Be careful of what you ask for....

FLmomof5 · Feb 26, 2010

Found something interesting....

UK Experienced Nurse = 21325 british pounds. Net after taxes is not bad at 16637. (NI tax = 1717.10 from employee and matched by 'employer' with 1998.08) {WOW! Health Insurance tax of only 3715!}

http://www.21stcenturynurse.com/UKSalary.htm

http://listentotaxman.com/index.php?c=1&yr=2009&married=1&age=0&add=0&code=&pension=0&time=1&ingr=21325&vw%5B%5D=yr&vw%5B%5D=mth&vw%5B%5D=wk

So for us Uniformed US folks.....

http://www.x-rates.com/calculator.html which will convert pound to dollar...

The equivalent US salary is = 32416.30 which $/52/40 gives you the extraordinary rate of...... $15.58/hr.

You now look at the NI cost annually in US$... and that is $5647.47. (employee + employer)

-------Graduate Nurse or as they call it in the UK "Newly Qualified Nurse" bottom base = 16,525.00 or in US$ $25119.70 -> = $12.08/hr.

Now you know how they keep their costs down! FL is slammed for it's pathetic pay for RNs. Some hospitals in Jax pay as low as $19/hr. Of course that is $7 per hour higher than if you worked in the UK (excluding London which has a special COL amount).

Now, I know all you folks in support of the Obamacare are just jumping at the opportunity to do right by all those uninsured folks and to help your country patriotically....by taking a matching salary reduction! {tongue in cheek} :clown:

FLmomof5 · Feb 26, 2010

Canada allegedly ranked higher on the dated graph (7 yrs old) previously posted.

Hmmmm....by what criteria (not just the blip on the graph but actual reasoning) did they use?

Never let "facts" get in the way....

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/02/25/EDVV1C6HTS.DTL

nicurn001 · Feb 26, 2010

All areas pay what is an acceptable pay scale in there society , so although the pay may be low in US terms it is at an acceptable level in the UK ( mind you like all of us , they would like it to be more ).

Compare the NI tax payment lets round that up to $150/ month , not bad for the out of pocket cost for access to healthcare ( no co pays , no arguing with some insurance co. bureaucrat , about what is covered , NO , repeat NO personal bankrupcy due to health care bills ( UK citizens have no concept of this stupidity ).

When I worked for the NHS ( prior to 1988 ) I worked a 37.5 hour week , had 5 weeks vacation , 2 weeks of holidays , when I was sick I was paid in full as long as I had a physicians note ( I was off work , no modified duties ,no necesity to have any contact with my employer whilst I was sick , apart from sending in doctors note , NO risk of loosing my job and the attached healthcare benefit ).

Sometimes although I am better paid here in the USA , I wonder who has the better deal ? . Although my standard of life here in the US is better that it would be in the UK . If I was to become sick and need to be off work for lets say 4 months I would be at greater risk of loosing everything I have here , than I would be in the UK .

tewdles, RN · Feb 26, 2010

Obamacare...another propaganda tool used to inflame and divide. Nothing constructive in the use of that term.

allnurses Guide · Feb 26, 2010

Canada allegedly ranked higher on the dated graph (7 yrs old) previously posted.
Hmmmm....by what criteria (not just the blip on the graph but actual reasoning) did they use?
Never let "facts" get in the way....
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/02/25/EDVV1C6HTS.DTL

http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Pacific_Research_Institute

HM2VikingRN, RN · Feb 27, 2010

FWIW I think we should take the best pieces of all systems to redesign ours...

Links to the Commonwealth fund are embedded in my posts...

UKRNinUSA, RN · Feb 27, 2010

re UK nursing salaries -I believe they have more to do with what I remember to be pathetic nursing union representation than the "demon" universal healthcare

FLmomof5 · Mar 20, 2010

re UK nursing salaries -I believe they have more to do with what I remember to be pathetic nursing union representation than the "demon" universal healthcare

Did you forget to subtract the $1137.30/mo that you LOSE IN INCOME? (US dollars) So YOU are paying $1287.50 PER MONTH for your "inexpensive" low cost insurance!

The UK appears to have gotten their NHS off the backs of the UK healthcare workers.

LesphotoRN · Mar 20, 2010

There are many choices available regarding health coverage. I have many managed my own care, choosing the deductible and plan that suited my financial status at that time. That ability will now be taken away from me, I will pay more for coverage I don't require, and I will subsidize those who prioritize their lifestyle over their health. These are the reasons I personally don't require or endorse this proposed plan.

allnurses Guide · Mar 20, 2010

Did you forget to subtract the $1137.30/mo that you LOSE IN INCOME? (US dollars) So YOU are paying $1287.50 PER MONTH for your "inexpensive" low cost insurance!
The UK appears to have gotten their NHS off the backs of the UK healthcare workers.

Respectfully your information about salaries is incorrect.

A newly qualified nurse will come out on a band 5 under the agenda for change contract. This has a starting salary of £20,710 that will increase annually (that's guaranteed and not included in the cost of living increase that the government award every year) Also that's a basic salary, if the nurse works unsocial hour (so afternoon shifts, weekends of nights) they get paid enhancements which can and does increase this salary to as much as an extra 25% .

An experienced nurse, depending on if she is a band 5 or band 6 and how long qualified. So take a 5 year post reg nurse on a band 5 will earn £24,000 (don't forget there will be enhancements on top of that.) On a band 6 the pay scale starts at £24,000 and again will increase annually to £33,000. IF the nurse decides to stay as a band 5 then the maximum increment at the moment is £26,000

We are contracted to work 37.5 hours a week for that salary.

As a newly qualified nurse you will have had all of your student fees paid for so the government fully funds nurse training, you will also have received a non means tested bursary for about £3,500 every year paid to you whilst you study

On top of all of that, you get paid holidays every year. If you've been in the NHS for less than 5 years then this is 23 days, 5 - 10 years 27 days and over 10 years 33 days. On top of this you also get 8 paid bank holidays. So I've been in the NHS for 20 years and I get 41 days paid holiday every year.

As well as that we are entitled to 6 months full sick pay, and after than half pay for 6 months. There are also maternity benefits with 8 weeks full pay, 18 weeks half pay and then 13 weeks statuary maternity pay. You can take up to a year off but the rest of this is unpaid.

Yes we pay tax, and national insurance but to be honest, my terms and conditions of employment aren't that bad, in fact reading through some of the posts here where nurses in the US are fired for some minor mistake I am extremely glad I work in the NHS.

Translate that into real life then, I am a nurse who has been qualified for 20 years, I am in the position of a charge nurse so fairly senior.

I earn £3500 per month before tax, after deductions I take home about £2,200 on a average month. This includes payment into an excellent pension scheme which the NHS provides (oh I forgot to mention the pension didn't I, it's one of the best in the country) I get 41 days (yep 7 weeks) holiday a year, fully paid. 2 years ago I had an injury that meant I couldn't work for 6 months, I didn't pay for any care that I needed, got treated extremely quickly and got paid for being at home whilst I recovered, when I tried to go back to work to early I was sent to HR and Occupational health and told to stay off for the full 6 months to make sure I'd fully recovered, also because it was an injury at work after that 6 months my pay would have gone down to 80% rather than 50%.

We are not that hard done by financially

Cammer · Mar 25, 2010

I am a nurse who has been qualified for 20 years, I am in the position of a charge nurse so fairly senior.
I earn £3500 per month before tax, after deductions I take home about £2,200 on a average month. This includes payment into an excellent pension scheme which the NHS provides (oh I forgot to mention the pension didn't I, it's one of the best in the country) I get 41 days (yep 7 weeks) holiday a year, fully paid. 2 years ago I had an injury that meant I couldn't work for 6 months, I didn't pay for any care that I needed, got treated extremely quickly and got paid for being at home whilst I recovered, when I tried to go back to work to early I was sent to HR and Occupational health and told to stay off for the full 6 months to make sure I'd fully recovered, also because it was an injury at work after that 6 months my pay would have gone down to 80% rather than 50%.
We are not that hard done by financially

Hmmm... well I have been a nurse for 6 years and I practice nursing in Florida which has a reputation for being one of the lowest paying states for nurses.

After 20 years of nursing you are making approximately $62k. Last year I did not work any overtime and I made about $66k. I have a 36 hr work week, 3 weeks of paid time off yearly, and my health care insurance for my entire family of four costs me approximately $2000 yearly. My health care insurance also covers short and long term disability. Short term is up to 60 days of full pay. Beyond 60 days it kicks over to long term at 80% salary. Long term benefits can last up to 5 years. I also have good eye and dental coverage. I do not pay union dues. And, since income taxes are due next month, I have all the paperwork sitting in front of me that will back up my claims.

I do not know how a similar standard of living in the UK compares to mine, but just based on pay rate it seems that we are much better compensated.

Note: in the USA there are very few, if any, jobs that will give you 41 days of vacation yearly. It just doesn't happen here. Personally if I had that much vacation time I would probably get a second job to cover me whilst I was on "vacation." :)

The conversion that I used was $1 = .67 GBP.

tewdles, RN · Mar 25, 2010

Nurses who work for large employers who provide health insurance coverage do ok....

Nurses who work for employers who do not provide health insurance do ok, but spend a great deal of money out of pocket for insurance premiums, copays, and deductibles and have a risk of being dropped if they experience a high cost health episode.