How much do YOU think nurses are worth?

[mystory]

Personally, I think nurses are grossly underpaid. I am 10 years in and I think I should be earning a bare minimum of $150k/yr. I hear what my friends/relatives are making, who have degrees in business, human resources, communications, marketing, PR, etc. (I'm in NYC) and they make so much more than me. Additionally, they have cushy schedules which allow them a better work/life balance, and they generally talk favorably about their jobs and report manageable stress levels at work.

Are you satisfied with your pay? What do you think nurses are "worth" (in regards to salary)?

[RiskManager]

Bedside nurses do not (themselves) generate money, rather, they are often one of the largest expenses, thus employers will do everything in their power to hold wages low.

As they taught me in business school, and as I subsequently saw in the budget process, about 66-70% of typical business operating costs are personnel costs: wages and benefits.

[Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN]

Really? I'm also in NYC, and as a new grad, I make as much, if not more, than friends in business/HR/finance, etc, who have been in those positions for years. And with all the horror stories I hear about "busy season", I'm very happy with my salary and schedule.

My husband used to work as an auditor, and during tax season he would be gone 20 hrs a day.

[Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN]

I'm priceless.

That being said, the healthcare system couldn't sustain itself if every nurse was paid 150k.

More like the CEO's wouldn't live in their big fancy houses and drive their big fancy cars. I work for a VERY large, nation wide corporation. My opinion...$75 K for 5 years exp. as staff nurse in post acute rehab.

To raise a nurse from $75K/yr to $150K/yr, times the 1200 nurses employed by my hospital works out to $90 million. The CEO could work for free and not save $90,000,000.

[MurseJJ]

My husband used to work as an auditor, and during tax season he would be gone 20 hrs a day.

Yes, exactly. Friends tell me how they'd get to work at 8am and leave around 3am, and would get looks if they tried to leave before 11pm. And this is all salary, so no time and a half OT pay.

[David13, MSN, RN]

I'm priceless.

That being said, the healthcare system couldn't sustain itself if every nurse was paid 150k.

But the healthcare system can sustain CEOs making 10x that amount? In my humble opinion, it seems there should be a ratio that is somewhat better balanced.

[Aloe_sky]

Not every nurse deserves to make that much, not all of us carry out the same tasks. I know a nurse that sits behind a desk arranging house visits that gets paid $10 more an hour then a bedside nurse in our area. I know another nurse that handles healthcare facility complaints, again making more then a nurse providing direct patient care. There are professors that make about that much, practitioners and nurse anesthetists also that make about that. I know nurses at some facilities that have 3 -5 patients without a tech/pca/aide and some that take care of 2 with an aide assistant and are able to sleep most of their shift. It really depends.

[Asystole RN]

But the healthcare system can sustain CEOs making 10x that amount? In my humble opinion, it seems there should be a ratio that is somewhat better balanced.

LOL.

And in a health system with 5,000 nurses, how many CEOs are there lol? Not exactly an apples to apples thing here. Having worked for companies with a great CEO and companies with a terrible CEO I am personally in favor of their income being 100% based off of hitting business goals and employment satisfaction.

Talent is expensive, especially unique talent. I see this reflected in nurses all the time. I gave worked with some very talented nurses that make well over 100k, some well over 200k. If you can be replaced by any other nurse with a similar outcome then you deserve similar pay.