I've been doing a lot of OT's lately. To me its not really about the money because if I work many overtime I am just paying more and more taxes (especially here in Canada). I think one time I worked OT and holidays and I accumulated like $1100 in taxes on just 1 cheque. I calculated it and I only make maybe an extra $50-$60 if I work OT.
I actually do feel bad when they need staff sometimes. The residents always thank me for coming in on holidays and weekends, and appreciate me. So its not really about the money. But thats just me.
I think someone already pointed out, for some reason we expect nurses, and maybe teachers, to have an emotional attachment to their jobs that we don't expect of other fields.
Yes. And that attachment issue often segues into a kind of martyr syndrome in which nurses put up with a lot of stuff that people in other jobs wouldn't...
I'm floored that in the middle of the dumpster fire that has been the last 2 years, someone has the time and/or emotional capacity to bother to care why others became a nurse. It's possible to be a good nurse because you feel "called" to it, or because you need a good job, or both. Mind your own business and just worry about you.
Money...but I don't let $ cloud the care I give. Everyone deserves to be respected and given empathetic care.
If this didn't pay a good amount of money then I wouldn't do nursing because although patients are respectful, an overwhelming number of them are entitled and ungrateful. They truly believe they can verbally and physically abuse staff.
Specializes in Surgical Specialty Clinic - Ambulatory Care.
I kind of think this is a stupid question….or the person who posted it has no experience in a healthcare role that actually requires being responsible for a person’s well being. We would not suffer the *** we do if we didn’t care about other humans deeply. That being said, we deserve compensation that recognizes our value, education, and experience. Just like teachers should get and pretty much any public servant. Thus seeing your upper management gripe about your hard work from their golden towers and not spend the money on infrastructure that is required to get that job done to their desired specifications is pretty demoralizing. You can only take stupid so long. And frankly the idea that “we need nurses who care, not one’s that want to profit” is the mantra of the EVIL healthcare industry. Why pay you more to do an impossible job when I can just guilt you into it? You know, if you really cared about people you would sacrifice yourself, the time with your family, and the financial future of your children to care for these needy people at the *** pay I’m offering….the two don’t correlate; thus a stupid question.
I do this because, one, I need a job to pay for necessities. Food, shelter, clothes, you know, all those fun things. The money is OK and I can afford my life.
Second, I have a flexible schedule that allows me time with my children. Third, some days I actually like my job.
But this isn’t a calling for me and I won’t martyr myself for the job. When I pick up, I better be getting paid well for it.
I just want to point out that you are almost certainly earning more than $60 for an extra shift. If you're not, it's because your pay is low, not because you taxes are high.
The US has a progressive taxation system, so even if OT bumps you up into a new tax bracket, you are only taxed the higher rate on the part of your pay that goes into the higher bracket; it doesn't make your entire income taxable at that level. There is absolutely no scenario in which you would owe $1100 in taxes while earning only an extra $60. None. You may have had more pay taken out of your check if you worked a lot of OT in one pay session, because the automated payroll might be tricked into thinking your base income is higher, but you'll get the extra withholdings back at tax time.
In the US if you're single, the first $10,275 is taxed at 10%, regardless of if your annual income is 10K or 10 million. Then from $10,276-41,775 is taxed at 12%. From $41,446-$89,075 is taxed at 22%. So if you usually earn under $41,775, but overtime brings you up to $42,000, you are only paying the 22% on the $225 that is in the next bracket. Assuming your usual income is between $41,446 and $89,075, and stays between those numbers, your OT will be taxed no differently than your regular pay with the max at 22%. Even if you do go over $89,076, your tax rate for your pay over that threshold is only 2% higher (24% for everything over $89,075).
Granted, there are various state income taxes, which might bump it up depending on your location, but, again, you will be taxed at the same rate as you are taxed for your regular earnings. There's not some crazy OT penalty that gobbles up like 90% of your wages.
At this point the reason I stay is for the money. I still enjoy certain aspects of my job and I don't totally hate nursing but it's really tough most days. At this point I'm too old to start a new career and switching jobs would take a pay cut and I have some projects around the house that I want to due such as remodeling the kitchen, bathroom, etc. before I retire.
I don't understand working more and making such little money due to taxes. My last check was $1600 more than my usual due to overtime and bonuses. Sure I paid a boatload in taxes, I always do.
Specializes in Psych, Addictions, SOL (Student of Life).
3 hours ago, Tweety said:
At this point the reason I stay is for the money. I still enjoy certain aspects of my job and I don't totally hate nursing but it's really tough most days. At this point I'm too old to start a new career and switching jobs would take a pay cut and I have some projects around the house that I want to due such as remodeling the kitchen, bathroom, etc. before I retire.
I don't understand working more and making such little money due to taxes. My last check was $1600 more than my usual due to overtime and bonuses. Sure I paid a boatload in taxes, I always do.
I think the OP is from Canada so I'm not sure what the tax structure is there and if higher taxes ensure certain services and government programs. I work a lot of overtime for the reasons you state and sure as heck wouldn't do it if take home to tax ratio was negatively affected.
Money and job security mostly. I wish I had gone into nursing right out of high school but back in 2004 nursing wasn't really talked about as a career for men. Had it I would have done Air Force ROTC while in nursing school and then gone into the Air Force as a nurse, do some cool stuff. Still thinking about the reserves tbh.
Anyways. As one poster said you can do it for the money while still being a good nurse. The whole "nursing is a calling" is baloney IMO.
Specializes in Psych, Addictions, SOL (Student of Life).
2 hours ago, OUxPhys said:
The whole "nursing is a calling" is baloney IMO.
Agreed. Although nurses burn out for any number of reasons the one's that go out like Roman candles are the one's holding this "Noble Calling" belief. This is just my experience. I am just one flawed human being trying to do the best I can in often difficult circumstances. Still from a career stand point nursing has been very good to me.
Jedrnurse, BSN, RN
2,776 Posts
Yes. And that attachment issue often segues into a kind of martyr syndrome in which nurses put up with a lot of stuff that people in other jobs wouldn't...