Pay cut to become a RN

Nurses General Nursing

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Specializes in MDS Coordinator.

I'm in the Fayetteville, NC area as a COTA making $27/hr. I think from reading the posts on this site that I would be making less as a RN new grad. I know I will probably start FTCC ADN/ASN program this August. I work anywhere from 33-36 hours a week currently with a flexible schedule for school.

I was wondering would night shift differential make up for potential cut in pay?

My aspirations are psych.

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Specializes in Geriatrics w/rehab, LTC, hospice patient.

Depends on where you work. Some new grads make over $30/hr, even in psych.

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Specializes in MDS Coordinator.

Hello RockinNurse2018!

I saw that you have experience in geriatrics and LTC. I've have 2 years experience as a COTA in the same setting; same population.

As a side question, does LTC pay more than hospitals? Also does LTC experience counts with hospitals in your experience?

Thank you!

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Specializes in Emergency, LTC.

I don't know what COTA is. I started in the ED making $27.50/hr. After residency was over and about a year in, it was raised to just under $30/hr. Depends on the area, hospital, unit, etc.

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Specializes in Hematology-oncology.
I don't know what COTA is. I started in the ED making $27.50/hr. After residency was over and about a year in, it was raised to just under $30/hr. Depends on the area, hospital, unit, etc.

I'm pretty sure the acronym the OP used stands for Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant. I'd have to look up the wages at my hospital to compare wages between the 2 jobs. We actually use quite a few OT and PT assistants.

My gut feeling is that you will make a bit less starting out. New grads in Ohio typically make between $25 and $26/hr in the big cities...less in rural areas, and I believe the average RN wage is higher in OH than NC. Like here though, big cities will pay more. Night shift (and weekend) differential will definitively help. My employer gives us $5/hr extra from 3pm-7am and $3/hr weekend differential. You will have more overtime opportunities as a nurse too. I work an extra 4 hours a week. That small shift is manageable, and makes a *HUGE* difference in my paycheck.

Also, while you may take an initial pay cut, I'm guessing the pay ceiling is higher for RNs. If this is what you really want to do, look at the first few years as an investment in your future :) Some of my co-workers who have been RNs for a long time take a similar pay plunge the first few years out of NP school. Some of my friends have also taken pay cuts going to a clinic job from inpatient, or taking a school nurse job for example. Ultimately, your happiness and sense of fulfillment are worth a few dollars/hour. Follow your dreams, and best of luck!!!

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Specializes in critical care, ER,ICU, CVSURG, CCU.

Higher salary at the VA hospital in Fayetteville.....

Lot of psyc, mental health opportunity

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Specializes in Case manager, float pool, and more.

I was making over $30 when I was in NC. I wasn't a new RN though but did not have alot of experience either. ( Acute care hospital ) Pay is always doing to be based on demograhics, experience,setting, etc wherever you may be.

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Specializes in MDS Coordinator.

Thank you everyone. Your answers really helped. I am the bread winner of the family and my wife is also taking prerequisites for nursing.

Because of my own bouts within the mental health system is why I am leaning towards psych. As a occupational therapy assistant I was lead wrongly to believe I could work in psych. There are no jobs there with my degree, only in skilled nursing facilities.

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Thank you everyone. Your answers really helped. I am the bread winner of the family and my wife is also taking prerequisites for nursing.

Because of my own bouts within the mental health system is why I am leaning towards psych. As a occupational therapy assistant I was lead wrongly to believe I could work in psych. There are no jobs there with my degree, only in skilled nursing facilities.

Be very careful about telling anyone you have had mental health treatment as a nurse. There are a number of nightmare-ish stories on these boards about what can happen

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OMG this is soo sad but true! Some nurses who've been blessed with perfect health for them and their families and don't understand mental health, even simple depression, can and will label you and discriminate the hell out of you! Once your labelled well you know how labels spread. There are evil nurses out there like any other profession!

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Specializes in Psych ICU, addictions.
My aspirations are psych.

Yes, come to the dark side. We have cookies :)

Night shift diffs are usually between $2 and $5 per hour on top of your base pay. So it may or may not make up the difference. I don't know what NC is like, but I started my nursing career in the state right above it. I started in psych at $22/hr, which actually was on the higher-end of new grad salaries at the time. I made more than my classmates who went into med-surg, ED or other specialties. Shift diff was $2.50 for evenings (I hadn't worked NOC at the time). Granted, this was almost a decade ago, and the cost of living in southern VA is on the lower side.

I'm in southern CA now. New grads start off in the $40s/hr, even in psych, and there's lots of psych nursing around these parts. However, competition for jobs is fierce...though just as it is everywhere else, psych doesn't seem to attract as many people as the other specialties. This could work to your advantage though.

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