Nursing Salary...

William_SRNA · Sep 8, 2005

Money is a pwerful motivator and I personally don't think it indicates a level of care. However, if you do not like your job no amount of money is going to make you happy and bedisde nursing is a hard thankless job.

Whenever I tell people that I'm going to nursing school everyone immediately jumps to the topic of how much money I'm going to make and how I'm going to be so rich and asks me what kind of house/car I'm going to get. I didn't go into nursing for that so it really bugs me how people that are going into this profession (especially my classmates) want to be a nurse for the money and thats basically all they talk about it. It doesn't seem like they are the kind of future nurses that are going to be caring towards their patients at all. Does anyone find this somewhat disturbing or how to handle these kind of comments and misperceptions?

Irisinthemorning · Sep 8, 2005

Whenever I tell people that I'm going to nursing school everyone immediately jumps to the topic of how much money I'm going to make and how I'm going to be so rich and asks me what kind of house/car I'm going to get. I didn't go into nursing for that so it really bugs me how people that are going into this profession (especially my classmates) want to be a nurse for the money and thats basically all they talk about it. It doesn't seem like they are the kind of future nurses that are going to be caring towards their patients at all. Does anyone find this somewhat disturbing or how to handle these kind of comments and misperceptions?

Unfortunately, some of these individuals will not make it in nursing, and if all they care about is the money- I really hope they don't. Nursing is a great profession and needs all the caring people that want to make a difference in the lives of another individuals - the patients, their families, and the co-workers they will be working with. As the old saying goes - there is not enough money that will pay for all a nurse does.

As far as how to handle their comments - don't, they have as you stated one reason for going into nursing, you have another. Keep true to your goals and keep the reason for going into nursing because you care about others and want to help bring them back to as normal a state as possible with the gratification that you made a difference in their life.

Wishing you the very best in your goals and career. God bless.

flowerpower · Sep 8, 2005

I know that money doesn't indicate the amount of care, but when I talk to my fellow classmates, it seems like all they care and talk about is rushing out of the program and will do anything it costs to do it so they can start working full time at a hospital ER so they can buy themselves a fancy shmancy house and car. Thanks Irisinthemorning and William_SRNA for the helpful comments!

Mississippi_RN · Sep 8, 2005

Well, for one...no amount of money in the world is going to make you stay a nurse if that is not what you really want to do. Especially if you are a hospital bed side nurse. Of course, bed side nursing is *not* for everyone. You just have to find your niche.

Trust me, you are going to be the happiest of all your classmates if the reason you are going into nursing is because you like it and want to make a difference :yeah: Everyone else might may it out of school, but no amount of money (and it is not all that much) will make them do what we do everyday. Its not like we are Elton John or Bill Gates or something... :rotfl:

Sure, we make more than some professions... But look at what all we are responsible for... PEOPLE'S LIVES!!

Do what you feel is best for you...and they should too... Otherwise, you won't be happy and no one around you will either. :twocents:

suzanne4, RN · Sep 8, 2005

Lets see how many of them actually finish............

sailornurse · Sep 8, 2005

Well I've been in this profession for 28 years. Nurses make a comfortable salary but I personally do not think we get rich. Salary's here in Southwest New Mexico, new grads make about $20.00 per hour.

Happy-ER-RN, RN · Sep 8, 2005

Excuse my cynicism, but--

Money? What money? I am making crap (especially for what I have to put up with). I am in so much debt after nursing school that I am wondering if I will ever be able to have children on my income. Houses and Cars, please...

It's called middle class. If people want to make money nursing is the wrong place to do it. Unless you want to be a workaholic and work overtime and have your life sucked away from you. Maybe one day I can live in a neighborhood where I can go on a walk and not have to step over heroin syringes. Money, ha ha ha...

Tweety, BSN, RN · Sep 8, 2005

Most nurses aren't in it ONLY for the money.

A good deal of people are in it for BOTH the money and because they are caring individuals who want to be a nurse.

Rare is the person who doesn't think about the money at all. Let's face it, if nursing were a minimum wage job, there wouldn't be waiting lists of caring individuals trying to be nurses.

I was working for $3.00/hr in nursing school and I couldn't wait to get out and start making some real money. No it wasn't all I talked about, and it if that's all your classmates are taking about then they're a shallow bunch indeed.

I'll never be rich. Just solidly middle class and will have to work until I'm 99 years old. :)

**RosesrReder, BSN, MSN, RN** · Sep 8, 2005

I hear this all the time everywhere including school. It would be interesting to see how many that go in it for the money actually like the scope of practice and will seek another career.

William_SRNA · Sep 8, 2005

When I was traveling I was making over $130,000 per year as a traveling RN. That is where the money is.

Excuse my cynicism, but--
Money? What money? I am making crap (especially for what I have to put up with). I am in so much debt after nursing school that I am wondering if I will ever be able to have children on my income. Houses and Cars, please...
It's called middle class. If people want to make money nursing is the wrong place to do it. Unless you want to be a workaholic and work overtime and have your life sucked away from you. Maybe one day I can live in a neighborhood where I can go on a walk and not have to step over heroin syringes. Money, ha ha ha...

jalvino1 · Sep 8, 2005

Anybody who says money's not important has never been poor. My mom became a nurse because it meant a plane ticket to America.

On that note, the whole money issue makes me tremendously uncomfortable. Anything my family of nurses can say to me is "oh congrats for graduating. Now you can make the big bucks!" I hate it, because that's not why I went into nursing, but that's what everybody thinks.