Pay for experience

TooterIA · Dec 17, 2003

I was working in a LTC facility for over a year when I got my LPN license, when I applied at a nearby hospital I got paid over a dollar an hour extra because of that expereince. Tomorrow I will graduate from the ADN program and after I pass boards I will start over a dollar an hour higher than an entry level RN because of my expereince and staying at that facility. Keep in mind this is a small town hospital and they do that because they can, I think most larger hospitals are kind of stuck at what they can start you at. But push that your experience as a CMT and CNA can help you and you should get paid more!

Jessica

llg, PhD, RN · Dec 17, 2003

There are probably exceptions to almost every rule .... but, every hospital I am familiar with starts a new grad RN at one pay level regardless of their previous experience in other fields.

It would be difficult to be fair to people in deciding whose experience would count, etc. Nursing is such a complex occupation that many different previous careers would be applicable and it would be hard to say that one type of career experience counted and another type of career experience did not. I think you will find that most hospital avoid accusations of unfairness by offering the same starting salary to all new grads so that the pay scale is uniform.

llg

nekhismom · Dec 18, 2003

THe answer I have is that it depends. Some hospitals will pay for previous experience, others will not. One girl who was an LPN for 20 some years is staying with her current hospital in the same position now that she has finished RN school because she makes more as an LPN than she would as a new RN. THis place will not consider her previous experience, not even with them. THe place 30 minutes down the road does consider previous experience. It just all depends.