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!
Specializes in Med/Surge, Geriatrics(LTC), Pediatricts,.
I'm wondering, the program is "residency" training, so, and forgive my question here, but, does this mean they will provide housing and meals, in addition to the training, and this wage? If so, then adding it all up, it'd be fair.
When I did my preceptorship in an ICU, I met a nurse who had been hired right out of school and went through a nine month training program. Although I can't go back to ask her, I highly doubt she was paid change over $11 an hour for even only six of those nine months. Would be interesting to hear her opinion of this after all these years on the job.
I am really trying to hold my tongue until I have read this whole thread but....
This is INSANE.
There is NO HOSPITAL EXPERIENCE worth that wage. Everyone is talking up this place like they should be grateful to work there. Granted, I am in California, and do not know the Boston area but when I saw $11/hr I was horrified.
That is what janitors make.That is the starting wage at IN N OUT burger. That is what you make at a convenience store like Circle K. There is no ABSOLUTELY NO "experience" worth that wage. To think that they are requiring a BSN!! At the very least you have student loans to pay back, you probably have rent/mortgage to pay, and maybe even mouths to feed. This is absolutely abusive, and I wouldn't want to work for a hospital that treated its employees that way (unless they paid very, very well).
When I started in 2004 the manager of the unit I worked on as a NA tried to pull a fast one, telling me I could work for them at the "IP rate" until I had my license. At that time I was making $8-something an hour, which would be my "IP rate." Needless to say I handed her my resignation and went to work for @21/hr. I know for a fact that new grads make A LOT MORE than that now.
My advice to new grads: flee New England and come to sunny California. Starting wage over $30/hr, mandatory ratios, no snow, and BSN's in HIGH demand at some of the best hospitals in the nation.
A comparison between now and 40 years ago is hardly an apt one, IMO. Still, how did that paltry wage compare to those who'd been hired 6 months prior or a year prior?
I simply find it notable to see people hired in the last 10 years - most (I presume) of whom were paid "typical" entry-level wages rather than poverty wages - advocating that there should now be a change and that new grads should be paying for their own OJT.
I'll point out that new nurses are no different than new engineers, new teachers, or new accountants (to pick three fields with which I'm very familiar) and that folks in those latter three categories are not commonly subject to training wage being advocated by so many nurses here.
As I said, what we're seeing are simple market forces but I do think it's a crying shame... and that it's going to effect everybody, neophyte and gray-hair alike.
Absolutely. It is unconscionable what this "hospital' is doing.
To those who say that hospitals cannot afford to train new grads who leave for greener pastures, maybe they should treat their employees a little better to reduce turnover, instead of treating them like slaves.
Bottom line-don't apply for the job if you are insulted by the wage. Period. End of story. As a previous poster said, this wouldnt even be an issue if they weren't paying at all.
Show me where, you can walk into a hospital and get a job as a critical care nurse, making 35$ an hour with no critical care experience?? 25$ with no critical care experience. This internship offers a great opportunity to the right person. Someone who can afford to accept the wage for 6 months of experience. The best part, after 6 months they might be offered a job there (with a raise to go along with it, no doubt). Otherwise, they can go somewhere else, and get hired into a critical care area, if they so choose.
Money for nothing doesn't happen anymore, in any position. Employers want people with experience and proven work ability.
The internship at MGH is a great way to continue educating yourself. All of the new grads who are insulted by this-what did you do for work while in nursing school? what was your wage? Because if you say you weren't working, then this would be a bonus to your bank account to get accepted to the program for 6 months. I don't get all the complaining. The wage is low, I admitted that earlier, but the experience offered by the internship is priceless.
Critical care. NO experience. $35+ an hour. Mandatory ratios. California.
Absolutely. It is unconscionable what this "hospital' is doing.
To those who say that hospitals cannot afford to train new grads who leave for greener pastures, maybe they should treat their employees a little better to reduce turnover, instead of treating them like slaves.
I can only imagine what it is like to be an employee there if this is how a trainee is treated.
I can only imagine what it is like to be an employee there if this is how a trainee is treated.
Actually, MGH is a magnet hospital that is well known for their very low turn-over rate. The nurse to patient ratios on general care floors there are 3-4:1.
Absolutely. It is unconscionable what this "hospital' is doing.
To those who say that hospitals cannot afford to train new grads who leave for greener pastures, maybe they should treat their employees a little better to reduce turnover, instead of treating them like slaves.
If Mass General Hospital treated their employees so terribly, there wouldn't be so many applicants for this residency. Many nurses get their year or two of ICU experience to move on to other areas of nursing or to get into CRNA school, not because the working conditions are poor.
I am really trying to hold my tongue until I have read this whole thread but....
This is INSANE.
There is NO HOSPITAL EXPERIENCE worth that wage. Everyone is talking up this place like they should be grateful to work there. Granted, I am in California, and do not know the Boston area but when I saw $11/hr I was horrified.
That is what janitors make.That is the starting wage at IN N OUT burger. That is what you make at a convenience store like Circle K. There is no ABSOLUTELY NO "experience" worth that wage. To think that they are requiring a BSN!! At the very least you have student loans to pay back, you probably have rent/mortgage to pay, and maybe even mouths to feed. This is absolutely abusive, and I wouldn't want to work for a hospital that treated its employees that way (unless they paid very, very well).
When I started in 2004 the manager of the unit I worked on as a NA tried to pull a fast one, telling me I could work for them at the "IP rate" until I had my license. At that time I was making $8-something an hour, which would be my "IP rate." Needless to say I handed her my resignation and went to work for @21/hr. I know for a fact that new grads make A LOT MORE than that now.
My advice to new grads: flee New England and come to sunny California. Starting wage over $30/hr, mandatory ratios, no snow, and BSN's in HIGH demand at some of the best hospitals in the nation.
Exactly! I was horrified when I first read it as well and thought surely this must be in error but then I started reading the posts and saw all these happy butts out there saying that it's a fine starting salary! I was aghast! I don't know though, if they have nurses that are actually willing to work full time for 6 mos. 40 hrs. a week . . . I definitely wouldn't be one of them if I were in a new grads shoes. But then again, I don't live in Massachusetts. I guess everything is relative.
Bottom line-don't apply for the job if you are insulted by the wage. Period. End of story. As a previous poster said, this wouldnt even be an issue if they weren't paying at all.
Show me where, you can walk into a hospital and get a job as a critical care nurse, making 35$ an hour with no critical care experience?? 25$ with no critical care experience. This internship offers a great opportunity to the right person. Someone who can afford to accept the wage for 6 months of experience. The best part, after 6 months they might be offered a job there (with a raise to go along with it, no doubt). Otherwise, they can go somewhere else, and get hired into a critical care area, if they so choose.
Money for nothing doesn't happen anymore, in any position. Employers want people with experience and proven work ability.
The internship at MGH is a great way to continue educating yourself. All of the new grads who are insulted by this-what did you do for work while in nursing school? what was your wage? Because if you say you weren't working, then this would be a bonus to your bank account to get accepted to the program for 6 months. I don't get all the complaining. The wage is low, I admitted that earlier, but the experience offered by the internship is priceless.
CoffeeGirl, this wouldn't even be up for debate for me, because like I said in earlier post, I wouldn't even entertain this "offer" for than 1/2 a second. End of story. I think it's completely absurd and something in my mind akin to slavery.
Obviously, there is a disagreement here. It is most certainly taking advantage of people, because of course they will fill the spots when there are few jobs. The whole thing seems predatory, even if these people gain valuable experience. We should be supporting one another and supporting nursing. To all those in favour, I ask you, did you start at 11 dollars an hour as an RN? For most of you, probably not. Not in this day and age, with the cost of living. And paying loans. Why should CNA's receive almost double that of these new RN's??
And, I've worked now for 22 years. Nurse or not, I sure as hell would not work for 11 an hour, with the experience I have acquired. That is insulting to think people should accept it and be happy. The only reason anyone would is because of the market right now. Some have no choice. Clearly, the hospital is preying on this fact.
I'd love to get in on this discussion. As a new grad who was hired into the ICU, I would have looked at the position for a few minutes and decided it was not for me. I would honestly recommend working on a PCU or specialty step-down at a livable wage and then transitioning into the ICU if that's what you want to do. If the hospital that is advertising this position is opening up a new building, they'll probably need more new grads than just the ones that partake in this internship, so you'll have openings coming up.
I can see how this would be acceptable if you were a married person who had a spouse who could support you for the six months, but as a bachelor who lives on his own, I could not and would not accept this position. You can get great experience elsewhere, look for the tough assignments, push to have the MD's teach you and show you things.
nursedora
105 Posts
I'm wondering, the program is "residency" training, so, and forgive my question here, but, does this mean they will provide housing and meals, in addition to the training, and this wage? If so, then adding it all up, it'd be fair.