I have a good opportunity to negotiate pay and benefits at a SNF I previously worked at as a CNA, I am now an RN and will have my BSN in about a month. An old coworker I made friends with said they're looking for nurses and that I can directly contact the hiring manager when I start looking for work. I will still need nurse training, but having worked there for over a year I am leaning toward asking for two weeks vacation time, (to use after 90 days), and pay that matches hospitals and clinics in the area to negotiate from as needed. I was a good employee and picked up more shifts than I called out, which I think is a particularly strong bargaining chip in my favor due to the potential to decrease the stress of the person who acts as a hiring manager and scheduler. I also live about an hour away and am considering bringing this up as another reason for why I am negotiating. I am considering offering to start off at a lower wage during training as well, but should I?
About five years ago CNAs made $13 and an LPN made $26 per hour, it is now at $18 for CNAs and about $36 for nurses by Glassdoor's estimates, with hospitals and clinics starting at about $38 per hour, which is what I want to ask for due to my credibility as a good employee. Nurses I worked with as a CNA mostly did not have a BSN, except for a travel nurse who made $52 per hour through her agency at the time. Should I ask for more pay for my previously observed ability to help fill-in and for my long commute?
What do you all think?