Hourly vs Salary Position

[Sadnewgrad]

Hi all! I'm probably gonna be offered a position in an outpatient surgical center (not attached to a hospital system) where I will be paid hourly. My current position is in a major hospital system where I’m currently working bedside and it’s salaried. I absolutely hate working bedside and I’m looking to leave for my own mental health and sanity. I need some advice on which you would choose and why. Thank you! 

[Okami_CCRN, BSN, RN]

I prefer to be paid hourly; I found that as salaried I usually worked closer to about 45 hours per week and obviously wasn't compensated for that time. 

 

[ThePrincessBride, MSN, RN, NP]

A salaried bedside position? I have never heard of that. 

Hourly is so much better. 

[Davey Do]

Hands down, hourly.

I was hired as a NS for a 35 hour a week salaried position which turned out to be more like 50 hours a week.

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

14 hours ago, Sadnewgrad said:

 I absolutely hate working bedside and I’m looking to leave for my own mental health and sanity. 

Hourly or not if I felt like this I would take the hourly.  

Personally I like getting paid hourly and for the time I'm working and overtime when I go over 40 hours.

[MelEpiRN]

I have also not heard of salaried bedside positions. 

I would say the answer depends on the position. Hourly- you should be getting compensated for any overtime. Salaried jobs tend to be more flexible...eg you may work late Monday and take off a bit early on Friday, or you have the flexibility to go to the Dr/ have a longer lunch. Again, that's totally dependent on the job itself. I prefer exempt.  

[No Stars In My Eyes]

I worked for a company that seemed unable to decide to pay by salary or hourly, or per visit (in Home Health). We had our pay method jerked around so many times that I think by the time I was retired, I was earning less because of those continual changes. Who cares about the nurses pay? Not the company that is always trying to figure out how to get more $$$ for themselves; nurses were just warm bodies to cover cases.

[kbrn2002, ADN, RN]

Hourly, that way you are guarantied to  get paid for all the hours you work. Unless of course the salary position allows scheduling flexibility that you need which a bedside position sure wouldn't.  The other consideration for salary being a better option is if you are the sort that likes to come late, take long lunches and leave early, I've worked with a few managers like that in the past who worked at most 30-35 hours while I am sure they were getting paid for the full 40 hour week.  I've never heard of a salaried bedside position by the way,  didn't know such a thing existed.