I was cruising the hospital websites as I do everyday as a new grad and came across this:
The Department of Nursing at Massachusetts General Hospital is running a New Graduate RN ICU Residency Program for six months from April 2011 to September 2011. RN residents will be hired and trained to work successfully in an intensive care setting.
Qualified applicants MUST have:
- a Baccalaureate of Science Degree in Nursing
- a current MA RN license
- less than 10 months of professional RN experience in a healthcare setting
- completed a clinical practicum in an ICU or experience in a patient assistive role in an ICU.
RN Residents will be eligible for benefits and paid a salary of $11.44 per hour. The schedule will be 40 hours per week with five 8-hour shifts. Day/Night rotation with weekends and holidays required.
11.44 an hour? They can't be serious...can they? They pay their CNAs more!
How much does it cost to park at MGH? How much to commute via the T? I really think overall it would end up costing you. But sometimes you have to take what you can get until you can get what you want.
I don't think every new grad believes they deserve the world. I certainly do not. But I do expect to at least make a livable wage, otherwise the loans would never be paid. Furthermore, I'm surprised how negative some people are towards new grads. You were once new as well. Keep in mind also please, that we are not all 22 years old. Some of us have previous professional experiences, which would warrant more than 11 dollars an hour. Furthermore, where I live, you cannot even rent a room for less than 500 a month anymore.
If nursing decided to switch gears and opt for mandatory internships, that would be different, and more acceptable, because people would be aware that they are going to be dirt poor for a while after completing their degree. However, when there are a handful of facilities opting to pay poverty wages due to a bad economy, while most other facilities opt to pay decent wages, many people will take issue with this. Finally, to the people advocating for this low wage, I ask you, would you be able to survive on 11 dollars an hour, even for 6 months? Probably not. The idea of internships and residency is not what anyone has an issue with. I think it's a great idea. However, MGH could and should offer a few dollars more to be reasonable. FYI; CNA's here make 17 to 21 dollars. I hardly think it's fair that an RN at any level should make less.
Exactly. I also have no issue with internships or residencies if that's the trajectory of nursing education and training; it would be better to create a more structured training program for new grads. I am not arguing with this, either.
However, people do need to be able to plan for their income (or lack thereof) for the future. If we want to extend the amount of time nurses are in school or are in some kind of training or internship program where they can expect to make very little money, people need to be able to plan for that. A few years ago, nurses were making bank right out of the gate, with bonuses, etc. Now people are bashing new grads for having the expectation of making a livable wage. New grads should not be the scapegoat of a terrible economy.
Internship pay aside, I think the bigger concern is the current plan in place for the new grads hired into this program. As many of you know, MGH will have completed the new Lunder building in September 2011. As part of the restructuring of the hospital a new ICU is being formed (a medical surgical ICU) with the intent for a large majority of the employees to be the new grads placed in this “nursing internship”. The initial intent was for the new ICU to be ENTIRELY staffed with new grads, but in response to the uproar this created management has decided to try to get experienced RNs on the staff as well.
Has anyone been to the recent interviews for the new grad program? I know they had one last Saturday, I am curious if this was disclosed to you. While the "nurse interns" will be trained in already existing ICUs, they will be transitioned to the new MSICU in September after a mere 6 months of training.
As an experienced RN, I feel a lot of disgust with this plan. I do not think it is fair to new grads to place them in an ICU with so many other novice nurses…who will support and guide your practice? How safe will this be for the patient with so many nurses with only 6 months of experience?? It takes years to gain the knowledge to be an expert (remember Brenner and novice to expert?), and part of gaining experience is working alongside nurses of a variety of levels.
Would you as a new grad feel like you are getting the best new grad experience working mostly with people at the same practice level as you?
No. I started at $24.00/hr in 2004. However, there was not a glut of nurses. Starting salaries and even salaries for those of us with years of experience will be dropping if nurses start jumping on $11-$12/hr. This goes way beyond a new grad program. As they pump out more and more nurses they can just keep lowering the wages. We are an expense they are always looking to cut. They must be happy dancing that so many people think $11.44/hr is better than no job at all. This is exactly what businesses want workers to think, feel and believe. $11.44 an hour sounds fine for 6 months, but what happens when all you get after that is $16-$17/hr(or less)... can you pay your mortgage and your loans on that living in MA? Once they can get you to work for $11-$12/hr, they know they can get you to take $17/hr. I'm not saying it is good or bad but this is where floor nursing/bedside nursing is going(advanced practice nursing is not far behind either!). Maybe our wages were in bubble like housing and this is just more of a normal reflection of what we should be making. Either way the downward trend in wages isn't good for any of us.
I think the opportunity is fantastic, I think what these programs are going to do to starting wages for new grads and wages for experienced nurses is a shame but it was bound to happen. It is simple economics, supply and demand.
Sue
Pretty much what I said early on in the conversation... market forces at play, and ones which are going to negatively affect nurses at all levels.
Obviously I had a very bad week trying to get my point across thru this posting and others.. So sorry.. Nurses should start at $25/hr and be making 100k/yr for experience over 10 yrs in most specialties. I do not condone $11/hr.. My point was.... no we are not Doctors but being healthcare is an entity all into itself..it would not hurt to look into internships/residency for nurses similar to Doctors. Their student loans make ours look like car payments! Yet, they do it...
Similar does not mean exactly the same,,, just using the training concept. I am an old nurse..but if I was graduating now with no supposed openings or very few. i would jump on $11/hr to get that kinda of awesome experience!!! I started at Hopkins and got that kinda of experience, now they paid $16 for nights in 1988.. but money was not the object and that was lowest pay in Maryland or any east coast city at the time.. It was the "experience"
That "experience" comes up during interviews now 23 yrs later.....
I did not mean new grads expect the World in the sense it was taken..what I was trying to say is so many of you are wanting to move anywhere in the country to get work but so many are turning their noses up at this type of opportunity.
If more teaching hospitals did this, new grads could have decent wages and fantastic experience.
yes at a certain point if things were changed the older experienced nurses could get the shaft.. but we do now anyhow..new grads many places make a dollar or two less than 10 yrs experience.
The problem with nursing is it is run on emotions and not strictly like a business..Unfortunately this started due to being mostly women who were not treated properly by the men (Doctors, administrators etc) Now women are in those top rolesbut the barriers are there from yrs
Everyone seems to agree healthcare needs change.. some say it is broken.. ideas for fixing it run the gamit from A to Z.
My opinion is Nursing is broken.. it needs change,, and the silly notion of sending all these people to get BSN's with no jobs was plain bizarre!!
Now, though I totally recommend anyone to jump on this opportunity, I still hope it does not become a trend.
What will happen, after it becomes a trend is that lesser hospitals with no or very little training capability will start hiring new grads at or below minimum wage. Then they will start asking them to do what they ask them to do now. Start taking a full load of patients after a week, at minimum wage. That will screw those nurses at both ends, because they will be working as slaves and the hospitals will be taking advantage of them.
A lot of people cannot afford to work at such low wages for six months, specially, after racking up college loans. MGH is not doing the right thing by offering nurses a pittance. Only, it is worth it because of the experience. I think nurses unions should step in and put an end to this, if it is going to become a trend. No one should be allowed to take advantage of workers, specially educated professionals.
i was interviewed for this position and got great news telling me that i'm being offered one of the positions. the problem is this, i currently make almost 3 times that now. i have been working since september in a new grad program and my orientation ends in a month when my pay will increase. i am not fond of the remote area or the hospital that i am at now regardless of the good pay and really wanted to be back in mass and in the city. i have convince myself this is a great opportunity because it is, but don't know how i would survive on making $11.44. a little info about the program. it will play out like being in school for 6 months. i asked during the interview how they determine if one is successful and if there has been people who are not. they informed me that their is a checklist along with exams that we will take and depending on how they think we are doing will allow us to continue. if they think we are struggling, then they will ask us leave aka fire you.
it has been a dream of mine to work in an icu and at mgh the 3rd best hospital in the country. during the interview i was told that after successfully completing the program that i would guaranteed a fulltime nursing position, if available particularly in an icu of choice. i am really considering it, actually i have verbally accepted the position already. i am now looking for a place to live around boston and it is near impossible. the only thing that i am finding are rooms, not studios, not apartments but a room for rent. and for a room we are talking about anywhere from $600 and up a month, usually for a room looking like a closet and splitting utilities with the other housemate. i spoke to hr and asked for any tips and asked "realistically do you think one can survive on $11.44 in boston." i was informed that moving from out of state will be "difficult" but it is realistic because most of the people who applied for the program lives at home in and around boston already and don't have jobs.
please tell me if i am crazy for even considering?
another twist to this is that i just got offered a position in florida and though i would be faced with the same dilema of moving to another state, they are paying their starting wage for nurses which $23 but the price of living is much lower than boston.
In my area rooms in homes run from $500 to $800 a month. I would not leave a job for one paying one third my present pay with no guaranteed future. But that is me.
Internship pay aside, I think the bigger concern is the current plan in place for the new grads hired into this program. As many of you know, MGH will have completed the new Lunder building in September 2011. As part of the restructuring of the hospital a new ICU is being formed (a medical surgical ICU) with the intent for a large majority of the employees to be the new grads placed in this "nursing internship". The initial intent was for the new ICU to be ENTIRELY staffed with new grads, but in response to the uproar this created management has decided to try to get experienced RNs on the staff as well.
Has anyone been to the recent interviews for the new grad program? I know they had one last Saturday, I am curious if this was disclosed to you. While the "nurse interns" will be trained in already existing ICUs, they will be transitioned to the new MSICU in September after a mere 6 months of training.
As an experienced RN, I feel a lot of disgust with this plan. I do not think it is fair to new grads to place them in an ICU with so many other novice nurses...who will support and guide your practice? How safe will this be for the patient with so many nurses with only 6 months of experience?? It takes years to gain the knowledge to be an expert (remember Brenner and novice to expert?), and part of gaining experience is working alongside nurses of a variety of levels.
Would you as a new grad feel like you are getting the best new grad experience working mostly with people at the same practice level as you?
I went to the interview and the plan is for Day and Night Rotation between a couple of the ICUs with classroom time. I asked which ICUs will be accepting new grads and i was told all ACCEPT FOR THE MEDICAL ICU. Surgical ICU is actually seperate and i only know this because i interview with the surgical ICU nurse manager and assistant.
Do you even like Florida? Cities there are not like Boston? And it will just be another job..not your dream!!
The way I look at it is in 5 yrs will the 6 months of "Special Intern ICU schooling" have improved your life or bankrupted you? If you have noone to support, not kids, and could possibly work on finding a "room" in the city and look at this like an extension of College education....I would go for it.. But no one knows your situation but you!! It will be stressful, challenging, and probably very hard, but if you want to work at #3 hospital in the nation and do ICU and all this could make it happen..I say go for it...never mind, not succeeeding,, that could happen in any job and getting fired/laid off is devastating regardless. Be totally psyched and positive about it.. you will succeed and years from now you will be doing what you dreamed of. If you went for further education you would be paying them and not getting even that tiny amt!!!
I say Congrats on even getting the offer as I imagine they have many applicants!! Whether you do it or not...you have to decide on your own. Best of luck with your decision.
Specializes in taking a break from inpatient psychiatric nursing.
Kartia911,
Congrats! Now the hard part is making the decision to go for it, right?
Sometimes it helps to break down some figures. If the hourly is $11.44, then that's about $1,830/month gross, at 40 hrs/week. Your net income might be closer to $1,550/month.
Look at your savings account. Do you have a safety buffer of about 3 months of living expenses in case of emergency? Do you have enough for first/last month's rent as a deposit? If so, then subtract your moving costs, too.
Then, figure your monthly costs for health insurance, and other living expenses from your $1,550 net pay per month. Does that leave you the ability to pay rent for a decent space in a safe area?
If so, go for it and learn all you can! If not, hey, there will be more opportunities in the future and you can save money toward investing in them.
BettyBoop01
171 Posts
How much does it cost to park at MGH? How much to commute via the T? I really think overall it would end up costing you. But sometimes you have to take what you can get until you can get what you want.