I have been filling in as an Interim Nurse Supervisor for a department at the hospital. This department is not a nursing unit, but is highly related to nursing and the position requires you to be a RN preferably with a BSN. I was offered this position, which is salaried and the pay is only going to be $1.00 more an hour. Seriously??? Is this right?? I was getting paid more for filling in on an Interim basis.
There is a lot of responsibility, such as managing the budget, staff evaluations, committees, meetings, managing the staff, etc....in addition to your normal everyday responsibilities. Even though it is not a Nurse Manager position on a nursing floor..it is still considered a management position.
Is this the typical amount a nurse manager makes when transitioning from staff nurse to management. I think I may be better off working as a nurse and receiving differential pay, weekend diff and holiday pay VS working a dayshift salaried job knowing that I will likely work more than my slotted hours some week.
Granted the hours and flexibility are great, but when it comes to paying bills I will be pinching pennies..especially when I know the potential to make more money is available. Money is not everything but it does help. I thought as a Manager, you would at least make maybe $3-6 more an hour, not one dollar. Especially with all of the added responsibility.
Would any of you take this job because the hours and flexibility are great OR would you rather work evenings, night and/or weekends where you know you will get paid for every hour you work, including OT in addition to differential pay???
Specializes in Management, Emergency, Psych, Med Surg.
It is a sad fact of health care but managers usually don't make much more than staff. I can tell you from vast management experience, even when I was at the director level with 7 departments to manage and over 300 employees, the night shift nurses made more per hour than I did. But I did not take my management jobs for the money. I took them because I loved management and felt that I could make real contributions in that role. And although I no longer work in a management capacity, I have very fond memories of those years and the experience it allowed me to gain. Management is something that can be quite rewarding when it is done well. I always felt that if I could get the staff what they needed, treat them in a fair manner, make expectations clear, follow up on their concerns and be at their back, they would take good care of the patients. And it never failed to be true. I did not get paid much, but my ultimate reward was to continue to this day, when I get a note or a hello from a nurse or other staff member that I worked with in the past who still feel that working with/ for me was a good experience for them. I was able to help develop others into the roles they hold today such as directors of nursing, deans of nursing programs, managers at all levels. I hope that something that I did along the way made that possible for me. Nursing has been a comfortable living for me. I did not get rich but I was happy with my career choice.
But it IS part of their job description, regardless of how much money they make. If they have problems filling the role, they shouldn't take the job.
And as long as Administration places these sort of expectations on their Managers for what really is crappy pay emplyees will continue to have crappy managers. It's a warm body issue, those who really should be in management have the good sense to stay away.
All of you have some very valid points and are really opening my eyes to a lot of things I never thought about before. I did not get into nursing for the money..as all of you know that for all that we have to do and deal with that sometimes we feel like we are not compensated enough.
My position is more of a supervisor but not management of an actual nursing unit, so it won't be as tedious as some other nursing management jobs. However it does require long hours and lots of administrative work as well as supervisory items. I would think, as many do, that with all of the added responsibilities that you would get compensated well for it, but at my hospital you don't. I have never been one who wanted a management role, maybe Charge Nurse from time to time but never an actual manager. I have worked salaried before in an office setting prior to becoming a nurse with Paid holidays and actually for any hours worked over 40 I was paid overtime..however in the hospital setting there are NO paid holidays (I can get paid my holiday if I choose to be off but I have to use my PTO time for that) and NO overtime pay when you are salaried.
As mentioned before money is not everything, but when you have bills to pay and other expenses sometimes money does play a factor. I would've thought the Interim pay and actual pay once offered the position would be the same, but of course when they "NEED" you, you can get that extra..but now once it's offered the real pay is introduced which is actually LESS than the Interim..it can be kind of shocking.
You guys are making my decision a lot easier, as I have NOT given them my final answer. I really don't see negotiations playing into this either as what I was quoted as the salary is probably their final answer..
I like going to work, taking care of my patients, following the plan of care for that patient, being the nurse I can be and when my shift is over..going home to my family. Not being on call or checking my email 24/7 and not having a backup person if I have to be off. At least as a staff nurse, if I am off or need to be off, another nurse can take my place and provide patient care. As a manager, if I am sick or miss time from work, no one can do my day to day functions and when I come back to work..the desk will be full as well as voice mail and email, which is just added stress!
All of you have some very valid points and are really opening my eyes to a lot of things I never thought about before. I did not get into nursing for the money..as all of you know that for all that we have to do and deal with that sometimes we feel like we are not compensated enough.
My position is more of a supervisor but not management of an actual nursing unit, so it won't be as tedious as some other nursing management jobs. However it does require long hours and lots of administrative work as well as supervisory items. I would think, as many do, that with all of the added responsibilities that you would get compensated well for it, but at my hospital you don't. I have never been one who wanted a management role, maybe Charge Nurse from time to time but never an actual manager. I have worked salaried before in an office setting prior to becoming a nurse with Paid holidays and actually for any hours worked over 40 I was paid overtime..however in the hospital setting there are NO paid holidays (I can get paid my holiday if I choose to be off but I have to use my PTO time for that) and NO overtime pay when you are salaried.
As mentioned before money is not everything, but when you have bills to pay and other expenses sometimes money does play a factor. I would've thought the Interim pay and actual pay once offered the position would be the same, but of course when they "NEED" you, you can get that extra..but now once it's offered the real pay is introduced which is actually LESS than the Interim..it can be kind of shocking.
You guys are making my decision a lot easier, as I have NOT given them my final answer. I really don't see negotiations playing into this either as what I was quoted as the salary is probably their final answer..
I like going to work, taking care of my patients, following the plan of care for that patient, being the nurse I can be and when my shift is over..going home to my family. Not being on call or checking my email 24/7 and not having a backup person if I have to be off. At least as a staff nurse, if I am off or need to be off, another nurse can take my place and provide patient care. As a manager, if I am sick or miss time from work, no one can do my day to day functions and when I come back to work..the desk will be full as well as voice mail and email, which is just added stress!
Stacy,
Do you like the job? Do you want to continue working off shifts and holidays? Do you still like working the floor? These questions should aid your decision. As you stated, money isn't everything, so don't reject it because of dollar difference. If it is enough to live on and you love it, take it. There is always room to negotiate. Men do it all the time, woman need to start. If not an increase in pay, then maybe hourly, instead of salary. Maybe you can ask to make your own schedule, to have school vacations off, whatever is Important to you........This also could be a stepping stone to bigger and better things. When you were doing it, did you feel content? Did it feel like you? Think on those things too. I got to the point, where my body made me do it. I was willing to work for free. (well, you know, just a tad dramatic :). Anyway, I am glad I did, because it was a stepping stone to a better position, with much more money. The stress was a different type and I am able to use it for the better, instead of dying silently inside, as the floor was doing to me. Regardless of how you decide, good luck. Peace!
It is a sad fact of health care but managers usually don't make much more than staff. I can tell you from vast management experience, even when I was at the director level with 7 departments to manage and over 300 employees, the night shift nurses made more per hour than I did. But I did not take my management jobs for the money. I took them because I loved management and felt that I could make real contributions in that role. And although I no longer work in a management capacity, I have very fond memories of those years and the experience it allowed me to gain. Management is something that can be quite rewarding when it is done well. I always felt that if I could get the staff what they needed, treat them in a fair manner, make expectations clear, follow up on their concerns and be at their back, they would take good care of the patients. And it never failed to be true. I did not get paid much, but my ultimate reward was to continue to this day, when I get a note or a hello from a nurse or other staff member that I worked with in the past who still feel that working with/ for me was a good experience for them. I was able to help develop others into the roles they hold today such as directors of nursing, deans of nursing programs, managers at all levels. I hope that something that I did along the way made that possible for me. Nursing has been a comfortable living for me. I did not get rich but I was happy with my career choice.
I just love this post! Thanks for writing! We need more managers with this attitude, hope those you mentored stayed true. Peace!
They offered me my last bosses job first. I turned it down, literally laughed out loud and said he11 no, but thanks. The fool who did take the job works at least 60/h a week and is doing the work of 3 people. She arrives at work by 5:30am, NEVER leaves before 7pm, and it is often 9. She is on call for problems 24/7. She can't work to help out b/c her only experience is psych, no CCU or ED in her career. She's useless, lucky for her b/c in addition to those hellish hours, she'd be filling in a lot if she were competent to do so, lol. I wouldn't do that job for 100K. They pay her 55k/year. I did it 15 years ago for a year, and it was miserable. Never again.
I didn't enter nursing solely for the money. Of course not. However, nursing is still a job, and regardless of the fact that I enjoy it, I have a life outside of nursing. Every kind of management role I've ever encountered does not allow for a good balance, IMO. But, if you are content with a management role, that's fine, too. It's just not for everyone.
Decided to do the not at bedside nursing position a few years ago.
Didn't get differentials or the option for extra or overtime hours. Also, when the bedside nurses got a cost of living raise-I did not-even though my job title was still RN. I made less than I would have at the bedside-worth it to work M-F, no weekends, no holidays.
Have worked salary and will NEVER do that again-always expected to work more than 40 without extra pay or overtime-actually make less per hour.
Do you like the job? Do you want to continue working off shifts and holidays? Do you still like working the floor? These questions should aid your decision. As you stated, money isn't everything, so don't reject it because of dollar difference. If it is enough to live on and you love it, take it. There is always room to negotiate. Men do it all the time, woman need to start. If not an increase in pay, then maybe hourly, instead of salary. Maybe you can ask to make your own schedule, to have school vacations off, whatever is Important to you........This also could be a stepping stone to bigger and better things. When you were doing it, did you feel content? Did it feel like you? Think on those things too. I got to the point, where my body made me do it. I was willing to work for free. (well, you know, just a tad dramatic :). Anyway, I am glad I did, because it was a stepping stone to a better position, with much more money. The stress was a different type and I am able to use it for the better, instead of dying silently inside, as the floor was doing to me. Regardless of how you decide, good luck. Peace!
I would make counter-offer regardless of their offer. Nothing is ever set in stone.. Now they may say No way but let them... Tell them you want the pay you made as Interim, that is a totally reasonable request. Then just threw in anything else you think would make the job for you. And this is all assuming you liked being Interim!
One job I took once as Supervisor, 2nd in charge, pay was the going rate for area.. but it turned out the place was a real mess and lots of work needed to be done for survey, and to get up to code. I made the proposal that I was willing to do it but I wanted 18K more per yr to do it.. Top manager laughed but took proposal to owners. They agreed. did not even counter, boy was she ticked off as they asked if she wanted to help me and she said no way, so I said no problem and for once I benefitted.
Just saying you never know till you ask and then if you get anything you have to keep it total secret!!
That seems kind of harsh.....regardless of where you fall on the nursing hierarchy they deserve to have fair working conditions.
I don't disagree with that. All I'm saying is that every job in every profession has a job description, and you agree to fulfill that job description for an agreed upon wage. If you don't like something in the job description, then you either negotiate a different job description, negotiate higher pay, or you don't take the job. But you can't agree to take a position and then complain about it, or just decide you aren't going to do it, when you know going in what will be expected of you.
I don't disagree with that. All I'm saying is that every job in every profession has a job description, and you agree to fulfill that job description for an agreed upon wage. If you don't like something in the job description, then you either negotiate a different job description, negotiate higher pay, or you don't take the job. But you can't agree to take a position and then complain about it, or just decide you aren't going to do it, when you know going in what will be expected of you.
evolvingrn, BSN, RN
1,035 Posts
That seems kind of harsh.....regardless of where you fall on the nursing hierarchy they deserve to have fair working conditions.