Critical Care Differential

Gompers, BSN, RN · May 15, 2005

I think some hospitals offer a couple bucks an hour more to nurses who work in the ICU or other critical care areas.

My hospital doesn't. For one thing, nowadays with intermediate care units and things like that, it's hard to say for sure what is critical care and what is floor nursing. For another, they believe (and I agree) that nurses working on the floor have just as hard a job as ICU nurses - there is just as much responsibility, just that it's spread out amongst more patients. Our jobs are equally challenging, albeit in different ways.

lady_jezebel · May 15, 2005

there's no extra pay for critical care where i work (large university med center)

Ruby Vee, BSN · May 15, 2005

i've been working critical care for over 20 years, and never worked anywhere they offered a differential.

mattsmom81 · May 15, 2005

I used to get a critical care differential, but not in the last 10 years.

RN4NICU, LPN, LVN · May 16, 2005

Only time I get a critical care differential anymore is when I am working agency.

Gator,SN · May 16, 2005

I don't get a critical care differential...wish I did.

J_W, DNP, APRN, CNS · May 16, 2005

Yes, I think this is a thing of the past. I used to get 2.00 per hour but not anymore. Also used to get extra pay for taking care of IABP patients and VAD patients and CVVHD patients. Now these are gone also at least here in most parts of TX...

Pete495 · May 16, 2005

We don't get a CC differential in our hospital, but I for one am in favor of such a change. The fact that nursing promotion and salary is not based on experience and education is not comparable to other professions, and I feel it is deplorable. Pay for critical care nurses should be based on years of experience, background, and education. I think a heirarchy should be formed to allow nurses to recieve compensation and promotion based on job performance and years of experience just like other professions, thus allowing equal opportunity for all. The problem critical care nurses often face is that their knowledge, experience, education, and certifications are often superior (not all the time, but usually). Nevermind that Total Hip Replacement that came back to CCU with an art line and a dopamine drip, or that c-section that was transferred to ICU because she seized and needed a ventilator for airway securement. CCU nurses are supposed to be able to retain all medsurg knowledge, as well as ECG monitorring, ventilator care, IABP, and VAD management among others. When I go to another floor for a code, and get there 5 minutes late, and the ECG leads aren't on because nobody knew how, I get pretty upset. So because I have spent a good portion of my time getting education and experience as well as proving I can perform the job competently, yes, I think we should be paid more. I'm not minimizing anyone elses job at all. I'm simply talking about CCU nurses w/ the education and experience to support themselves.

Just my opinion from the peanut gallery.

LCRN · May 16, 2005

We don't get a CC differential in our hospital, but I for one am in favor of such a change. The fact that nursing promotion and salary is not based on experience and education is not comparable to other professions, and I feel it is deplorable. Pay for critical care nurses should be based on years of experience, background, and education. I think a heirarchy should be formed to allow nurses to recieve compensation and promotion based on job performance and years of experience just like other professions, thus allowing equal opportunity for all. The problem critical care nurses often face is that their knowledge, experience, education, and certifications are often superior (not all the time, but usually). Nevermind that Total Hip Replacement that came back to CCU with an art line and a dopamine drip, or that c-section that was transferred to ICU because she seized and needed a ventilator for airway securement. CCU nurses are supposed to be able to retain all medsurg knowledge, as well as ECG monitorring, ventilator care, IABP, and VAD management among others. When I go to another floor for a code, and get there 5 minutes late, and the ECG leads aren't on because nobody knew how, I get pretty upset. So because I have spent a good portion of my time getting education and experience as well as proving I can perform the job competently, yes, I think we should be paid more. I'm not minimizing anyone elses job at all. I'm simply talking about CCU nurses w/ the education and experience to support themselves.
Just my opinion from the peanut gallery.

Pete495, I agree with your opinion but in no way want to degrade RN's outside of the critical care area as do you. I work at a moderately large medical center and myself and some other nurses formed a committee and presented it to administration to infact get a critical care differential. We're waiting on the verdict. In the hospital I work at full time the ICU nurses in addition to taking on a full patient assignment of critically ill patients are the code team, MET team, IV team on off hours, IV consious sedation team, bronchoscopy team and at also serve as a resource to the less acute areas of the hospital for assessment information and generalized questions. Our knowledge base has to be enormous and constantly growing.

caijes33 · May 16, 2005

The hospital that i work at has been buzzing about the potential for differentials for ICU nurses. During nursing school i worked as a nurse aid in a cardiac care unit for post CABGS and the like. I thought that we worked hard and had a lot of responsibility, i thought we should be paid more. That is until i did clinicals on the oncology floor (that is tuff stuff) and in L&D (gross gross gross) and PSYC ( i fit in too well) and realived that every branch of nursing is specialized in its own way and really i think that pay should be the same. I also think we should all be paid more but that is a different thread

HappyNurse2005, RN · May 16, 2005

one hosp in my area does a diff($1/hr) for critical care (pcu included) but the shift diff isnt as good. other hosp has no CC diff, but a better shift diff.