Pay Scales

[Lisa, MA]

Do you think that pay should be determined on level of education or level of work performed?

For example, in the nursing home that my mother is rehabing in, the Aides do the brunt of physical patient care. They bathe, feed, entertain, clean up after, take to the bathroom, change beds etc. of the patients, while the RN tends to things like dressing changes and med distribution. For the most part, the RN's are seen sitting at the desk. Obviously one job is far more strenuous and involved than the other. Yet the pay scale is based on title rather than performance.

[NickiLaughs, ADN, BSN, RN]

Education is a huge factor in that pay scale.

For example, one of those residents, goes into a seizure or another patient's blood sugar goes critically low. Which one is trained to handle the life-threatening emergency?

Education by far will typically yield to more opportunities as well as more pay.

And facilities are going to differ. I rarely see RN's in my ICU sitting down, and we do ALL care, we don't have aides, CNA's any of that.

[nialloh, RN]

It is not only Education or Title we are being paid for. It is also responsability. If you mess up with the pt, even though you do most of the hands on care, the RN will be held accountable. In the end, the RN is responsable for the care of the pt, even if they don't do it themselves.

As for sitting behind a desk, (not counting the lazy ones, there are always a few) they might be charting/taking orders/doing lookups/etc. .

The jobs are different, even though both are involved with direct pt care.

[HyperSaurus, RN, BSN]

Sit at a desk? I wish. The only times I see the RN's I'm doing clinic with sitting is when they're phone-tagging a doctor or chasing down an order. RN's also do the the cleaning, feeding, entertaining, as well as being responsible for making sure the patient doesn't tank. What CNA's, LPN's, and even doctors do (ie, prescribing a med that would be harmful), RN's can be held accountable.

[llg, PhD, RN]

To say it another way ...

The "value" of work performed is not just "who sweats the most." Some people are paid for their physical labor. Other people are paid for the sophisticated judgments they make and for the legal responsibility they take (that require more education). The nurses are not paid for their education: they are paid for their judgments and for being responsible.

[April, RN, BSN, RN]

Nurses in nursing homes are responsible for tons of paperwork. This is in addition to transcribing and reviewing orders, labs, med pass, dressing changes, admissions, skin assessments, calling docs, talking to families, etc. If a patient falls on their shift (or other scenario), it's even more paperwork. Just because they are sitting at the desk does NOT mean they are less busy.

[healer65]

It really goes to show that nursing has done a terrible job educating the community and sometimes the others that we work with what RN's do! Little things we do everyday save peoples life . . . like sitting at the desk looking through the chart making sure a med order doesn't kill the person were giving it to ect. ect. RN's more and more need to be FBI agent with their assessment skills and their ability to put all of the pieces together to best serve and protect their patients and to direct care. Guess what??? with the responisblity and education comes the money.

[RunningRNBSN]

The most physical laborous intensive jobs in society typically pay the least out of most careers. Why? Because they are simply that... physically laboring.

The most well paid careers are typically those that requires experience and intensive educational training.

[50caliber]

The most physical laborous intensive jobs in society typically pay the least out of most careers. Why? Because they are simply that... physically laboring.

The most well paid careers are typically those that requires experience and intensive educational training.

Totally agree. Physical labor jobs requires no "real" skill and why would that command any $$$. If pay is based on intense labor, I'd would have dropped out of high school and and go dig ditches for a living and live in my big house and drive expensive cars while I laugh at my dumb friends for going to college and being in debt.

[husker_rn, RN]

Where's this sit at a desk job ?? Count me in !! Seriously, there are times we get paid for what we know. And ultimately the CNAs are always working under some nurse's license.

[juliaann]

Everyone in the health care team has a specific role and works very hard at it so that the patients and residents are well cared for. We all work hard...sometimes in different ways, but definitely hard. From a CNA's point of view, I've never though the RNs have an "easy" or even "easier" job, and they definitely work hard (in years of stressful nursing programs and on the job after), and deserve the pay they earn every day with their education and skills and responsibilities.

Sure, being a CNA is very, very hard. Yes, many of them are understaffed and overworked. Sure, I'd take a raise or two. But no, my current education and responsibility level is not consistant with deserving a significantly higher salary. Which is why I'm in school. :)

[Batman25]

The ignorance of what nurses really do is astounding. In this case it's even more disappointing because the lack of knowledge comes from a MA. It's sad that people that work within healthcare don't get it either. As nurses we need to push for better education of the public for all we do.