory lending outfits, and while we needed him to be working, he just didn't wanna be THAT guy.)
I am confused about the comment that what we do is a calling. Let me be clear I am not a nun. This is a career, NOT a calling, thats just an excuse to make nurses feel bad for asking what would be asked for in any other profession. You want me to know you appreciate what I do, then pay me. I never thought I would be the kind of nurse who did her job for money, but here I am and I dont feel bad about my choice at all.
I am confused about the comment that what we do is a calling. Let me be clear I am not a nun. This is a career, NOT a calling, thats just an excuse to make nurses feel bad for asking what would be asked for in any other profession. You want me to know you appreciate what I do, then pay me. I never thought I would be the kind of nurse who did her job for money, but here I am and I dont feel bad about my choice at all.
Maybe to you it's a career alone, but to others it may be a calling. It's a calling to me and I'm not a nun. If you did it for money then more power to you, but don't make a generalized statement about it being an excuse.
I think you misunderstood, that this is my opinion, it is not required that you approve or agree. This is a site about sharing our opinions and experiences and points of view.
I think you misunderstood, that this is my opinion, it is not required that you approve or agree. This is a site about sharing our opinions and experiences and points of view.
But also remember that you are NOT the only person reading said opinion. I'm sure there'd be a flame war if I were to falsely claim: "CNAs are lazy bums imo." it would technically be my opinion, but I'm sure it'd ruffle some feathers. I wasn't being rude with my last comment, but you sure got your panties in a bunch.
If you really want to feel like you are helping others for not much pay, try working for a non-profit hospital. ? It's sad to see RNs that I trained as new grads or new to my specialty area taking their newly gained experience to a for-profit hospital and getting a pay raise that is more than I am making at the non-profit.
are you telling me that you can make more at for-profit hospitals?????? well, where I live (DFW), HCA is the dominant for-profit along with private surgical centers (forest park, north central, victory health), and I heard all the bad things one can possibly hear about for-profit hospitals, including black-listing a nurse, outdated equipment, horrible staffing, throwing you under the bus, you know all the usual things administration does to you anywhere else I guess lol.
Shoot, if I do make more at for-profit, sign me up. Like others say, I am no sister Teresa or pope Francisco, I am doing this just for money and financial gain is my sole focus; plus I heard those places don't accept welfare cases.
I'm one of those people with "the calling," but the money is definitely a factor. I would not be a nurse for minimum wage. I am the primary breadwinner in my home, and now that I am a nurse, we can finally afford to live a little bit. My goal is a balance with the money and being happy. A good work environment is really important, but sadly doesn't always come with a good paycheck. Then there's the local hospital with a horrible reputation for its work environment. No, thanks. They pay pretty well, but I have zero desire to work there.
Shinnichi, ADN, RN
157 Posts
Wait, what?! I'd love to know what industry/region/companies those are as my IT hubby gets a 3-4% raise and none of those perks! Our health insurance with him is more expensive and provides less coverage than what I had when I worked for Costco. ?