A hospital here pays G.N.s $18.xx/hour before licensure!

AuntieRN · Aug 7, 2006

Here once you graduate one hospital considers you a NT3 and pay you the $20.25 that they start new grads off at even before you pass your boards...the hospital I work at considers you a NT4 and pays you $19. and some change an hour then when you pass your boards you get I think its a dollar more an hour...but...once you pass you get bigger shift differentials not the 50 cents and $1.00 we get now...I think she said its something like $5.50 on nights on weekends plus your weekend diff and I forget what she said it was during the week on nights. I am in the south where they do not pay well. Actually we are ranked 38th in the country whatever that means...

luvmy2angels · Aug 7, 2006

As a new LPN in a somewhat rural area of PA i started out at $18/hour during the week and $19/hour on the weekend with a raise that should be just around the corner. I agree that research of areas and salaries is very important before moving anywhere. Good Luck to you in your search!!

nursinguy · Aug 7, 2006

But then you only go up to $19.75 when you pass the boards. As a GN, you start as an PCA2 making $18.xx/hour.
I just moved to Cincinnati from Florida and the starting pay for an RN is no different here than it was in Pensacola. *** is up with that? I was expecting close to $25/hour plus difs, weekends, etc. Boy was I wrong? And the hospitial is a large one in downtown Cincy - Good Sam Hospital.
Before I take this job in telemetry I'm going to look around at some of the other hospitals. I really don't know if I would even like telemetry.

Move to Cali, we start off at $37 to $40 here.

luvmy2angels · Aug 7, 2006

Move to Cali, we start off at $37 to $40 here.

Yeah, just keep in mind that the cost of living is probably doubled there also!! We had considered moving (not to California) but another state where nurses were paid more but when we researched the cost of living we are actually better off staying here. There are many things to consider, not just what your hourly wage is.

nursinguy · Aug 7, 2006

Yeah, just keep in mind that the cost of living is probably doubled there also!! We had considered moving (not to California) but another state where nurses were paid more but when we researched the cost of living we are actually better off staying here. There are many things to consider, not just what your hourly wage is.

Most of us, commute and live in lower cost area's of the state. This is the way to take advantage of the pay rate.

NHavenRN · Aug 8, 2006

Here in CT, I was started as a GN at the same rate as a new RN (post-NCLEX), and at just over $26/hr. We moved here from California, and don't find cost of living here to be nearly as out of control as in Cali....so my impression is you can find decent GN wages in places besides the West Coast. :) Good luck!

nursemelani · Aug 8, 2006

Try this link to see average wages for RNs nationwide. See where your state ranks with salary and number of nurses/per 1000 people.
http://html.10news.com/sh/idi/health/nurses/index.html

I LOVE living in CA !!! The best pay and the highest demand for nurses !!!

And since hubby and I got out of the Bay Area 7 years ago, we are living large !

DoneIn08 · Aug 12, 2006

I work for one of the Health Alliance hospitals in Cincinnati. Our new nurses at last check make $19 starting.. with a $4 diff for night shift...

boyfactory · Aug 16, 2006

But then you only go up to $19.75 when you pass the boards. As a GN, you start as an PCA2 making $18.xx/hour.
I just moved to Cincinnati from Florida and the starting pay for an RN is no different here than it was in Pensacola. *** is up with that? I was expecting close to $25/hour plus difs, weekends, etc. Boy was I wrong? And the hospitial is a large one in downtown Cincy - Good Sam Hospital.
Before I take this job in telemetry I'm going to look around at some of the other hospitals. I really don't know if I would even like telemetry.

That sounds about right. During the recruitment presentation by Children's they told us how much aides and LPN's made as well. This was last year and aides were making $11 with LPN's making over $14. I'm pretty sure Christ was close to that too. Cincinnati is not a good area for nursing pay.

Jennifer D.

dreamsdo · Aug 23, 2006

Did anyone else take Kaplan and pass? My test is in one week and I am studying as if it is a full time job. I am learning a ton, and my test grades are staying around 60%, but don't seem to be improving. I think I will be fine, if I just take my time and slow down, but I just wanted some reassurance from a recent BSN and Kaplan grad.

:caduceus:

PS - That totally sucks that RNs make so little money in some areas, in Philly we are very well take care of:) I know it is not all about the money, but that seems to make all the studying hell worth while.

GrnHonu99, RN · Aug 31, 2006

But then you only go up to $19.75 when you pass the boards. As a GN, you start as an PCA2 making $18.xx/hour.
I just moved to Cincinnati from Florida and the starting pay for an RN is no different here than it was in Pensacola. *** is up with that? I was expecting close to $25/hour plus difs, weekends, etc. Boy was I wrong? And the hospitial is a large one in downtown Cincy - Good Sam Hospital.
Before I take this job in telemetry I'm going to look around at some of the other hospitals. I really don't know if I would even like telemetry.

I just grad. from nursing school in cincy and lived there all my life till now. I did several clinicals at GSH and many of my classmates are working there now or starting. Childrens starts at 20/hr. You wont make 25/hr (basepay) anywhere in cincy unless its weekend options with no benefits+ shift diff. Check out St. Eliz. in NKY it has slightly higher pay rates. Mercy may pay more but it is with draw backs, I wouldnt work there. Basically you have: The Health Alliance (Christ/UC/St.Luke in NKY), Mercy (Anderson/Fairfield/WesternHills), St. E in NKY, Tri Health (GSH, B-North), Childrens and Shriners, VA. I have seen presentations from all hospitals at school in the past month. TriHealth has good benefits. St. E is rumored Good Luck. I loved the CCU at GSH.

PS you can make 25/hr if you work weekends/nights and add in your bonuses. Take base pay in cincy abstractly. Many of my friends working for Tri Health are making that. A ton started at GSH at 19-21/hr+shift diff. In fact one of my close friends is working for BNORTH and if she takes the weekend options and doesnt take benefits will make close or over 30/hr. Plus she gets a quarterly bonus as long as she stays full time AND she gets a portion of her loans paid off! GSH should offer the same as they are both Tri Health...in fact I remember them telling us that at their presentation they did for us. Mercy Western Hills just came under new management and has all types of bonuses/loan pay offs..in fact they have the highest sign on bonus of 15k (what they told us at their presentation). However, I have heard a rumor that Christ offers 30k if you sign on for 3 years on in their cardio unit (however that is just something I heard, may not be true).

GrnHonu99, RN · Aug 31, 2006

I am in one of the largest metropolitan areas in America. Dallas, with a population of 1.2 million people, starts new hospital RNs at a rate of $18 to $21 per hour.
If you ever want to start at $25 to $30 per hour, you will need to relocate to a West Coast city with a higher cost of living such as Los Angeles, Phoenix, or Las Vegas.
I am an LVN who recently moved to Texas from Southern California. I carefully researched the LVN wages and cost-of-living before making the final decision to relocate. Luckily, LVNs are paid quite decently around here.

I now live in Phoenix and our starting rate is 23-24/hr. The COL here is higher than in Cincy. In Cincinnati I could have a decent 2br apt. in a nice area for 600-700/mo. Here in Phoenix Ill expect to pay 1k or more for that. So its a trade off. No where in Cincinnati will you find an RN making 14/hr. What you have to also consider is that with almost all (if not all) of the hospitals in Cincy offer a sign on bonus and retention bonuses. That is something I am missing out here in Phoenix. My friends are all getting generous sign on bonuses and bonuses every so often in their paychecks but I am making a bit more on the hour but with a higher cost of living. I guess its a trade off. If you live on the West Coast you WILL have a higher cost of living even if you commute than if you live in greater Cincinnati. You can live for a very affordable rate in Cincy. In a copy of MODRN that came out a couple of months ago it stated that Cincy was a high paying nursing area when you consider the COL and bonus. If I ever get unpacked I will dig it out and quote it directly for anyone who is interestd. It gave pay stats for every state with COL figured in. I actually made another post in another forum here on this site quoting it not long ago....sorry cant remember which one.