can I negotiate salary in my first HH staff nurse job?

[allthesmallthings]

Hi, there. 

Me: nurse for almost 12 years (medical-surgical, telemetry, and travel); most recently, did 9 months in home health travel nursing. That was my first home health experience - I was lucky to get a travel nurse job in it! However, I didn't get training in OASIS or do any OASIS, even as an RN. I just did wound care/education/teaching, assessment, monitoring, yada yada.

I have done an online OASIS training course (rctclearn.net) at my own expense (10 modules, took about a weekend to do, $500).

I'm thinking of getting a staff RN job in home health here in Atlanta. (Major home health employers: Amedisys, Accentcare, Kindred, Encompass.)

With this "home health nursing lite" background, can I negotiate my salary any? I'm kind of a wet noodle, and I've never negotiated anything! How much wriggle room do I have, if I get an offer? Or should I just shut up, take what they give me, and then re-negotiate after a year?

(I looked up on salary.com HH RN salaries for Atlanta - 10th percentile = $63K/yr, or about $30/hr; 25th percentile = $70K/yr, or $36/hr; 50th percentile = $78K/yr, or $37.5/hr. These are all gross/before taxes. Also, I've heard that most home health doesn't pay by the hour like travel nursing or hospital nursing does, but by the visit/unit. But I'm just plugging in 40 hours a week, anyway, to get an idea of salary.)

 

Thanks!

[BBP42]

I currently hold positions with 2 home health agencies covering the same area. The one that falls under the umbrella of our large hospital system expected me to request a salary when I applied then made a counteroffer of a small amount less than I asked, which I accepted as it seemed quite insignificant and I came in with no experience. The other company, where I am doing per diem work, has set standard pay for experienced and for inexperienced RNs with no room to negotiate. Since that pay does not work for me I will just keep on being per diem. No one was offended by questions about salary or me saying that this salary would not work for me. I would not count on  renegotiating after a year. Once you accept a salary where I work, raises are the same % annually for all and there is no negotiating. I would make sure I found the salary acceptable going in just in case that is how it works.

[allthesmallthings]

15 hours ago, BBP42 said:

I currently hold positions with 2 home health agencies covering the same area. The one that falls under the umbrella of our large hospital system expected me to request a salary when I applied then made a counteroffer of a small amount less than I asked, which I accepted as it seemed quite insignificant and I came in with no experience. The other company, where I am doing per diem work, has set standard pay for experienced and for inexperienced RNs with no room to negotiate. Since that pay does not work for me I will just keep on being per diem. No one was offended by questions about salary or me saying that this salary would not work for me. I would not count on  renegotiating after a year. Once you accept a salary where I work, raises are the same % annually for all and there is no negotiating. I would make sure I found the salary acceptable going in just in case that is how it works.

Thank you! :P