GN's paid more than experienced staff is this typical!

caroladybelle, BSN, RN · Dec 20, 2009

Not that unusual unfortunately.

I once precepted someone that left my unit for two years, then returned. Her training/experience had not advanced her skills any, yet, she ended up getting a preferred schedule and a higher pay rate that those that had stayed the course.

nlhnurse1982 · Dec 20, 2009

Not that unusual unfortunately.
I once precepted someone that left my unit for two years, then returned. Her training/experience had not advanced her skills any, yet, she ended up getting a preferred schedule and a higher pay rate that those that had stayed the course.

I do understand that bouncing around from hospital to hospital you can get paid more. These are brand spanking new nurses though with no experience except clinical rotations in school.

nyteshade, BSN · Dec 20, 2009

Yep, I've personally dealt with this! It is an insult to those who have poured out years of service. I got another one for ya...how about the new employee that gets "employee of the month" and you've been there five years without a single write-up!!!:angryfire

JenPen2332 · Dec 20, 2009

This exact thing happened to me at another job before nursing. A coworker left and then returned a year later, and was started at much higher than the rest of us who had even more experience.

I was furious and brought it up to the manager and then the corporate managers. Amazingly they gave the rest of us with equivalent experience the same raise and even paid us back-pay for many months of underpay for our experience.

I would definitely address the issue with management.

sunnycalifRN · Dec 20, 2009

Not that unusual unfortunately.

maybe at a non-union hospital. at a unionized hospital, the contract specifies the pay scale for new grad, RN 1,2,3 etc. the pay rates increase with seniority so the situation described would not be possible, since a new grad has zero years seniority!

Cinqly, BSN, RN · Dec 20, 2009

Yep, I've personally dealt with this! It is an insult to those who have poured out years of service. I got another one for ya...how about the new employee that gets "employee of the month" and you've been there five years without a single write-up!!!:angryfire

Employee of the Month at our hospital is a scam. At the end of the month a "favorite" is picked and someone goes around and has people sign slips. And of course night/weekend folks are not in the cool kids club...it sucks. And it is the same with new grads. Next years new grads will come in at the same rate as me after (more like if) I get a yearly raise. And they don't give across-the-board cost-of-living increases...

camoflower · Dec 20, 2009

I am a new grad RN..I've been working 7 months (nights) and make less than 19.00 per hour..LPN's with 4 years experience really hate me, they think I make more than I do, yet I feel as though I am so underpaid..I thought I'd make at least 24.00. We have had over 6 nurses quit and 2 have been fired..its soo stressful.

Katie5 · Dec 20, 2009

I am a new grad RN..I've been working 7 months (nights) and make less than 19.00 per hour..LPN's with 4 years experience really hate me, they think I make more than I do, yet I feel as though I am so underpaid..I thought I'd make at least 24.00. We have had over 6 nurses quit and 2 have been fired..its soo stressful.

It's the grass is always greener on the other side syndrome. Let them tear their hairs out while you worry bout getting a pay raise:).

Hoozdo, ADN · Dec 20, 2009

When there really WAS a nursing shortage, skipping around hospitals for more money was very common. Now salaries are stagnant for experienced nurses. I long for the good ol' days!

GM2RN · Dec 20, 2009

When there really WAS a nursing shortage, skipping around hospitals for more money was very common. Now salaries are stagnant for experienced nurses. I long for the good ol' days!

Not stagnant at union hospitals. As a previous poster pointed out, union contracts dictate salaries and raises. I acutally work two jobs right now, one union and one not. The same thing described above happens at the non-union hospital, but never at the union hospital. BTW...the hourly wage at the non-union hospital is very low. I only continue to work there because it is not bedside nursing, I love the job, and it gives me the opportunity to pick up extra shifts.

Emergency RN · Dec 20, 2009

so i was having a conversation with a friend who just graduated from nursing school and will be working on my unit. she told me her hiring rate and i was kind of upset that she is starting as a gn at a higher rate than what i am paid! is this normal? if a facility raises its gn rate shouldnt there be an across the board increase for the experienced staff that are already working there? and to add insult to injury i precept most of the new grads and get nothing for it :angryfire so how does that work that i am passing on my experience to newbies who are getting paid more than i am. sorry for ranting i am just kind of ticked about this.

this happens only because your hospital has to offer the same starting scale that the unionized hospitals offer; else they would never attract anyone. the only time that doesn't happen is if you're in an area that has no unionized hospitals. then the new grads will usually get the same lousy salary as you.

moral of this story is, you need to have a union; but even if you don't, the unionized hospitals applies economic pressures favorable to workers in other institutions (as was the case above).

support your nursing unions!