A Nurse's Lifestyle

[Lauren3249]

Okay, so I'm new on these boards and I'm not going to pretend like I know all about nursing because I really don't. However, I am learning.

I have learned from reading around, that nurses don't get paid very much. Or at least, not as much as they should. So, my question is: as a nurse what kind of lifestyle can you afford? What kind of home do you live in? What kind of car do you drive? Do you get to go on vacations? Stuff like that. Do you feel as though you have all the things that you need?

[janetndhlovu]

I have been a nurse for 18 years. I would agree that it depends mainly on how you manage your money. All in all I believe that the salary could be better, there is always room for improvement. I am satisfied with my salary, of course I live in the South and things may not be as expensive as in other places. My salary has tripled since I started nurses in 1986 to now 2004 based on the hourly pay. But if you compare the nurses salary to engineer's salary. We really don't make as much as we should, considering all you have to expose yourself to. Most of us I believe love doing what we do taking care of the sick etc. But something will have to be done to fix the nurses shortage that we are in right now. ? What I don't know salary increase may help. But nurses should be nurses from the heart, it's not just about the money. It has been my experience that the ones that come into it for money only, aren't happy and don't necesarrily have good bedside manners.I enjoy nursing I can't imagine doing this only for money.