Pay guidance: OK/TX area

[Janie T., BSN, RN]

Hello all,

I’m currently active duty military with a little over 4 years of nursing experience. I’ll be separating from the military at the end of June and looking to maybe move back to the Oklahoma or Texas area. I’ve applied for VA nursing and they do their salary sort of based on “nurse levels” and it’s a little different...but I’m wondering if any of you would be willing to share what your hourly wage is or what I can expect to receive or ask for at other hospitals. I’ve never had to negotiate salary, so brand new to this, and kind of having a hard time trying to figure out what I should be making. I’m also stationed in California, so obviously with the cost of living being so high here I don’t expect to make the same. I’m currently an ER nurse with my CEN, and have also worked Medical Surgical with my CMSRN..but I’m wanting to stay in the emergency nursing environment. Any tips/advice or sharing your salary if you’re comfortable would be appreciated. Thank you!!

[Floor_Nurse]

Hi.In Central Texas LVN's can make $22-$25, while RN's can easily make $10 more than that. If you can tolerate the graveyard shift then you can expect an additional shift-differential $. But you really should settle in one place, especially while this Corona beer thing is going on. Most cities, it seems, don't want people to travel any further than to than to the grocery store or job site. In fact, I wear my stethoscope around my neck & nurse badge while I drive... just in case a cop pulls me over.