I definitely not recommend nursing.

[tremmi]

I basically gave up 2 years of my sons lives when they were 8 and 10 to complete my RN. I never saw them awake till the weekend. I had school from 0630 till 12:45 and worked as a secretary on a psych unit from 1400 till 2230. I thought I was doing it to provide them with a secure future. All it gave them was a mother who was stressed out, had back surgery twice, and missed their school concerts and PTA meetings because she was always at work. Luckily they are now grown and have turned out well. But I missed too much, and I can't get it back. I don't feel we are compensated for our sacrifices, nor are we supported or respected by "mahogany hall" administrators. And I would like to know where in this country an RN makes $25.00 to $30.00 an hour. I've been an ICU nurse for 10 years and the best I pull is $18.00. No it's not just about the money, it's about not having the time to give the nursing care you want to give. If I have a patient going for CABG, and they are nervous and scared, I don't have time to sit and explain and encourage, but I'm supposed to take the time to write on the education sheet the teaching I've done. That's hypocritical, but it's the facts. No I wouldn't recommend this back wrenching, exhausting , thankless, tiring, heart wrenching, disrespected job to anyone.

[lita1857]

tremmi I definitely understand your posting and here in Rochester, N.Y average RN 10-15yrs experience makes 20-30dollars per hr plus differentials for off shifts/weekends/holidays etc. We are not heaven but we aren't hell either, sounds like Texas has the corner on that this moment. The company I work for is called ViaHeath, they are on the web,,,they do have a sign on bonus- travel expenses etc. if you need more info e-mail me [email protected] Best of luck to you!

[rnirma]

For the most part I think nurses enjoy their

jobs. but we do sacrifice time with our families. I have been a R.N. for eleven years and for the first 10 years I sacrificed time with the family during the holidays. I have worked most Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, Easter and other Holidays. I have worked most shifts especially nights so that I could be with my family on the holidays, the price was losing sleep and feeling burned out except for the vacations when I was able to sleep more than two nights in a row. I wish someone would have told me what I would have had to sacrifice before entering Nursing School. I would have gone on to graduate and work as a school teacher. I know that most jobs and careers have their disadvantages, but giving up my weekends and holidays for a paycheck is more than I could handle. I now work as a Patient Educator, and a Childbirth Instructor. I set my own hours and have all the major holidays off. I enjoy what I do and has been possible only because of the Nursing Degree I earned.

[deathnurse]

Originally posted by shee1a:

As for the money. I have read that nurses in Boston, MA make 25-35 an hour. Agency nurses also make decent money I have seen some advertisements for pay to 34 an hour. Im sure both of these already include diffs. I hope yours doesnt already include your diffs.

Agency nurses usually don't have benefits. It's amazing that other "professionals" make this amount of money WITH benefits included. Nursing, again, is the exception. Cheap labour.

[deathnurse]

Originally posted by Jeanbean:

I'm sorry to hear that you're so frustrated. I was very frustrated so I changed jobs and just started a new job as a home health nurse 1 month ago. I love it- I get lots of one-on-one time w/ pts and a lot of what I do is teaching. The pay varies day to day since it is based on $30 per-visit. I live in a mid-size town so I don't have to do alot of driving (10-30mi/day).

Thirty dollars a visit. And you are using your OWN car, gas, tires, wear and tear, payments, cell-phone if you can afford it, and probably didn't tell your insurance company that you are using your car for business.

Thirty dollars a visit. A nurse will get into their own car on company time, occasionally reimbursed a pittance for milage.

You can't get a plumber to cross the street in a COMPANY-OWNED vehicle for less than $80.00.

Nursing is pathetic.

Continue the fight for more money and respect.

[OBNURSE81]

Originally posted by rnirma:

For the most part I think nurses enjoy their

jobs. but we do sacrifice time with our families.

I agree with you and I highly recommend full time nursing in a hospital setting if you want to miss watching your kids grow up, have a babysitter raise them, work your days off, be so tired that when you are home you resemble a zombie. Your husband/wife and children will be subjected to mood swings and short tempers. When you have no more left to to give mentally and physically, and if you are lucky enough to have a family left, you will either remove yourself from nursing or refocus. ( I feel I am qualified to say this as I have been in nursing for 23 years. Most of these years were in the "trenches" with you all! ) Anyone can do what I did, which was refocus figure out how you can make nursing fit into your lifestyle. I really do love nursing, just not the kind of nursing we are expected to do now in a hospital setting. The opportunities are endless if you are creative. I have rediscovered the joy of nursing and will never again put myself or my family second to my job. So what if they call me "cranky" because I work only when I want to and where I want to. The patients get the best of me, and so do my co-workers!. Life is short (we know that right?) so be happy figure out how to be a nurse on your terms. By the way I live in a small rural community, and yes I have to work full time. Hummm...am I making a living? YES!

[asdfghjkl]

Nursing is a very noble profession. Unfortunately, due to the paperwork required, understaffing, nurses can't do their best. Nurses are overworked, harassed, disrespected by both patients and coworkers. I sympathize with Tremmi. However, you can still do it for the money. Here in California, there are lots of opportunities, better pay for RN's.Especially because you have ICU experience, you can do whatever you want- go into legal practice, if you want. Or set up your own business- registry, for example.Make it work for you, rather than against you. Good luck.

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[PopTart]

I'm in Austin, Texas and a hospital staff nurse makes $16-$18/hour--but agency nurses or prn's in the hospital nursing pool make $25-$30/hour. I'm staying at home with my 1 1/2 year old right now but when I go back to work I will never be a staff nurse again. I'm tired of doing the same work as prn's and agency nurses, working holidays when they don't have to, being taken for granted when they are thanked just for showing up and earning $10 less per hour than they do.

[This message has been edited by PopTart (edited January 20, 2001).]

[deLadyPanther]

I am an BSN/RN ... I have been a nurse for twenty-four years. Most of that time spent in the emergency department ... I have also worked ICU, CCU and MedSurg (ugh!). My all time love is the emergency department. For two years I was the nurse manager of the pediatric department in a large community health center. My point? There are so many areas of nursing to choose from. In California RN can easily make $25-45/hr depending their needs.

I was a single parent when I children were small. I chose to work nights so that I would have the days to spend with them and so that I would be able to attend school. It worked well for us. The only drawback is as I reflect back, I am not sure my children understand the sacrafices I made in order to be available to them during the day.

Hang in there and find your niche!

[trinasmom]

I definately would not recommend nursing as a career. First of all it is not a career it is a job. A job that does not pay as much as a garbage collector. I work 7a to 7p which is really 645 to 745 or 8p. The regular 3-11 staff hates the 12 hour nurses for whatever reason so the charge nurse changes our assignments and gives us all the admissions. Yes, the nurse manager was informed and told the charge nurse to stop. She did not. I go home and I am exhausted and all I can do is go to sleep. I get depressed the day before I have to go to work. I am currently looking into starting my own business in the next 6 months if I can hold out that long. I hope to start a pet sitting business. Hopefully it will cut down on some of the midnight and 5am calls to see if I can work. There is no support from management and coworkers are just as stressed. What are you supposed to do when you haved 2 patients in 2 different rooms trying their best to fall out of bed with no one to help you watch them and the charge nurse and supervisor just says too bad. I hope if I get out this time I never have to go back to nursing.

Janet

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[dardoolittle]

Nursing is a career if you do want to take on everything else that goes along with it. The stress is very high I'd like to know the %of nurses that suffer major depression and thoughts of suicide! I'm sure they are right up there with police officers. But, I feel it's all worth it when you get one patient that is appreciative of the care and time(no matter how little) that is given them and soothes their worries. I believe you need the "CALLING." If you don't have it the frustration isn't worth it!

[nursedude]

$18- $25.00 an hour?

How sad.

Postal workers start out at about $17.00/hr. Garbage men at $16.00/hr and Bus Drivers close to $19.00/hr.

I know I know. I am too pessimistic but come on. No professional human being with 10 years as a nurse should be making any less that $30.00/hr. As another person mentioned a plumber doesnt start his truck for that! What is becoming of the nurses accross this nation? They are beiog sold out by hospitals for "imported workers"? Come on, would any of you other professional nurses feel comfortable allowing one of those immigrant nurses to take care of your mom, dad, daughter, son, grandmother?

I know, it's easy for me to poke all these questions since I left nursing but guess what? I really didn't want to! I'd love to be back in an ER working a code or pumping an OD's stomach or patching a trauma together but I could no longer afford to!

Instead I quit. My employer(s) would not hear my requests so I cut their staff by one.

To those of you that feel that I am preaching from a soapbox all I can say is "I don't care", rather, "why do you all condone such crap?"

[Lina]

It's a little frustrating reading your posts guys!

Sorry, but I have some silly questions...

How about continuing education? NP,MS etc...

Does it make life better or worse for those nrses? Do they also have to work long hours and be tired all the time?