nursing and benefits????

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hello everyone, hope everything is well! i'm thinking of pursuing a career in nursing, and was wondering if current nurses could tell me if they get health benefits/401 K's. i don't really know a lot about this topic, but was just wondering if a nursing career would provide me this stuff. and also, what does it mean to work for an agency or work per diem?

thanks for the help,

hushpupgrl

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hello everyone, hope everything is well! i'm thinking of pursuing a career in nursing, and was wondering if current nurses could tell me if they get health benefits/401 K's. i don't really know a lot about this topic, but was just wondering if a nursing career would provide me this stuff. and also, what does it mean to work for an agency or work per diem?

thanks for the help,

hushpupgrl

Hi... Most nursing jobs provide benefits including health/dental and retirement benefits. Working for an agency means that you work wherever the agency needs you to work. Ditto for per diem except you work for a hospital and the hospital decides where you work. For example, one day, there is a need for a nurse on a tele floor. The next a med/surg. You have more flexibility as you can choose when you work but you don't have consistency. I happen to work a regular job on a tele floor so I may get corrected but this is what I understand.

Gail

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thanks for the information! i'm currently a single female, and was wondering if i would be able to support myself with a nursing salary...i.e...get myself a nice apartment, car payment, clothes, food...etc. i have contimplated pursuing nursing or a career as a pharmacist. i would prefer nursing because of the hands on ability to help people, but at the sametime my financial future is important to me. i have read some posts on here about nurses salaries not increasing substationally with experience or the rate of inflation. i was just curious as to what a nurse with say 5 years experience and benefits would be making. anyway, any opinons are welcome.

thanks everyone

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Just doing a quick search it says the average national RN salary is just under 60k. Of course that is going to be higher or lower in some areas just like everything else.

While there may not be a noticeable increase in pay between an 2yr and 4yr degree RN... the BSN will open up door to more advanced positions... also the higher education can pay off... same place lists averages for some more advanced roles...

Clinical Nurse Specialist - $76,209

Nurse Practitioners - $77,886

Head Nurse - $80,824

CRNA - $134,820

Chief Nursing Officer - $167,387

Pharmacists can make close to 100k pretty quickly, but if you want to work in a hospital the average is quite a bit lower I believe. Still, pharmacy school isn't always easy to get in to... also it's 2 yrs or so of prereq's and then another 4 years of pharmacy school...

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Specializes in Med-Surg.
thanks for the information! i'm currently a single female, and was wondering if i would be able to support myself with a nursing salary...i.e...get myself a nice apartment, car payment, clothes, food...etc. i have contimplated pursuing nursing or a career as a pharmacist. i would prefer nursing because of the hands on ability to help people, but at the sametime my financial future is important to me. i have read some posts on here about nurses salaries not increasing substationally with experience or the rate of inflation. i was just curious as to what a nurse with say 5 years experience and benefits would be making. anyway, any opinons are welcome.

thanks everyone

I support myself with nice middle income on a nurses salary. I own my own home (or have a mortgage) 3-bedrooms, two bath (too much for one person but a nice investment), my car is paid for, I put 10% in a 403B (same as a 401K, but since it's a not-for-profit hospital this is what it's called), take vacations.

I have health, dental, short and long-term disability, and vision insurance (which is not given, these days no insurances are given, you have to pay), 30 days off a year, tuition reimbursement among other benefits.

Nursing can afford you a nice middle class income if you spend your money wisely and don't get into a lot of debt. For me as a single person it can sometimes be a little tough with the high cost of homeowners insurance (I live in hurricane territory), etc. But what middle class person doesn't struggle a bit these days?

Nursing salaries go through periods of stagnation and market adjustments due to supply and demand. Over the past 15 years my salary has doubled and then some. I will say for the first time in my career, I feel my salary hasn't keep up, but that's because of the high cost of insurance and property taxes here in Florida. Also gas is on the rise and other expenses are rising, so I do think the next year will be any better. Nonetheless I'm comfortable and doing o.k.

Pharmacists make more money than nurses here as well, so if money's important go for the money, but if you can't afford to live on an RN's salary, there's something wrong with how you manage money.

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Yea Tweety. You said it. Thanks!!!!

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Specializes in ICU, PICC Nurse, Nursing Supervisor.

i am a lvn and have made as much as $70 k in one year (average 50-60k) . i currently work agency (of course the hours are not guaranteed ) and i'm getting 26/hr . now insurance ...let me tell you. i have a big family we have 6 children then me and my husband. the monthly fee alone just for my portion is over a thousand a month. this is every where i have worked and then on top of that i would get a 15-20 % reduction in pay for taking the benefits cause the company does pay a small portion. even with just me and my husband it would cost me $750-800/month. so i just keep my kids on the state insurance and me and my husband do without. i just saw you are single... you should be able to live very good on a nursing salary.

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... and I'm getting 26/hr . Now Insurance ...let me tell you. I have a big family we have 6 children then me and my husband... So I just keep my kids on the state insurance and me and my husband do without. I just saw you are single... you should be able to live very good on a nursing salary.

state insurance?

is that like medicaid?

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Specializes in ICU, PICC Nurse, Nursing Supervisor.

medicaid is a state insurance ,but my kids get chips.

state insurance?

is that like medicaid?

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chips?

what is that?

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Specializes in Nurses who are mentally sicked.

Talking about benefit and the retirement plan....we have excellent benefits and retirement plan in the city owed hospitals.

$63k a year with a year med-surg experience...currently working in the ICU.

I only work 13 days a month....

I also have a per-diem position with an agency which pays me $500/per shift...I normally work 2 days a week on the top of my regular job...

$63k + $52k = at least $100k a year.

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Specializes in Nurses who are mentally sicked.

One more thing....

Some agencies do not give you benefit or retirement plan...

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