$30/hour for new grads in Seattle?

Nurses General Nursing

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Hello, everyone, I just graduated from BSN and get my RN. Now I moved to Seattle and looking for a job. So far, no hospitals contacted me and a nursing home is paying me $30/hour with $5000 sign-on but with no PTO first year, no weekend differential, and my patient ratio is 1:18 with 5 techs on the floor for 36-39 patients. This floor is all vegetative and/or trach/vent patients, well, I guess at least I don't have to talk to them:sneaky:.

So is there any Seattle fellows? is $30 for a new grad BSN, RN with so many patients fair?

Forgot to mention my health insurance won't even start until 2 months later after employment.

Specializes in Ambulatory Case Management, Clinic, Psychiatry.

No pto?? That is bad. Also how acute are thr pts? For ltac 18 is bad, imo

Specializes in Palliative, Onc, Med-Surg, Home Hospice.
No pto?? That is bad. Also how acute are thr pts? For ltac 18 is bad, imo

He didn't say no PTO, he said none for a year. All three facilities and the hospice I now work for have the same policy. (And so did the facilities that my husband worked for). After working a year, we did have PTO. It accrued but we couldn't use it. That's pretty standard in the area I live.

$30 an hour is not bad for a new grad. That's a little more than $60K per year.

18:1 seems like a high ratio to me, a lot will depend on how good your techs are. Also, is there a possibility of the ratio going higher? You said 36-39 pts. If you and the other nurse are maxed at 18 will they call in another RN and divide the 39 pts by 3? Or will you potentially have 20 pts and the other nurse 19? Vented and trached patients are not always as stable as you may think and there will be a great deal no one else will be able to do but you due to scope of practice. I've worked in places that paid pretty well and had high ratios and have quit because it was impossible for me to provide the type of care I thought the patients deserved when I had so many. If you do take the job you will certainly learn a lot, and have to do a ridiculous amount of charting.

As far as the pay goes I have several friends in Seattle and had an offer from an acute care hospital there, $30 is fair for a new grad.

Hey thank you for the reply, the DON does say I don't have to worry about those vents/trachs because we usually have respiratory on the floor providing breathing treatment and mess with the machine. I think I just need to pass the meds and do my side of treatment. Now The floor only has 39 beds, if it is full one nurse will have to take 20 and the other 19. I don't know I called and requested $32, I don't want to sound rude or greedy but I think in consideration of no diff, no PTO first year and my BSN, I worth it, the questions is

Do I really worth 32?

Thank you for you reply, I was wondering how many days do you have for first year, I had several offer, most of them are 8 days, and 12 days, which is for public health nurse. Also, how does the maternity leave work in your facility?

He didn't say no PTO, he said none for a year. All three facilities and the hospice I now work for have the same policy. (And so did the facilities that my husband worked for). After working a year, we did have PTO. It accrued but we couldn't use it. That's pretty standard in the area I live.

Thank you for you reply, I was wondering how many days do you have for first year, I had several offer, most of them are 8 days, and 12 days, which is for public health nurse. Also, how does the maternity leave work in your facility?

Hey thank you for the reply, the DON does say I don't have to worry about those vents/trachs because we usually have respiratory on the floor providing breathing treatment and mess with the machine. I think I just need to pass the meds and do my side of treatment. Now The floor only has 39 beds, if it is full one nurse will have to take 20 and the other 19. I don't know I called and requested $32, I don't want to sound rude or greedy but I think in consideration of no diff, no PTO first year and my BSN, I worth it, the questions is

Do I really worth 32?

It never hurts to ask! The worst thing that can happen is they say no, or I guess if the person offering was really offended they may not offer you the job. I think 32$ is a fair request since there's no shift diff and no PTO for the first year (by the way does that mean you can't get sick? Is PTO synonymous with sick or personal days at this facility?). Honestly it sounds like a decent place to start, it's not the best sounding situation in the world (to me), but your new and you'll learn a lot and make a decent pay doing it. Most people don't get the best offer at the best hospitals with the best ratios right out of school, so if you're interested and need a job go for it. Regardless of how it turns out the experience is good.

Specializes in Palliative, Onc, Med-Surg, Home Hospice.
Thank you for you reply, I was wondering how many days do you have for first year, I had several offer, most of them are 8 days, and 12 days, which is for public health nurse. Also, how does the maternity leave work in your facility?

My baby days are over, thank god, but several co-workers have and babies recently and they used FML to take 12 weeks off to have the babies. But keep this in mind, you have to work for the facility for 1 year before you qualify for FML. (And that is federal,not facility). I don't know how it worked for those who didn't have their year yet. That is facility specific.

As far as PTO, I accumulated so many hours per shift (I can't remember what it was, I"m salaried now so I get 2 weeks after a year) and I could use it starting 1 year from hire date. I think it was equivalent to 72 hours or so.

ETA: When I was PRN, I made $35/hour and I live in a lower cost of living area. I had no benefits. $32 sounds okay to me with benefits!

Specializes in school nurse.

You've mentioned BSN a couple of times like that means you get more money. Usually it doesn't, or if so, it's just a minimal difference...

You've mentioned BSN a couple of times like that means you get more money. Usually it doesn't, or if so, it's just a minimal difference...

Thank you for the reply. So I shouldn't use BSN as a way to negotiate pay? Sorry I am new at this. I am not sure how I feel about this.

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