Ask for a raise?

Most hospital policies don't allow managers/ HR to just give raises after a rate has been agreed upon at the time of offer acceptance. When you are offered a job, that is the only time to negotiate. A lot of places do annual raises based on cost of living or merit raises based on annual evaluations. Check with your manager.

Your CNA friend was hired as a CNA because she had a CNA certificate from an approved training program and her practice is governed by whichever governing Board (Dept of Health, BON) authorized her certificate. You didn't identify yourself as a certified CNA, but as a tech. The educational qualifications are different. And if you compared your official job descriptions, you'll mostly likely find that they do differ.

Just because you seem to be doing some similar job tasks is independent of your job titles. RNs and LPNs do similar overlapping tasks, but they have different educational preparation and different scope of practice and usually different unit responsibilities. Thus different job titles and different pay rates.

A certified CNA title with CNA job duties will differ from that of a tech. And there most likely is a different pay rate. If you're due for some evaluatory performance review about this time, you could ask about a possible raise - assuming that all is well with your performance, attendance, etc. But don't be surprised if a raise is not possible at this time (see PP Kristen).

Just FYI, administration usually strongly discourages employees to compare pay rates. If you do discuss a raise, DO NOT reveal that you know about your friend's rate. You will most likely jeopardize her job and yours.

You might qualify for a standardized raise of 1-2% per annum, but don't expect raises for performance. Remember, you are an expense to this hospital. If you ask for (or expect) an obscene raise, it would be easier to replace you.

Managers like to claim they "can't" give bigger/more frequent raises or raises outside of the pay scale, but sometimes they can. You can ask, but make sure you have something to bring to the table that makes you worth bending the "rules" for. I got a raise five times bigger than what I was told was "allowed" with some assertive haggling. Some of my co-workers tried the same thing and failed.

Make sure your department can't live without you and make sure you catch your manager in a good mood. Some intermittent schmoozing leading up to the talk may be helpful, as well ....and never mention that your co-workers blabbed!! Never.

Did your friend have previous experience as a CNA? That could be reason why. Nursing school wasn't considered "experience" when I was hired as a PCT. CNA's may get get a bit more per hour to start but i don't think it's because they have a certification. I think it's because of experience. One hospital I worked at did,pay 50 cents more an hour if you held a CNA license. I was eligible to sit for the exam as a nursing student, but it wasn't worth the cost of the exam and time. However,in my experience some CNA's don't have a perfect transition from a nursing home to inpatient hospital. Many have never done blood sugars, full vitals, and documentation. However they are definitely quicker on the uptake than those that have never touched a patient before!

Or your friend said her pay rate was higher than it really is?

We both have the same certification, I have 6 months more experience than she does!

Shift differentials maybe?

Research the evidence and present it to your managers when you ask for it. You need to find out what the average going-rate is for your job. Six months exp isn't a lot. However, if you are very good at your job, and people like you, and you are genuinely being paid lower than the standard rate then they will most likely 'give' you the raise.

I had the same thing happen to me. I was hired fresh out of college, and paid an almost pathetic amount. After a year, I was hired on from the temp service to the company, and received a $1 per hour raise. I then went back to school, and got a cert in something that offered me a better paying rate than what I was getting. At the same time, I researched the going rate for my experience level, and the average pay for my profession. I presented this in a very professional manner, and luckily I got yet another raise. This time it was $4 dollars per hour more. However, I was fully prepared to be denied, and possibly let-go, or receive lower hours, and that was okay b/c I had a back-up plan.

Maybe she lied. Everybody lied

Just FYI, administration usually strongly discourages employees to compare pay rates. If you do discuss a raise, DO NOT reveal that you know about your friend's rate. You will most likely jeopardize her job and yours.

While it is illlegal to forbid discussing wages, many companies do it anyway. Just in the news recently was a teen girl who found out her male friend was hired at the same job for 25 cents more an hour. When she brought this up hoping to get equal pay as should be the case, the pizza place fired both of them for discussing wages. Frankly I wish the govt would do more for workers and take this case on to send a message. But I doubt they will because it is just a small pizza place, and truthfully the govt is too busy trying to please companies in the hope of creating more jobs to salvage the economy.

Sure you can ask for a raise, but I would be surprised if you will get one. Most places only give the yearly 2-3% if you are lucky. Best chance to negotiate pay is when you are changing jobs. It used to be a given that you would get a raise switching jobs but I've heard of nurses being offered only the same wage and recently being expected to take a pay cut for a job. One negotiated a better wage than first offered, but it was still a pay cut and other, younger nurse just took the pay cut because she apparently didn't know any better.

Personally I find a pay cut insulting to begin with, especially when you bring experience to the table. I would never voluntarily take a pay cut if I can help it. Why go backwards. I have received other job offers over the years but just knowing there was no retirement plan turned me off from even considering one job as that would be a 5% pay cut right there.

That is one of the problems of finding a non bedside job they want to give you a pay cut and cut your benefits too. It's a hard pill to swallow. I know some feel the peace of mind and better working conditions, less stress, more than make up for it, but I'm not keen on taking a pay cut. I have plenty of bills to pay as well as save for retirement, etc.