Did knowing about the Nursing salary contribute to your decision of becoming a Nurse?

U.S.A. New York

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Just a question :-)

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Specializes in PACU.

I took about a $30,000 pay cut to become a nurse, so no, the salary had nothing ot do with it.

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Specializes in Currently: Certified School Nurse.

Right off the bat, please let me say that I , too, will be taking a pay cut to be a nurse. So, no - it did not have any bearing on my decision to be a nurse.

Having said that, please note that questions relating to salary are sticky subjects here. People may slam you thinknig that you are only in nursing for the money. Which is pretty funny. If i was going into a profession for the salary, it would not be nursing. Ask some of the experienced nurses out there.

The one thing that bothers me regarding salary posts is that no one seems to want to answer the questions. People think "oh she's just concerned about salary" and the posts tend to go unanswered. However, whether i am seeking a job in nursing or in investment banking, i am going to seek out the "best" company to work for and as such will take into consideration such factors as working conditions, salary, benefits, etc. Yet somehow when people ask these questions as it relates to nursing jobs, you are viewed as somehow 'in it for the money'?

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Specializes in Critical Care.

The real question is this: is nursing a vocation? Or, a profession?

A vocation means that we are in it for compensation reasons other then pay. We are 'invoked' into service; it's a 'calling'.

A profession offers services for a commensurate fee. A professional IS 'in it for the money'. That's what a true barter system is: what I have in trade is valued at its true worth.

The longer nursing takes the long view that the job is primarily about being 'called' and that being 'in it for the money' is morally suspect, the longer we remain a 'vocation' and not a 'profession'.

That's not to say that we can't be 'called'. Many Doctors feel 'called' to their profession. It IS to say that the bottom line is the bottom line and being 'called' has no place in that negotiation. Surely, nobody would claim that docs should be making less because of the satisfaction they get out of their jobs. THEY don't argue that, and that's a fact.

It is perfectly fine for nurses to be 'in it for the money'. That's what professionals do.

And it is perfectly fine to be 'called'. But, only if being called is in ADDITION to being 'in it for the money'.

I'm 'in it for the money'. But, that has no bearing on my abilities to do my job. In fact, I'm darn good at nursing, as well.

~faith,

Timothy.

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Specializes in Infertility, Reproductive Endocrinology.

Why I chose nursing? -- Aside from breaking free from my cubicle prison !!My dream has always been to become a nurse and care for the elderly. I absolutely love our senior citizens and want to give back to them in a kind, caring and professional manner in the twilight of thier lives. I want to be a smiling, angel of mercy for them... Also, I would eventually love to get into Infectious Disease nursing because I am very fascinated with Epidemiology. That is another reason I chose nursing...the possibilities are endless...you can do anything from Labor & Delivery to being a school nurse to research....the list goes on... I am so excited and ready to get started!! :nurse:

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Specializes in Public Health, DEI.

Nope. When I went into nursing, the pay stunk.

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Specializes in Mother-Baby, Antenatal.

Yes and No.

When I first started researching the profession, I looked at starting salaries just to know if I could pay back loans comfortably and still survive.

However for what we do, there can be no real financial compensation. I helped a patient yesterday who came down for an EGD with PEG placement. This procedure required conscious sedation...But his bp was 70/38. I managed his care aggresively till I got him an ICU bed, and some dopamine and some boluses instead of returning him to the floor with q4h vitals. I kept him on our monitor with q5 minute bp. I felt so much more rewarded that day than I had in a long time. Reminded me why I wanted to be a nurse. Instead of just looking foward to the paycheck...

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Im in it "for the money", "for the flexabilty", AND... I am in it "for the ability to get a salary and have flexabilty in a field that I feel will be rewarding to me and that I can excel at"

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Peace,

No, the salary did not contribute to my decision. But future career changes will lol!

Peace

Wisedome

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