Highest paid nursing field?

Nurses General Nursing

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Hi, I am still a student and was wondering what the highest paid nursing area is. Like my friend says that Dialysis is one of the highest. Anyone have an idea. I'm just lost on what area to start at. Thanks.

Salary is a very important part of any career. I too have several areas of interest. My plan is to gain experience in each of them most likely in a hospital setting, I am interested in neonatal, ICU, and possibly Midwifery. Right now, where I work is also an important part of the process, especially since I keep hearing how nurses with several years experience are having difficulties finding work period with the most recent economic crisis.

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Specializes in Operating Room.
No money is not all that matters but when you are a single mom, yes sometimes it does. So anyways Im just trying to get advice on where to start when I do not have any specific preferences, just want to get nursing experience.
In many places, all the specialties make the same..you don't get any more for working ICU, OR etc. most places pay by experience level.
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The best money I have ever made, or will ever made had to be agency working in ccu/telemetry. But you need to work in the area you enjoy.

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Is money all that matters? I agree with wren that you should do what you like. I doubt you'll starve being a nurse of any kind.

Well,there are some fields in nursing you will starve or will be close. Private duty nursing has no benefits and start off with 20.00 an hour,but its one on one nursing.

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I see no reason why you should characterize the OP as being a baby machine. That is just flat rude and tacky. You don't know her life circumstances and even if you did it's not your place to pass judgment on those who have children to care for. Mother's are not automatons who simply pop out children at will and then scamper around with dollar signs in their eyes. They are loving, devoted, caring, and valuable people.

And no, I don't have children either, by choice. But what sort of total b*tch would I have to be in order to get the gumption up to call mothers "breeders" or "baby machines"? :trout:

I kept reading to see if someone was going to say something, because I was going to add my two cents if not. Well said. That was such a rude and distasteful comment. I am 32, married, with no kids yet, and I was shocked at that comment. Also, I do care about how much I get paid.

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Up here new grads start at around $28/hr to $29/hr. Too bad we don't have CRNA's in Canada. You nurses are lucky in the U.S. The pay of nurses here in Canad from one unit to the next is the same (i.e med/surg, ER, OR etc). I think that is ridiculous because you have no motivation to expand your nursing skills.

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Funny thought...I once heard the term at a Union conference..."Sorry male nurses; not to offend, but there is too much Uterine thinking in nursing". I almost fell off of my chair in the thought of how true that statement is!

Care for you and not too much can get in the way of caring for others!

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I'm 40 years old with a husband and 4 kids. I'm also a career changer. Money is never enough of a reason to do anything you don't want to do. But, money matters. I look at the money as justification to my family for having to do without me. If I'm going to be gone (and this includes time spent in school pre-nursing) then THEY deserve a good salary. Face it, no matter what you do- if you're gone, you're gone. IF you can bring home a nice paycheck after being gone, it makes it easier on everyone. Seriously, I worked the last 10 years as a part timer, if I'm going to be gone- it's going to be worth it. It isn't worth it for $15 an hour!

I have to agree with the people who say us girls need to "man up" a little in the salary department. I've never met a guy behave in a self-depreciating way, but women (myself included) sometimes do this! Maybe that's part of the reason they are better paid? They don't beat around the bush about what they want.

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Specializes in LTC/Rehab, Med Surg, Home Care.

some of us planned to have kids, made the CHOICE to do so, and life didn't take us down that path. So to say that having kids is a choice doesn't always make it so...just as birth control sometimes fails...or life happens in a dozen other ways.

Doesn't call for nastiness or rudeness to those that do have children that they are trying to raise. The comments were nasty and snarky, thus the nastiness right back.

Okay, so while I suspect Bluesnurse might have been able to find a slightly more delicate way of phrasing things, I don't disagree with her, and I find it utterly ridiculous that people think those of us who've chosen not to have children will die alone. Just because someone doesn't have children, doesn't mean they're missing out on anything or that they don't have family that would care for them. So in response to the little gloating purple smileyface, here's a little gloaty smiley for me and Bluesnurse, because I will have people at my bedside when my time comes (and I'm sure Bluesnurse will too!) and in the meantime we have clean, quiet homes, full of nice breakable things, which we get to enjoy any way we want, when we aren't busy trying to think of new things to do with our free time and expendable income! :lol2:

I know it's not a popular thing to not have kids, but I have a heck of a lot of justification, and if you'd like you can message me for details. I'm more than happy to share.:)

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Specializes in LTC/Rehab, Med Surg, Home Care.

I left my job 6 months ago for greener ($$$) pastures. While I liked everyone at my previous staff position, enjoyed the work I did, I felt I should be making more. And now I do. I stayed on at the previous job in an on-call/per diem position, and the hourly wage was thus higher. So win-win as far as I was concerned. Now it looks like a management position is available at the old job, and I've applied for it. They know what I want for $$$ but if they can't match it, I won't agree to take the position. Finally figured out that I need to look out for ME, because of course my employer is looking out for their best interests. It seems to be a simple concept, but so many women think that their employer owes them something, and will stick up for them/be loyal to them when the going gets tough. They won't.

Hello

I dont want to be gross or disturbing, but let me say. Money matters, if I was not getting paid the amt that I am for all that we have to take, I would not be bothered. I chose the field for other reasons, however Money is my primary concern, because in the end I have to live and take care of my family, So for those of you that money does not matter great!!! but I am a very professional nurse and time is money. Sorry, I think we need more males in the field who look at the bottom line. Nursing is a business and we need to learn how to market ourselves. As a Consultant, I make 50.00 and up an hour, however this is not full time. My full time, I make over 70,000 yr with great benefits, could be better, I am an associate degree prepared RN who is returning to school to become a nurse practioner soon. Nurses stop selling yourselves short. If facilities dont want to pay leave when you get the chance for higher salary. This is your mind body and nursing is stressful. After saying all that I would like to say I am a very caring person, but if we dont start demanding better working conditions and salary, the doctors will continue to gain and us nurses well we get whats left.

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Specializes in Corrections.

State of California correctional Nurses make good money. I had a buddy with lots of OT pull in over 200k last year. sounds to good to be true check here

State Salaries Results - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee

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Yes, try doing or experiencing something you like. start off with cna like me and work your way up or change job positions or even apply for something different. it's truly not about money because i think all nurses can make good money.. 8.00 an hour job is better than no income or no job. Try to focus on who you like working with , and what things or resources you like using. lets say if you like computer or being at the front desk.... go into nursing business or if you like working with babies... pediatrics. find your specialty and see what you love most about helping others.

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