A good answer to those who ask our salary

Nurses General Nursing

Published

You're a nurse?? That's cool...I wanted to do that when I was a kid. What do you make?"..."WHAT DO I MAKE?? I make holding your hand seem like the most important thing in the world when you're scared. I can make your child breathe when they stop. I can help your father survive a heart attack. I make myself get out of bed at 5am to make sure your mother has the medicine she needs to live. I work al...l day and night to save the lives of strangers. I make my family wait for dinner until I know your family member is taken care of. I make myself skip lunch so that I can make sure that everything I did for your husband today is charted. I make myself work weekends and holidays because people don't just get sick Monday thru Friday from 9-5. Today, I might save your life. I make a difference... What do you make?"

Why do I feel the need to defend myself with the posting of this?

For the record. I'm just as jaded as the rest of you with the nursing profession. lol.

*I* don't read this as sugary and sweet. IMO, it drives home all the thing we do in our shift that is often overlooked by family and management.

Would I use this on people that ask my salary? It all depends. Some yes and others maybe not.

As for those that keep reminding me that someone beat me to it with the posting here on AN and or FB. Good for you all that you saw it somewhere else first. I can't follow up every post here on AN and I'm not friends with everyone on FB. ;)

I just wanted to post something different that might give somebody food for thought when they think they are only 'just a nurse.'

Listen, I get why a lot of folks like what you posted here. And it was very popular among my friends on Facebook so you're definitely not alone in appreciating the sentiment of the "answer to what you make." I'm sorry you are feeling defensive by some of the comments. For me, it just rubs me the wrong way. A lot of folks do work that "matters" that is under appreciated, nursing isn't alone in that respect, and it just strikes me as preachy, like the other things you see on facebook that end in something like "99% of people who read this won't repost [because they don't want to take the effort to make a DIFFERENCE] but 1% will [because they are super awesome and wonderful by changing their status on facebook]."

This isn't a personal attack on you, and if your posting it here really bothered me I'd just pass the thread over without commenting. I'm just interested in sharing my perspective on it too.

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Specializes in ED/ICU/TELEMETRY/LTC.
Why do I feel the need to defend myself with the posting of this?

For the record. I'm just as jaded as the rest of you with the nursing profession. lol.

*I* don't read this as sugary and sweet. IMO, it drives home all the thing we do in our shift that is often overlooked by family and management.

Would I use this on people that ask my salary? It all depends. Some yes and others maybe not.

As for those that keep reminding me that someone beat me to it with the posting here on AN and or FB. Good for you all that you saw it somewhere else first. I can't follow up every post here on AN and I'm not friends with everyone on FB. ;)

I just wanted to post something different that might give somebody food for thought when they think they are only 'just a nurse.'

You don't. And you shouldn't.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Academics.
This isn't a personal attack on you, ... I'm just interested in sharing my perspective on it too.

I agree. I kudo'd hiddencat's post because 1) I agreed with it and 2) I didn't feel it necessary to repeat what hiddencat said.

Please don't feel as if you need to defend the posting. :)

When people ask me how much I make, I tell them. Nursing (and other specialty "trades" like plumbing, electrical, etc.) seem to get that question much more than other jobs that are normally salaried. The rudeness associated with asking what people make is somehow reduced when it comes to the trades.

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I find it cringeworthy and I guess it's because when someone asks you what they make, what they want to know is what do you make. It's not that they want to discuss the profession of nursing per se.

People will ask what you make when you work anywhere from 7-11 to CEO of Bank of America. It's just a question about money. Not about how wonderful I am because I do this job.

It's a rude question, best to leave it at that and not go off into a poetic flight of fancy about the beauty of nursing...and BTW, the quote, in the right context, can be very uplifting after a miserable day.

Just not appropriate in that particular conversation.

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Specializes in Acute Mental Health.

I'm not sure it's that big of a deal. Most people are curious as to how much other professions make. If a nursing student asks me, I don't mind telling them a base start rate at all. I certainly was interested to know if I could raise my family on my salary. I needed a straight answer from someone. Reading in the paper about how much nurses make isn't very accurate.....some state up to $100,000. Now if I went on that, I'd be really let down when offered that first position.

Most of us don't make enough for what we do and I'm not talking just nurses. After being a CNA for too many years to count, I can say without blinking an eye that they do not make enough!

If its at work, I don't give out that information. I usually mention it pays the bills and could be worse. I love what I do and if the pay was $7 less, I'd still do it. Now cut my pay in half and I may not feel the same way.

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Why do people get all upset when asked? people want to know for different reasons. maybe they want to be a nurse and want to know what they make. so what. it is not a big secret. many hospitals post their pay scale online on the hr website. mine does for all hourly employees such as rn 25-35. and all other hourly employees and residents. so i know what every resident gets based on his/her specialty and year and a very good idea of what the other employees make based on their experience. none of this is top secret.

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come on.... on here i might read the "what do you make " posts for an idea of what an rn gets paid in iowa vs. nyc vs san fransico. what if i wanted to move. i might cross some places off the list based on pay alone. (yes i know about cost of living). especially jobs liek nursing it is not a big secret at all. some union hospitals pay is based only on years of service /years of nursing so it is possible based on that to know the exact pay of all of your coworkers.

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Specializes in A myriad of specialties.
From some of these replies, I can tell which nurses are close to burning out and may need some time off to refresh! :icon_roll

I am most definitely in "burnout mode"(have been for many years). It will worsen in the next 2 months when I try my darndest to get as much overtime as I can.....There is not enough time available to me to "refresh". My time to "refresh" will come in a few months when I'm off for a few weeks after some surgery.

I, too, hate the question of my salary, or how much I paid for my house, etc. I simply answer that I don't discuss the money issues. Guess I grew up in an era where such questions were considered rude.

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Amen!!!! Awesome answer. I always want to say "I make miracles but the question you really want to ask is what are they worth? The answer is you really don't know till you need one. " I know I don't make miracles however I do believe I have been the delivery girl for the Big Man more than a few times.

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Look the person in the eye and say "that's private and confidential". If he is educated and well-bred he will feel awful that he asked and won't ask you again. If he's not, just repeat the same line over and over again.

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Specializes in I/DD.

My answer? "Enough"

Is it hard to watch friends who have "easier" jobs than mine make more money? Sure, but that is life. The fact is that I make more than enough to support myself, and if I had a family I could support them as well. There are not that many 4 year (or 2-3 year) degrees that provide that luxury.

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My answer? "Enough"

Is it hard to watch friends who have "easier" jobs than mine make more money? Sure, but that is life. The fact is that I make more than enough to support myself, and if I had a family I could support them as well. There are not that many 4 year (or 2-3 year) degrees that provide that luxury.

I'm very happy with what I make.I commute to a high COL area and make more entry-level as a nurse than my mother did mid-career as a teacher. And it's much more than I was making as an administrative assistant with a BA.

In the right context I don't mind salary discussions because that knowledge is bargaining power.

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