Float Pool Nursing Pay

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Good evening everyone. I will be hopefully starting a nursing program here in Houston and had a question about the thread topic. But first I will tell you all why I am asking.

When I moved to Houston back in 2014 I ran into a guy while dining at a local restaurant whom initially struck up a convo about motorcycles since he was riding a similar one to mine. After a few minutes of back and forth he mentioned that he was a nurse and had graduated from a local CC ( LSC ) with a nursing degree. He mentioned doing float pool nursing for a local major hospital (Memorial Hermann) and that he loved it because he literally only had to work a few days/mo and the rest he decided whether he wanted to work or not. Ultimately he bragged about two things. The first I already mentioned, working a few mandatory days out of the month and making his own schedule after. He said if they called and he didn't feel like working he could easily say he had been drinking already and they would pass him over. He painted a few other scenarios as well but I'm already rambling a bit as I type this and don't feel it's necessary to continue. The second issue he bragged about was that " I am not trying to brag but I make around $16k/mo working like this."

Now as many of you can imagine this kind of threw me for a loop because my mother is a nurse in CA with a adn and she brings in about 58-60/hr, even more with overtime, but she has never made that kind of money let alone heard of anyone making that kind of money as a nurse unless they were 1) doing a travel assignment in a Arab country as an expat or 2) working as a travel CRNA. Naturally, I went along with the conversation as if I believed him but it has always been in the back of my mind.

So while at the local VA clinic I was with a nurse (LVN) and she was getting my vitals before I see the Doc. I happened to mention it to her and she said there are positions like that out there in Houston called Float Pool Nursing that pay extremely well but the pay is usually that good because they don't include bennies. I was shocked that a second person somewhat confirmed this topic although she did say she wasn't sure if the pay would go up to $16k/mo. I am aware that there are advertised jobs around Houston at different hospitals for float pool nursing positions being advertised on job boards.

I am looking for a little insight on this topic and would like some detailed info if possible on how one gets into a position making that kind of money as a nurse if it is at all true. The guy that told me of his job mentioned that he takes call at all of the facilities under Memorial Hermann so he is not stuck at a single unit/county/facility.

Again if any of you have any guidance on this subject it would be greatly appreciated if you would shed a little light on it.

Thanks a bunch

-Future Murse.

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Specializes in ED.

I think your guy is talking about Perdiem, aka PRN aka Flex positions. and Yes these positions offer no benefits because You work when you want, most hospitals require PRN nurses to work at least once per pay period

Float Pool-A nurse who floats to different assignments, each day different assignments and at times u can flo

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I agree sounds like per diem. Although if he was really only working a few days a month I seriously doubt the validity of making $16,000 a month. I make $5.00 more an hour working float pool so it's a good deal but I don't make anywhere close to 16,000 a month and I work full time at $43.00 an hour.

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Yea I agree with you both that it sounds far fetched but I had to ask. But generally how much can you make in a normal pay period as just a prn nurse? And normal pay period being 1 or 2 weeks? Also just wondering if any of you work at the VA ? If so do you work there and have a second prn job some where else ? Ultimately I want to work for the VA but not sure how it works or good it is to work there.

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

I worked PRN/per diem in the Dallas/Fort Worth area for three years. For three 12-hour shifts per week, my gross pay before taxes was about $6,100 monthly.

$16,000 per month is inaccurate unless the guy was earning $78/hourly as a unionized PRN nurse at a Kaiser hospital in northern California.

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VA pay scales are public, look up title 38

nurse pay.

good luck finding that kind of cash without working all

the time :-)

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The VA pay scale is dependent on the area... A Nurse 2 in Reno NV makes less then a Nurse 2 in San Fransisco CA... From what I've been told, the VA looks at what nurses in the community make and try to have their pay scale somewhere in the middle... $16,000 isn't going to happen... Even the facility director tops out around $200-300,000 a year (can't make more then the president)...

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Yea I agree with you both that it sounds far fetched but I had to ask. But generally how much can you make in a normal pay period as just a prn nurse? And normal pay period being 1 or 2 weeks? Also just wondering if any of you work at the VA ? If so do you work there and have a second prn job some where else ? Ultimately I want to work for the VA but not sure how it works or good it is to work there.

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It depends what your pay is and how much you work. I know per diem nurses bringing in well over 6 figures but they work a lot. Like 5 days a week. This is in Vegas where the pay is fairly decent. I know in Cali it's fairly common for regular nurses to make over six figures without overtime but they pay is higher but so is cost of living.

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I've worked for MH for 18 years and I can almost guarantee , that guy is not making 16k/month unless he's there everyday lolol. Maybe he'd been drinking that day too lolol

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Hermann PRN pay (either in hospital PRN staffing or their internal staffing PRN service, Premier) is $35-45/hr max.

To make $16,000 in a month that would mean they are working 90 hours per WEEK (well, less since some would be overtime, maybe 60 hours/week?). That is not a "work whenever I please" schedule.

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He was probably drunk when he talked to you, lol. A nurse works with me in an outpatient cancer center in California 4 days a week. She just transferred from inpatient oncology where she worked for 8 years. She currently still works there but only one day a week (Tuesdays) 12 hour shift per diem. She told me she gets 90/hour. You can make 12k+ or more if you have more than 5 years experience and working per diem in California.

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Wow! My mother is a nurse there now and she is pulling around 60/hr but 90 is crazy. Lol

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