Extra pay for certification or degrees?

Agnus · Mar 14, 2004

If they don't they should.

Did you know if you are certified you are legally held to a higher standard of practice?

Why would you want to put yourself in that position without increased compensation?

My hospital does pay more for certification but I do not know how much.

As for BSN no most hospitals that I know of pay based on years of experience not on if your degree is an AS or BS.

ACLS is NOT certification. and I know of no one that pays more for it.

ACLS cards are simply a statement that you've had the training. It does not certify skill nor knowledge.

EchoOfThoughts · Mar 14, 2004

At my hospital ACLS is one of the things a nurse gets points for when being evaluated for a raise.. but it is required. Go figure.

EchoOfThoughts · Mar 14, 2004

By the way... Baby Catcher, you have the coolest assortment of avitars. But I especially love the sleepy little kitten. :)

Trauma Columnist · Mar 14, 2004

Where I work, no you aren't paid by your degree or certs - unfortunately. I keep my CEN current along with ACLS, ACLS-EP, ENPC, PALS, PEPP, BTLS, TNCC and TNS (Illinois thing - trauma nurse specialist). Plus, I will have a BSN in May and am going on to get an MSN. Still, not one cent more!

Tweety, BSN, RN · Mar 14, 2004

My hospital does pay more for certification and BSNs, either or, but not both which isn't quite fair. I'm certified, but if I get a BSN I won't get any more.

BrandyBSN · Mar 14, 2004

We get a whole 50 cents an hour more for having a BSN, and 25 cents on hour for Certifications. Its better than nothing... but it doesn't make a significant difference in the paycheck, or in the rate I am paying down my student loan debt.

pieWACKet · Mar 15, 2004

In NY city, differentials for cert, BSN, etc have been in the contracts since at least the early 80s. New York has a longer history of contracts than other regions in the US, and each contract, as you know, builds on the one previous. It may be helpful and enlightening for you to get a hand on the contract of some NYC hospitals. This is not hard to do. All hospitals in Manhattan are unionized, minus one [New York Hospital which to be viable must adhere to the general pay scales established by the other, union hospitals and so follows their suit] and a copy of the contract is gladly sent with any request for employment there. In it, you can see all these diffs, and also the base salaries, as well as other aspects of contracts ever stregnthened by negotiations and new contract language including issues like floating and rotation, nocturnal parking priviledges, etc, etc etc.

Write to the recruitors of St Lukes/ Roosevelt, Mt Sinai, St Vincents, Colombia Presbyterian, Harlem Hospital, etc, etc, and request a contract with application material, and you will get one from each. [links to New York hospitals are found at http://www.noah-health.org/english/hospitals/nyhosp2.html#Manhattan]

This may be the sort of thing that will REALLY help your negotiation team.

GOOD LUCK and keep up the good work.

pieWACKet · Mar 15, 2004

After I wrote my post I happened on this site. Go to Salary and Benefits at this page, and click on link...information you requested will be there. The NY Hospitals have "rounds of negotiation" and what happens in other hospitals happens in the others based upon it. The current "Round" was started by Colombia Presby in 2002. This Lennox Hill benefits scenario reflects the trend at most NY hospitals as a result. Differences occur. Like I said, the individual contracts will reveal. But go to http://www.lenoxhillhospital.org/nursing/Nursing_Benefits_2004.pdf

CCU NRS · Mar 15, 2004

IN my facility we are expected to get ACLS, take code blue class and then go on three codes and become a code blue nurse (we are in CCU but respnd and run codes anywhere in the facility when ccode called so there is someone on Codes every shift), go to a IABP class (intraaortic balloon pump)orient to a balloon pump with a cert nurse for 4 hrs then be IABP cert., then we are to take a CVVHD class and then orient 4/hrs and then be CVVHD cert, then we are to take a Heart recovery class and recovery three open heart CABG or Valve replacement with a cert nurse and then be Heart Recovery cert. then orient to charge for three shifts then be cert. charge nurse after all of these things are completed we recieve a $1.00/hr raise then we are eligible for up to 3% annually as well. The charge nurse also get gets a $.25/hr shift diff. when in charge.

Baby Catcher · Mar 15, 2004

Thanks everyone for all the information. I will check out the web sites and write to the New York hospitals.

mattsmom81 · Mar 15, 2004

IN my facility we are expected to get ACLS, take code blue class and then go on three codes and become a code blue nurse (we are in CCU but respnd and run codes anywhere in the facility when ccode called so there is someone on Codes every shift), go to a IABP class (intraaortic balloon pump)orient to a balloon pump with a cert nurse for 4 hrs then be IABP cert., then we are to take a CVVHD class and then orient 4/hrs and then be CVVHD cert, then we are to take a Heart recovery class and recovery three open heart CABG or Valve replacement with a cert nurse and then be Heart Recovery cert. then orient to charge for three shifts then be cert. charge nurse after all of these things are completed we recieve a $1.00/hr raise then we are eligible for up to 3% annually as well. The charge nurse also get gets a $.25/hr shift diff. when in charge.

This sounds like a whole lotta responsibility for very little $$ return. If these is all required duties in your ICU, your unit seems a bit over the top and not for everybody. If you're young and want/need all that, go for it by all means. One thing I like about my unit is we don't 'have to do it all' if we don't wish to.

I don't need to, I'm happy being a worker bee these days and don't need all the high tech stuff....LOL!