How can you say you're not paid well?

hospitalstaph · Apr 8, 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.

Is 70,000 a year a livable salary for someone in New York?? I would be surprised if you could support a family on that. My hubby makes about 65,000 a year but with three kids it is often very tight, and we live in the midwest.

Believe me I am not at all trying to add to the debate:) I am just wonder how much 70,000 really is when you figure in the cost of living in NY.

Tracy

KarafromPhilly · Apr 8, 2005

Do you actually live in New York? Becuase I do and 52K, even 70K, is not a lot of money and I am single with no kids!! You forgot to factor in the union dues, NY State tax, New York City Tax etc. which came to $977.21 on my last paycheck.
Do you have any concept of how much rent is in Manhattan?? Even for a small one room studio in a nice part if the city that is 2 weeks of your paycheck. That is before utilities and other expenses etc.
I work in the biggest NICU in Manhattan, see the sickest babies and I am not up for working another day per week after being on my feet for over 12 hours working my a** off.

my little sister lives in Brooklyn, in a one bedroom 3rd floor walk-up--about 500 sq. feet--she pays $1250 a month. I was interested in working in Manhattan but when I found out what they pay nurses there, I LAUGHED OUT LOUD.

i

LydiaNN · Apr 8, 2005

I have a friend who lives with her boyfriend in Manhattan. She describes their 1 BR as being in a 'not great" neighborhood, and they pay a whooping $4K a month! When I think of the kind of house a $4K mortgage would afford me, here in real estate crazed San Diego, the thought of paying that amount of rent every month seems unbelievable. Even if my salary were tripled, I couldn't swing it!

BeachNurse · Apr 8, 2005

I agree that the OP should work as a nurse and then decide. I make less than $25/hr, but I work 9-5 hours, M-F, no nights, holidays, weekends, or call. None of my patients are critically ill. About the biggest risk I have is that I draw blood on HIV+ patients. This is the line of work I have chosen, and I feel that for having an Associate's degree I make pretty good money. I work on weekends occaisonally for an agency to make up my pay. I do home health at night (the pt. is sleeping all night usually and I don't do too much). Can't beat getting $21/hr. to do nothing but chart,monitor, and clean equipment.

I feel that people who want to become nurses should investigate the salary before going to nursing school. If the money isn't enough then they should choose a different field. Unless someone is forcing you into nursing, you DO have a choice.

RNKPCE · Apr 8, 2005

I agree with all of your post except that last line. Those shifts are all too frequent for some chronically understaffed facilities.
There ought to be some kind of compensatory pay for nurses who have to work in understaffed conditions, really, don't you think? It's so hazardous to the patient's and nurse's health to have to work like that.
Or maybe in the case of a call-off, the staff who does work should split the pay of the one who called out if no replacement was found?

I am fortunate to work in a facility that already had met the new state ratios in California before they were implemented. Even still my unit has increased their beds in the last year and we have been running full capacity these past few weeks. The other night we were 6 nurses short, they only had 4 scheduled. I have heard horror stories from nurse from other facilities. Some have even said that a bad night where I work is like a good night at their old hospital. That is why I have never left.

I would love if they gave premium pay when we are understaffed but that will never happen. At my friend's hospital you get 1.5 times pay if you come in on your day off with less than 24hr notice( no one ever agrees to come in extra until it is within 24hrs). At that rate I would be more likely to work extra.

*PICURN* · Apr 8, 2005

I agree that the OP should work as a nurse and then decide. I make less than $25/hr, but I work 9-5 hours, M-F, no nights, holidays, weekends, or call. None of my patients are critically ill. About the biggest risk I have is that I draw blood on HIV+ patients. This is the line of work I have chosen, and I feel that for having an Associate's degree I make pretty good money. I work on weekends occaisonally for an agency to make up my pay. I do home health at night (the pt. is sleeping all night usually and I don't do too much). Can't beat getting $21/hr. to do nothing but chart,monitor, and clean equipment.
I feel that people who want to become nurses should investigate the salary before going to nursing school. If the money isn't enough then they should choose a different field. Unless someone is forcing you into nursing, you DO have a choice.

I agree. I can't think of another job where you can make that kind of $$ straight out of school with your Associate's Degree, with that kind of job stability.

EDNURSEANGEL · Apr 8, 2005

I live in Memphis, TN. I went back to school and got a diploma in nursing. I have a BS in Bio. I make $20.28 hr plus shift diff. I work in one of the top 10 busiest ER in the country. On a daily basis I am spit at, cussed out, have pt take a swing at me, doctor's bitc*ing b/c lab lost the blood on the pt we had to fem stick.

Did I mention due to recent budget constraints. Nurses will now draw all their own blood. Transport all pt going to tele beds. And we cut your staffing numbers. Obviously since we had been working short every night, they could just cut the number and call us even.

No I don't think I get paid enough. When an alert labs gets called in I get it do the doc and get orders. I convince the little old lady in acute renal failure that she does need to stay in hospital even if she feels ok. I tell the family that their loved one is very ill and to come the the ER immediately, I tell the wife of a pt with a K level greater than 8 who is complaining aout it just being lab work and why did they have to come in tonight that if he didn't have a pacemaker he probably would have died, I bust my a$$ to get the acute MI to the cath lab in time to save his heart muscle. All the while taking care of 3 other patients. Thankful I brought soup for dinner b/c I don't have time to chew.

Angel :angryfire

NoCrumping · Apr 8, 2005

The money's not bad, it's the amount of responsibility that it's supposed to compensate you for that isn't quite fair.

TRUE. But, for me, the more money I make, the more things I "need", hence the more I spend.lol But, I , realize thats my problem!!! Allin all, I think a nurses salary is enough to live comfortably on.

NoCrumping · Apr 8, 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.....

What exactlty is double triple overtime...? It cant be what it sounds like.... your pay doubled, and then triple that number????? I never heard of that... I wold work every holiday...lol

NoCrumping · Apr 8, 2005

Actually a sad state of affairs considering we have peoples lives in our hands everyday.

I know , huh? My husband makes slightly more than me, he is a master mechanic for mercedes benz. I help/fix BABIES . He fixes CARS. It makes no sense.

NicInNC, CNA · Apr 8, 2005

I think the point isn't: Nurses can't survive on their salary.

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?

MultipurposeRN · Apr 8, 2005

I would think those wages in New York wouldn't really amount to much anyhow, depending on where you live. Aren't housing costs pretty outrageous there?