Beginning RN Salary in Louisiana

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Hi everyone,

I am just starting clinicals this fall at LSUE, and I know I am kinda jumping the gun here :rolleyes:, but I was just curious as to how much new RN's actually make just starting out around the Lafayette or Baton Rouge areas.

I know that you can look up salaries at www.salaries.com, but that would be averages for all RN's in the area. Not beginners like I hope to be some day.

I am thinking around $40,000/yr, or $18-$20/hr. If any of you new nurses can let me know, I would appreciate it!

THANKS,

Penny

I work in the VA system, not the one in NO. It is true that they pay BSN more. In fact, once you are there working with an ADN, your salary cap is lower than what you can get with a BSN. The other trick with the VA system is they definitely do take your experience in mind when they offer you a starting salary. Hire on as a new grad, you don't start out the same as an RN. The one thing I have always liked about the VA is the five week vacation a year. Yes, this starts when you hire on as an RN. You earn 8 hours of AL and 4 hours of sick leave every two weeks.

VA does have payback opportunites for education. I do not know the full details because I haven't looked into them.

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I work in the VA system, not the one in NO. It is true that they pay BSN more. In fact, once you are there working with an ADN, your salary cap is lower than what you can get with a BSN. The other trick with the VA system is they definitely do take your experience in mind when they offer you a starting salary. Hire on as a new grad, you don't start out the same as an RN. The one thing I have always liked about the VA is the five week vacation a year. Yes, this starts when you hire on as an RN. You earn 8 hours of AL and 4 hours of sick leave every two weeks.

VA does have payback opportunites for education. I do not know the full details because I haven't looked into them.

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I know at the Baton Rouge General new grad day shift nurses make $19/hr...nights make $21/hr. BSNs make 25 cents more per hour than ADNs. This is the info I got from one of my teachers.

Ginyer

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What about hospitals in north Louisiana? Monroe, Shreveport, etc?

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I don't know about specific amounts, but I have heard that along with the New Orleans area, Shreveport is very good as compared with other Louisiana Cities. Of course all of your larger metropolitan areas are going to pay better than smaller cities. It is hard to compare monetary amounts because of so many variables, such as base pay, shift differentials, cost-of-living adjustments for different areas, extras for prn status, flex status, certifications, years of experience, etc. Even for new graduates it depends on the department (med-surg vs pediatrics, etc). Also, it seems to me that if base pay is higher, shift differential goes down, and vice versa.

As for me, I don't want to relocate, and for now I would like to work as close to home as possible (I have children), therefore my plan (next year if/when I graduate) is to put my application in at the 5 closest hospitals, and whichever one offers me a position - take it (no contracts though). If I get more than one offer, I will compare offers and take the best one. I need experience and to be close to my family for the next couple of years. Can someone with experience let me know if that is a good plan??

THANKS!

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I don't know about specific amounts, but I have heard that along with the New Orleans area, Shreveport is very good as compared with other Louisiana Cities. Of course all of your larger metropolitan areas are going to pay better than smaller cities. It is hard to compare monetary amounts because of so many variables, such as base pay, shift differentials, cost-of-living adjustments for different areas, extras for prn status, flex status, certifications, years of experience, etc. Even for new graduates it depends on the department (med-surg vs pediatrics, etc). Also, it seems to me that if base pay is higher, shift differential goes down, and vice versa.

As for me, I don't want to relocate, and for now I would like to work as close to home as possible (I have children), therefore my plan (next year if/when I graduate) is to put my application in at the 5 closest hospitals, and whichever one offers me a position - take it (no contracts though). If I get more than one offer, I will compare offers and take the best one. I need experience and to be close to my family for the next couple of years. Can someone with experience let me know if that is a good plan??

THANKS!

Shreveport starting base salary is $17.50 with $4.00 evening and night diffs. This about the same in all the major hospitals in the area. There is talk of an increase taking place this summer or fall. If one the hospitals get an increase all of them will match it.

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Specializes in NICU.

Here is some information for a few hospitals in Lake Charles.

St. Pat's-- $17.32 plus $3 for evening; $4 for nights. ALSO $2,500 sign-on bonus.

Memorial--$16.30 plus $1 for days; $4 for evening; and $5 for nights. ALSO sign-on bonus available if you were in the extern program and sign a 2 yr contract.

Women and Children's-- all they told me was $15.25 for days b/c the person that had additional info wasn't there.

Moss Regional--$16.32 plus $3.75 for evening; $5 for nights.

Memorial Hermann Baptist Hospital in Orange, TX has $25/hr per diem without benefits.

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Yes, the cost-of-living is extremely low, if you don't live in "the city", such as Lafayette. Our house will be about a 20-30 minute drive to Lafayette, and the rent is unbelievably cheap. I live in the suburbs of Dallas, TX and pay over $700 for rent on a 2bdrm, 1bath apartment. Our rent on the house in Louisiana will be $225, 3bdrm, 1bath on an acre and a half of land!! New grads in this area are starting at around $18.50/hr, which is only $2.50 more than the Louisiana pay. So we figure we'll come out with more money after bills, rent, etc. living in LA than if we stay here in our neighborhood, where a small, 30 year old house costs $200,000!

hello:

I live in the Houma area. I know a 3brm apartment starts at 700-900.00 a month. Where are you moving for that little rent? That sounds real cheap for rural area of Louisiana. :uhoh3: I was born and raised in New Orleans and moved to Houma because the rent for a single parent is cheaper than living in New Orleans.

Also I have a friend that works at Touro in New Orleans as an RN and her rate of pay for three days a week is28.00 hour.

seeya

moon30

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I am an LPN in school to be an RN and I work in North Louisiana Med surg unit a 45 bed facility. I have worked several places where RNs started out at 17.00 hr-18.00 new grads. plus about 3.00 shift diff. My current place of employment though has the best pay I have heard of short of agency work. I myself as a 2 year lpn am making 16.50 base pay. This is a hopital not nursing home. PLus 4.00 night pay they also pay 1.00 weekends and a 1.00 more for part time or prn. So I know the Rns make around 26.00 base pay for beginners. So my point is you can find a better rate. This hospital is city owned and that may have something to do with it also. Good Luck.

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$16 may sound low, but Louisiana's cost-of-living is relatively low when compared with other areas, such as Florida, East & West Coast, New York, Hawaii, etc.

You really have to look at the big picture when comparing salaries.

Cost of living must be mighty low because Tennessee cost of living is considered low and the base salaries start out a lot better than that.

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I am an LPN in school to be an RN and I work in North Louisiana Med surg unit a 45 bed facility. I have worked several places where RNs started out at 17.00 hr-18.00 new grads. plus about 3.00 shift diff. My current place of employment though has the best pay I have heard of short of agency work. I myself as a 2 year lpn am making 16.50 base pay. This is a hopital not nursing home. PLus 4.00 night pay they also pay 1.00 weekends and a 1.00 more for part time or prn. So I know the Rns make around 26.00 base pay for beginners. So my point is you can find a better rate. This hospital is city owned and that may have something to do with it also. Good Luck.

WOW, 26?? Are you in Monroe? I am starting back at Tech to get my ADN in a little over a month. I am so anxious and can't wait to start applying!! yay! :monkeydance:

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Specializes in Medical-Oncology.

I'm a nursing student in Monroe. Maybe the cost of living is lower in some ways, but car insurance and taxes (10% sales tax) are some of the highest in the country. I still don't see what is cheaper here. Buying a home in Houston, TX is less expensive than Monroe. And you get paid better. I lived in Washington, DC using my international business degree and made about $19 an hr. I moved back to Monroe to get my nursing degree. The major hospital here recently raised their starting pay from $16.25 to $18.25 an hr. That angered the nurses with more experience because that is exactly what they were making after 2+ yrs experience.

I know I will not stay here after I graduate. I am NOT going back to school for 4 years to get a pay cut upon graduation. Louisiana's economy is deep deep in the hole. And that southern hospitality you hear about is dwindling. It's a sad situation and really is too bad.

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