Published Jan 13, 2013
Sweet charm, ASN, RN
121 Posts
Hi all!
I was wondering what the starting salary is for a new nurse grad in the psychiatric care setting. I tried searching the forums but could not find relevant information. I have my BA in psych and will hopefully start working on my RN license from city college. I will be working in Los Angeles area.
Also, if you don't mind telling me if you have your associates, bachelors, etc and how many years you have been working
Thank you!
lynds80
128 Posts
Depends on the Hosptial. I'm in MI I have a BSN new grad and I'm starting off at $25 with 2.50 shift premium. I also started in psych, good luck!
4Bnut
6 Posts
Hi all!I was wondering what the starting salary is for a new nurse grad in the psychiatric care setting. I tried searching the forums but could not find relevant information. I have my BA in psych and will hopefully start working on my RN license from city college. I will be working in Los Angeles area.Also, if you don't mind telling me if you have your associates, bachelors, etc and how many years you have been workingThank you!
If u have a VA hospital near you, they pay the best. Also, u get 5 wks vacation and 3 wks SL.
Thank you both very much! Psychiatric nursing is what I want to do!
CIBRN
1 Post
I'm in northeast Wisconsin, also have my BSN and we start at $24.
Halle396
5 Posts
I am in NC. I started out with just an RN associate's degree and worked at an acute care psych unit in a small town hospital. It started out @ $19 per hour almost 5 years ago with $1 more per hour if you were BSN. I picked up my BSN in May & they are not paying any more for this on the hour now. They have said that they no longer pay more for BSN. I love psych & I love this area, but I have been there for too long to be making only 22 per hour with a $3 shift diff for working night shift, so I am interested in travel nursing. I know this has good pay.
HappyApple
9 Posts
I am an associate degree RN in UT. I worked med/surg in a hospital in PA for 4 yrs. & was making $27.78 an hr. when I quit. I am making $28.00 an hour at a psych hospital that I have been at for almost 6 mos. We do not get a shift differential. It is a Geri-psych unit with some fairly acute pts. so I still use plenty of my skills. Good luck in all your endeavors.
KristeyK
285 Posts
I just started working for the state of Texas. I earn a HAIR under $25 an hour with my ASN. Once I obtain higher degree levels, they will pay me a higher wage. This is also without ANY previous nursing experience.
lizzyxpooh
82 Posts
Im in a new grad for VA in California. Hourly is $33, differential is $6 for night.
Pay is good but not worth it. Employees satisfaction rate is low. Yes, its hard to get fired once you pass your probation. Thats why no one does their work and its all on your license! CNAs dont do jack squat, you do their jobs; most secretaries are lazy and dont page the doctors like you asked... And guess what? They dont get written up, fired, or anything!
Now you see why the pay is higher? California living expense is high AND your salary is doing the cna and secretary's job. :/
Yes vacay is 5 wks. But there are NO maternity leave. Just 5 wks and a few sick days.
dgonzal4
Hi all!I was wondering what the starting salary is for a new nurse grad in the psychiatric care setting. I tried searching the forums but could not find relevant information. I have my BA in psych and will hopefully start working on my RN license from city college. I will be working in Los Angeles area.Also, if you don't mind telling me if you have your associates, bachelors, etc and how many years you have been working Thank you!
Hi I'm an RN with my BSN I graduated aug 2012. I just started as a psych nurse I live in Hawaii and the pay starts out at $35/hr and caps off around $43. This is actually at a private psych hospital, from what I have heard the pay is even higher at the bigger hospitals. Ofcourse nursing jobs for new grads in Hawaii are very hard to come by and the cost of living here is pretty high, but nurses are compensated pretty well from what I can tell.
bellabarbiegirl
45 Posts
I am in Arizona and I heard you start at $25. I am trying to find a job in psych now so hopefully soon I will know for sure! Good luck!
algebra_demystified
215 Posts
I would suggest you start wherever you can. Learn as much as possible on the job. Continue to study on your own. There are a ton of great youtube videos on behavioral psychology from Stanford that will help you frame what you learn on the job against the academic literature. Ask the psychiatrists for book recommendations. Read, study, learn, grow, build your resume. In a few years you will be writing your own ticket.