So I recently started a new rn job. I just found out that my salary is only $0.5 higher than new grads in the hospital I work at. I have almost 2yrs experience. Suddenly I dont feel like working anymore. I'm so discouraged right now. Is 0.5 difference appropriate or am i asking for too much?
Looking back at it. Only reason I decided to take it is because a relative works there.
I think I shouldn't have been a coward and negotiated for a higher salary. But i just hate confrontations like that. it makes me anxious and scared. I dont do it a lot. Im just such a coward... sigh... I hate myself for this. I had a feeling at first that the base rate offered by the recruiter was low but I was just such a fearful, unbrave dummy so i took it like I was desperate to work there.
What can I do or should do? Its already too late to talk to the recruiter about it. And I'd be scared to do so. I already accepted and signed all the paperwork and already on orientation.
Should I apply to another facility and make sure I bargain my base rate? Should I stay at this hospital for a few months till I find a better paying position? Stay for 2 years so that I wont be accused of hopping around jobs?
This has less to do with fair than it does with the market conditions where the OP lives and the pay range used in determining his or her monetary value to the organization.
I agree with you! I meant it more like, it's okay to feel the way you do. ?
Would finding out that the new grads being paid only 50 cents less than you are also on draconian contracts that prevent them from leaving without paying a financial lump sum make you feel better or worse? Its likely enough that's the case.
Well the new grads that i talked with said that they didnt sign a 2 yr commitment or something like that. They are free to leave and if they left before 6 months, they are not hireable again by the same corporation.
I don't know how Im going to feel working next to a new grad who gets paid almost the same as me but then i might also end up also teaching/training that person. I can do more than new grad, but im only getting paid .50 more. I didn't even get a sign on bonus.
I honestly feel like poop. I want to resign. But im already on orientation. I dont want to start over again with the job applications and new hires stuff.... only thing i see is to stay knowing that im not being compensated...
I cant stop thinking about how i just didnt negotiate. I should've been brave... life sucks major.
Years ago I worked for a facility that at one point new grad, new hire employees were getting better starting rates than some of the nurses were currently getting paid who had worked there for several years. Now that really bit some people hard.....some people made a stink about it....so there was a meeting that some of us were getting raises....so that we would make the same as those who we were precepting. That also went over great. Some complained about this and management told them they were lucky to have a job...sometimes it just is what it is.
For what it’s worth, a lot of large companies use a pay grid so to speak. X number of years experience as x,y,or z equals X amount of pay-take it or leave it, it’s the starting rate for someone with a given background. Sometimes it’s a big difference in a positive light....others, well, not so much. Best advice I can give is to research how much the average rate for a position is with a specific employer for your amount of experience before your interview. This will give you an idea if your offer is fair and what you can likely expect. Go in asking too much and you will never see an offer because they cannot afford you. Go in asking too little, they may wonder why they can get you so cheap.
My father once told me (he was a 9th level manager for a huge car manufacturer) that "You're never going to get what you deserve unless you ask for it. Nobody is just going to hand it to you and tell you you're doing a good job." That being said, I don't have experience as a nurse, but I have lots of experience in the workforce. Comparing your pay to others will only make you mad- you have to assess the job you're doing and ask yourself if you're making what you deserve. You never know why somebody is getting paid more or less than you- that's really only between that person and management. And going to a manager to say "so-and-so gets paid this..." won't do you any good. You can't control what new grads are hired at, but you CAN control the rate you're hired at. You already missed that boat is sounds like, because you accepted the job already and are working. You'll have to either wait after a period of time and then argue your case as to why you deserve a raise, or look for a new job with a higher starting pay.
Leaving one job essentially increased my pay by 15 percent (and I didn't even have to negotiate). Factor in way cheaper and better insurance and I come out even more ahead.
Stay a year and then ask at your annual review. If they refuse, leave.
Nursing is not the only profession in which that is common.
I understand your frustration, but at this point the best thing for you to do right now is, when you've had time to settle down from the news, think what will benefit you most overall in the long term, not what will temporarily make you "feel better." And as someone already mentioned, any discussion of how you came to have this knowledge will be awkward to say the least, and may not win you any friends.
With only two years of experience, I wouldn't think job hopping would be in your best interest. If the job is otherwise even close to what you expected, try to forget the salary thing for now, be the best nurse you can be and learn all that you can, and wait until your first review to broach the subject. You'll be in a much better position then to discuss your value.
Also, don't be so hard on yourself. None of us bat 1000 all the time. This isn't the end of the world. Learn from this experience so that the next time you're negotiating you'll be better prepared. You're really still just starting your career in nursing. Be proud of your accomplishments so far and keep that "young nurse" enthusiasm!
Someone above mentioned a pay grid, and that is what I have seen in most hospitals and large organizations. Where I currently work, RN’s get paid based on the number of years they’ve been a nurse. There is no negotiation. As an example (not actually salaries)
RN with no experience might get 24.00 am hour, one year of experience 24.10, 2 years, 24.25, etc. There is a table HR is required to follow. There are annual across the board raises only...for instance, every nurse might get 1%, 2% or 3% increase. We also get small extras for precepting or being charge nurse, such as an extra dollar an hour to precept or an extra dollar an hour to be charge, etc. I don’t recall the exact numbers because I’m not eligible for any annual raises or hourly bonuses for doing these things because I’ve been a float pool nurse for 3.5 years and my pay is a flat rate based on number of years of experience, <5 years, 5-10 years, 10+ years. For instance, I recently finished my MSN and make the same as float pool nurses with an Associates degree. I believe this is the same principle for floor nurses. You can also get extra pay for joining committees by coming into work on your days off to participate in monthly or quarterly meetings, depending on the committee.
In my career, I’ve found more pay flexibility at smaller companies and corporations, but benefits aren’t as good.
Is the job something you enjoy?
Was the pay rate acceptable when you were offered it?
How are the benefits?
Do you like the environment you will be working in?
Is the commute manageable?
There is so much more to consider than simply an hourly rate. With 2 years nursing experience, it is not surprising your pay is close to those with less experience as both are considered to be fairly new nurses.
Chin up. Work the job for a couple of years and do the best you can. Be a great co-worker. Go to work with a positive attitude. Join committees and network. Learn to be a preceptor and/or charge nurse. (Extra CBT’s or classes where I work.) Gather all the free or low cost education you can. Get certified in your area of practice. Alternatively, take your time to figure out areas in the field of nursing that you really enjoy and make a lateral move within the hospital in the next few years, then do all the above. That’s one of the best possible perks of working in a large hospital. Work in one area for a few years, then try a different area if you feel you will like it better. (IE: Telemetry to ICU, Surgery, or OB) Job satisfaction can go a long way in bringing you joy.
Your increase sounds pretty standard. I just had my own annual review and earned a higher-tier raise of 2%, which works out to an extra 0.38 an hour. In almost four years at this job (so almost 4 years of experience as a nurse) I have had a total increase of $2.38 with consistently very positive annual reviews; this includes an extra dollar an hour for earning my RN (so really only $1.38/hour in true raises). I am also just 20 cents away from the hourly pay cap, so after next year's review I will be maxed out.
Although I don't think nursing is unique in that wages aren't keeping up with cost of living, nursing is among the worst offenders.
Your increase sounds pretty standard. I just had my own annual review and earned a higher-tier raise of 2%, which works out to an extra 0.38 an hour. In almost four years at this job (so almost 4 years of experience as a nurse) I have had a total increase of $2.38 with consistently very positive annual reviews; this includes an extra dollar an hour for earning my RN (so really only $1.38/hour in true raises). I am also just 20 cents away from the hourly pay cap, so after next year's review I will be maxed out.
Although I don't think nursing is unique in that wages aren't keeping up with cost of living, nursing is among the worst offenders.
Topping out after only four years is not the norm in nursing. In fact, most places take twenty years of experience to get at the top of the pay scale. And having 2 percent be considered a higher raise is sad.
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I agree with you! I meant it more like, it's okay to feel the way you do. ?