Becoming a nurse for the money...

You are probably going to catch some flack and criticism in the responses that follow, because many people remain convinced that people need to enter the nursing profession only if they were "called" to this line of work by some higher power. I'm assured that some would scream, "You shouldn't be worried about the pay!"

Well, I am certainly no angel of mercy. I feel that if a person is competent, skilled, able to engage in critical thought, reasonably intelligent, and capable of bringing a sense of caring to one's patients, then it is nobody's business if the person entered nursing for the money.

It is strange that we don't seem to belittle doctors, lawyers, accountants, therapists, scientists, engineers, and other educated professionals for entering their respective career pathways for monetary reasons.

The bottom line is that I do not work for free!

Everyone should be well compensated for what they do- nurses are no exception. There's no disagreement about that. And yes- we do critisize lawyers (quite a lot actually) as well as docs and others for getting into their professions "just for the money."

I don't think scientists go into research "just for the money." Research is not something that can be done by someone without a great interest in it. My husband is a research scientist with a PhD, and he works in a research laboratory facility.

Believe me- the middle class income he earns certainly does not justify his eleven years of college and 70-80 hr work weeks. Most researchers do not make great money. They do it for the love of science.

I believe that if you do not have a genuine interest and natural aptitude for nursing, you can be a technically competent nurse, but not a really good one. But maybe those who are getting into nursing strictly for the "big money" really don't care if they are good nurses.

...just wondering who's becoming a nurse for the eventual excellent pay???

I am.

Not me. At least not as an RN or MSN. If I wanted big bucks I would have stayed in my previous profession.

hmm... finished my B.A. in 3 years, i think i can take nursing school pretty well. I'm being honest, i am in in for the 125,000 yr salary in the S.F. I am competent to do the job well and will do just that.

But to write that you hope nursing school or any schooling as a matter of fact "tears" someone apart reflects who you really are. Perhaps bitter and lonely it tore YOU apart.

The problem with this medium is we do not get a full picture of what someone is saying because we are missing tone and body language. I confess that your post, at face value, came across as less than humble. Just because that was my initial take it doesn't make it so. I too think that I will do pretty well in nursing school (have done so far) and I want to be a really good nurse.

I like the saying: "No one likes a smart *** but it is better than being a dumb ***"

Before any goes nuts I am NOT calling anyone here a dumb ***...it is just a funny saying.

Edited Jun 21, 2009 by Silverdragon102
changed to all **

What money??

50-70K isn't A LOT of money to me. But I guess some people might think thats A LOT of money.

What money??

50-70K isn't A LOT of money to me. But I guess some people might think thats A LOT of money.

I agree but according to the OP he says he can make 125K in nursing where he is. I think I need to move there!

I agree but according to the OP he says he can make 125K in nursing where he is. I think I need to move there!

I think he's going to be in for a wakeup call once he graduates, unless he plans to become an NP or a nurse manager. Though the average NP or nurse manager doesn't even make that kind of money right out of school.

I didn't go into nursing because of some higher "calling" either, though I did know I wanted to go into healthcare/a social service/"helping" profession. I decided on nursing because it was a good medium between medicine and social work and public health, three fields in particular I had interest in, in addition to the flexibility in scheduling and the relative employability compared to other fields. I think the money is OKAY, but nothing impressive. It could be better, IMO.

I already have a degree, so in much shorter amount of time (than it will take me to become an NP, which is my plan) I could get my Juris Doctorate and be a rich *******. But that's not really up my alley.

I already have a BA in Communications, and a minor in creative writing. I have great people skills and am academically competent. I live in California's Bay Area which is one of the top paying regions for RNs. Yes, i know i will have a few years that aren't so glamorous. But after the first years, i'm sure everything will be alright. I know nurses that are making low 100,000 a year after working only ONE years in a long term care facility, then moving on to a hospital. So yes, the first few years might be a bit "dirty" but after that, getting into a area of interest will become enjoyable. Also, i would love to be a doctor or a lawyer, but that takes time. I'm all about the instant gratification, and right now about 3 years in nursing school are as instant as they get for sooner than later 100,000+ salary range.

If you already have a BA in Communications, you could get into a 3rd tier Law School and get your Juris Doctorate in 3 years? Of course, new grad attorneys are a lot worse off than new grad RNs right now. . .

All nurses know that sometimes it is a real struggle to get pts what they need. Sometimes you have to go around docs, or use manipulation to get docs to give you what you need for your pt.

You have to stick your neck out, and it can a real struggle to keep a pt from slipping through the cracks and get their needs addressed in a variety of situations. Sometimes, you have to make time that you don't have to look into a situation more deeply to uncover the real situation behind what is going on- be it social, financial, or other factors influenicing what you see going on w/ a pt, and it can be like pulling teeth to get pt problems addressed.

Will a nurse who is "just in it for the money" do these things?

The reasons I want to be a nurse are because I love learing about and teaching others about health and wellness. I don't have the big dream of working in a high drama ER or ICU unit. I would rather work in public health facility, clinic or doctors office where the pay is lower but something I would enjoy.

I take a middle ground view of that debate. We all deserve to be reasonably paid for the work that we do. However, if you don't have some basic interest in doing nursing work, you will be very unhappy in your job -- and we spend too much of our lives at work to spend it doing things we don't enjoy or "believe in."

I wasn't "called" to nursing by some higher power or religious beliefs. However, using my talents to help people is consistent with my personal philosophy. I wouldn't be happy with my life if I were to spend it making no meaningful contribution to society. For example, I would not be satisfied if I spent my day making or selling a product I believed was harmful to society.

So ... I had mixed motives. I chose nursing many years ago because it was one career (among many possibities) that involved making a positive contribution to society -- AND because of practical reasons such as career flexibility that were important to me. The money is generally OK but not great.

This is pretty much me. I picked nursing for several reasons. I wanted to contribute to society, I was interested in the human body/disease/pharmacology, wanted to be able to job hop when I get bored, wanted flexibility with scheduling to also be able to be very involved in life outside of work (kids, other activities, etc.) something that didn't take forever and a day in college, and something that payed decent. I wasn't called to be a nurse or anything. It is just something that happened to fit the criteria in which I was looking for. I do like nursing, and am not super sorry I chose nursing. There may have been a better fit for me, but I guess I am content. It works with my lifestyle. I don't think I could be someone who works overtime every week, though. I think I would burn out fast. I am a great nurse as long as I stay part-time. I don't think I would like it so much if I did OT a lot. I wouldn't do it for free. I am not a nurse martyr. I am not one that LIVES to be a nurse or gets all excited to go to work everyday, or gets excited to "save the day" by saying yes to being called in at the last minute, or volunteering to stay over for a double shift. I don't think I am the type that would get super excited about going to any job every day though.

I don't understand. I know at my school you have to have a passion for nursing, not just the money. There's no way to pass nursing school unless you have an interest in it. I am saying this as a 20 yr. old male, who spends 10+ hours/day 7 days a week in the library studying. I guess a lot of schools are easy enough just to get through??????

I agree but according to the OP he says he can make 125K in nursing where he is. I think I need to move there!

We are given on in school a list of average RN salaries by state. I think the original poster is mistaken unless he plans on being a CRNA or CRNI he is not going to make $100,000 even in California.

The median RN salary if $50,000 for almost every state, and $80,000 for California, but that includes all nurses including new grads and those who have there Masters and Doctorates