PGH Post Gazette: Mid-career job change provides new nursing recruits

[NRSKarenRN, BSN, RN]

A growing cadre of folks are entering nursing school at mid-life, attracted to the profession by altruism, generous scholarships and the promise of a secure job in a shaky economy.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, June 25, 2003

http://www.post-gazette.com/healthscience/20030624hmidcareer1.asp

"To fill the jobs, local hospitals recruit students like Zarro and Walters, who trade a commitment to work after graduation for tuition aid. When they graduate, UPMC will offer them a salary of $18per hour before overtime , plus benefits, paid days off and a 401(k) plan."

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Watch what you sign up for ---- WAY less than Phillys starting salaries.

[cheripa]

I've seen this article in the paper! I'm starting nursing school this Fall, so I really don't know to much about the saleries yet.... What's a decent starting salary for the pittsburgh area? I think that UPMC is (what seems to be the choice of most..) the biggest health care system in this area. Maybe that's why it's low? :confused:

[oramar]

Cheripa, hate to tell you this but UPMC pays better than most. I think WPAHS is a little better. The sad thing about that salary is that represents about a $4 hourly increase over the last two years. That means that people who came into the work world in '99 have reached the salary that new grads make just recently. Wonder if the hospitals are doing anything to make up for the depressed salries they started at just a few years ago. I saw this article but did not post it. The fledgling nurses sound like great people, I was very interested to hear their stories. However, it seem like the same old "let's gear up the education system to get us out of this mess" article that you read over and over. By the way Karen, that story about the single mother going to CCAC is just about standard for ADN school. Lot of brave people starting to pursue their new profession late in life. This is the kind of opportunity people who want to switch over to all University training want to do away with. It just won't float. The politicians in Pa will never legislate away this sort of thing.