$25-$30 bucks an hour is peanuts!!

Nurses Career Support

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Someone said nurses get good pay-$25-30 an hour???? In the pharmaceutical world, where they employ lots of nurses I would say for a senior person $40-55 and up is more the norm.

Why so pharmacists and Physical Therapists command $75K right out of school--they used to make LESS than nurses.

I believe that nurses have a great deal of responsibilities and should fight for better wages, working conditions, schedules and patient load. I am giving up a job that required a few weeks of training and paid $37-45K per year, to go to nursing school. The 2 yr ADN program is very intense and condensed. What a nurse is required to know and practice deserves much more. The world I have been working in for the last ten years will show a person that the above salary does not go far. The cost of living has drastically increased, and the pay is not keeping up. Think of it from a single mother's point of view when she is the one responsible for paying all the bills, groceries and you name it. That pay barely keeps you above poverty and the welfare line, not to mention being able to save for a college education for the children. Just some food for thought.

Specializes in Oncology/Haemetology/HIV.
Originally posted by angel1971

I believe that nurses have a great deal of responsibilities and should fight for better wages, working conditions, schedules and patient load. I am giving up a job that required a few weeks of training and paid $37-45K per year, to go to nursing school. The 2 yr ADN program is very intense and condensed. What a nurse is required to know and practice deserves much more. The world I have been working in for the last ten years will show a person that the above salary does not go far. The cost of living has drastically increased, and the pay is not keeping up. Think of it from a single mother's point of view when she is the one responsible for paying all the bills, groceries and you name it. That pay barely keeps you above poverty and the welfare line, not to mention being able to save for a college education for the children. Just some food for thought.

And my point is that you generally have an idea of what you would be paid when you started school and had the choice to do it or not. There must be some reason that you are leaving your former job for Nursing.

Is the schooling tough? Sure, it is - just as architecture, engineering or science majors are. Does the scientist that invents new drugs, or the engineer that helps design cars or systems have a lot of responsibility - if those things breakdown/malfunction, many will die or be injured. Is the cost of living not going up for them also? Being a single mother does not entitle anyone to a better wage. And no one guarantees a college education for anyone's kids. While, we would love to provide all the wants of our children by doing conveniant work with easy hours and high pay, we live in a capitalistic society and we are guaranteed nothing. All of Us. Nurses do not have the corner on any of these issues.

PhePhe also works in PA, an area of the country with a much higher cost of living and therefore higher pay rates.

I would be perfectly happy with lower pay, if I had a job that had consistantly adequate staffing, and good management. This benefits Nursing and the Patient and the Business.

I have yet to find that, so I travel and I make more money for it.

You can make awesome money in Nursing. But if you can't travel/have small children at home/don't do overtime or holidays or nights/live in the South (lousy pay rates)/need more stability, as a general rule, your payrate will reflect it.

Caroladybelle, I see you live in the south - in GA, but you said the pay is bad in the south, but that you still make more money doing travel nursing? Do you mind telling us about what your annual salary is doing travel nursing and can you tell me what an average day is like doing your type job? I appreciate it. :p

Specializes in Oncology/Haemetology/HIV.

Please see post #25.

Days vary depending on institution - will go indepth later.

Specializes in Oncology/Haemetology/HIV.

I do pretty much what any other staff nurse, certified in Oncology and with 8 years in chemo does. 36 hours a week or more, if I want. I take a regular staff position - I am currently in Philadelphia at an inner city hospital. I work straight nights, per my choice. I generally only work Oncology/Hematology/BMT/HIV units as that is my primary experience. I would probably consider a Med/Surg assignment for the right pay/right position/right place (The coast of Maine in Fall or Spring?). I take my experiences on the road as education in life. In a low level Onco floor, I may do presentations on Leukemic Induction - in a High level BMT, I may take a lot of classes and learn a great deal. On Onco/Hem floors, I frequently charge, on other floors I don't. In a couple facilities, I have been the only chemo capable nurse, and had to set up induction in an ICU, or give methatrexate to a s/p miscarriage, or access a pediatric port. It just depends on the situation.

One day, I will settle in a small woodframe house, with hard wood floors, and a fireplace, and a porch with an herb garden in the back and a window for each cat. And I will work in 8-5 office and get paid little. But that is because I am happy to give up the travel thing for something I find more worth while - a seminormal schedule and life.

I am currently working in a hospital and also going to school working on my AAS/RN degree. Although I am taking the summer off, and it has been enjoyable to "just" work and not have to study. Anyhow I have found that it does depend on what area you are working in as to the stress level. I worked in Postpartum for a while and the stress level is nothing compared to where I am working now, Cardiac floor. All in all I do think that nurses should be compensated more. Down south a graduate nurse starts at $18-$20/hr. I really think that is pittiful. No matter what your degree is, we all still take the same exam at the end of which ever program you choose (ADN vs. BSN) and we should be compensated for that. I am going into nursing because I truly want to be a nurse. It isn't terrible money if you don't add the stress, nurse patient ratio, long hours. I think that every profession has stress, but the nursing profession actually holds someone's life in their hands. If we don't take care of our patients in the correct manner, who will???? I firmly believe that in order for a hospital to run it takes everyone and I do mean everyone. Let us think about this though, if it wasn't for nurses who would care for our patients??? Who would make sure they received the meds needed, resuscitate a pt if they code. The fact is we are needed. We should be compensated more, and we should value our profession more. Unfortunately for now I will wait, but don't think for a second that I won't be fighting for better pay for nurses in Texas and all over the U.S. when I graduate and have my license. I am now off my soap box. Thank you.

My husband is a researcher and engineer. If he ever designed something that could injure someone, it would very likely be found and corrected before it hurt anyone, as there are many reviews, checks and cross-checks by various experts before anything is actually put into operation. It takes months or years for this to happen.

On the other hand- A nurse has a few minutes or seconds to check herself before injecting a drug into a pt. The nurse is the last line of defense to catch the mistakes of others (docs, pharmacists, etc).

My husband is not only married to a nurse, he was given life by one. His mother is an RN, PhD, CNS.

From what he has seen and heard, he feels that nursing is one of the most difficult and stressful careers a person can have, and that the pay is woefully inadequate when the working conditions, knowledge needed and job stress are factored in.

Hi Folks,

Haven't been on the BB for awhile but this thread caught my mind in the mud. Yea, I agree that nursing is relatively low pay, but it also has some very bright spots. I am one of those $20 an hour RN's. And I will also gross about a hundred K this year. I am very lucky I think, to now be in something that allows me to work as much as I want, put in all the OT I want for the asking. I work a steady 60-65 hrs per week, no different than and actually somewhat less than other livlihoods I have engaged. When I put the key in my car to go home, I leave it all there....very nice. Nothing vested except my time. Do I wish for more? Sure, but as others have stated, every employment has its drawbacks that diminish its attractiveness once one becomes employed there. Nursing isn't such a bad deal and I do have a big HOORAY for the nurses that are disgruntled enough to invoke changes that I may one day be the recipient of. So, YOU GO GAL!

My example is our most recent celebration of Nurse's Week. There was an Ice Cream Social, small gifts, and daily specials intended to honor Nurses where I work. I felt, all in all, it was very well done. Imagine my suprise when I heard some Nurses criticizing how "little" was done and how "meager" the gifts were.:eek: Yet, these same Nurses basically turned their backs on my suggestion to offer a tribute to our CNA's during CNA Week. "Let them organize their own event."

Fgr8Out, thanks for the compliment, that was very encouraging. I've posted similar things on other threads, but I usually get no response - not sure if I'm viewed as an "outsider" because I'm not a nurse yet, or if it's because I don't share the "popular" opinion.

Anyone in ANY profession has their list of complaints, but it accomplishes very little that's positive once the complaints start rolling and start gaining momentum. Once you start complaining, it's hard to stop (or shut up) or start seeing the positive. I've worked with complainers before, and being around them helps remind me what *I* sound like when I start (and don't stop) complaining.

The most miserable people I've met in my life were the ones who were waiting to be recognized, appreciated, and rewarded. And even when they do get something (as you pointed out with the nurses), it's NEVER enough. My girlfriend is a nurse, and she's told me how "catty" the other nurses can be. It's a shame, really, and a complete waste of time, potential, and resources.

Specializes in ED staff.

I was at the dentist this morning, while waiting to be seen I was reading Reader's Digest. An article in there said that nurses were the most trusted when it came to asking about professions. Pharamacists came in second, doc's were 5th. ( Sorry I can't remember what was in the 3rd and 4th spots) That shows a lot of respect from the public, they trust us more than they trust their own doctors, but why wouldthn't they? We take enough time to actually listen to what they have to say. As far as salaries go cost of living is better in the south and it's so beautiful here. I'll keep my 23 bucks an hour and stay home. :)

What surprises me---My male friend's...non have college degrees all make more or the same as me.

(some of my friend's took some classes at the local community college, non have a degree)

While I have heard that nursing as a profession was highly trusted by the public, I have also come across polls that ranked professions from a prestige point and guess what ? We were at the bottem. Guess what profession was #1? MEdicine. That is great that we are so trusted, but we also need to provide for our families too!

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