sikestonrn

Our hospital has a tiered wage matrix based on complexity of skills needed in the nursing area. ICU is on the highest tier; I believe there is 5% between tiers, putting our base 10% above starting floor nurses. There's $.50 increase per hour for BSN, $.75 per hour for CCRN. We have clinical ladders and CCRN and BSN are key components to two different levels. Going up a level is an additional 5% increase. CCRN is not required, but encouraged through the clinical ladder, per hour increase, and $150.00 reimbursement for study materials or seminars and another $150.00 as partial payback for exam fee on successful completion.

Mid-Missouri, small community, not-for-profit, we offer just under $19.00 for ICU new grads (7a-7p) with 12% night differential.

Vonfrolio's material is very helpful. Thomas Ahrens and Donna Prentice also have a Critical Care Certification Exam Preparation and Practice book (that is title or very close to it). A new edition just came out in Sept 2006. The book is very readable and has practice questions with each chapter and comprehensive practice tests and study disc. I suggest not purchasing too many of the AACN study materials unless you have problems sleeping. Good luck!