Good hours and good pay anyone?

[DrParis]

I have read many of your postings that say you as an RN have to work long hours and receive horrible pay for back-breaking labor. I am a nursing student and after interviewing several nurses in my city for class, I have not received the same attitude towards nursing as many of you have given, and the jobs offered here are much better! The nurses I interviewed told me they have been short staffed at times (that was their main gripe), BUT I know that the pay for an agency nurse working in a hospital is $28 an hour (part time)and for a hospital nurse at one of the largest hospitals in my town, the pay is $36 an hour. Also, the new hire RNs don't have to work overnight shifts, mandatory overtime, or any shift longer than 10 hours (most shifts are 8 hours). The hospitals here are so desperate for RNs that they will allow the nurses to choose their own shifts and most hospitals in my city will also pay off the student loans of new RNs!!! This sounds great to me!!! Anyone else have such a positive outlook on RN employment where they live?

[TXERRN]

Agencies here in Houston for specialties will pay anywhere from $34-38/hr, yes. But you aren't guaranteed hours.

"Mandatory overtime" is illegal in some states. Also, it is not a spoken requirement in most hospitals. But if you want your vacation time granted or a day off, you had better work the overtime when THEY ask you or you won't get anything YOU ask for. I learned that when I was a new grad just several years ago and naive myself.

Hospitals do pay off loans and give bonuses, but you must sign a contract agreeing to work for them for 1-3 years, depending on the contract. There is always a catch and "never a free lunch".

I just got a great job where I actually get a lunch break, get paid well and am not coerced into working overtime. I have no complaints. My opinion is if you don't like your job -- go find another one, don't just gripe and moan and bring others down and the profession along with it.

Most hospitals here in Houston, as well as surrounding areas are going to 12 hour shifts because it takes less staff to do 2 shifts per day than 3. So you might have to do 12's depending on where you work, but hey, you get 4 days off a week!

Staffing does suck, we DO have a nursing shortage -- SO GOOD TO HAVE YOU! Be prepared, you are entering a profession of women and men that must work as team mates. Just remember that, and you'll do ok.

[texasRN25]

Hello,

I am a RN here in Houston and I would love to pick your brain about NP specialties and job outlook. I am considering applying to UT houston in the fall for NP school and I would love your advice.

[Mirai Kangofu]

Wow, thank you for the reassurance. I'm waiting to get into nursing school (UTHSC, TWU, HCC, or HBU), and I've been hearing all sorts of horror stories fromt he forum and seeing all sorts of stuff at the LTC facility that I work at, so it's nice to hear about a light at the end of the tunnel.

[Diana Lynn]

hi great thread

the current nursing shortage is well known..i work in nova scotia canada at the present, but i am relocating to tn..

my pay here is 31.00 hour..

reflecting back i have known many who have left nursing for other careers, i have contemplated what has kept me in the profession..

the very fact i find fullfillment in nursing.

mentors who have nourished me and supported me in bad times, those that helped me to prioritize and juggle several tasks at once without becoming undone.

nursing is moving forward , experiencing growth, being flexible, and hard as it is staying positive.

there are so many opportunities and rewards in nursing today...

yes there are also many hard times and frustrations...

but remember why you went into nursing..it is a science and an art..

the art of nursing is caring, that has to come from within. that is the passion of the nurse, to do no harm, to view the person as a whole, to ease pain, to listen, and to be an advocate, to make a difference we must prevail if nursing is to maintain a positive future..

personally...........i love nursing and have been in the profession for 27 years..would i change that if i had to do it all over again...i don't think so......

sorry for ranting.....

:typing :yeahthat: ........................

[snowfreeze, BSN, RN]

good job and good pay is quite a broad concept. personal perception is where i would start. remember than many postings on this site are people venting. what do you want to learn when you finish school and what do you determine must be your required hourly rate to live comfortably and achieve that? each time in my career i found myself less than excited about going to work each shift....i moved on. my pay has increased in 14 years by $10/hr. there have been short term assignments, temp jobs, travel positions and really good deals on holidays with agency for hourly rates of up to $50/hr. when a facility is desperate for qualified nurses they will pay higher wages, offer incentives etc. for short term solutions.

drparis, good luck in your nursing career. find something that interests you and work at that until it no longer is exciting, it is so easy to find another specialty to explore in nursing...not many careers can offer that with a 2 or 4 year degree.

remember one thing.........always be part of the solution and not the problem.