do physical therapists make more money than RNs?

lindarn · Aug 6, 2006

I think if nurses want to be valued for their higher education then they need to take harder classes in the sciences instead of survey classes or science for allied health.

Just for the record, my best friend in HS initially wanted to go to medical school. She enrolled in NYU after graduating from HS on the honor roll. While she was at NYU, she again had all A's in her pre med science classes.

After two years of being pre med, and earning all A's and making the honor roll, she decided that she would go into nursing so she could marry her boyfriend, who was in the Marines, and stationed out of state.

She enrolled at Downstate Medical Center College of Nursing in Brooklyn, where the school decided that she had to RETAKE ALL OF HER SCIENCE CLASSES BECAUSE THEY WERE NOT NURSING SCIENCE CLASSES, THEY WERE PRE MED SCIENCE CLASSES. That, again, were pre med classes that she earned all A's in and made the honor roll. I kid you not. She had to retake all of her science classes to be admitted to the school of nursing.

So much for nurses taking harder science classes.

Lindarn, RN, BSN, CCRN

Spokane, Washington

Gompers, BSN, RN · Aug 6, 2006

Off topic, but what the heck does this mean?

If I'm not mistaken, it's a reference to the "Matrix" movies...

weirdRN, RN · Aug 6, 2006

Just for the record, my best friend in HS initially wanted to go to medical school. She enrolled in NYU after graduating from HS on the honor roll. While she was at NYU, she again had all A's in her pre med science classes.
After two years of being pre med, and earning all A's and making the honor roll, she decided that she would go into nursing so she could marry her boyfriend, who was in the Marines, and stationed out of state.
She enrolled at Downstate Medical Center College of Nursing in Brooklyn, where the school decided that she had to RETAKE ALL OF HER SCIENCE CLASSES BECAUSE THEY WERE NOT NURSING SCIENCE CLASSES, THEY WERE PRE MED SCIENCE CLASSES. That, again, were pre med classes that she earned all A's in and made the honor roll. I kid you not. She had to retake all of her science classes to be admitted to the school of nursing.
So much for nurses taking harder science classes.
Lindarn, RN, BSN, CCRN
Spokane, Washington

Don't know where that was, don't really much care, but most Schools Of Nursing will accept higher/harder classes in leiu of "Pre-Nursing" courses.

cardiacRN2006, ADN, RN · Aug 7, 2006

Just for the record, my best friend in HS initially wanted to go to medical school. She enrolled in NYU after graduating from HS on the honor roll. While she was at NYU, she again had all A's in her pre med science classes.
After two years of being pre med, and earning all A's and making the honor roll, she decided that she would go into nursing so she could marry her boyfriend, who was in the Marines, and stationed out of state.
She enrolled at Downstate Medical Center College of Nursing in Brooklyn, where the school decided that she had to RETAKE ALL OF HER SCIENCE CLASSES BECAUSE THEY WERE NOT NURSING SCIENCE CLASSES, THEY WERE PRE MED SCIENCE CLASSES. That, again, were pre med classes that she earned all A's in and made the honor roll. I kid you not. She had to retake all of her science classes to be admitted to the school of nursing.
So much for nurses taking harder science classes.
Lindarn, RN, BSN, CCRN
Spokane, Washington

So, because since she had to retake them, that makes them not as hard? That's pretty silly logic to use, but whatever. :uhoh3:

Sorry, but if you can't tell how General Organic Chemistry is different from the organic chem required for nursing schools, or how Gen BIO for majors is harder than BIO for allied health, then oh well. We can't teach you everything.

BTW, I took all the pre-med classes as well (part of Micro). I tested out of all the nursing pre-regs easily except for A&P, which you cannot test out of. My classes for micro were BY FAR harder than allied health for nursing majors or Biochem for nurses. Let's see if you can pull of Analytical and Physical Chemisty.

Jes, RN, ADN, EMT, PCT, 4.0, Honor Roll, and any other letters after my name to make me feel better about myself and to belittle others. :uhoh3:

texas2007, BSN, RN · Aug 7, 2006

I can't believe PT's make ~80000/yr. It seemed like all they did was walk people around the floor. During clinicals one day, my friend and I guessed they only made 10/hour just looking strictly at what they do all day. I'll have to update her.

steelcityrn, RN · Aug 7, 2006

I do not agree with the quotes of a average P.T. pay scale. They start around 50,000. Yes they now have to have at least a masters. The schools are producing plenty of physical therapists, some students that at one time considered nursing.

caroladybelle, BSN, RN · Aug 7, 2006

I can't believe PT's make ~80000/yr. It seemed like all they did was walk people around the floor.

Saying that is kind of like saying, "I can't believe RNs make X/yr. It seems that all they do is follow orders and hand out pills".

All professionals have jobs look easy....but there is a lot more knowledge and work behind it than it looks.

caroladybelle, BSN, RN · Aug 7, 2006

I do not agree with the quotes of a average P.T. pay scale. They start around 50,000. Yes they now have to have at least a masters. The schools are producing plenty of physical therapists, some students that at one time considered nursing.

In many places that I have worked, they make between 40K to 60K, also. I knew several in NYC, that quit PT to become RNs.

Empress · Aug 7, 2006

Once upon a time in land not so far away, Nurses took care of everything from running lab tests to Physical and Occupational Thereapy.
Nursing has had to give a good portion of its responsibilities away so that the full array of technology could be used appropriately.

I've heard this before, and I have to ask; Would it be possible to regain them? When would current nurses find the time and resources to now be the Med techologist, OT, and PT? They are stretched thin as it is.

I am not meaning to be rude about the science education thing, I know it came off that way. The programs, around here at least, require survery (a general overview) science courses for chemistry and micro, but pre-med/pre-physician assistant requirements are much more stringent. I always thought that was odd, you would think that since nurses deal with the same patients and problems they should have a similar educational background as MD/DO/PA until the training diverges for nursing model and medical model.

begalli · Aug 7, 2006

My daughter has a bachelor's degree in psych with an emphasis on developmental psych. Graduated with honors.

The nursing school she's applying to would not accept her because they somehow could not equate her degree - or even the developmental classes within the degree - with their pre-nursing developmental psych.

She could have taught that class!

I believe it is a way for the school to make money and that's it.

Jo Dirt · Aug 7, 2006

Jes, RN, ADN, EMT, PCT, 4.0, Honor Roll, and any other letters after my name to make me feel better about myself and to belittle others.

I hear you loud and clear. Of all my pet peeves, I think arrogance and pretentiousness top the list.

But what the heck.

Jennifer, CNA, LPN, RN, ASN, MOM, BMW, DWF, BBW...

txspadequeenRN, BSN, RN · Aug 7, 2006

WOW, we have gone from a simple discussion of pay rate differences to chewing each other up over educational requirments. I say if your are a RN be glad of it... whatever degree you may have. In my opinion you can have all the book learnin in the world but it does you no good unless you have some common sense on how to use it. For me nursing school was hard with lots of things to learn but the real nursing school came in when I hit the med-surg floor at the county hospital. For the original topic.. holy moly I had no clue PT's made that much. I still would choose to be a nurse though.