I was at the dentist yesterday getting my teeth cleaned. My dentist was asking me about school and stuff, telling me that his wife was also an RN, and had been such since the 70's. Anyway, he asked me, "How much do new grads start out making out of school?" I told him that that typical offer in this area was $19 to start. He snorted and said, "You went to the wrong school."
I was puzzled until he told me that fresh-out of school dental hygenists start out at $35 on up. The dental hygenist that was sitting on the other side of my chair is nodding in agreement. Then, my dentist proceeds to vent on how poorly nurses are paid considering all the responsibilities they carry. Life or death choices we make, and someone who cleans teeth makes more. I swear, that man went on a tangent that lasted a good 10 minutes...furious at how unfair nurses were treated.
I know that nurses don't do the work for the money, but mostly that they love the work. However, it is pretty deflating when society puts a greater price tag on a white smile, than healing the sick.
I don't find it much grosser than what we do, and as someone says, we do mouth care too. In fact my patients are often vented, confused and quite uncooperative with mouth care. But boring and repetitive, yeah. And none of the reward I get from keeping critically ill people alive.
Not saying nurses should be paid less for reasons like there's more educational opportunities, or more variety. We're disgustingly underpaid for what we do.
I just got back from the dentist today. As I was having my teeth cleaned I kept wondering why someone would want to do this job. I mean think of all the nasty mouths out there. It got me interested in how much they make, so I did a search on salary.com and I was appalled. I cannot believe that they make that much more than we as nurses do. I feel sick to my stomach because of it. I always thought we deserved more, but finding out what someone makes to scrap teeth all day long, when we put up with being understaffed, juggling too many sick patients, dealing with doctors who are rude and put us down and not to mention all kinds of bodily secretions in addition to nasty mouths. I am not trying to say that what they do doesn;t deserve that amount of money. I just think it is a huge injustice that we don't make closer to that amount. I am sorry to be going on a rant like this. No, I didn't get into nursing for the money, but it just doesn't seem right. Even advanced degree nurses don't make that much. Salary.com quote a national average of like 69K. Unbelivable. All this being said, I don;t think I would want to be a hygienist, but it is the principle of it all.
In Ontario, as of January 2005 it has been required that new nurses entering the field have a BSN in order to eligible to write the licensing exam. Colleges have all collaborated with a university so that they can meet the new standard. just thought I'd share :)
OK, someone can say "good for them" & "teeth are nasty" all they want, but the pay discrepency is OUTRAGEOUS. Nurses are faced with liability, multi-tasking, mounds of legal paperwork, and infectious diseases. I've had HIV patients with large draining wounds, bloody/infectious diarrhea, serum leaking out of bodily pores, & projectile vomit -- of course I don't mind these pt's & feel compassion for them, but how is this less dramatic than a dirty mouth? Besides, we do mouth care -- people with missing/rotting teeth, rank breath, mouths that haven't been brushed in months, and serious cases of thrush! I've had to clean countless sets of dentures.
The nastiness factor doesn't account for their pay. The fewer numbers are due to job protection -- schools allow only a certain # of people into the programs, thereby ensuring higher salaries. For years and years hospitals have been making the argument that since nurses are the largest % of their workforce, they can't afford to pay above a certain amount -- ie. we are paid by FAR less than we're worth b/c they can!!
I think a main issue, one very controversial on this bb, is that we are the only major healthcare profession that does NOT require at least a BS as an educational standard. We can't command higher salaries b/c of this, and we're often not given the respect we deserve. I think anyone with an ADN or diploma should be "grandfathered" into the BS level so that we're all on equal footing educationally -- and for now on a BS must be required for future employment. Many ADN programs are just as rigorous -- therefore, they should be upgraded and recognized as bachelor's level, rather than as an associate's degree; they could be linked to local universities somehow. Anyway, this is a main argument for others to justify our low wages -- the educational standard is low.
First off I just want to say that there's NO way I could ever be a dental hygienist. Teeth make me gag! Dirty teeth make me want to :barf01: This is kind of off topic, but I was shocked at what Ultrasound Techs make. I was talking to one and she makes the same thing starting out that a nurse makes. Now, I'm not saying the Ultrasound Techs aren't worth it...I'm just saying that in the long run I feel that nurses have WAY more responsibility and aren't paid for it.
Ultrasound tech, dental hygienists...they are never going to have the kind of opportunities, flexibility and room for growth that the RN has. Nursing is wide open, so many fields, so many clinical settings, so many opportunities, so many specialties. You never stop learning.
Plus, no thanks on the office setting 9-5 driving in traffic every morning and every evening, the dinner rush, getting up to do it all over again, having weekends off with the rest of the people. BTDT, I love my quirky night 12 hr shifts and having 4 days off, many times in the middle of the week. If I schedule it right I can have a whole week off without taking any vacation days. I can't see myself getting bored with nursing but doing ultrasounds and cleanings would get boring real quick.
Specializes in Gerontological Nursing, Acute Rehab.
Ultrasound tech, dental hygienists...they are never going to have the kind of opportunities, flexibility and room for growth that the RN has. Nursing is wide open, so many fields, so many clinical settings, so many opportunities, so many specialties. You never stop learning.
Plus, no thanks on the office setting 9-5 driving in traffic every morning and every evening, the dinner rush, getting up to do it all over again, having weekends off with the rest of the people. BTDT, I love my quirky night 12 hr shifts and having 4 days off, many times in the middle of the week. If I schedule it right I can have a whole week off without taking any vacation days. I can't see myself getting bored with nursing but doing ultrasounds and cleanings would get boring real quick.
Melissa
I agree wholeheartedly! There are many people that are amazed and jealous that I can have the schedule that I have (my husband being one of them) and get paid what I do. I work 3 weekends a month, 12 hour day shifts, and get over $44 an hour. I have to work 2 holidays a year, and then get time and a half my weekend rate (and it's only an 8 hr shift). There aren't that many jobs that can offer that, plus the flexibility and room for growth that nursing provides. There's so much one can do, from floor work to office jobs....how far up the ladder can a DH go? Now, from what I hear about other nurses salaries, I still believe that we aren't getting paid anywhere near what we're worth, but I wouldn't trade it for a DH position.
Off topic, but regarding a BSN as entry level, what does it mean when you say that ADN's will be grandfathered in? Will they have to take classes, or get their BSN in a certain amount of time? I've heard it many times and always wanted to know what it meant. (NOT to start a debate, just wanting to know what it means).
I agree wholeheartedly! There are many people that are amazed and jealous that I can have the schedule that I have (my husband being one of them) and get paid what I do. I work 3 weekends a month, 12 hour day shifts, and get over $44 an hour. I have to work 2 holidays a year, and then get time and a half my weekend rate (and it's only an 8 hr shift). There aren't that many jobs that can offer that, plus the flexibility and room for growth that nursing provides. There's so much one can do, from floor work to office jobs....how far up the ladder can a DH go? Now, from what I hear about other nurses salaries, I still believe that we aren't getting paid anywhere near what we're worth, but I wouldn't trade it for a DH position.
Off topic, but regarding a BSN as entry level, what does it mean when you say that ADN's will be grandfathered in? Will they have to take classes, or get their BSN in a certain amount of time? I've heard it many times and always wanted to know what it meant. (NOT to start a debate, just wanting to know what it means).
Jennifer
jennifer, grandfathering in usually means that current degree holders will be exempt from having to upgrade to the new educational requirements, they will keep their same title and jobs, but all students and prospective students would have to obtain a BSN to practice as a registered nurse.
How much farther up the ladder do they need to go? According to Salary.com, in my area dental hygienists earn as much as nurse practitioners. Of course, some nurses make more than nurse practitioners which, when you consider the difference in responsibility, is a crime in and of itself and a total slap in the face to those who chose (attempted to) further their careers, but another topic altogether.
Back to your question, they do have career mobility. There are Master's Degree programs available in dental hygiene, which enable them to move into administrative positions, marketing, oral biology, research/technology, etc.
Hey, where do you nurses work? In the california bay area, you can start out at close to thirty bucks an hour. Of course, you can't buy a house for less 500,000.
Specializes in med/surg, telemetry, IV therapy, mgmt.
Then, my dentist proceeds to vent on how poorly nurses are paid considering all the responsibilities they carry. Life or death choices we make, and someone who cleans teeth makes more. I swear, that man went on a tangent that lasted a good 10 minutes...furious at how unfair nurses were treated.
Your dentist failed to mention that the burn out rate among dental hygienists is very, very high. When we were researching healthcare professions this was clearly stated in the literature we found on dental hygiene. Think about it. Day in and day out scaping plaque off people's teeth and teaching them how to brush and floss. Advancement opportunities are extremely limited for them. And, while you and I may like our dental professionals, a lot of people would rather let their teeth rot than go to have them cleaned or worked on. Nurses are held in much higher esteem, I do believe.
Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.
Your dentist failed to mention that the burn out rate among dental hygienists is very, very high. When we were researching healthcare professions this was clearly stated in the literature we found on dental hygiene. Think about it. Day in and day out scaping plaque off people's teeth and teaching them how to brush and floss. Advancement opportunities are extremely limited for them. And, while you and I may like our dental professionals, a lot of people would rather let their teeth rot than go to have them cleaned or worked on. Nurses are held in much higher esteem, I do believe.
I wondered about this, too. Seems the hygienists at the dental practice I go to change a LOT. And I have been going there for 5 years now. I can only think of ONE face that has not changed among the dental hygiensts (in a practice of 6 dentists).
If the pay and benefits are that great, why are they moving on so much?
Hey, where do you nurses work? In the california bay area, you can start out at close to thirty bucks an hour. Of course, you can't buy a house for less 500,000.
T.
Someplace you can buy twovery nice houses for 500K. An extra ten bucks an hour doesn't quite make up that difference...
apaisRN, RN, CRNA
692 Posts
I don't find it much grosser than what we do, and as someone says, we do mouth care too. In fact my patients are often vented, confused and quite uncooperative with mouth care. But boring and repetitive, yeah. And none of the reward I get from keeping critically ill people alive.
Not saying nurses should be paid less for reasons like there's more educational opportunities, or more variety. We're disgustingly underpaid for what we do.