Nurses salary vrs teacher's salary

zaggar · Dec 30, 2007

>>I was absolutely floored by your post....very appalled. I can just about bet you that that statement concerning job difficulty just insulted every former teacher, current teacher, and future teacher on this board.

So...you're saying that teaching is as physically taxing as nursing?

You're saying that teacher's have the same strict margins for error?

You're saying that teaching decisions are life and death?

I have been a teacher, in the military, for years and years.

Apples and oranges. Every time a teachers union goes to D.C. saying that it's not fair that a nurse with an associates degree gets paid more than a teacher with a masters, 100 out of 100 senators thinks to themselves, "Yeah, nurses are overpaid."

So you're saying teachers need more money. Fine, that's your fight. Don't drag us into this.

It's very simple. If you look at our responsibilities, you would see that nursing would require a lot more than an associates degree if they could get more people to volunteer to work as nurses.

Sorry that you're floored and appalled. Teaching takes a lot of preparation if you bother to do it right. Nursing takes a lot of preparation or you will sooner or later wind up fired or jailed. There's a reason why there's a nursing shortage.

Athenas83 · Dec 30, 2007

>>
So...you're saying that teaching is as physically taxing as nursing?
You're saying that teacher's have the same strict margins for error?
You're saying that teaching decisions are life and death?

I agree with this. I have immense respect for teachers. Teachers make nurses!....and every other career there is. They should definitely be paid more, but nursing is life and death.

vamedic4, EMT-P · Dec 31, 2007

All nurses teach. Not all teachers can start an IV.
I know that the above is a bit caustic, but I'm sick of the teacher's using us to get even more benefits and pay. If teachers don't like their job, let them become nurses. Hospitals in my area have want ads for nurses that run on for pages. Meanwhile, every teacher position receives over 50 applications.
The two professions are not the same. Teachers don't work as hard as nurses. They don't have the same level of responsibility. They don't take the same risks. If they slack off for a day, nobody dies.
I saw the same thing in the military. The civilians on base were constantly comparing themselves to the military members so they could get better benefits, without taking the same risks.

You're kidding, right?? Hell, not all nurses can start an IV..what's your point? Don't you know you can train a monkey to start an IV and intubate..why don't we just hire some of our jungle brethren to assess your patients too?

You're way off with all that "nurses work so much harder than teachers" BS. As another poster put it- it's apples to oranges. The two skills sets are different, requiring different tasks and accomplishing different goals. So what if a teacher's job doesn't involve life or death on a daily basis. Here's a news flash for you : neither do some nurse's jobs.

I'm sorry you don't think that the education of current and future adults is as important as the work you do as a nurse. That shows an incredible lack of forethought on your part.

Oh, and by the way...you are a nurse today because someone taught you how to learn - a teacher.

organic_lady · Jan 9, 2008

It really depends on the school and the teacher's career path. For example, my sister taught 2nd grade for years in the same public school system. After the first 2 or 3 years, she had all of her materials organized so that she brought very little work home with her. All her lesson plans and materials were well-organized and all she had to do each year was update them and make a few modifications -- which she did at her convenience over the summer. She was then able to use her "free periods and planning time" to grade papers, write reports, etc.
As for money ... she always earned less cash than I did/do as a nurse ... but she always had significantly better benefits. For example, she never had money taken out of her check for health insurance: the school system paid 100% for her Master's Degree and she got raises as she earned additional adademic credits and certifications that were all paid by the school district.
She was able to semi-retire at age 52, with her public employee's pension guaranteeing her 60% of her salary for the rest of her life, adjusted annually for inflation. She works part time as a substitute now to earn an addition 10-20% of her old salary. She also teaches a course or two each year at a local college. So, working part time, she has a full time income. She and her retired school teacher/administrator husband play golf at the country club 3 or 4 times a week and they spend a couple of months each winter renting a house at a golf community in Florida.
Yes, I always earned more cash than she did -- but she got the overall better compensation. Assuming she lives a normal lifespan, she will be paid almost 2 years salary (considering her pension) for every year she worked.
When she semi-retired at age 52, her salary for the school year was in the mid-50's. This is in a small town public school in Pennsylvania.

I am a newbie here and I just have to chime in. I agree with what you said about your mom, the teacher, getting overall better compensation.

I am a public school teacher and last year I considered getting out of the profession due to it being a rough year with some of my team mates. Also I had heard that nurses made so much money. I was feeling burdened by bills and I started to research nursing.

Ultimately I decided to stay in teaching for the exact reasons you described.

I have only five years experience but I'm making $39k. This is with a bachelor's degree.

$39k may not sound like much, but all my medical benefits and pension are free, and I only work 9 months a year if that. If my income were adjusted to reflect working year round, my salary would really be more like the equivalent of $52k a year.

Ultimately I decided it wasn't about the money. I have worked hard all my life -- formerly in advertising and public relations -- and at this point I truly value my free time. I adore my vacations -- a full week off both at Thanksgiving and spring break; two weeks off at Christmas; multiple holidays scattered throughout the school year, more sick days than I need; not to mention two months every summer. Being in a union also is a draw for me. I feel I have job security due to my contract.

Early in my career, it's true I did take home tons of work on weeknights and weekends; and summers were spent in certification courses. But now that I'm over that hurdle, I never bring work home. And I mean, never. I go in to school on time, and stay two hours after the bell. So I'm working roughly 50-hour work weeks, or 10 hour days on average.

But that is it. No work taken home, nada. My certificates and licenses are all set, and I've spent the last two summers drinking margaritas and reading trashy novels.

I still think nursing is an interesting profession, though. The part about helping other people really appeals to me. But I worried a little bit about being responsible for someone else's life.

I agree with some of the people here who posted comments that -- in nursing, it can be life or death, but if you have an off day in the classroom, it's not like anyone would die.

I think sometimes it would be nice to have a gig where I could do part-time nursing during summer vacation, and pull in a big wad of money; or to go into soft retirement in my early 50s and do some kind of light weight nursing job in a low stress environment. But that's probably just not realistic on my part.

I greatly admire and respect nurses now, much more than I ever did before I researched the profession. And I'm appreciative of all the wonderful nurses who have helped me in various medical situation.

What I've learned is that it truly takes a special person to be a nurse. You guys are awesome!

:w00t:

llg, PhD, RN · Jan 9, 2008

I am a newbie here and I just have to chime in. I agree with what you said about your mom, the teacher, getting overall better compensation.
I am a public school teacher and last year I considered getting out of the profession due to it being a rough year with some of my team mates. Also I had heard that nurses made so much money. I was feeling burdened by bills and I started to research nursing.
Ultimately I decided to stay in teaching for the exact reasons you described.
....
I greatly admire and respect nurses now, much more than I ever did before I researched the profession. And I'm appreciative of all the wonderful nurses who have helped me in various medical situation.
What I've learned is that it truly takes a special person to be a nurse. You guys are awesome!
:w00t:

Thank you! I have great affection and respect for my sister, the teacher ... and I know she worked very hard to be the best 2nd grade teacher she could be. But she will be the first one to admit that overall, the financial deal she got as a public employee was much better over the long course of her career than any deal I have ever had as a nurse. Her educational benefits, her insurance benefits, her work schedule (no summers, not nights, no weekends, no holidays, etc.), her retirement benefits have more than made up for the extra cash that I have received.

She semi-retired at 52. I don't know any nurses who can afford to do that and still maintain a "country club" standard of living (unless they have rich husbands).

llg (who has been a nursing faculty member as well as a hospital employee)

BeachBayNurse · Jan 9, 2008

There is no way you would ever see me in a classroom, unless I was making six digits. Teachers are expected to take disrespect from students and their parents, buy their own supplies, stay after to do lesson plans and on top of that find the money to wear professional dressy clothes to work! But the final straw is if you have a PITA in nursing, you get rid of him/her in a few days, or can rotate the patient's care with all the nurses. If you have a PITA as a student, you are stuck with the prize for the entire year!

holiday2525 · Jan 27, 2008

I am now a nursing student. Last year I was a certified teacher teaching math and science to middle schoolng kids in the inner city. After 4 years of teaching I said I'm out. The salary for nurses is not that much higher-only about 5,000 a year where I live. But, you work 40 a week and when you leave, you've left. As a teacher I would usually work about 60 hours a week. Plus, while nursing can clearly be a high stress job, society doesn't expect you to work miracles with your unfunded mandates, impossible parents and unreasonable principles. I got sick of the public school BS.

Actually, as I go along in my program, I am seeing just how similar teaching and nursing are, and how similar the people are between the professions.

I am also happy to see that each field has a lot of respect for the other.

withasmilelpn · Mar 25, 2008

I am now a nursing student. Last year I was a certified teacher teaching math and science to middle schoolng kids in the inner city. After 4 years of teaching I said I'm out. The salary for nurses is not that much higher-only about 5,000 a year where I live. But, you work 40 a week and when you leave, you've left. As a teacher I would usually work about 60 hours a week. Plus, while nursing can clearly be a high stress job, society doesn't expect you to work miracles with your unfunded mandates, impossible parents and unreasonable principles. I got sick of the public school BS.
Actually, as I go along in my program, I am seeing just how similar teaching and nursing are, and how similar the people are between the professions.
I am also happy to see that each field has a lot of respect for the other.

Oh yes, you will be expected to work miracles by administration, patients and families with no supplies, no staff and strict impossibe standards. And you will find yourself staying past your shift on many occasions, or being mandated to stay. Don't forget the having to work holidays, weekends, bad hours and limited vacation. Which some places will deny anyway! Health benefits are typically expensive and not very good. If you are a school nurse, expect to earn significantly less than the teachers, even with a B.S. Many have to travel to more than one school.

Don't get me wrong, I think teachers who get good salaries and benefits deserve them. In our state PA teachers have a limited ability to strike that helps them get better salaries I think than other states. I think nurses should have the same access.

J1016 · Jun 19, 2008

All nurses teach. Not all teachers can start an IV.
I know that the above is a bit caustic, but I'm sick of the teacher's using us to get even more benefits and pay. If teachers don't like their job, let them become nurses. Hospitals in my area have want ads for nurses that run on for pages. Meanwhile, every teacher position receives over 50 applications.
The two professions are not the same. Teachers don't work as hard as nurses. They don't have the same level of responsibility. They don't take the same risks. If they slack off for a day, nobody dies.
I saw the same thing in the military. The civilians on base were constantly comparing themselves to the military members so they could get better benefits, without taking the same risks.

You have absolutley no right to say that teacher's don't work as hard as nurses...and for your information there are teachers who are the MOST IMPORTANT person in students' lives. Students who have a family that doesn't care about them...these students are lucky enought to come to school and have a teacher that gives them a hug, smiles at them, laughs with them, gives them snacks, and a teacher that thinks about them outside of school. I know teachers who have saved childrens lives because of family abuse, or teachers who saved students from committing suicide. You can have a growing relationship with a teacher for many years while you are in school. These are two different careers...nurses are supposed to save lives and they do a damned good job at it. Teachers are supposed to teach, not "save" lives in the same sense that teachers do. Many teachers do much more than teach, and many nurses do much more than "Just save lives". Why am I reading so many negative comments about teachers on here?

J1016 · Jun 19, 2008

There is no way you would ever see me in a classroom, unless I was making six digits. Teachers are expected to take disrespect from students and their parents, buy their own supplies, stay after to do lesson plans and on top of that find the money to wear professional dressy clothes to work! But the final straw is if you have a PITA in nursing, you get rid of him/her in a few days, or can rotate the patient's care with all the nurses. If you have a PITA as a student, you are stuck with the prize for the entire year!

I don't think you see too much disrespect from a six-year old, or most elementary school kids. Consider the age groups. I am a third grade teacher right now in Michigan making 55K a year while finishing up my masters. I will be making 65K the next school year, and then once I hit tenure in two years I'll be at 70K. My aunt is 50 years old and makes 90K a year as a teacher in Michigan WITHOUT her masters. (It wasn't the thing at the time to get a masters...you went for certificates) You probably wonder why I'm on here, but my dad is an Anesthesiologist, and my mom a CRNA, so I made this profile and come on here sometimes with my mom. One would think I would have chose a higher paying career because of my parents in the medical field, but there is nothing wrong with me making 70K at 27 years old. Fine with me...I plan on becoming a Principal in a few years and fyi the starting salary for an el. ed. principal in my areas is 90K-120K. My high school principal, whom I still am in contact with, makes 130K a year and he is 40 years old.

Yes, teachers take things home, but it gets easier each year. There is not insane grading and projects to do when you teacher 8 year olds! I spend about three hours a week MAX at home doing work. Just putting that out there because some of the teacher salaries seem to be a lot lower than what is in my area.

nads786 · Jun 19, 2008

i think the salary really depends on where you teach

I know at my high school and middle school, alot of teachers with experience were making 70-90k a year with a masters degree

im sure teachers do alot before and after school, but come one, they teach the same thing every year! after a while the work should get easier and easier,

and sometimes they put in videos to watch and just sit there....

for the people who said well in the summer you are in school

well you arent working!

justme1972 · Jun 19, 2008

Eh, teachers' hours aren't really all they're cracked up to be.
They take home work every night during the week. Grade papers and tests all weekend. Prep for the next week over the weekend. Often have required extracurricular things on weeends. Meetings during breaks. Parent meetings. Parents emailing them and calling them all the time, wanting STAT responses. Have to buy their own supplies for the room. Buying food to keep in the room for the parents who don't feed their kids. And get paid no extra for any of it.
And, like nurses, are expected to perform miracles with no resources.
At least we get to clock out and leave work at work, most of the time. And get paid extra for staying over.

I'm pretty sure the OP was referring to NURSING SCHOOL instructors and not schools to teach children or high school students.

I hate to disagree, but this is college. So far, I haven't had anyone to hold my hand.

Every exam we have had has been done by scantron. They have the department secretary make the copies. We have only had to write one paper and one care plan per semester, and both of the instructors split the work and there is less than 40 students in our class PLUS it's the only one they teach.

We don't have classes on Fridays and each one of them take turns teaching a unit, so only one of them is in class at a time. There is only two clinical days per week and the instructors at our school, make the assignments at the beginning of the shift and sit at the nurses station for the next 8 hours until we leave.

Spring Break, Fall Break, Christmas Break, Thanksgiving Break, no weekends and summers off.