Appropriate Pay For Location & Experience

[CNowlin]

First, I would like to thank each of you for your assistance in the matter. The fact that you have taken the time to simply drop in and read this post is more than I can ask. So with that, I say thank you.

To make a long story short, my wife and I are moving out to a very rural community, about two hours outside of Houston in Southeast Texas (Eagle Lake), with a single 25-bed critical hospital with Trauma IV designation. I am currently in the process of interviewing for a GN position and would like to know what a fair pay or salary would be considering my experience. I currently work, and have spent the last five years, full-time as a Licensed Paramedic within the City of Houston. I also currently possess certifications for ACLS, PALS, and BLS Instructor, and teach these courses on a weekly basis, as well as PHTLS and ITLS certifications. Lastly, as previously stated, I will be going into a GN position with an ADN. Granted, I do not know if any of this will play into my pay, and if not then so be it.

For what it's worth, and while I do not know for certain, it sounds like I will be placed in the Emergency Room on the night shift.

So, with all this in mind I would like to know your opinions on what would be a reasonable pay rate. Preferably a base hourly pay, maybe a good estimate with shift differentials. The recruiter and I have not talked about pay, but I strongly suspect it will be brought up later this coming week.

Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Respectfully,

CNowlin

[HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD]

New grads in the Houston area are averaging ~ $22 hour base pay. Shift diffs and add-ins vary a lot, so there isn't a 'norm' for these. I am very familiar with Eagle Lake. It is well within the 'commute into Houston' distance, so they have to compete with Houston wages. FYI - as I recall, they were the very FIRST Level IV (basic) trauma designated facility in Texas.... waaay back when. It's a great little facility. With your background, you would be a very valuable asset for them.

In facilities this small, it is unlikely that you will be limited to only one area when at work. If you are 'the' RN on duty, you will have to wear multiple hats simultaneously. Never boring, that's for sure.... a unique characteristic of Rural Nursing.

[Brewer,RN]

I started as a new grad in Amarillo several years ago at $20/hr base pay. In cities with multiple nursing schools dishing out hundreds of new grads each semester, new grad labor is cheap. Everyone at my nursing school I talked with after graduation started out at the same rate regardless of the hospital they were working at and experience they had (including my friend with 15 years EMS experience). Houston on the other hand is a different story. It is currently the highest paying city for nurses, and like HouTX said, Eagle Lake has to compete with Houston, so they have to raise their prices if they want to retain nurses. You should very well be able to get a a new grad rate at $22/hr base pay. Whether you will get a higher pay because of your certifications, it's doubtful, but it wouldn't hurt to ask for a higher rate. You will certainly be more marketable and more likely to fill a new position than a GN with no experience and no certifications.