Wages - we are underpaid

Long Term Care Columnist / Guide · Dec 3, 2003

As an RN with current acute care experience and almost 7 years in the business, I'm making $25.65/hr. (that's with shift differential of $1.40/hr.). Not bad for this neck of the woods (western Oregon). Next month I'll receive the semi-annual 5% contract raise, and then in March if I have a good review I'll get another "step" increase, which is another 3% I think. Can't complain, especially not in a region where most peoples' wages have been stagnant for a couple of years.:)

seeley · Feb 7, 2004

I work full time in a PACU and have over 24 years of full time staff nurse experience...in various areas but the last 18 of them in a PACU. I make $30.62/hr. We are paid $2/hr on-call and are paid time and a half when called in on the weekends. We work with one nurse on-call on Saturdays 3-11pm and 11-7am; also Sundays all three shifts.

This is changing soon though; management has decided suddenly that we must have two PACU nurses come in on-call for any and all cases, so our on-call staffing pattern is in a state of flux. We have been working about every 6-7th weekend on call.

Kickbucket1 · Feb 15, 2004

This is a test because I have been burned twice already

Kickbucket1 · Feb 15, 2004

I work at a semi-rural District non-profit Hospital. I am a 13 year RN with an Associate Degree in Nursing. All nurses scrub and circulate. My hourly wage currently is $53.39/hr. On Call Standby is half of the hourly wage or for me $26.70/hr. Call back is double time (standby wage + call back wage = double time) or for me it is $106.79/hr plus $2.75/hr shift differential for callback from 3PM to 11PM, $4.75/hr shift differential if called back from 11PM to 6:30 AM. Holiday Call Back is 2 1/2 times your hourly wage. Your call can be divided up as much as you want to give away to others just as long as the call is covered. Call is such a premium that there is no problem finding takers. Call coverage is 15.5 hours from 3PM to 6:30AM but there is still scheduled staff from 3 to 11PM. Callback is possible during that time. If you never get called back during that 15.5 hours of call, you still get paid for 7.75 hours at your hourly wage. Pay raise is every six months with an annual step raise for the first 5 years. Every 5 years thereafter you get a 5% raise along with your biannual raises. For me, $59.48/hr by this time next year 2006, $64.02/hr by this time 2007. Nurses union hospital. Full paid benefits. Paid Time Off accrual of 22.80 hours every 2 pay periods, 25.24 hours every 2 pay periods this time next year 2006. Hospital allows 40 hours continuing education each year, paid. That includes home study or travel including airfare, tuition, hotel, transportation, meals and parking. Uncommon compensation. One nurse has house/family out of state across the nation 3,000+ miles away and does 10 day on/6 day off rotation. Another nurse has house/family 500 miles away and also does same rotation. One says he plans to work half time with us since pay would equal full time pay back home and spend the rest of his time relaxing. We use registry (some of them extend their contract or get hired), just hired a new local experienced nurse and have a perioperative training program for in-house nurses and qualified new grads. I was a surgical tech that went to school and became an RN. The profession may not be paid well enough in other parts of the country, but in our part, I feel we are fairly compensated for our hard work. We are unionized so we are protected and have rights. I am not a recruiter just a staff nurse.

seeley · Feb 15, 2004

Wow! Very unusual compensation. You must live in a somewhat remote area?

Seeley

Kickbucket1 · Feb 15, 2004

No, ocean within minutes, opera in an hour, mountains in 2 hours. Actually highly populated area, just a union not for profit hospital

poopsiebear · Mar 21, 2004

I work in a 700+ beds teaching hospital in Philly. I've been an RN for 6 years and my base rate is $29.15/hour. Evening shift gets 10% differential and night shifts get 15% differential. Call is $2/hr. Whenever we are called in, we automatically get 4 hours of call time with time and a half pay.

TMnurse · Mar 22, 2004

Always... always go union. The dues suck here in Chicago but I'd say they are worth it. Chicago is right around philly... although we have a 20% shift dif for any off shift or weekend. For 5 months of the year, the hospital runs a incentive OT pay where they pay an additional $10.00 an hour from December-April. I have found is that many small rural hospitals really pay their nurses poorly. However in another life, I worked for a company B2B with hospitals. Funny thing, the majority of these small hospitals are in the black (where most city hospitals are losing money hand over...). The advantage that small town hospitals have is that people (nurses) don't have a choice where here in the city if they mess with you... 5 city blocks away is a hospital that will pay you. Get in touch with a the INA. Don't buy into this cost of living in rural areas. Sure it is cheaper for some things but lets face it this board has nurses lists pay that is 20,30,40 thousand more what this hospital has you at. Go get'em

fxdwgbaby · Mar 24, 2004

I came from a county hospital in Indiana, 100 beds, 5 operating rooms, I had 9 years experience as a nurse, made $22.17 an hour, got $2.50 to carry the beeper. Only got overtime if worked over 40 hours a week. $3.00 shift differential. Does it sound good? Management sucked. They will never pay nurses enough money, and why does the ANA keep endorsing Democrats??? I'm sick of that.

POPRN · Mar 24, 2004

George..I work occasional in a 11 room OR. I work between 24-32 hours every week. I get no benefits or paid time. I choose to work this because I don't have to take call. Call pay is $2.50/hour and time and a half if you get called back. I make between $27-$30/hour depending on the shift I work. If I work weekends I make $3/hour more.

This is a union hospital in the south!!!

Cherish · Mar 24, 2004

POPRN is that normal pay for your region/state? If so where do u live??? lol

POPRN · Mar 24, 2004

POPRN is that normal pay for your region/state? If so where do u live??? lol

No that is the Premium pay for occasional nurses..I get NO benefits at all. But I choose this way to work because I don't have to take call. I make $5/hour more than a full time nurse with benefits and 12 years of experience.

I live is East TN.