MGH is offering new grad ICU internship for $11.44 an hour?

U.S.A. Massachusetts

Published

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!

I am moving to Boston to join my fiance when I graduate in May. I currently have two internships, with two different hospitals here in Memphis. I make $15.38/hr at one and $15.83/hr at the other one, and at the second one I get $2/hr shift differential for evenings and weekends. So if I work a weekend night I make almost $20/hr. So I am shocked at the crappy pay that MGH is offering. I have never heard of an internship once you are a RN, and the pay is so shockingly low, especially for a city as expensive as Boston.

I am moving to Boston to join my fiance when I graduate in May. I currently have two internships, with two different hospitals here in Memphis. I make $15.38/hr at one and $15.83/hr at the other one, and at the second one I get $2/hr shift differential for evenings and weekends. So if I work a weekend night I make almost $20/hr. So I am shocked at the crappy pay that MGH is offering. I have never heard of an internship once you are a RN, and the pay is so shockingly low, especially for a city as expensive as Boston.

This is because there are no new grad jobs in Boston. Yes, a few have snuck in, but MGH and other major hospitals in the area have not had new grads postings for about three years now. Yes, the pay is very low - I made more than that as a PCA 7 years ago - but a residency with low pay and a possible foot in the door is better than no experience and no pay. Many people are applying for spots in this residency. The ones who aren't interested can continue with their job search.

Specializes in being a Credible Source.
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.

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!

Welcome to Econ 101 and your introduction to the pricing supply vs demand curve.

You know and I know that they will be OVERWHELMED with applications.

I know a number of folks who would be thrilled to get paid at all, receive benefits, and spend 6 months training in an ICU. Heck, I've got a job and I'd even consider it if I were still under the 10-month mark.

Specializes in being a Credible Source.

Consider it your last two semesters of nursing school.

Specializes in PICU.

My question is how this will effect things in the future. I think we all agree the experience itself is great. I have no doubt the program will attract a lot of well qualified candidates therefore be deemed a success. I have no doubt that they will run this program again in the future. Will this become the "norm" for new grads to be paid a sub-par wage during training/orientation? Would a union hospital be able to offer a wage this low? I am honestly wondering about these things and I'm curious what others think. Once the economy picks up (if it ever picks up...) I don't think they would up the wage. Do you guys think other Boston hospitals will follow MGH on this idea? Should be very interesting to see how it all pans out!

Specializes in Neuro/NSGY, critical care, med/stroke/tele.

I would do it, to be honest. Yes, the compensation does seem low, though I'm used to human service non-profit wages, so I know it's live-able. And given the understanding it's an internship, and a foot in the door...

MGH being an incredible academic and clinical institution would have enough influence & sway in my opinion to get me interested (been a volunteer there for 2+ years) - it would definitely be something to showcase on a resume even if there isn't the opportunity to transition to a staff RN position. I'd value just having the experience.

Hoping to get to that point someday soon!! :heartbeat

Specializes in Med/Surg, Rehab.

I don't know if anyone has mentioned this yet. But have you ever seen a job posting with the salary listed in the post? I haven't, and while I'm new to the nursing world, I've looked at hundreds of listings. I think they are being up front and honest about the low salary, and new grads can make their own choice of whether to apply for it or not, in full disclosure of all the facts.

So here’s the deal. I am fortunate enough to be the canary in the coalmine for this debate. In fact I logged on to allnurses to see if the topic had come up (YES! And then some ;-) and read what people are posting.

Two things happened to me last week. I was offered a permanent full time position in an area of nursing I love that is not in a hospital and this company has accepted me as a new grad based on my qualifications and experience. They are making an exception for me as this position is posted as requiring 3 years of experience in this field. My initial hourly wage will be $28 plus benefits which is slightly less than I make now doing private duty. And way more than I make a school nurse sub. The other thing that happened to me last week is that I was granted the opportunity to interview for the new grad position at MGH which I did last Saturday. My interview went really well. I actually had a personal connection to the nurse manager I interviewed with and I believe that the there is a very strong possibility that I will be offered a residency slot.

So I have a terrible choice to make—accept a wonderful job that will provide me with great support and training in a specialized area—I will learn many skills and procedures that are involved in acute care but I will not have hospital nursing experience. If I choose to leave this field, even as an experienced nurse, I will never be able to put “med/surg” or “critical care” on my resume.

Or, do I bite the bullet and take the MGH position if offered, and gather all the skills and training and gamble with being offered a job in 6 months?(By the way, 5 eight hours shifts that rotate between nights and weekends does not qualify as a “horrible” schedule in my book). Assuming I successfully complete the program, I will have qualifications that will enable to work in any hospital setting, including the ED which has been a dream of mine.

I really do have to gamble and choose—my orientation for the new position starts next Monday, and I know my contract letter will be in the mail today. Do I sign it and make the choice after I hear from MGH in the next 2 weeks? I won’t be that deep into my orientation, but I will be saying to an employer that I don’t intend to fulfill my commitment and why. The point is, I feel like I need to go forward with the new job but leave it IF I decide to go to MGH.

I should add that I was offered a job recently by a home care agency that specialized in skilled nursing for critically ill children. When I was doing the paperwork, I came upon a contract that stated if I left voluntarily before 1 year of employment, I would be responsible for paying back the agency $5000 within 60 days of my voluntary termination. And I can tell you; this company advertises the fact that they will take new grads. Needless to say, I am NOT working for them. Beware of places that are eager to take you on as a new grad regardless of experience.

Anyway, I am very torn, but based on the discussion on this board; I am leaning towards taking the “real” job. It is where my heart is telling me to go. But I’d like to hear from you….

Take the job offer. Better a job today, instead of possible, or even probable, disappointment in six months.

My question is how this will effect things in the future. I think we all agree the experience itself is great. I have no doubt the program will attract a lot of well qualified candidates therefore be deemed a success. I have no doubt that they will run this program again in the future. Will this become the "norm" for new grads to be paid a sub-par wage during training/orientation? Would a union hospital be able to offer a wage this low? I am honestly wondering about these things and I'm curious what others think. Once the economy picks up (if it ever picks up...) I don't think they would up the wage. Do you guys think other Boston hospitals will follow MGH on this idea? Should be very interesting to see how it all pans out!

As has already been mentioned, and since lots of people tend to discuss nursing issues in relation to how they compare to physician experiences, residents all take for granted that they will spend several years working (a v. demanding, some would say abusive, schedule and workload) for a fraction of the compensation "regular" MDs get. And, although the residency is considered a continuation of their formal education, residents are licensed physicians, just as new grad nurses are licensed RNs. They don't seem to feel that it's outrageous or insulting to work ridiculous hours for a ridiculous salary as part of their education -- maybe this is a future trend in nursing, and there will be a growing number of nursing "residencies" like the MGH program that mirror that approach -- work for a low salary in order to get the additional education/training. Six months (at the lower salary) is nothing compared to what residents go through, and the education and experience provided is v. valuable.

I've thought for many years (as I've taught in nursing programs and seen more of how hospitals work) that what seems odd to me is the assumption that hospitals will (should) hire new grads, who come out of school now nowhere close to being ready to practice independently and who do need to be led/taught/supervised/supported a lot for the first year or so that they are in practice, and who are a significant financial liability to the facility for that reason, and pay them the same wage (or nearly the same wage) that they pay a competent, experienced RN. I worked as a hospital surveyor for my state and the Feds for several years, and this topic came up often in conversation with nursing administration folks in hospitals all over my state, and they all felt the same level of extreme frustration. It was discussed on this site that hospitals in some locations (mostly big cities) were already starting to simply refuse to hire new grads even before the economy tanked. And lots of new grads here post about why there aren't nursing "residencies" like physician residencies, because they would like to be able to get further "hands-on" clinical training and extended orientation. Maybe this is the begining of a paradigm shift in nursing, and this kind of residency (at a minimum salary) will become as common and expected as it is in medicine. I'm not saying I'm sure that's what's going to happen -- just that it's an interesting thought.

Insightful response! I'm fairly certain that my thoughts on this issue have probably already been covered in previous messages.

My hope, though, is that this MGH ICU internship is a harbinger of things to come. If MGH is starting to show concern about ICU staffing, can others be far behind?

I've thought for many years (as I've taught in nursing programs and seen more of how hospitals work) that what seems odd to me is the assumption that hospitals will (should) hire new grads, who come out of school now nowhere close to being ready to practice independently and who do need to be led/taught/supervised/supported a lot for the first year or so that they are in practice, and who are a significant financial liability to the facility for that reason, and pay them the same wage (or nearly the same wage) that they pay a competent, experienced RN.

This residency likely has a lot to do with MGH's new building opening this year. I heard they are hiring something like 40 nurses for the residency. While there is no guarantee of a job, if you do well, the chances of being hired for a permanent position is high.

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