Can you live a luxury lifestyle as a nurse?

Nurses General Nursing

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My question is towards nurses that have been in the field for couple of years. I was wondering can you life a nice luxury lifestyle as a nurse? My definition of luxury would perhaps revolve around the ability to own a large 5 bedroom house, the ability to drive a luxury vehicle like BMW or Mercedes Benz, and the ability to take vacations every year perhaps to a different country. Is this too much to ask for as nurse or this beyond the dreams of most nurses and would single nurses be able to achieve this over married with kids nurses?

The questions is, are you in the nursing field for the money? To help people? Or both. I would be very content if I earn the money I need to pay my bills, invest money for the future, and to be able to provide for the family I will have one day. And if I can do all that doing something I love, helping people, and be happy everyday, then that's what I actually call luxury! But if you are gonna get yourself into something just for the money...then think twice because you won't be happy....good luck!

I'm neither arguing nor disagreeing but more curious, do you think part of our nursing issues with pay and workload might be due in part to this pervasive idea that we're in nursing primarily to help people rather than to receive commensurate compensation for competent performance?

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I'm neither disagreeing but I think it should be a mix of both. I know people that are highly compensated doing something they hate and are unhappy. Like I said, if I have a good compensation -doing something I like- that will allow me to pay my bills and save for the future, I would be very content. I wouldn't just get into something just to get the "luxury" that the OP is talking about. But that's just me...

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I'm neither disagreeing but I think it should be a mix of both. I know people that are highly compensated doing something they hate and are unhappy. Like I said, if I have a good compensation -doing something I like- that will allow me to pay my bills and save for the future, I would be very content. I wouldn't just get into something just to get the "luxury" that the OP is talking about. But that's just me...

I had to go back and read the OP, there was no mention either way re liking helping people.

Your comment just made me think of how we (me too) often have the same response when money comes up from prospective nurses. They probably doesn't on say engineering boards, "but do you like designing and building?"

Just thinking out loud, I think it might have a needed effect on the nursing profession if we were collectively more demanding re compensation for our level of responsibility, I think I'd rather see more financial expectation than altruism enter the field for awhile.

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Specializes in critical care, ER,ICU, CVSURG, CCU.

my definition of Luxury is being able to live financialy comfortable as I age, having "the farm and vehicles paid for" no student loan, minimal plastic debt...and hard assets to utilize that are not related to "paper currancy".........when the time comes that one is no longer able to physically generate income by working........one can not depend on programs as "social security" etc..........with national debt increased, programs as social security, medicare, etc are shrinking............youth today, and their children will have a very difficult time............

the most luxuarious thing I have ever done, was prepare for retirement (what ever that is ;) )............ when I was a young nurse, heck i was jet set, and bullet proof........ I am very grateful I finally got the message..........and yes, I did get to drive with the top down on my vette...... :)

but as we become elderly, it will be a bleak and miserable existance if we have not prepared for those economic needs......

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Specializes in critical care, ER,ICU, CVSURG, CCU.
what happened to the last post on her from dec 2011

i dont know, i started getting worried when she posted GPA dorpped from some chemistry courses

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i would strongly discourage using nursing as a get rich quick opportunity. iv'e had ten years and lost two marriages in it. if i made enough money to sustain a family i'd be rich in family at least. but i don't...its too much service and sacrifice. factor in the hours of your 65 years of life you have to dedicate to additional study and specialization. after 10 years i don't even own my home and still live in a room! i can't afford to go out with friends. plus the myth that you will always be needed. is exactly that..a myth. there are thousands of new grads looking to work cheaper just to pay off their loans. because they bought into the nursing get moderately rich quick scheme. as a nurse you are an employee of a health conglomerate (the hospital) that's what you are an employee...which means you're expendable (trust me on this. iv'e been laid off they they do it really crafty. you know, contracts and lawyers and such.) rust me, nursing graduates are the "one sucker born every minute" people. you're better off doing something else. most of my nursing colleagues would never never never allow their kids to take up nursing just to go overseas and earn extra dollars

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there is no money in nursing. there will be money if you're single and living on the cheap (at the cost of your health and well being) but you cannot expect to multiply an employee's salary. you earn a fixed wage. and consider how much it costs to live in a country that pays nurses a decent wage. a decent wage buys you a decent life. but what happens when you're laid off of unable to work? as a nurse we are just employees at the end of the day

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It honestly depends on the area and cost of living.

I make a good salary and have equally nice benefits. But that didn't pay for my apartment or the renovations, my new car, or my summer home in Florida. My investments did.

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