Do you like nursing in Texas?

Bailarina · Nov 25, 2005

Nursing in TX is ok, I love my job in a level 3 NICU. However, salary rates for nurses are horrible in TX IMO.

RN34TX · Nov 25, 2005

There are many things to consider here.

CA's staffing ratios, union protection, whether starting over somewhere else would be worth it to you, etc. But I will say this much about pay rates.

They are indeed horrible unless you work in a big city like Dallas or Houston.

You'll see a big pay difference between Denton and nearby Dall

Personally, I made good money for an LVN when I lived in Dallas.

I was making $20/hr in 2002. My last LVN job paid $22/hour in 2003. These are full time employee, non-agency/PRN rates in hospitals, not nursing homes.

I don't think that's bad considering the big cost of living difference between urban living in TX vs. CA. I've also seen reported LVN wages in CA being lower than that and your money doesn't stretch as far in CA as in TX.

But again, there's a lot more to consider here than the pay rates and cost of living. There are benefits to being a nurse in CA that TX can't match.

Not to mention the climate and scenery differences.

Bailarina · Nov 25, 2005

I work in a big hospital in Dallas and still make horrible money. My base salary as an RN, BSN with 2 years experience is $21/hr.

RN34TX · Nov 26, 2005

I work in a big hospital in Dallas and still make horrible money. My base salary as an RN, BSN with 2 years experience is $21/hr. Sure, my differentials help out, but I am just appalled by the salaries nurses recieve in Dallas. :stone

You must work for either Parkland or Baylor!

I made $22/hr as an LVN, and when I got my RN and interviewed with Parkland, they actually expected me to take a cut in pay as a new grad RN for like $19/hr or something.

Baylor is just as bad.

Try Zale/St. Paul/UT Southwestern or whatever it's now called since it's merged, I know they paid better at the time I lived there.

Also try Medical City, they also offered me decent money when I applied.

I've heard good reports about Presby Dallas as well but never applied or worked for them so I don't really know.

SFCardiacRN · Nov 26, 2005

It was hard for me to leave Texas because of family and all the great people that live there. But I had to make a living and California has been very good to me. I may go back when I retire but not as long as I'm working for a living.

Bailarina · Nov 26, 2005

edited.

RN34TX · Nov 26, 2005

RN34TX- How did you know???? I work at Parkland! That's pretty sad that 2 of the biggest hospitals pay so bad, I had no idea. I seriously thought they were in competition with the other hospitals.

Parkland is very big headed and really believes that it's a privilege for you to be working for them.

It's a new grad haven, they want to put Parkland on their resume, which isn't a bad thing at all.

The problem comes when you actually want to do things like try to buy an affordable home in Dallas on Parkland wages.

Start looking up the street or around town for another job because there are LVN's making more than you in Dallas.

Like I said earlier, I made $22/hr at my last LVN job in Dallas in 2003.

mrnurse2 · Nov 26, 2005

Thanks for all the posts.

To me the $20 hr is a good wage if that comes with benefits. In California working for the State a monthly LVN salary at top range $3200, RN $5200 month. Add for RN about 10 % more for BSN. After 20 years its lifetime medical coverage. Only takes 5 years to be vested for retirement. Retirement is based on your clasification from 2 to 2.5 % multiplied by years of service, then the last two years of work you get that percentage of pay. Example at safety retirement 2.5 % every 10 years is 25 percent. After 30 years you would get 75% of pay per month based on what you averaged for last 2 years worked.

I have seen LVN positions (Loma Linda Medical Center) as low as $16 hr. I took some side work this flu season doing shots for $30 HR for Berry Medical (RN's were paid $40 HR). LTC for LVN's 5 + years experience $18-$22 HR. Home care I have seen RN's get $75 visit.

You are right about staffing ratios but I have not seen staffing ratio's in LTC I have cared for 30 to 40 patients at a time. Each patient about 10 meds and have to do 2 passes with a limit of 2 hours to do it in. Then in LTC most of the time you do your own treatments. Thats why I moved out of LTC. Hospice or Home Care is better but is sticky at times because of the difficulty to get hold of Dr. when situations are bad. HMO and a lot of times the MD that are with the HMO's dont want their patient admitted back in hospital and you are faced to take care of situations that were traditionally handled on med surg floors.

I feel the reason people are getting out of nursing in California (the only state I have practiced) is because nurses have all the responsibility and no control.

EricTAMUCC-BSN, BSN, RN · Nov 26, 2005

yes.

Bailarina · Nov 27, 2005

Parkland is very big headed and really believes that it's a privilege for you to be working for them.
It's a new grad haven, they want to put Parkland on their resume, which isn't a bad thing at all.
The problem comes when you actually want to do things like try to buy an affordable home in Dallas on Parkland wages.
Start looking up the street or around town for another job because there are LVN's making more than you in Dallas.
Like I said earlier, I made $22/hr at my last LVN job in Dallas in 2003.

Thanks for your advice!

Hellllllo Nurse, BSN, RN · Nov 30, 2005

Anyone who has read my posts knows that I am having a terrible time as an RN in Texas, and that I hate it here.

Dh is doing all he can to try and get us out of here.

Before moving to Texas, read the posts here and this thread (read the whole thing!)

https://allnurses.com/forums/f175/group-one-background-checks-texas-108647.html

Some like nursing in Texas, and some do not.

I have worked as an RN in 3 cities in TX, far south, north and far north.

My experience with nursing here is that jobs are low paying, usually do not have any benifits (no health ins, no 401k)

and Texas does not even require employers to have Workman's Comp.

In the hospitals I've worked in (med surg) nurses get 9-13 pts all by themselves- no CNAs, no unit clerks.

I have worked in dialysis clinics in TX, in which nurses are required to scrub the toilets and sinks, and mop the floors every day after the pts leave.

The pay is so low, that it is cheaper for these facilities to have nurses do the janitorial work than to hire janitorial services.

There are many threads on many sites, such as Delphi forums travel nursing, where nurses complain about TX, and many refuse to work here.

In some areas of TX, such as where I live, there is a surplus of nurses and no jobs available. I have been looking for a job for over a year. I have become a traveler as there is nothing for nurses here. My recruiter says that many of the nurses he works with are from my area and are traveling because they can't find work.

I come from another state. I assumed that the nursing "shortage" was everywhere and did not check into the nursing situation in TX before we came. If I had, I never would have come here.

A former moderator at allnurses asked my advice about moving here. She was offered a job in South Texas in the same hospital where I had worked. I advised her not to take it, but she did anyway. A year later, she emailed me and told me how awful it was for her here, and how she and her husband were doing all they could to get out of TX.

I used to have a fullfilling career as an RN. That has all changed since moving here. It has been hard on my self esteem.

I am angry that I worked so hard to become an RN, was valedictorian of my nursing class, and have great references and experience, but am unable to find a job here.

Texas is a big state, and the situation may be better in the area you are considering. I would seriously look into it before moving.