Job offer and salary negotiations

[runner_rn]

I have been working at a small hospital on a Med-Surg floor for the past almost 4 years (November will be 4yrs.). This was my first job out of nursing school and I really do like the hospital I work for along with most of the staff in the hospital. I have been thinking about switching specialties for a while as I want to continue to grow my skills and my career. An opening in our OR came up and I applied.

The job will allow me to be trained as a perioperative nurse, a pacu nurse, to do infusion sevices, day surgery and endoscopy. I will need to get ACLS and PALS certification as well as moderate sedation training. Being a small hospital the call requirement is every 5th night and weekend. Unfortunately I live too far away to respond in 30 minutes from my house so I will have to stay with my parents during my call shifts. (My husband and I have been talking about moving closer to where we both work for a little while, but we won't be able to sell our house for at least a year.) As the opportunities are so great for training and learning new skills I am willing to make this sacrifice.

I was offered the job today. However I was told the pay would be the same as what I have been making as a Med-Surg nurse. I was hoping for at least a little increase in pay. Am I out of luck since I am just switching departments? I know if I went to another area hospital I would be offered more. I had also applied to an OR job at another hospital where I would strictly be a perioperative nurse. Unfortunately I have not heard back yet and even if I get a call for an interview I will no know if I will be offered the position by the time I need to make a decision about this job.

Is it OK to ask for more money? Do OR nurses make more typically than Med-Surg nurses? How do I go about this? Should I ask for a specific amount? Do I have any room to negotiate? Any advise would be appreciated!

[HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD]

Congratulations on your opportunity to cross-train but it's important to keep things in perspective. Even though you are certainly an experienced Med-Surg nurse, you will be a novice nurse in your new specialty. They will be investing in you by providing the training that will eventually qualify you as a bona fide OR specialist.

FYI, Med-Surg is a specialty also. In my area of the country, "specialty" pay is not a given unless you are certified.

[roser13, ASN, RN]

You are likely dealing with a salary scale based on years of experience and therefore will not be successful in trying to negotiate. Besides, I'm not sure why you would assume that perioperative nurses would earn more than Med/Surg nurses? Your facility already will be expending a lot of time and $$ on your training.