Help RN with BSN at school

djh123 · Sep 9, 2017

Remember another big factor: the part of the country and the part of your state. Cost of living. Salaries aren't going to be the same everywhere for the same specialty.

C0SM0 · Sep 9, 2017

Our district doesn't offer a different rate for ADN vs. BSN RN's. In fact, most of our RN's are paid under LPN salary, but they knew that coming in. Our doesn't offer a raise for becoming nationally certified, either.

I've never seen ANY workplace that has a different pay scale for ADN vs BSN.

River Song, RN · Sep 10, 2017

I've never seen ANY workplace that has a different pay scale for ADN vs BSN.

Just FYI, in the hospital environment, I've worked at several faciiites that gave a little extra for BSN when calculating my base rate ... at one place it was $1/hr at another it was $1.50. I've noticed it more at Magnet designated hospitals that have to report their percentage of BSN staff

edited to add: to answer the original question, I am paid the same as a teacher. We have our own schedule but the pay bands are the same as teachers. I was started at year zero despite 12 years of hospital experience as they only considered school nursing experience on salary determination.

kidzcare · Sep 11, 2017

I was started at year zero despite 12 years of hospital experience as they only considered school nursing experience on salary determination.

This is the same for any district I've talked to and it is infuriating. Why is a nurse's experience worth nothing? And in most places, why is the nursing license worth less than a teaching license?

Nurse in MT · Sep 11, 2017

This is the same for any district I've talked to and it is infuriating. Why is a nurse's experience worth nothing? And in most places, why is the nursing license worth less than a teaching license?

I guess I look at it differently, try to see the positive. Yes, I am paid less than first year teachers, BUT my schedule and benefits are stellar.

Where else as a nurse do you get such a rock star schedule? No nights, no weekends, no evenings, no on-call, no holidays, summers off, winter break and spring break, and year-round paychecks to boot. Family life is normal and not interrupted by swing shifts or by working 12's with a breast-feeding baby. My health insurance is better and cheaper than anything any healthcare facility has ever offered. And the teacher pension plan- they match my mandatory contribution with a state-mandated 11.25% contribution. Add in 60 hours of sick time and 85 hours of vacation annually. Actual take-home pay is less, but benefits blow any healthcare system I've ever worked for out of the water.

And School Nursing is fun. And the kids are pretty awesome. And they bring us cupcakes on their birthdays. :inlove:

chasinRT · Sep 11, 2017

I am considered non-certified staff so paid on roughly the same pay scale as secretaries/bus drivers. Much less (actually make about a third what I did) than when I worked at a hospital, but great hours, lots of time off, and good insurance. No retirement benefits though. LPN makes the same as I do with a BSN.

kidzcare · Sep 11, 2017

I guess I look at it differently, try to see the positive. Yes, I am paid less than first year teachers, BUT my schedule and benefits are stellar.
Where else as a nurse do you get such a rock star schedule? No nights, no weekends, no evenings, no on-call, no holidays, summers off, winter break and spring break, and year-round paychecks to boot. Family life is normal and not interrupted by swing shifts or by working 12's with a breast-feeding baby. My health insurance is better and cheaper than anything any healthcare facility has ever offered. And the teacher pension plan- they match my mandatory contribution with a state-mandated 11.25% contribution. Add in 60 hours of sick time and 85 hours of vacation annually. Actual take-home pay is less, but benefits blow any healthcare system I've ever worked for out of the water.
And School Nursing is fun. And the kids are pretty awesome. And they bring us cupcakes on their birthdays.

It's a matter of respect. Otherwise districts would pay teachers less and tell them it's because they get summers off and no weekends/holidays, etc.

I have a Bachelor's degree (requirement for teacher) and a professional license (also a requirement for a teacher). I have tons of liability and need to apply my education and experience to a job set that cannot be delegated to an unlicensed professional.

Nurse in MT · Sep 11, 2017

I am considered non-certified staff so paid on roughly the same pay scale as secretaries/bus drivers. Much less (actually make about a third what I did) than when I worked at a hospital, but great hours, lots of time off, and good insurance. No retirement benefits though. LPN makes the same as I do with a BSN.

Check into your state laws regarding teacher retirement. Where I'm located it is law that I must be part of the teacher pension program.

Nurse in MT · Sep 11, 2017

It's a matter of respect.

Or is it truly a matter of specialty? I could make double what I make at the school working for the local LTAC with the same education and experience, but I'm not interested.

River Song, RN · Sep 12, 2017

Yes, I am paid less than first year teachers, BUT my schedule and benefits are stellar.
Where else as a nurse do you get such a rock star schedule? No nights, no weekends, no evenings, no on-call, no holidays, summers off, winter break anMy health insurance is better and cheaper than anything any healthcare facility has ever offered. ...0
And School Nursing is fun. And the kids are pretty awesome. And they bring us cupcakes on their birthdays.

I won't dispute the kids are fun but the benefits are horrible where I'm at, the most expensive and worst coverage of any job my husband or I have had. My recent hospital insurance was amazing and I covered my entire family even only working part time. I have heard that

Education benefits are great in some locations, not so much in Texas. My insurance and disability was going to cost over 3x as much as my hospital benefits monthly so we switched to my husband's. Had we not been able to do that there is no way I could have afforded to take an over $10/hr pay cut AND pay that much more for benefits. I honestly don't know how single parent households manage in our district