How can you say you're not paid well?

Nurse GOODNIGHT · Apr 11, 2005

I had the opportunity to see a state's (forgot which one now) President of BNE and she said, "Nurses are the only people who when confrunted with the enemy circle the wagons and shoot each other." Ha, but I take it the original poster was not a nurse. She also stated more importantly that for the time, money, potential for injury, unsupportive co-workers (keep score-why so&so does less so I'm not and so on) and administration (I wanted to say backstabbing but I have been groomed and am a part-time diplomat) & RESPONSIBILITY no nurse should be making less than $100K a year. I agree. If I would have known, as nursing school was such a gruling ordeal, and to gradute making this paultry sum, I would have stuck with my other degrees. However, my desire to help people overcame that. I must say the ability to relocate, find a job quickly, flexible hours and flexiblity to learn and move to different areas does mitigate the pay somewhat.:)

analiezel · Apr 11, 2005

no wonder there is a nursing shortage?!

6 years ago i started at 14.20, now i would have been at 21.20. i had to forfeit my benefits to earn just enough. I guess i would have to wait another 10 years before i reached >$28.

pretty soon people working in the fast food chains would earn more than we do. maybe i should put in an application in at mcdonalds... so not fair :angryfire

Could someone please explain to me why the nurses are complaining that they're not being pad well. In case my math is wrong this is the figure that I come up with.
3 day/12 hour shift at average $28/hr in New York
12 hours *$28=$336 per day*3 days $1008 per week* 52 Weeks that's $52,416 per year......that's just the average in New York. If you do 4 days you pull in almost $70,000.
So, what the all the complaining about not getting paid? I just don't understand.
Am I missing something?
Aaron
PS: I didn't even include any sign on bonus or night differential pay.

NicInNC, CNA · Apr 11, 2005

i am a stay at home mom and student right now as well and as we have been living off of one income for 4 yrs, i know i will "feel" rich for about a minute when i graduate and get to work. But I really want to build up or savings and put something away for our daughter and plan for our future, so we aren't paycheck to paycheck, so hopefully we won't get bitten by the "life upgrade" bug and get brand new cars and a bigger new house that would keep us worried about money (just with better things). Also we have to think about parents because neither sides parents have a lot of money and they could end up with us or in a nursing facility near us. In any case for what they do it looks to me like many nurses (especially senior ones) are underpaid, in comparison to accountability and other professions.

Yeah, my goal will be to save, save, save. They're building a beltway and it's going right through the back of our house. We have no choice, but to move. That will be in about 4 years. We won't have long to save considering it will be about 3 years before I finish school. Thankfully our van will be paid off in a little over a year though, so that will be an extra $450/month. My biggest worry will be buying another house. It's going to be hard to find a home for under $900/month. I like my $660/month house payment.

mysticalwaters1 · Apr 11, 2005

I am a med tech in the Blood Bank. When I worked on Thanksgiving, an OR nurse came to pick up blood and told me I could take my time getting it ready because she was on double-triple overtime.....isnt that wonderful? (I sure as heck was NOT getting any of that kind of pay) I told her we only have ONE speed in the Blood Bank and that is STAT
Even if I did get that kind of money , I definitely would not go around bragging to other departments about it. No wonder the animosity continues.....

You see I think lots don't want the overtime. I know I don't I want a life but I want somewhat higher pay than i'm getting and more than a 2% raise and i'm not going to overkill myself with overtime. It's unfair and if you want to go for it but it should not be a requirment. I'm not putting down or complaining about other professions in the hospital just that for all this responsibility it would be nice to at least get paid 28$ an hour or more. I don't think that's unreasonable. These sign on bonuses I don't understand why people act like that is a tremendous amount of money! It is but I mean it lasts for a little then your underpaid so it all evens out. Not to mention some bonuses are extremely high it's for a darn good reason. HOrrible hospital issues like short staffing and people quit and loose it anyway. I got a $5,000 sign on bonus but the way prices are now forget it that's not a lot. I mean it's definitely money but if i stay here for 5-10 years $5,000 is not that much if i'm underpaid, no yearly bonus or not much for a raise. I know one hospital had $25,000 sign on bonus. I KNEW there had to be a reason. My one coworker quit to go to that job and it was awful. He worked nights and no techs with up to 10 patients med surg, no secretary to do admission or any paperwork. He stuck it out 3 months and left. Came back. So these "perks" are nice but don't think it's a huge thing for nurses. I think we can get good benefits though and that is nice. I for one get alright health benefits although I am in an HMO which bites i'd rather choose my doctors but it's impossible to pay out of pocket but that seems to be the state of the country now and at least i have coverage. But anyway yes I feel we should get paid more. We don't have to be super super rich (be nice though) but people and other professions seem to feel we get paid enough or more and I dont' understand it. I keep hearing about oh look all the overtime you can get YEAH BECAUSE WE ARE SHORT! It's the working conditions that they try these tactics like bonuses.

mysticalwaters1 · Apr 11, 2005

I live in NY, and yes we do make a decent salary. HOWEVER think about this..
I think about what I do during an average shift (not only me but all nurses). Then think about all the sh-- you put up with in one busy hour of that..Running around like crazy, saving lives, whatever. And at the end of that hour someone hands you $25. I could go mow somebodys lawn or mix a drink at a bar and make that kind of money.

I had one busy day once and a supervisor and manager gave me a gift certaficate for TEN bucks to the area mall. I was confused why did they give it to me then they go can you work a double?!! I was TICKED! Right off the bat I said no and second I kept the gift certificate and spent it that weekend. The nerve can you imagine!?!

mysticalwaters1 · Apr 11, 2005

Yeah, my goal will be to save, save, save. They're building a beltway and it's going right through the back of our house. We have no choice, but to move. That will be in about 4 years. We won't have long to save considering it will be about 3 years before I finish school. Thankfully our van will be paid off in a little over a year though, so that will be an extra $450/month. My biggest worry will be buying another house. It's going to be hard to find a home for under $900/month. I like my $660/month house payment.

I have been trying to find even apartments and I would love your price but anyway nothing i can find unless a rundown falling apart high crime area but everything is over 800$/month. NO i make about $2,000/month ok $500 bucks for my car (so i should have got a rundown used one but i wanted something NICE for once!), add up gas, food, utilities I have NOTHING to save and I have no family! My goal is to find a loving husband that we can work together because there is no way on my own or i could but barely and if something happened to me or an issue or even the car breaking down forget it! I forgot to mention someone complained about nursing perks like charge pay, shift differentials, bonuses, specialty pay! It's junk! I mean not enough. Ok to be charge and pulled som many differnet directions organizing beds helping the staff nurses helping the problem pts or pt's ABOUT to code you only make 1$ more. Then if you want to go to say ICU or some specialty that's only 0.65cents more WOW! I mean for cry'n'out loud! I mean that's something but i mean i think that's why some don't want to be charge it's not worth it all the work and barely any pay increase and going to ICU getting paid not even a dollar over med surg! I'm med surg but ICU you need experiecne and knowledge with all the equipment and high high acuity although you may have the same pt on med surg nowadays with just no monitor so sorry blabbing but we deserve more. See facilities know it and that's why they push these bonuses but it's still not enough. It's almost tricks ok it is! How many of you have been lied too about staffing or a position by the nurse recruiters! The 2 years i've been at my hospital we went through 3 nurse recruiters. Jeepers. Ok i'm getting depressed now!

mysticalwaters1 · Apr 11, 2005

I HIGHLY disagree with that statement. My husband makes less than $20/hr and we have lived off his income alone for the past 7 years. It's not easy. We hardly get to go out to eat or do anything recreational, but we CAN live off it. That's with a $700/month house payment and almost $500/month car payment. We own a home, so we have all the added utility bills, insurance, etc. Not to mention a 5 year old and a 7 year old. We DID splurge and sign our girls up for softball this season though. :chuckle
But I just wanted to say that it IS possible. Maybe we don't have the big house that I would love. Maybe we have to say "no" to our friends when they ask if we want to go out to eat or to the movies. Maybe by kids can't get books from the school bookfair each time it comes (isn't that what the LIBRARY is for???). There is a lot we CAN'T do, but who needs all that stuff anyways?

That's how i lived with my parents and it worked and payed less than me taking care of my brother and myself but now i figure in my salary and it doesn't mesh! So what am i doing wrong? I'm not including any recreation stuff at all! :madface: Oh jeeze guys i'm putting lots of posts here sorry!

mysticalwaters1 · Apr 11, 2005

THe pay is not bad. The problem is it took 30 yrs to get that pay status. There is no longevity. Also benefits could really improve for the nurses. We are the Healthcare of society but how many of the nurses know of other professions(GM, FORD, teachers, etc.) whom get better healthcare coverage & retirement benefits then nurses??????
All nurses should strive for standards of benefits. We have worked hard to become nurses & continue to work hard to strive for the best optimal care for our patients.

Oh I forgot i don't have any pension/retirement plan through work although nowadays companies with those plans it's gone by the time you retire anyway. I do get LOTS of vacation/all purpose hours/personal time/holliday days LOTS and you bet i take it all because just to function i need the time off my goodness. So that's awesome but if it wasn't there i'd be out. Also sick days stink in order to tap into the bank you have to be out 7 days or more to get it so say you're out 6 for a knee injury like a coworker did...nope.

mysticalwaters1 · Apr 11, 2005

I live in Maryland and make $36.00/hr as a med surg nurse in the float pool. I'd say that's pretty darn good money. I make more money than my husband. If I'm called in on my on-call days, I make time and a half for the first 4 hours and double time for the next 8hours. It's almost like getting two pay checks when that happens. I also get benefits,sick time and four weeks vacation. We are always looking for good nurses in Maryland so come on down!

I was thinking of moving to deleware and mabye christiania care hospital?

scooterRN52 · Apr 11, 2005

I was thinking of moving to deleware and mabye christiania care hospital?

Before you move to delaware, find out what the hourly pay is for RN's. I worked w/ nurses from delaware who drove up here to work in phila. hospitals because the pay is so poor in the state of delaware! :uhoh21:

witnurse · Apr 12, 2005

I work 12 hr. nights 3 days a week at 30.25 an hr. + 18% shift differential
and that is in the northeast part of the country, what I'm reading here is telling me what I already knew, nurses below mason/dixon line, and the midwest seem to be underpaid.
:uhoh21:

And above the tree line. lol. I live in Northern NH. I have an administrative job, have 33 years experience, work 50 to 60 hours a week. I am salaried so no OT. I make 23.00 per hour. I have had to remortgage my house twice in the last 3 years. My husband , who is recently disabled after working and never missing a day in 35 years and because he worked for himself he gets a whopping 570 dollars a month from Uncle Sam. The price of gas precludes our day trips which we used to enjoy. I don't think I will be able to hold on to my house much longer. But, I have family and friends not in healthcare who know my title and some of my responsibilities and they think I am wealthy. It is sad. By the way an advanced degree makes no difference at my hospital!! :angryfire I see the OP is a student nurse. If you are going in it for the money I feel sorry for you. :crying2: :angryfire :angryfire

twograce · Apr 12, 2005

MY GOD, IS THAT ALL YOU MAKE IN NEW YORK? I WOULD HAVE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE CLOSE TO $40. AT LEAST. WITH THE COST OF LIVING ETC. they pay that much in the southern states. $24-$35,/

Could someone please explain to me why the nurses are complaining that they're not being pad well. In case my math is wrong this is the figure that I come up with.
3 day/12 hour shift at average $28/hr in New York
12 hours *$28=$336 per day*3 days $1008 per week* 52 Weeks that's $52,416 per year......that's just the average in New York. If you do 4 days you pull in almost $70,000.
So, what the all the complaining about not getting paid? I just don't understand.
Am I missing something?
Aaron
PS: I didn't even include any sign on bonus or night differential pay.