New nurses: night shift to day shift?

oldnewnurse · Aug 10, 2005

In the hospital where I currently work (350+ bed acute), midwest, new RN's are started only on days. Starting rate is $15.85/hr and the rate is the same with or without taking their benefits. The thought as far as starting on days is that there is always enough staff/support personnel around to help a new nurse out of a jam. It takes about 5 years before you can even ask to be considered for full time nights. Now, saying that, a new nurse still gets scheduled about four night shifts a month, they just aren't together.

So maybe where you are it isn't so bad?

madwife2002, BSN, RN · Aug 10, 2005

In the hospital where I currently work (350+ bed acute), midwest, new RN's are started only on days. Starting rate is $15.85/hr and the rate is the same with or without taking their benefits. The thought as far as starting on days is that there is always enough staff/support personnel around to help a new nurse out of a jam. It takes about 5 years before you can even ask to be considered for full time nights. Now, saying that, a new nurse still gets scheduled about four night shifts a month, they just aren't together.
So maybe where you are it isn't so bad?

$15 an hour that's terrible wages our support workers get that money. They are = UPA

Angie_Baby · Aug 10, 2005

Did I read that right?! There's a human resources assistant job with a local surgical center with no experience required that starts near that! That amounts to only about $33,000 a year, which is frightening.

TooterIA · Aug 10, 2005

Why are we knocking the $15/hour so much? I live in rural Iowa and some hospitals in the area pay that because our cost of living is significantly less than other areas. So $33,000/year in Iowa doesnt seem so bad to us, but of course you couldnt live on that if you lived in Santa Barbara CA for example.

Anyway, in my small facility the next person in line for days has been waiting nine years. All new nurses in my facility start on 2nd shift or nights. Right now we have enough staff so there are not any full time positions awailable. I guess it all depends on what part of the country you live in for wages (I make $22.67 and that is very competitive for this area, I have been with the hospital for 2 years) and on each facility for the amount of time to get to days. I would ask around at the facilities you will be applying to. I was told it would take 5 years but after I started I realized it would be way longer than that. However, there are some other hospitals in this area that can get people to days within a year or two.

Jessica

NewJA · Jul 7, 2007

Some of this information sounds incredibly incongruous with the typical statistics and conditions in nursing around the country.

It is hard to believe that there is a place where the abundance of nurses is so high that it takes 9 years to get a day job in a hospital, or you get paid 12-13 dollars per hr below the national average. That is to say, it is hard to believe when the shortages of nurses is so severe in so many other places, and the consequential easy availability of jobs and high pay scale are so starkly contrasting. If anything, I would expect the low pay and the severe unavailability of shifts (implying low job availability in general) to eventually result in a major nursing shortage there for obvious reasons.

This info in this thread all doesn't make a lot of sense to me......

gospursgo07 · Jul 7, 2007

I was hired as a new nurse for days (7a-7p). I told my CND which shift i wanted, and it was granted. Guess thats what you get when u have 22 RN positions OPEN on the floor!....there goes that safe nurse patient ratio out the window...geesh!:trout:

azor · Jul 7, 2007

I dont know that a nurse can get paid, as low as 15.85/hr.That's mean if i can say.I chose to apply for night shift cos thats what i want but i know that if you want to work 7a-7p you'll get it without having to stay for years b4 you get it.I was started with 21/hr plus diff which will make it up to 25 then another 3/hr for weekend and also extra2/hr if without medical benefit which i dont need cos my hus already has insurance.If you want day shift and it is not forthcoming in the facility where you work,all you have to do is to go and apply elsewhere peradventure,you'll get the shift you want.

*Blessed2BaNRS* · Jul 8, 2007

Where I live is considered a medical alley, because we have 3 hospitals here, plus doctors on every corner, it seems like. New graduates (RN's) start out about $18.75 an hour :madface: Doesn't seem right or fair after all the work and COSTS we put in for schooling. By the time I get my ADN degree, I willhave put in approximately 20K. That is for a CC. Maybe I should have gone to medical school!!! Nah, I still think nursing will be better!!

NewJA · Jul 8, 2007

Where I live is considered a medical alley, because we have 3 hospitals here, plus doctors on every corner, it seems like. New graduates (RN's) start out about $18.75 an hour Doesn't seem right or fair after all the work and COSTS we put in for schooling. By the time I get my ADN degree, I willhave put in approximately 20K. That is for a CC. Maybe I should have gone to medical school!!! Nah, I still think nursing will be better!!

Well, Med school would probably cost you at least 150,000 out of pocket and would take approximately 10-12 years from when you first start school, not to mention the extremely competitive and demanding entry requirements. Your ADN program you say costs you 20 K and they usually take 3 years total, and you pretty much walk in to it compared to med school. So this is the ultimate extreme "apples and oranges" comparison...

Anyway, this post is way off topic, so I'll end there.

nursemomceo · Jul 8, 2007

well i am shocked at the pay rates would be an understatement :no: ...that is crazy for an rn to start at 15:00....that is less then lpn's here....some techs make 12.00....we have differential for weekends, differential for nights (5.00), i make a differential of 15% of my base since i am a "floater"...means i work all units, er and all floors....new stuff everyday.....love it....plus get benefits.....also, they have the new nurses work days so there is more support staff to help with trouble shooting....less staff at nights....smarter and safer for the patients.....can't believe some have to wait years for nights....that is nuts...also, you are "required" to do a certain number of nights....seems like that was what one person was implying....i am grateful that we have many hospitals here.....lets see, counting tampa and st pete(which is just over a bridge) with in a 30-40 minute drive from my house there is at least 12 different hospitals....not to mention outpatient clinics and centers.....with all my float pay base i am in the high 30"s for pay....thank god i am not in the teens or we would be in trouble....i would try other facilities then have to work nights.....too scary for a new nurse

DutchgirlRN, ASN, RN · Jul 8, 2007

I was hired on days as a new grad. I checked only days on my application. I did 12 years of nights when I was younger, as an LPN, and I knew I could not go back to nights. Good Luck!

Rate here is about $20.00 an hour plus $5.00 an hour shift differential for nights.