Published
So I just put in my two week notice at my job as a server at a restaurant. I just made $110 in tips + minimum wage in 8 hours tonight ,which is pretty decent. My job is flexible, fast-paced, and had great people, and was stable.
I'm giving all this up to take a six week course, to look for a CNA job that probably pays $10/hr and is about the same stress level and hard work as a waitress if not more.
I think I'm crazy but I had to make a choice, and nursing experience seemed like the way to go, especially when my husband can help out.
BUT Goodness, it is hard to give up a good job that fit with my school schedule!!! Wish me luck :)
I'm an LVN and haven't seen $21 an hour lately! Nobody earning this kind of money should quit their job to earn $8.50 if they're lucky.
I agree. You'd be better off keeping the $21/hr job and just do volunteer work at a hospital for the experience. I was a tech before becoming an RN and a volunteer would see basically the same things as a CNA. You will learn only so much after wiping the 100th butt!!!:lol2:
I agree. You'd be better off keeping the $21/hr job and just do volunteer work at a hospital for the experience. I was a tech before becoming an RN and a volunteer would see basically the same things as a CNA. You will learn only so much after wiping the 100th butt!!!:lol2:
This is probably the best career advice ever given!
Bravo to all of you taking that brave step. I made that choice ten years ago and haven't looked back. I am currently a Registered Nurse. Not only will you have an employer that will let you flex your shifts to adhere to school schedule, but you will have a wealth of knowledge to bring to your ADN programs. Taking the step toward nursing is always a hard one and I encourage anyone considering it not to take the decision lightly. The best way to investigate whether this is a good field is to take a CNA class and practice. If you finish it and decide it isn't for you, then all you are out is a couple hundred bucks. Former classmates of mine have discovered that nursing might not have been the best field for them, 20,000 dollars later. This is a great compromise.
She is getting screwed over, probably works for one of the many employers that have lowered their wages. But at least she is working.
Actually, she had been laid off (from a $63/hr job-inpatient psych), lives in the bay area (no jobs) and is now working home care....she was out of work for 1 1/2 years before she got this job. I did the same job 20 years ago-for $18. It just hasn't gone up much over the years.
I can almost guess which home health agency is paying her $21 an hour! Yes, she is in dire straits there in the Bay area. I had to leave because I was going too long being unemployed. Funny you should mention you did hh for $18 an hour 20 years ago. That is what I was being paid in that area 10 years ago. Employers are lowering their hh wages across the board throughout the state.
i walked away from a decent paying job in health insurance a year ago to be a cna and took a 40% pay cut. i must say though, that the experience has truly been invaluable. thankfully, i have a very supportive husband who wants me to go to nursing school. we moved to a smaller, cheaper apartment, got rid of 1 of our cars and started sharing the 1 we had left, and got on a budget. i can't say i would do the same thing if we owned a home. selling a house to be a cna would be a bit much...but this is exactly why we don't have a mortgage yet...we didn't quite know where life would take us.
I can almost guess which home health agency is paying her $21 an hour! Yes, she is in dire straits there in the Bay area. I had to leave because I was going too long being unemployed. Funny you should mention you did hh for $18 an hour 20 years ago. That is what I was being paid in that area 10 years ago. Employers are lowering their hh wages across the board throughout the state.
Actually, all the agencies around here are paying about the same for medi-cal contract cases. They don't get paid, so the nurses don't either. Also, with these cases, they can't bill more for RN's-licensed=licensed. I was an LVN at the time, but the LVN's & RN's are paid pretty much the same.
I do have to add, (what can I say, I'm a bit of a devil's advocate) that keeping folks at home with even only 8hr/day licensed respite care costs a BUCKET more to the state than SNF care, which is probably why they aren't really very enthusiastic about raising the contract rates. This doesn't even count all the invisable costs, like case management. From a purely pragmatic viewpoint: If the state doesn't raise the rates paid to home care agencies then the nurses aren't paid very well. Fewer nurses go into home care. Families/individuals can't find caregivers. Client goes to SNF. State saves money. LOTS of money.
I do home care for my own reasons, tons of money not being one of them. I just do not agree with the practices employed by some employers that are unfair to one nurse over another. That is an employer distinction though that can not be blamed on the reimbursement source. Lack of integrity is never called-for and erodes the respect an employee should have toward their employer. When I hear others complain about the pay rate, I remind them that they could be working in LTC facilities responsible for 30 to 80 people for about the same wage. That puts things into proper perspective for most.
caliotter3
38,333 Posts
I'm an LVN and haven't seen $21 an hour lately! Nobody earning this kind of money should quit their job to earn $8.50 if they're lucky.