how old were you when you realized you weren't going to make real money as a nurse

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Laid off pilot use to make 12K a month, sitting in nursing school. That's when

before i ask my question, let me state that i am highly appreciative of a career that is relatively stable. my question is as follows. nurses, depending on education level, put in a fair amount of time at school, with most new colleges seeking bsn programs, nursing students are investing more time, effort, and money for school. most bsn colleges, range anywhere from $60,000-80,000 for the 4 year degree. most new grads average, in my area, about $23.5-25.5 an hour. scenario: newly graduated nurse makes $25 an hour, equaling $52,000 a year; at best (again in my area), this nurse may increase pay to $29 an hour, equaling $61,360, lets assume for this examples purposes that this nurse reaches this rate in 3 years. the average rate of time, depending on interest, may take the nurse 14-22 years to fully pay off the student loan.

the amount of effort required to receive a degree specializing in this profession is immense. as we know, nurses, even through 'good times', are in demand. with that said, why is it that nurses get paid such a poor salary? aside the effort required to receive the degree--> certification, the work is extremely demanding. so how can such an crucial role as a health care professional pay so poorly?

(yes, i do know many people would 'kill' for that type of money, but in reality with rent/mortgage, student loan payments, possibly car payment, and all the other bills that come with life, a person who spent much effort to reach their goal barley reaps the financial benefits associated with that role)

thoughts?

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Specializes in ER, Trauma.

Because if you work in a hospital like most nurses, the patient isn't billed for what we nurses do. We're included in the room rate with the laundry, dietary, and all other room costs. The bean counters know to the penny how much money they make off every doctor, but to them we're just overhead cost to be cut any way possible. My hospital is outsourcing the dietary and housekeeping departments. Substituting cameras for security guards. If they billed for what we did, we'd show we make money for the hospital, and they'd appreciate u$ more. IMHO

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho, ASC.

I have always held the idea that as along as nursing salaries are a part of the room and board charge and not billed as a separate expense, they will remain low.

I have no idea if this is true, but it makes total sense to me. It also accounts for attempts by hospitals to understaff and stretch nursing coverage to its breaking point. They cannot bill the patient for our time and so we are just another expense to be "managed." Nursing is labeled a "profession" but I challenge anyone to find other professions whose practitioners continue to punch time clocks and whose services are lumped in with the tools of the trade (bedpans, linens and IV poles, etc.)

Alot must change before nursing can be truly viewed as a profession and its practitioners fairly compensated.

:twocents:

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Specializes in NICU.
And instead you're...doing what?

I can tell that my posts are getting under your skin and I apologize. I guess I just don't understand the rationale of preferring to make NO money, and get NO experience, instead of taking what you can get, making $20/hour, gaining some nursing experience, while still looking.

But I guess I'm coming from a place of having a husband and children that need my wage-earning potential, and not having the luxury of turning down a $20/hour job, preferring to earn nothing instead.

As far as what you SHOULD make - you're only worth what someone's willing to pay you (you in general, not specifically).

Yea, you are getting under my skin because every freaking post I make, you come and you put your little snarky, smart a** comments. You made another thread and I responded professionally and in an friendly manner. You're obviously still upset about the previous posts where we were debating wrong reason vs right reason and you're bitter so you're carrying on with some dumb grudge. I don't have to justify to you or anybody else the reason why I didn't take the job. I didn't take it, it's my decision, it's affecting me not you so I really don't understand why you're so concerned in the first place. Obviously you have no principles that you live by. If you live a life where you have no priniciples, you're business. Not mine.

I'm done with you.

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Specializes in NICU.

There is a thread ongoing discussing nursing salary and whether it is crap or not lol but I will respond here. This is all depending on where you live. New grads in my area start out at $74,000/yr and about $80,000/yr if they work nights because the cost of living is the among the highest in the country. It's not crap money if you ask me. Especially if you're young, single, and have no children like me.

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LaynaER: as you mentioned some nurses can make $70,000-80,000 yearly and as you pointed out these nurses generally find employment in cities where cost of living is HIGH. This increase in starting pay is offset by cost of living.

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When someone goes to see a doctor, or to the hospital, the money to pay everybody doesn't just magically appear. There is a finite amount of money available to pay everybody.

The problem with health care is that it's so freaking expensive to get, and part of that is the outrageous salaries of EVERYONE. The higher the salaries of ALL the medical professionals are raised, the less people are going to get health care.

So, sure, we could pay nurses a miilion dollars an hour, but the money just isn't there.

Now, I'm not saying that the hospital administration is not being greedy-they probably are. Doctors make a lot for doing relatively little.

Schooling costs more than it should, which basically forces all medical professionals to get paid more- just so they can live.

The trouble is that we are trying to get more money out of a dried up system. People just don't have the money to either pay the bills, or the insurance premiums. The insurance companies, to make money, aren't going to waste it either.

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Specializes in CCU.

Everytime I get off my 12 hr shift, I keep thinking why and how crappy the pay is for nursing in general. New grads in my area start between 18-19 something an hr and after taxes it isn't all that much, and that is just disappointing for the amount of work and responsibility that goes into this role. I mean I find myself envying the RT's because they make the same pay, at least starting out, and they only have to worry about respiratory issues. Mounds of paperwork, accountability, responsibility, having to double check other health disciplines, it's just so much. I guess Im overwhelmed and I will adjust but it's something I ponder daily now. I didn't have very high expectations going into nursing but just reasonable ones and so far I dont know what to think.

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Specializes in CCU.

I realized I wasnt going to make real money when I started my first position and getting my first check and realizing that it's a hell of a lot of work for the money. After living expenses and taxes, what's really left? Nurses earn every dime they make and at the end of the day, its not enough for the amount of responsibility and stress it entails.

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Specializes in ICU, ER.

Part of the problem now is supply and demand. Employers rarely pay on the basis of what a position "deserves"; they pay as little as they can to keep the positions filled. A good example is teaching. Teachers are underpaid as compared to similar professions because there are so many dedicated teachers who love their jobs and are willing to teach even though they are underpaid.

Right now there are too many nurses, so there are nurses willing to work for lower pay. Two years ago when there was still a shortage I was making $90k with OT and bonuses. Now I'm lucky to get my three 12's.

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Part of the problem now is supply and demand.

Right. But this isn't classic supply and demand. The employer (except where prohibited by law) decides what the demand (staffing) will be, not the paying (undereducated) customer (patient).

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Specializes in Pediatric/Adolescent, Med-Surg.

To the OP, I guess it's all just a matter of perspective. I live in an area where RN's make right around what you listed hourly/yearly. While you wish you were making more, I couldn't be happier. The difference? I only have about $6,000 in student loans. I paid my way through school, and had some help from my employer. If I had student loans, I would probably see my salary in a different light. However, have you looked at what new school teachers or social workers make? Even in a high cost of living area they will not come close to $60,000+ for many, many years, and they still have all those student loans.

Just my point of view.:twocents::twocents:

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