How much should nurses be paid?

[live4today]

As a registered nurse of sixteen years plus a few months, I think I should be making at least fifty dollars an hour base pay.

Aaaaaand......your thoughts on what you feel you should be paid for your professional nursing services?

[James Huffman]

I've followed this thread with some interest. A couple of thoughts.

1. I've found nurses notoriously reticent to say -- in effect -- "This is what I'm worth, and this is what I charge." Until that happens, don't be shocked that you are not paid what you think you are worth. Don't be shy. When I started out, I found it helpful to say -- out loud, to myself -- "My fee is ___ per hour." Or whatever.

2. Some nurses think there's something wrong with saying they are worth a certain amount per procedure, hour, or case. There's no disconnect between saying "I'm a nurse, and I like doing what I do," and "I'm worth what I charge."

3. In many cases, nurses are the victim of what is technically known as monopsony, where there are numerous sellers (that is, nurses selling their services) and only one buyer (one hospital, or often several that pay basically the same amount for nursing services. This is especially true in small communities, where there are often no independent nursing services, home health agencies, or other employers of nurses.

4. One of the ways to begin correcting this problem problem is for nurses to begin working as self-employed independent contractors and other such independent arrangements. That's not a final solution (I think the ultimate goal should be a whole range of options for nurses, but that's a ways down the road) but it will begin to give nurses options in the meantime, and will provide the competition that will be good for consumers, nurses, and ultimately the whole health care industry.

Jim Huffman, RN

http://www.NetworkforNurses.com