Negotiating Salary as a New Nurse

[kaymichele]

I recently graduated nursing school, passed the NCLEX PN, and have now been going on interviews. I have over 11 years of medical history as I was a certified medical assistant for 11 years working in the clinic setting I have been wanting to do beside care so I applied to an LTC and was offered a position on the spot. I was surprised at what the offered and I am leaning towards accepting. I have to two more interviews coming up both in clinics. I would like to add that even this the CMA and LPN scope of practice is different, they basically do true same thing in the clinics I have worked. So my question is when going to these interviews, would I be able to negotiate pay since I have over 11 years of clinical experience or should I just stick to what I’m being offered?

-LPNNewbie

[Hoosier_RN, MSN]

As a new grad nurse, you won't have much negotiating leverage, the scopes and settings are very different, even if you feel the jobs had some similarities. Yes, there are overlaps in duties. Try, you may be able, but don't be surprised if you don't find traction. Good luck and congrats on your new nursing license!

[kaymichele]

Thanks so much. I will keep that in mind. Who would ever think that surviving nursing school and the NCLEX that choosing a job would be such a hard decision?! Thanks again.

[Hoosier_RN, MSN]

Look at more than pay, sometimes there is a reason that $$$ are more (think-crappy job). Not always, but many times. Listen to reputations of facilties, look at benefits as well. It doesn't do any good to make $2 more if health insurance is nonexistent/horrible. Also, look at tuition assistance packages if they have them, in case you want to move forward in the future!

[DowntheRiver]

If you're at a hospital facility and/or corporate facility, there will most likely be a nursing payscale the correlates with years of experience with pay amount. It is hard to negotiate typically because these places typically stick to the payscale.

Unfortunately, years as a CMA won't count as nursing years. I was a MA for two years while going to nursing school and not a single place has given me credit for it yet. That said, I did find it tremendously easy to land a job post graduation compared to my classmates because I had healthcare experience.

[PhyllisMSN, MSN, RN]

As a new nurse you will not have much negotiating room. However, I have known of nurses with a LPN license being successful in negotiating a higher starting salary. Once you get 1 to 2 years of experience, you will have more leverage. Good luck !

[LPNTORN704]

A new grad cant negotiate.cma doesnt count as nursing experience.