We make SO much $$$

Nurses General Nursing

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My whining on the "What's wrong with nursing management?" thread reminded me of a funny story.

I was just a few weeks out of my ICU orientation, and I was talking to a family during visiting hours. One of them asked about my scrub color (I was wearing seafoam green, most of the nurses that night were wearing navy blue, the color we are supposed to wear). He asked if the different colors meant different levels, and I told him no, actually, we were supposed to wear blue, but I got these off the sale rack and I'm waiting to see if my boss says anything. (I really did get them off the sale rack; top and pants cost me $12!:) )

Then he said, "Sale rack? Why would you shop the sale rack? You're a registered nurse, you must make a ton of money!" I could not believe my ears. I don't know, maybe my paycheck would be a ton of money to him, but it's sure not to me. And for the back-breaking work we do, I don't think we get paid nearly enough.

Comments?

I do agree that nurses need to be paid more, but by the same token, when is enough enough?

I am a CNA until I get my paper license for LPN (hopefully any day now) and I make 11.50 an hour.

Now, where I come from, that in itself is a healthy sum, considering the most I ever made at any other job was $8 something.

Personally, I think that a person can be content in whatever stage they are in, including how much money they make.

Have you ever noticed that the more money someone makes, the more materialistic they become? Sad, isn't it? But I see it every day...even in my own husband. Since I've gotten closer to having my LPN license, he's decided he wants a motorcycle and a boat.....something we never would have need of before. Nice things to have, yes....but I prefer to pay things off first and save a bit.

So therefore, I try to be content with whatever I have.

I'd like to preface this by saying I'm not a nurse yet, I don't know what it's really like, and I'm not arguing with the idea that nurses should make more money.

With that in mind, I don't think it's as black-and-white between different careers. As someone currently working in the computer/tech industry, I've seen first-hand the amount of work some engineers do. I used to work for a company whose business hours were 24/7. I personally called in the high-paid engineers in the middle of the night for business emergencies. Often. Yes, they got paid A LOT, but they also worked like dogs. And they didn't get overtime. One business manager there literally worked 19-20 hour days every day. He'd go home to shower, grab an hour or two of sleep, and come back. Now the company's stock is around $1 and change. Almost all of the employees were laid off. Many, many employees lost money by investing in their stock (myself included).

I have friends who've been laid off for almost a year now. They had to move from NYC because the cost of living was so high, and they couldn't find jobs. One of them was in the tech field.

There are advantages and disadvantages to almost any field. But yes, I wish nurses were paid more too. Especially since I'm going to become one!!

Let me first say, I agree....nurses do NOT get paid enough.

Now....

My son and I got jobs almost the same time: I was a new RN grad and he was still in college, but had several certificates for computer programming and was working on his bachelors' degree in computers. I went to work for the local hospital. He went to work for a foreign car manuf. I was 46, he was 19.

I made $15/hr........he made $18!!!!!!!!!!!!

:eek: He was also given benefits to die for, guaranteed raises, end-of-year bonuses, etc.

Now the down side....the car manuf job was for a very well-known, huge company. The foreign manuf does have a very different work-ethic. Son was expected to work 16-20 hours, 5-6 days a week. He was also trying to go to school at the same time. He had no social life, and ended up after 3 years, burned-out, exhausted, and on the verge of being in a depression. Hubby and I stepped in...son has moved back home (temp I hope! hahaha) QUIT the job, and is in school full-time. He will grad in June.

I am still at the same hospital, now make $23 hour (I take pay instead of benefits) and plan to complete a BSN.

So who has the better deal? His looked better at first.

I also have several friends who are teachers. And I have worked for a local vocational school as a nurse aide teacher. As for the statement that teachers work "9 months a year"......baloney. At the most, teachers get 6 weeks off. At the end of the year there are myriad details to complete, and while the summer is still in full session, the teachers go back to their rooms to get started for the next year. Not to mention all the meetings, parents, admins, and so on they must deal with. Teachers also need (as do nurses) to keep up their credentialing and have to complete classes each year.

That said.....I think sometimes it is a case of "the grass is always greener..." We all have numbing, disgusting details in our jobs. I have yet to find that "perfect" job. I have worked in factory jobs at VERY good wages. Why am I not still there? BORING BORING BORING

So one needs to ask: WHY am I a (fill in the blank here). If $$$ drives your choices ( and as they used to say on the Seinfeld show " Not that there is anything WRONG with that...) well, then nursing, teaching etc. is maybe NOT the wisest choice. If you are driven by adrenaline, mental challenges, love people, love education as a never-ending endeavor, love technology, etc., then nursing MIGHT be a good choice. One thing another poster here said, the jobs are certainly there for us right now, and an endless variety of them, too.

Well, enough....But I am sure no Pollyanna........we have to STAND UP for ourselves, strive for recognition as PROFESSIONALS, and continue to work for better staffing ratios, working conditions, and better wages. We certainly can't do this from outside the circle...we need to do it from within - within ourselves and within our chosen profession.

Peace...

Originally posted by RoaminHankRN

I used to be one that complained about not making enough. But as the years go by, you ask how much is enough? Every one complains they don't make enough but never give an amount that would be fair. If we raised the basic salary to $30/hr for every nurse, there would be someone who would say that is not enough. If you make more an hour will that make your job less stressful? As some say, be glad you have a job that pays. At least you have done something with your life and make a difference.

On another point, how is the nursing profession going to approach management demanding better pay when we can't even get along or agree with others on "many" issues. We are a profession divided that needs to come together and quit the bickering and back stabbing. Act like a professional and you will be paid like one.

Agreed....good post. See my post, too.

Love to all....:)

Specializes in Trauma acute surgery, surgical ICU, PACU.

Mind you, if I wanted to be a millionaire, I wouldn't have picked nursing... I knew what I was in for when I started out. I make a decent living.

I made more than my dad last year... he is a labour lawyer for a small firm. But still, to be making more than him was a good feeling. Perverse, but satisfying.

Specializes in ICU, nutrition.

I'm not looking to become a millionaire either. But I think it's reasonable to get paid an amount that's fair according to our responsibility. It just kills me when I hear one of the doctors complain that they don't make enough money, when I don't come even close to what the general surgeons or family physicians make. I just wish we got paid a bonus for each "save" we make. I haven't been doing this for that long and I already have a list of instances when my assessment has saved the MDs butt, and a shorter (thank God) list of "if only Dr. So&So had listened when I called, this wouldn't have happened."

Just wondering - What do stock brokers start out with in those states? [/b]

All I know is that my sister is an MD working only 10 hrs. a week at this time and her hubby is a stock broker and they live in a million dollar home, driving a brand new Toyota SUV and a Nissian Maxima, belong to the local swim club and country club, AND vaction at least 4 times a year. I guess he's making out O.K.

Specializes in MS, LTC, Post Op.

I am getting paid a whopping $10.36 to stand on my feet for 10 plus hours and put up with Dr.'s who think that women and nurses and esp. women nurses are stupid....geeze!

Thirty dollars an hour ISNT enough for the work I do & the expertise gained from doing it for 20 yrs. But maybe $30/hr is a decent starting point for a new grad. We have interns who complain that RNs earn more than them but they quickly shut up when they are reminded that the RNs top salary after 20 years is less than his starting salary will be when hes is an attending. Hes complaining now about his salary but he knows he will be moving up. The RNs salary is stagnated & hasnt changed in 10 yrs.

That aside, I dont think we should be paid in dollars & cents by the hour anyway, unless we are charging the hospital & insurance companies for our services by the hour & then I would charge $125/hr for the critical work I do. (My mechanic charged me $85/hr just for the labor to change my front brakes last week -cause his skills are valuable.)

Secondly, our services should be itemized on the hospital bill - not lumped in as Room & Board - so we can actually see how much the facility is charging the pt for us. Only when we actually know what the hospital is being paid for our services, can we start to figure out what a fair wage might be for ourselves. Right now, we have no idea. Throw in the fact that there are nurses with different degrees & different levels of education & who knows what nurses should be paid.

But I disagree with "act like a professional & youll be paid like one" Nurses can act as professional as Lillian Wald & nothing has ever been handed to them merely because of it. Nurses have always had to demand & fight for everything they deserve & everything they now have, no matter how professional they acted it wasnt just handed to them on a silver platter. It is still a struggle to be compensated & treated fairly.

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