How can you say you're not paid well?

teeituptom, BSN, RN · Apr 15, 2005

That is not a lot of money, especially in new york. Nurses carry a lot of responsibility, when you think about everything we do, we should be making a 6 figure salary! Statements like yours, hold the nursing profession back.
By the way, are you a nurse? If not, you should not be on this site!
:rotfl:

You dont get into the 6 figures, I do

lifeLONGstudent · Apr 16, 2005

You dont get into the 6 figures, I do

oh, tom, there is that humility again that you are so well known for....

just kidding... push, push, push little buttons. Hey, can you get me a 6 figure job next year when I am done with my 2nd degree (bsn)? I'll make sure I put your name on the app so you get $500 referral bonus

lifeLONGstudent

lifeLONGstudent · Apr 16, 2005

You know what, though? This is a nursing forum, so surprise surprise, we discuss things of concern to us. Not because we don't believe that others have it rough, too. Not because we don't think that there should be forums available for other people to go and vent about the inequities they face. Just because it is nice to share OUR frustrations with OUR peers.

Oh gosh, where to start. If you reread what I wrote you will see that I said, "I am not knocking your profession". I was not attacking nurses. I was responding to the er nurse who said "we (nurses) are the next level of education below the Drs and we don't get paid near what they make" - that is just NOT true - I was arguing the part about nurses education level. I will admit that I got a little carried away about the whole MLT/MT thing, but it is a topic that chaps me a little (can ya tell). At least you read it and now know the difference (equivalent a nurse being called an aid, clerk, or waitress -- it is just not right). I apologize if I was a little over zealous with the point.

Others who have posted replies have agreed with what I wrote (and, brace yourself, OMG, some were actually nurses, not imposters:eek: ).

And, next year I will be a nurse, so suprise, suprise, this does concern me. We are a compilation of ALL our experiences and my 11 years in the lab is a part of me, will always be a part of me. That experience is a part of who I am, so I cannot just ignore it now that I am in nursing school. And that brings up another point: isn't the board open to nursing students? So, I guess I do have a right to post. If you don't like it, maybe you should start a more exclusive club (no students, no male members, no BSNs allowed, no one with different opinions than you)

Again, I am not attacking nursing or nurses. I am joining the field. I am not attacking mercyteapot - just setting the record straight and voicing my opinion like everyone else here. Do I think you are paid what you are worth? no, but then again, you have it at least TWICE as good as others (with comprable or more education) who work just as hard as you in other departments.

lifeLONGstudent

LydiaNN · Apr 16, 2005

Uh- I wonder where exactly I said that you didn't have the right to participate on this board? What I said (to reword it) was that just because we don't address the inequities people in other professions face doesn't mean that those inequities don't exist. It is just that with this being a nurses board, it is unrealistic to expect that the discussion would focus on the problems of those other professions. As far as I'm concerned, come one, come all, with whatever opinions you may have. Just be prepared to have them challenged. And if I were to ever become an MT student and chose to visit an MT forum, I hope I would recognize that perhaps the primary concern of those people wouldn't be the professional frustrations of nurses. And what was with the comment about imposters, anyway?

mydesygn · Apr 16, 2005

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.

I live in the Dallas/Fort Worth area which has a much lower cost of living than New York. New Grads start at 19.00 an hour, I am a nurse with 14 years experince currently earning 27.00 which for a nurse with my experience is roughly midpoint. If I do not move into management, I can expect to top out in the next few years.

(1) Most RN's make a decent living, however; pay is not commisurate with experience when you began to compare to other professional occupations requiring 2 year degreed specially trained workers. Personal I think that plumbers and electricians probably earn more I do.

(2) New York (and California) specifically the cost of living is so much higher. I built a new 2180 sq foot home for a purchase price of 95,500. A house of similiar size in New York or California would be almost double that price. I have family in New York who pay more in rent for a crappy apartment than I do for a home. If you start factoring in the cost of gas (especially in California) as well as ealectricity.

LydiaNN · Apr 16, 2005

I live in the Dallas/Fort Worth area which has a much lower cost of living than New York. New Grads start at 19.00 an hour, I am a nurse with 14 years experince currently earning 27.00 which for a nurse with my experience is roughly midpoint. If I do not move into management, I can expect to top out in the next few years.
(1) Most RN's make a decent living, however; pay is not commisurate with experience when you began to compare to other professional occupations requiring 2 year degreed specially trained workers. Personal I think that plumbers and electricians probably earn more I do.
(2) New York (and California) specifically the cost of living is so much higher. I built a new 2180 sq foot home for a purchase price of 95,500. A house of similiar size in New York or California would be almost double that price. I have family in New York who pay more in rent for a crappy apartment than I do for a home. If you start factoring in the cost of gas (especially in California) as well as ealectricity.

I don't mean to be nitpicky here, but the price for a house like you describe would run more like 6 or 7 times the purchase price you paid (in the metro areas, at least, and as the urban sprawl continues, more and more of CA is being consumed into metro areas). I only point it out to further emphasize for the OP (who may not even be even be reading posts at this point) how easy it is to say we're not paid well!

mattsmom81 · Apr 16, 2005

"Nurses are the only people who, when confronted with the enemy, circle the wagons and shoot each other."--- posted by NurseGoodnight

What a sad and true comment on our profession.

Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN · Apr 16, 2005

Apparently. There's not enough 4 x 4's to sop up the blood i've just surfed through on this thread.

scooterRN52 · Apr 16, 2005

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. :angryfire :angryfire

I couldn't do 50-60 hrs. a week in my position, clinical work in a hospital is very hard on your body, if I didn't work out in a gym 3 days a week I wouldn't be able to do my job, I work nites for the money and also my sanity

Administration of healthcare is too unrealistic to me, they stay in the office

and off the battlefield where the reality of nursing begins and never stops.

I sometimes do 8-12 hrs. OT a month, but no more than that. I became a nurse because I want to be where the action is and I'm always up for the next challenge. I am in my mid 50's and will probably remain on the floor until I am 60, then supervise, but I hope to remain in the hospital working until I retire. :) By the way I chose not to further my degree because as you say, it doesn't pay, If I go back to school it will be for something other than nursing. :) I currently hold an assoc. degree in nursing.

scooterRN52 · Apr 16, 2005

I live in the Dallas/Fort Worth area which has a much lower cost of living than New York. New Grads start at 19.00 an hour, I am a nurse with 14 years experince currently earning 27.00 which for a nurse with my experience is roughly midpoint. If I do not move into management, I can expect to top out in the next few years.
(1) Most RN's make a decent living, however; pay is not commisurate with experience when you began to compare to other professional occupations requiring 2 year degreed specially trained workers. Personal I think that plumbers and electricians probably earn more I do.
(2) New York (and California) specifically the cost of living is so much higher. I built a new 2180 sq foot home for a purchase price of 95,500. A house of similiar size in New York or California would be almost double that price. I have family in New York who pay more in rent for a crappy apartment than I do for a home. If you start factoring in the cost of gas (especially in California) as well as ealectricity.

You could never build any house here in penna. for the above price that you have quoted, unless it was in the projects where it is nothing but poverty.

Townhouses start at250,000.00 in an old neighborhood. If they are new homes they start at 300, to 400,000.00

scooterRN52 · Apr 16, 2005

You dont get into the 6 figures, I do

How many hours a week do you work?

Believe me, I make closer to a 6 figure salary on 40 hrs. a week on a stepdown unit w/ no OT. :)

scooterRN52 · Apr 16, 2005

"Nurses are the only people who, when confronted with the enemy, circle the wagons and shoot each other."--- posted by NurseGoodnight
What a sad and true comment on our profession.

You are so correct w/ that statement! I wonder if that has any thing to do w/ the fact that the profession of nursing has not progressed when it comes to the pay and salary we continue to fight for along w/ professional status.

We get less respect than physician's assistants and probably less pay.

Thats pretty odd when you think about it, because most nurses have more education than a PA. I guess the AMA. has more pull than the ANA. :rotfl: