Interview etiquette for finding out the pay!!!

[XYnurse2B]

So, I've been applying all over the country. Every place is different. Sometimes I'm speaking with HR. Sometimes with the Nurse Manager. I've even spoken with a CNO. I'm aware that you NEVER start an interview/conversation with $$$ talk. Besides, I really do have other questions about the place I am interviewing for. Sometimes, an HR person will just throw out the pay/diffs/OT, sometimes the nurse managers don't even know! So my question is this... When is it o.k. to ask, straight up, what the starting pay is? I've been told there is some flexibility in the starting wage for a new grad. True or untrue? What if there's two of us? (husband/wife). I just had my first negative (hesitant) response from an interviewer when I asked, but everyone else has seemed totally fine with it... What's your take AllNurses Nation???

[meluhn]

In my city there are so many RN positions postings in various types of ads in 10+ major hospitals in the metro area, however just because the jobs are posted and there are vacancies that does not mean they are hiring. Many of these facilities are on a hiring freeze. Hopefully it will change for the better soon.

They do that where I am too. I dont understand why they do that. There are multiple jobs posted but then I hear through the grapevine that there is a hiring freeze.