Did you take a pay-cut to be a nurse? Do you regret it?

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Did you take a pay-cut to be a nurse? If so, which level nurse are you (CNA, RN, NP, etc), and do you regret taking the pay-cut to follow your calling to be in medicine?

I did. Quite a big one. Nursing is harder than I ever imagined but I'm glad every day I go to work that I made the move. I was miserable in my old career. And life is too short to be miserable. Now I'm tired. A lot. But I'm happy. The money will come.

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I took a pay cut to become a nurse. I was a Certified Physician Assistant in Canada. I always knew I wanted to be in the health care field growing up. When the Physician Assistant Program became available, I immediately jumped at the opportunity (as soon as I finished my undergraduate degree). I was one of 24 to be admitted to the only school open to my application at the time in Canada. I relocated to Ontario from BC just so I could pursue the PA profession. I researched this career option extensively before deciding to pursue it. Most of the information is based on the US system and as far as I can understand, the Canadian system was modeled after the system in the states. Specifically, the PA profession was advertised to be a support system for the rural community and the underserviced populations. I grew up on a farm all my life, (and I still live on a farm). I always dreamed about working in a rural area. The PA career seems perfect!

When I finished the degree, passed my certification exam, I started working as a Physician Assistant. I worked in Surgery until I got married and moved to another town and continued working as a Physician Assistant in Family Medicine. However, I found out that unlike the US system, there were far more limitations and restrictions on Canadian PAs. There were relatively few work options available in the rural setting where I lived, and more often than not, I was told the hospitals did not recognize PAs and did not have a role for them at the moment. I had to travel far and long just to get to work, and most of the work options available are only based in the large cities (around 2-3 hours commute from where I lived each day). With the work and travelling times taking a toll on my family commitment, I decided to switch careers to nursing.

I knew I would take a pay cut of $20,000 initially and have to go back to school for 2 years, however, it was a decision that works the best for my lifestyle. I want to work in my local community without travelling extensively to get to work (by travelling extensively, I mean commuting for more than 2 hours a day). My husband has a job near our home and is unable to relocate to other areas where my specialized career option could be applied. There are several hospitals nearby that frequently hire nurses and NPs but not PAs (I realized after becoming a PA that in Canada the PA profession is not widely dispersed at all as compared to the US, and funding options limit where a PA may be able to work). Furthermore, the benefits of a career in nursing is that there are many fields open after the BScN degree: research, community service, long-term care, acute care, pediatrics/ maternity, psychiatric, global health, and more! The PA profession does not offer this diversity even if I did want to get further training.

Finally, even though money is not the biggest factor in my decision (more about family time, and working in my community), it does play a role in my decision. As a PA, the payout to responsibility level is not as great as it seemed. As a PA in family medicine, I often assume the same responsibilities as the physician, since I was the sole practitioner at the clinic often times. I often had to work overtime with no extra payment as I was on a salaried income. Furthermore, I had to do all billings, chartings, insurance paperwork for patients, and review medical test results on my own time- unpaid overtime (I was only paid for the hours to see patients). I calculated my hours worked and the salary payment, and it works out to be less than what a nurse would have been paid after 5 years of experience. With all that in mind, I made my decision to switch careers. It wasn't that I wasn't an effective Physician Assistant: I felt accomplished and happy to see my patients well; I felt honored and extremely gratified when my patients thank me for helping them-- I've had instances where the patients thanked me for saving their lives (catching an early MI, strokes etc)-- I also could work efficiently, with fast and accurate results. But I also felt overworked, stressed, and too often under-appreciated by the particular physician that hired me. I've had other physician supervisors from other jobs and residencies before that were not like this.

From my fellow PAs I've heard both the good and the bad (good ones with jobs close to them in the city, good employers; and bad ones like my case where they've had bad employers). For me, I am happy with my decision. I've weighed the benefits and risks and I know the nursing career will be a rewarding one. I can continue to work with patients as a nurse and perhaps one day I might even go on to become a NP.

Considering I'm making the decision between medical school and nursing school, this is an extremely helpful post. Thank you!

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What jobs are you referring to that pay more than nursing? I mean other than MD, PA, NP.

Id say the majority takes a pay increase when working as an RN. Well, in acute care anyways.

I'd love to know what other jobs pay more. Maybe I'll pursue them, LOL

I'm assuming this is a rhetorical question because one can't possibly believe that no one makes more money than a nurse.

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I start school in the fall. As far as I can tell, this will be a pay cut for me. Why? I suspect I will enjoy this field more than my current one. If not, I can always go back.

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Specializes in PCCN.
I'm assuming this is a rhetorical question because one can't possibly believe that no one makes more money than a nurse.

I guess I should have specified 2 year degrees - not many 2 year degrees make good money like nursing does.

I am also realizing that better paying jobs that are non nursing are regional also.

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Specializes in Med-Surg, NICU.
Going into nursing as a career change for me. I was in IT for 30 years; with the last 18, I grew to be on top of the field I was in the area in my particular case, switching over to nursing will be a pay cut. As for me, while I do desire a fair wage to be able live on, I'm going into nursing to be a servant to those in need as opposed to getting a raise. I'll be taking a pay cut compared to what I used to make. For me it's about the people I'll be serving, not the money. To be clear I'm not saying that anyone who is upgrading doesn't care about the people they will serve. I just hope it's more for the service and the money.

:barf02:

Sorry, but I cringe when I hear people put nurses/nursing in the same sentence with serving. No. We are not servants. We are professionals with plenty of responsibility and should be treated as such.

To the OP, this is my first career. I was a teenager when I pursued nursing, making minimum wage, PT jobs. So it is a pay increase.

I find that those who go into nursing with the most idealistic views and who have come from relatively cushy, office jobs with great schedules are usually the first ones to get burned.

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Specializes in Geriatrics.

I agree that nursing is serving. I am not a servant per se, but I do feel that we provide a needed service in supporting a person's health, both physical and emotional.

As for the OP's question, I became a CNA many years ago, At the time, I was making $4.50/hr as a cashier and made $5.10/hr as a CNA. I then went to school and obtained my LPN, then back and obtained my RN (ASD). Both of these were a good increase. I plan to return to school and obtain my BSN, then, hopefully, MSN. And later in life, when I don't have so much debt, I hope to become a nursing instructor, which I know will be a decrease. But that's OK, because I love to teach.

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I have a career in info tech / security and will take a sizeable okay cut if I switch careers at RN. 25-30k. But I plan to continue to DNP before I completely leave the old field.

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:barf02:

Sorry, but I cringe when I hear people put nurses/nursing in the same sentence with serving. No. We are not servants. We are professionals with plenty of responsibility and should be treated as such.

To the OP, this is my first career. I was a teenager when I pursued nursing, making minimum wage, PT jobs. So it is a pay increase.

I find that those who go into nursing with the most idealistic views and who have come from relatively cushy, office jobs with great schedules are usually the first ones to get burned.

What do you mean by burned?

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I guess I should have specified 2 year degrees - not many 2 year degrees make good money like nursing does.

I am also realizing that better paying jobs that are non nursing are regional also.

That is not true.

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Specializes in Registered Nurse.

I worked retail, customer service prior to my nursing career. I have taken pay cuts to move from one employer to another or one specialty to another and have learned that less $$$ does not equal less stress. My last pay cut was too much and I regret it. However, nursing was never my preferred or career of choice and I don't consider it a calling. I was interested in art when I was younger, but did not think I could make a living wage in that area. Some times, one has to be practical. Money is not everything in the grand scheme of life. However, money provides lots of choices and freedom. You only miss it, when it's not available to you.

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