Nurses and money.......

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I think it is interesting how many RNs I've worked with who have declared bankruptcy or are absolutely HORRIBLE with their money. They work so much overtime and incentive pay just to pay their bills and all of their debts. Anyone else see this?

saw this bumper sticker today:

money talks and mine says BYE!

lol

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If it makes you feel any better I have seen this too. I just passed y nclex pn andhave to get another car cause we only have one right now but I also plan on having 100.00at the least taken out of my check and put in the union savings account because it is money i am not used to having anyway.

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I think that this is a nationwide event and transcends gender, age, education and profession. Yes, I have seen nurses declare bankruptcy. But...in all fairness, I have seen more active duty couples have to do it because the wages paid to our military are a pittance at best. Up until my husband had been in the Air Force 15 years, we would have qualified for food stamps based on his income alone. Pretty sad...trauma steps off the soapbox).

Actually the military pays very well. Maybe if you are new to it it doesn't but if you are new to any job you start out at the bottom. Once you go up in rank and get experience the pay is very good plus excellant benefits.

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Specializes in Registry, all over the place.
Actually the military pays very well. Maybe if you are new to it it doesn't but if you are new to any job you start out at the bottom. Once you go up in rank and get experience the pay is very good plus excellant benefits.

The military does not pay well at all for lower enlisted personnel or low grade officers. Having been in the Navy myself, have a husband in the military, father, brothers and other family who were in the military, I know for a fact the differences are stark comparatively. In the Navy specifically you could end up in a rate in which it takes you 10 years to advance to E5 if not longer sometimes, and many times if that rate is undermanned or of a particular CREO group, there is no oppurtunity for career change. Myself as an E5 with 4 years in I was making roughly $26,000. That was okay before I was married, but if I was married and had a child like I do now with a spouse going to school, things would be and are difficult. Now imagine a family with 2 children in an area such as San Diego where childcare is through the roof so to put your 2 children in childcare so the spouse can work would cost more than the spouse would make. Yes, the military has childcare, but guess what, the waiting list is 2 1/2 years long for children under 3. I know, my daugher is 14 months and has been on that list since I was 7 months pregnant.

I don't think the pay starts to become decent until about E6 or E7 depending on how long you've been in, and many people, don't make it that far. The military does pay very well after 25 or 30 years as an officer or enlisted and make E8-E9, or O5,6,7 and up. I don't consider well less than $40,000 depending on the circumstances. I would like to see you make $26,000/annually supporting a family and call that paying very well for the work you would be doing.

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