Comparing Wages in the OR setting

jadegypsy · Jun 22, 2001

AT over $17 an hour for a new OR nurse, you are doing much better than here in Florida. IN the Tampa area, new OR nurses

are on average getting about $15 hr. What I have found as a

traveling nurse, standard of living stays about the same for a

nurse, if the cost of living is higher -wages are higher. If the cost

of living is fairlly low, wages stay low. No matter where you work

you will get a decent living wage, but you are never gonna get

rich !!!!

Nole99RN · Jun 23, 2001

I am an OR nurse in Tampa and my hourly wage is about 17.50. I think the new starting wage is around 16.00 for the OR here. Check for sign on bonuses and you can average more than that.

hamish7756 · Jun 23, 2001

I work as an OR nurse in Georgia. I have been an an Nurse since 1992. My base pay is only $16.68. You are doing good to be getting as much after only 2 years experience.

KC CHICK · Jul 8, 2001

Hello,

I live in the Kansas City, Missouri area. I just graduated this May with an associate's degree in nursing and have started working as a grad nurse in the OR training to be a circulator. The hospital where I chose to work pays on the higher end in this area. They start all new grads (regardless of specialty/department) at 17.56/hr and give us a raise after passing boards to 17.81/hr. Some other hospitals in this area start new grads at 16.00/hr and don't give a raise for a year.

TracyB,RN, RN · Jul 13, 2001

Grad in Dec 2000, ADN. Going to work in OR (Chicago) & starting out at 18.55 (same for all new RN's), great bennies.

heartholder · Jul 16, 2001

OR Nurse ...my speciality is Open hearts.

was staff nurse for 10 years in East Tenn.

I topped out on pay after 5 years @ 18.98/hour

I am now a travel nurse in Nashville,TN making over 25/hour with apt furnished and paid. I also did a 13 week assignment in Chattanooga,Tn making nice pay:D :D

Sherri53 · Aug 6, 2001

Well in NC as a topped out 30 year nurse in the OR., I am makeing just over 25.00 and hour. Sure seems like it should be more for so many years invested and with all the experience 30 years brings.

heartholder · Aug 6, 2001

it is really sad:o that OR nurses make so little money...the responsability that we have is unreal...the hospital were I was a staff nurse for 10 years gave NO wage difference between specialty nurses and floor nurses....I am NOT saying that floor nurses aren't important...but the OR is a closed department...when we are short staffed, they can't pull from the floor or units or anywhere...that is one of the reasons I decided to try travel nursing for a while...for me it is better pay, no politics and if I don't like where I am .....in 13 weeks I am in a different hospital.... :eek:

Pam RN · Aug 10, 2001

I work at a Level 1 trauma center in Chicago and I have my BSN and am also a charge nurse and I currently make just over $26.00 per hour. I have 5 years on the job. I don't have any complaints with my salary, but considering that in Chicago a 2 bedroom condo can cost $250,000 and up.........

lucieRN. · Aug 19, 2001

Hello, I am a new nurse, I just graduated from an adn program:) and I'm making 25.50 to start. Not bad, but I do live in California. The price of a cup of coffee can cost three dollars or more (at starbucks, of course), and the taxes (state and fed) that are taken out leave us just about enough to pay rent and buy a sandwich. Sad! There are hospitals nearby that are offering up to $40 an hr to start:eek: :cool: :eek: :cool: :eek: :cool: :eek:

Lots of luck, LucieRN

seadiverrn · Aug 30, 2001

I work in open heart and over the last 2 weeks, i have called over 175 hospitals including hawaii and alaska asking them the following questions:

1. Does your hospital still provide you with your scrubs or do you purhase and laundry your own? (Our hospital is trying to do this)

2. Do you have a heart program and do you pay speciality pay for doing hearts?

3. How much do you pay for call?

All of the hospitals still provide scrubs except for 9 and 4 use the scrub machine.

Of all the Heart ORs, almost all of them pay at least 10%more for doing hearts.

Call pay ranged from $2.00 to 3.00/hr. Duke is paying $10.00/hr call pay with a $40.00/shift speciality pay.

I work in East Tennessee and everyone was making more money than us. In California, one nurse said she was a regular staff OR nurse and she was making $45.00/hr and getting 1/2 time for call. (that is 22.50/hr for call) In minnesota, their nurses where making an average of 26/28/hr. Union hospitals paid more. If you have some information please forward to me at [email protected] I hope this was helpful. :cool: :cool: :)