Nursing Pay Question?

[Humaneclowninscrubs]

So how are some nurses making $30/hr?

I started as a new grad at $20/hr. When do I make it to $30?

Do I have to work like 10 years or do they work 1-2 years somewhere then hop around until they find a higher paying position?

I feel nursing pay varies too much. they just don't want to pay, yet cry about shortages.

Anyone have any tips?

Also I go to payscale.com it shows lowest for RN is like $45K and highest was like $90K for my area. Why am I not in that bracket and not only that I work for a major hospital, nothing small or private.

[cayenne06, MSN, CNM]

NP's and MD's have it easy and they really earn the right $$$$. They always seem to have a frown on their face. Probably because they know they are making too much $$$ and very happy.

Ha. Tell that to my CNM preceptors. The 1.0FT position I will be starting when I graduate is 20 hours of clinic a week and 5 24 hour shifts of call each month (18hrs paid for each 24 on call, despite being in-house the entire time, usually catching 1-3 babies per shift, triage, etc etc etc- and many small practices can't afford to reimburse for call at ALL). Salary, so of course that doesn't cover all the charting/paperwork time. Decent money, but when you break it down hourly based on how much you actually work, I will make less "per hour" than a good percentage, if not MOST, of the RNs I am working with.

Sometimes that's a hard pill to swallow at 2 am, when I am practically sleep walking and the end of my shift is nowhere in sight. Ah well. At least I can make the nurse empty the foley and wipe up the meconium while I get some beauty sleep. (/sarcasm)

[JustMeRN]

This is interesting.

I feel old to say this, but my first job as a new grad in 2000 paid $15 an hour. Then there was a bit of a nursing shortage in our area. Over the next 5-6 years I had my wage "adjusted" 2-3 times a year as the hospital I was working at increased pay scales to stay competitive. Driving south an hour to Boston could earn you 20-30% more hourly. I left hospital nursing in October making 37.50. I took a job in homecare making 30.50. The pay cut hurt my pride. But the hours are better and I couldn't handle the hospital anymore. All my positions have been per diem for what it's worth.