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

Specializes in Peds/outpatient FP,derm,allergy/private duty.
The way the system is, the higher the degree one has, usually the higher the compensation. So if you really want to make a lot of money, higher ed is the way to go. And at least with a master's in nursing, one is not just confined to academia, which is the case with a lot of other masters degrees.

I know this is true of the teaching profession, but I haven't seen it in nursing as of yet, unfortunately. Between the ADN and BSN, one with the BSN said she gets 10 cents an hour more! If you want to stay in bedside nursing, I can't imagine hospitals paying extra for an MSN. Going the advance practice route with an MSN as a springboard works. I still think extra education to work as a staff nurse doesn't seem to gain you much, though I wish it did!

My CNA can beat up your CNA.

Ahh. . . c'mon! How is input updating current area-specific salary ranges equivalent to a p*ssing contest, lol. :)

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Specializes in M/S, Travel Nursing, Pulmonary.

No, I'm not accusing them of being in a voiding contest.

I just said that cause those salaries are so much higher than where I live, so..................well, saying that made me feel better anyway.

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Specializes in Peds/outpatient FP,derm,allergy/private duty.

Ohhh. . . OK, so you're just jealous of them. They're probably much more beautiful than you are, too. Ha-!! (sorry, I have a dominant brat gene) :p

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Specializes in M/S, Travel Nursing, Pulmonary.
Ohhh. . . OK, so you're just jealous of them. They're probably much more beautiful than you are, too. Ha-!! (sorry, I have a dominant brat gene) :p

That would not be much of a stretch actually.

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Oh my gosh, you guys are too funny...Can I please be one of your CNAs while I am in nursing school? LOL

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I would love to make a decent living in nursing when I graduate, but at this point I am just hoping to find a job.

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Sorry but I know 2 new grads that landed 45 an hour jobs recently. This is in the Gardena and Long Beach area.

That is great and that is a high wage and is not "typical" of wages in that area for new grads.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, DSU, Ortho, Onc, Psych.

I for one, would certainly not be emptying trash cans/garbege, because some fat beaurocrat who has sat behind a desk for 10 years and has nil current clinical experience thinks nurses can do a bit more. All these extra duties and extra paperwork is enough. What would happen if you were emptying garbage and some poor patient had an allergic reaction to a drug, or needed help with something? I would absolutely refuse as a professional to do duties outside the scope of nursing practice. Also consider the legal ramifications - if you work outside your boundaries, you leave yourself open for litigation. If a nurse manager - or any manager - asked us to empty garbage, etc I would refuse & I would give my reasons why there and then.

We don't do a 4 year bachelor degree to work for $20 an hour - we are told if we do the 4 years in Australia, you are entitled to more money. We should get more money if we have studied more. My gf told me once that she is a RN and a midwife, and she is only on $50,000 a year plus being on call (with extra rates I think). She said that is not enough for someone who has 2 degrees. I would tend to agree with her. People with more experience & study should get a bit more money as well, otherwise what is the point in slogging our guts out to get ahead?

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Specializes in M/S, Travel Nursing, Pulmonary.
Oh my gosh, you guys are too funny...Can I please be one of your CNAs while I am in nursing school? LOL

Oh, don't go there. Stay in CA. At least your off days you can go to the beach. Me, I get to go to Pirates games all summer. :down:

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That is great and that is a high wage and is not "typical" of wages in that area for new grads.

Guess it just depends on where you live. Socal is huge and I'm sure other places in socal don't get the same salary like San Diego for instance. I'm sure their salaries are lower. In my case though, I live around the areas where the pay is about avg 35 - 45 for new grads, so I'm happy.

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ValleyFair! Another Minnesotan?

Not Minnesota-but close!

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Specializes in being a Credible Source.
Should I be paid more considering the knowledge and responsibility I have? Yes.
But knowledge and responsibility aren't what dictate wages in any field. Rather, supply of and demand for given skills and abilities dictate wages.

Nurses are more or less a fungible commodity. Airline pilots are, too, of course, but the path to an ATP is much more tortuous than the path to an RN... and airline pilots are universally unionized... and their contracts have special consideration by the government and remain in force in perpetuity until replaced by a new contract.

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