Taking a paycut for experience?

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Hello everyone! New to all nurses. I am currently working on a stepdown unit in a benefited position that pays $72/hr + $7 differential. There is a nearby hospital hiring for ICU training. The issue is that they will be paying $52 dollars and it is a NON-benefited position for 3 months. I would switch to per diem at my current job but losing benefits and over $20 an hour pay cut is a bit steep imo.

In case anyone is wondering, I live/work in the bay area in California. Have been a nurse for 3 years now.

Any ideas or opinions on the matter? Thanks in advance!

I finally made an account just for this. I've heard pay is great in SF but cost of living is high, so there you go. Here in Orange County CA after 20 years I get around 54 an hour, the same as one of our new nurses with one (1) year experience when he went over the county line to LA at a UC hospital. One year on the job, making what I do after 20 years, but I'm not bitter. People also get a huge bump in pay when they go to that K hospital (are we allowed to say names?). To respond to the OP, are you serious, taking that much of a cut for ICU experience? After 3 months do they bump the pay and release the benefits, if not, they're ripping you off. There are other avenues to get into the ICU and I promise that hospital is not the only game in town in the Bay. Money may not be everything but it certainly is if you like to eat, live, have nice clothes, stuff like that. Okay, just my 2 cents.

Thanks for the reply nursepolice. I actually do work at that K hospital currently. The other hospital is a county hospital. I plan on staying with K hospital long term and if I were to take the county ICU job, it'd be roughly for a year. Ultimately I agree with your sentiment and will most likely not take the job. Will be looking for better opportunities for ICU experience.

Personally, I'd only think about taking that steep of a pay cut if I were in a solid financial situation - do you still have debt? Did you want to buy yourself something or travel anywhere beforehand? Do you have a good-sized nest egg in your savings?

Secondly, I still don't think I understand why you'd have to move to a different hospital to get ICU training - can't you be cross-trained at your current hospital and avoid the pay cut altogether?

Thirdly, does the transfer into ICU align with your career goals or are you simply looking for a change of pace? Is the ICU a career move or an I'm-bored-job-hop opportunity?

I'd give these questions some consideration - let us know about your decision!

The one regret I have as a nurse is pursuing jobs for the pay benefit alone and not for gaining new experiences and knowledge. I have been a nurse for over 20 years and regret not pursuing jobs like ICU and ER, where I could gain more knowledge. The more experience you have in complicated areas, the more marketable you are. Sadly, at my age, I have not been able to find a job in those areas because they want younger nurses - new graduate nurses. Just a thought.....

I live in Baltimore , Md and I am currently taking a significant pay cut to improve my quality of like. As an experienced DON I was making 130,000 plus 10-20 thousand annual bonus. But I gave my life to my facilities, 24/7 on call, 12-14 hour days, and nightly calls 2-4 days a week, plus constant stress. I am switching to home health Case Manager at base salary of 85,000 but potential to make 100-112 by taking extra cases. It was a very difficult decision but I looked at my goals. I am 54 yo and would like to enjoy my grandchildren. I would like to work FT for another 5 yrs then have potential to work PT and travel when my hubby retires. I can not do that as a DON and I was VERY good at my job so was peg holed as a Regional Director or DON in skilled care. IF I didn't do it now, I knew I would not be able to do it in 5 yrs because some already said I 'didn't have enough bedside experience (Ha, if they only knew!)

I would say, you are young, if your goal is something like a flight nurse or after a year or two of ICU experience you could move back to a hospital and make more money then it would be worth the sacrifice now. If you don't really know the direction you want to go, then stay until you have a better idea. It all really depends on where and what you want to do in 5 years. Good Luck!

Wait?! You have 3 years experience and earn $72 an hour??? No wonder every one talks about money on here. I had no idea you earned so much in the US. Not even are most senior nurses or even nurse practitioners here in NZ earn that. I have to say, I have a lot less compassion now for US nurses ranting on here, when I'm dealing with the same bullsh*t for $23.79 an hour.

not all U.S. nurses earn that much! That is more than double my pay with more than 20 years experience in ICU.

Trust me, that's not the norm here. Desperate nursing needs and high cost of living. No where near that much in the Midwest. I actually thought it was a typo!

Specializes in NICU/Mother-Baby/Peds/Mgmt.
Wait?! You have 3 years experience and earn $72 an hour??? No wonder every one talks about money on here. I had no idea you earned so much in the US. Not even are most senior nurses or even nurse practitioners here in NZ earn that. I have to say, I have a lot less compassion now for US nurses ranting on here, when I'm dealing with the same bullsh*t for $23.79 an hour.

My eyes got wide and I thought "what the heck" too until I read where she worked. A family of 4 with an income of $105K is now considered low income in the Bay area. So she's making a bit more above that.

Specializes in Emergency Nursing, Trauma, Wound Care.
Thanks for the reply nursepolice. I actually do work at that K hospital currently. The other hospital is a county hospital. I plan on staying with K hospital long term and if I were to take the county ICU job, it'd be roughly for a year. Ultimately I agree with your sentiment and will most likely not take the job. Will be looking for better opportunities for ICU experience.

Is this hospital in Alameda County? I am from the Bay too and I worked in H Hospital in the said county. If it is in that hospital the stress level is up to outerspace. However, that was a huge paycheck cut, but of you'll think about the rate and benefits it's good to stay. But if you have goals, it might be a good try. You already have your 3 yrs experience and nobody can take that away from you. I wish K Hospital do train their nurses to go to special areas but I doubt it. I hate it when they get more travel nurses than the locals. But I wish you good luck! Hoping you rethink your current positon. :)

Specializes in Pediatrics.

I haven't really read everyone's comments but i have one not-so-pretty solution. While it isn't ideal, you really could work your current just and per diem across town and get the experience. Youll be tired but youll have full benefits and bring in some great extra money! and then once you've dont your time per diem and get the experience, you can get into an ICU and get full benefits for that and stop working 5-6 days a week

Specializes in Anesthesia, Trauma, Palliative, Tele.

What is your end game? Are you looking to increase your experience or are you looking into potentially CRNA school or something? I am all for sacrifice if it gets you to where you want to be. You have to evaluate your career goals before making a decision like this.

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