If healthcare reform resulted in salary caps of $40k for nurses would you stay?

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I'm not asking for a debate about wether or not healthcare reform would result in salary caps, I just want to know would you stay in nursing if your salary was capped at $45k? what about $35k? where would you draw the line? for arguments sake lets say advanced practice nurses got a $10k premium.

I'm not asking for a debate about wether or not healthcare reform would result in salary caps, I just want to know would you stay in nursing if your salary was capped at $45k? what about $35k? where would you draw the line? for arguments sake lets say advanced practice nurses got a $10k premium.

WOW! I read some responses and it seems like many did not read the first post. Its real simple. would you stay at 40k? Answer:Hell no! I work in the Bay Area Ca (IMO, the Mecca of nursing, where our salary makes it worth it) and 40k is not even half of what I earn. And yes, living out here, I need every penny. If my hospital were to decrease my base pay, I would leave right in the middle of the shift.

forgive me if i sound lost, I didnt have time to read every post.

ps. hi everyone, its my first post! :)

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I'm not asking for a debate about wether or not healthcare reform would result in salary caps, I just want to know would you stay in nursing if your salary was capped at $45k? what about $35k? where would you draw the line? for arguments sake lets say advanced practice nurses got a $10k premium.

In my rural area here in Illinois $45,000 would be a blessing. Almost every single hospital, nursing home and home health care pays $19.00 an hour. Some people think I'm crazy to work for that amount, but our cost of living is low and I don't know of any other places that pay higher unless I went to Chicago.

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Specializes in LTC.

I haven't read this whole thread and I haven't even gotten a job yet but I will say I would work for $40,000. Based on what everyone has said here, nursing is very stressful. Having had both horrifically boring and terribly stressful jobs in the past, I'd most definitely choose stressful over boring. My heart may not like it but there is nothing worse than being literally bored to tears.

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Specializes in Management, Emergency, Psych, Med Surg.

Well, I don't know. I make about $70 now living just outside Seattle. Housing up here is VERY expensive. A pay cut of that much would be hard. My husband makes the same amount. We would have to sell this house and move much farther north in order to get something we could afford. Nursing is all that I know how to do. There is no other job that I would be interested in doing.

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And I respect those answers. Although I disagree with the statement that $40k is poverty, it IS hardly fair recompense for the study, work, and responsibilities involved in much of nursing. However, "most would say" is not the say as "the current proposal states". I am trying to find if there are any hard facts behind the original question.

Another hypothetical: would you stay in nursing if your pay was cut by 10%, your malpractice insurance was cut by 75%, your health insurance was cut by 50%, and your workload was acuity-based with no more than 6 patients?

keithjones, thank you for the clarification. I attempted to expound on your original thread by asking what is acceptable "reform"? Is there acceptable "reform"? I am in the camp of "Reform" "The sky is falling!" and nurses know what nurses need better than any politician or accountant so let's have a hand in steering this ship.

Hate to tell you, but I have a BSN and don't make $40K! I WISH I made $40K!

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Specializes in Oncology/Haemetology/HIV.

It's not going to happen so why worry about it?

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First thing I've learned: never EVER say never.

Second thing I've learned: there are three things you never discuss with anyone: politics, religion, and universal health care. :)

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Specializes in Geriatrics.

I'm so glad that people are saying they wouldn't stay in nursing if salary caps were put into place. That's an excellent way to weed out the bad nurses who are only in the profession for the money.

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Specializes in Operating Room.
I'm so glad that people are saying they wouldn't stay in nursing if salary caps were put into place. That's an excellent way to weed out the bad nurses who are only in the profession for the money.

One could take the opposite view..if they cap nurses salaries, the best and the brightest won't go into nursing and those who are intelligent enough to find and succeed in a new profession may do so. Leaving the nurses who are desperate to have any job, or don't have the resources/brains to pursue something else.:smokin:

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Specializes in M/S, MICU, CVICU, SICU, ER, Trauma, NICU.
One could take the opposite view..if they cap nurses salaries, the best and the brightest won't go into nursing and those who are intelligent enough to find and succeed in a new profession may do so. Leaving the nurses who are desperate to have any job, or don't have the resources/brains to pursue something else.:smokin:

The best and brightest would abandon ship and work for people who are willing to pay for their brains. You are SO correct.

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Specializes in M/S, MICU, CVICU, SICU, ER, Trauma, NICU.
I'm so glad that people are saying they wouldn't stay in nursing if salary caps were put into place. That's an excellent way to weed out the bad nurses who are only in the profession for the money.

If I seriously wanted to make money, I would've worked for my uncle who is a VP of a consulting firm and makes 7 figures a year.

Even as an intern for his company I would've been making double what I make--low person on the totem pole.

Whomever is in nursing for money--geez, Louise, you've got to be kidding me---:chuckle

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One of the blessings of being ignorant I guess is that you don't know what your missing. I have one year left of school and only have the vaguest idea of what an RN earns. I've had figures from $31k to $75k a year thrown at me depending on location and type of work. Just to be safe I have planned my finances on the lower assumption to meet my bills, student loans, and providing for my family. With the economy the way it is I figured worse comes to worse the number one issue for me to attack is just employment regardless of pay. As for the evils/good of healthcare reform vs doing nothing I havent seen enough but a lot of gibberish and doom scenarios from both sides of the debate. I can see how cost to consumers (patients) could be lowered which in turn may mean less income for care providers to pay salaries and hire staff. I also could see with the influx of "newly" insured consumers that care providers will need more staff to safely meet their healthcare demands. So either healthcare reform could mean several good things or several bad things. My crystal ball is a bit murky. I would have to see a completed outlined plan and actual working American models to decide how it affects me as good or bad. As for the OP query yea to me a job is a job even at what is considered less pay. On the other hand if I had been making $55k and lowered to 40k I'd be a bit miffed. I remember years ago seeing the higher on bonuses advertised for nurses in the papers, those are long gone and I'm still in school inching along to RN so income must not be my number #1 reason for doing it (even tho it does rank in the top 5)

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