''I Don't get Paid Enough!''- Is this your mantra??

Nurses General Nursing

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there seems to be an increasing trend of people gravitating towards nursing for great pay, benefits, and flexibility! here in ny nurses on long island can start with as much as $70k, for all those who have worked as a nurse do you really believe your level of pay matches the level of care you administer or the amount of work you do? i'm an lpn and i do feel that i am underpaid for the level of care/tasks i am expected to perform.

I usually think I get paid well, except last week when I saw that pharmacists in our area start at 80K/year. (For about 5 minutes I wanted to go back to school to be a pharmacist)

I make close to 70K and the average home price here is 235 K. Although in looking at home prices, they seem to be a lot more pricey than the purported average.

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Specializes in orthopedics, ED observation.

this is definitely one of those issuse where i can identify with both "sides".

i feel that generally i am well paid for my level of education and current skill set, however there are days when i am not paid enough to put up with the things we are forced to deal with. (short staffing, rude family, pharmacy frustrations, nas w/ attitude, fill in your issue here...) the post w/ the hazard pay per issue was great! as for flexibility - not sure how being forced to work holidays and weekends translates into flexiblity... although, there certainly are many other settings and job opportunities (ie. not traditional bedside nursing settings) that may offer more flexible schedules...

as far as getting into nursing for the money as the primary motivation, for me personally that would be a quick ticket to burn out. i'm here because i like working w/ people. i do, however, expect to be well paid for my time, energy, knowledge and current skill set. for example, i worked a double last week, and while i wouldn't have done it without the additional overtime pay, my primary motivation was providing safe care to my patients (and saving frustration for my oncoming co-rns) by not leaving the next shift to work short staffed. it wasn't the thought of the money that got me through the night, it was the knowledge that i was helping my team, who will (and have) in turn help(ed) me.

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I'm baffled by those who say "I'm not in it for the money."

Would you work if you were not paid? If your answer is "no," then you're in it for the money. We're just negotiating a number.

Did we take a vow of poverty that I don't remember? Why is it that nurses have a problem with saying, "I do a good job, I provide quality professional care for my patients, and I expect to be paid very well"?

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Specializes in HCA, Physch, WC, Management.

I don't make enough money for what I do but... I'm not a nurse yet so who knows if this theme will continue or not.

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Specializes in Education, Acute, Med/Surg, Tele, etc.

Nurses that do consider money as part of their career path are being smart investors in their personal time, financial responsiblities, and right in line with ethical work standards! I don't get this stuff about nursing being one of the few careers where you get dissed for saying...'sure the money is great, and I can pay my bills with it!".

No, you aren't...well more than likely...going to be a rich person from it...but it is nice stable work, and like so many people that sing the praises of nursing say...it is diverse, stable, and has many opportunities..and this includes financial gains as well!

It is like I said in another post...how many of us would consider a job opportunity that will pay much less than a present job because you realize that maybe that employer can't afford competitve wages and the need for help for their clients is great despite ability to pay well??? Not many I know of...I know I wouldn't! I need my income to keep my home and electricity on...and my bill collectors give about as much care to my own financial troubles as my patients give a hoot about my personal goals to really help them! Neither care, but it is RIGHT for me to provide both with what they require regardless of their point of view.

Now...to the question at hand. I feel that I make a fine wage...it is not the top, and as I just recently found out about 4 dollars under what I should be making at my level per my facilities new contract (which since I signed on the dotted line years ago...well, I get what I get). I am happy to be employed, work with a great set of nurses that take things in stride and come together in times of hardship, I have benifits (which so many folks today don't...so I value that!), and I do feel appreciated most of the time from management! Who could ask for more...okay I could I guess...but I am very content so I don't need to.

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Okay, I'm saying it - Y'ALL ARE NOT PAID ENOUGH!

I'm an evening nursing student. I make $78,000 at my day job writing the crap on cosmetics packages. I'm not under constant threat of lawsuit, I don't get exposed to half the diseases, I don't lift people, I don't get shortstaffed and I work normal day hours.

Why change? I wanted a career that actually makes a meaningful, positive impact on the world. Makeup ain't it.

My starting salary as a nurse will be about $70,000.

No, it should be more. You deserve it. :bow:

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Specializes in Trauma ICU, Surgical ICU, Medical ICU.

To the people who are saying that we do it because we get paid, well thats a no-brainer. Of course we do it to get paid, but nobody usually goes into nursing (as many other people who go into different areas) expecting a high-dollar salary. However, my idea of high dollar salary and yours may be different (I am a new grad and I make $19.58/hr, this is NOT high dollar salary to me) . Anyone would accept MORE pay and were not saying we wouldnt, but if you say you strictly do it for the money, you are definately not 'nurse material' and you will reach burnout quickly. I also know that on my unit in particular, people could make more money by going to different hospitals or units, but they love the co-workers, managers, and patients they work for. It is a hospitible and caring place and we generally look out for one another. A doc would NEVER yell at me because they know if they did they would be written up in the next breath and SOMETHING WOULD BE DONE about it. This is worth WAY more to me than money. So were not trying to be martyrs or anything, and of course we want paid well, who doesnt? I guess I just believe there is a lot more to a 'profession' than making money. You have to love what you do. If you dont you should seriously take a long hard look at what you are doing and change it and start doing what you love.

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Specializes in ER, PCU, ICU.

I make right at 6 figures for working an average of 16 days a month, I get between 5 and 8 days off every other week and a take a month off roughly every 6 months. For the number of days I work in a year, I get paid pretty darn well.

I've made more annually working for myself, but I put in 100+ hours a week to do it with no vacations for as long as 3 years. I'm done with that. Life is too short to always worry about making mo' money. I appreciate making a decent income and having the time away from work to enjoy it.

If I wanted to be rich, nursing wouldn't have been my first choice because I don't know anyone who got rich nursing. It is, however, a stable profession with a lot of flexibility and upward potential.

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Specializes in Oncology, Research.

If you had told me that I would be making in the 50-60K range 4 years out of nursing school I would have been salivating. Initially. Of course they started me at 17.25 so even a dollar more sounded spectacular. However, 4 years, a mortgage, property taxes (over 4K on 1200 sf!), 2 car loans, never ending student loans, a baby and a husband (or is that 2 babies) later, I realize that I really don't make squat. To top it off, my employer (a large uni) gets less and less money from the state every year and, consequently, we haven't received a COLA in 2 years. Now, I can't complain too much because nobody here gets paid all that well. Some of my colleagues who have been in nursing 20 more years than myself are only paid a few thousand dollars more. And when I really start feeling sorry for myself I think of some of my old college professors (anthro not nursing) who still make less than I do even they have PhDs!

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I think any meeting where the words press ganey are mentioned should be 10,000$ per meeting, extra if you have to "role play"

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Anyone who goes into nursing for the money probably isn't nurse material IMHO.

:twocents:

I wonder if we changed this to: "Anyone who goes into medicine for the money probably isn't doctor material."

Does that change anything?

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Specializes in Operating Room Nursing.

I'm not one of those people who believe nursing is a calling and you shouldn't be in it for the money. Nursing is a profession, we should be paid accordingly, we should not be expected to work for lower wages and under crap conditions because we're supposed to be in it for the caring, blah blah.

I don't believe that we are paid enough. The problem is though that collectively we are weak and the government plays on this. I was involved with the work bans and strikes we had last year and what a joke that was. One thing i learned is that the public love nurses, but as soon as their elective surgery or their relatives is cancelled because we're trying to improve our pay and working conditions then we are suddenly selfish, and they honestly believe that as nurses we should just put up with low pay and poor working conditions.

Interestingly enough our docs are going on strike at the moment and threatening mass resignations. A lot of elective surgery has been cancelled today and will be tomorrow as well. They are going for a 20% pay increase, with 5% increases over the next three years. I bet that they will get this as well because they are a strong group and have the guts to make a stand like this.

We really have no one to blame but ourselves. Unless we're willing to stand up for ourselves then we deserve the pay we get. Too many nurses have the attitude that we shouldn't be in it for the money and it's a calling, it's a 'normal' part of nursing to work under appalling conditions. They are dragging us down and this attitude needs to be changed for us to get anywhere.

I for one am seriously considering a career change. While i love my job in theatre i'm finding that i'm dealing with so much more job stress than my non nursing friends who make similar money. I value my health too much to put myself through this for too much longer when i can make similar money doing something that wont' break my back.

[And I swear there should be a sliding scale "Hazardous Duty" pay:

Angry family member=$25

Cranky Maladjusted Doctor=$35 (per minute of my time your wasting with your childish diatribe.)

Short Staffing=$75 (per freakin hour I need the CNAs as much as the residents do!)

Misplaced Meds/Missing Meds=$100 per med. (Like I really have the time to crawl through two med carts and the nonexistant back-up box.)

Multiple Falls (Due to Short Staffing)= First Fall well heck I'll give you that one for free, it can happen any shift....Subsequent Falls=$250....Falls requiring Neuro Checks or a trip to the ER=$450

Feel free to add your own...]

I would like to add

Standing scrubbed for long hours

Having to wear a lead gown for long hours

Having to deal with multiple, contaminated sharps for long hours

Having to deal with angry surgeons

Sorry this turned into a bit of a vent. I'm stepping off my soap box, Long day....:no:

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