CollieRN13

Starting salary as a new grad regular staff in 03/2005 was $24/hr, suburb of Chicago. Went PRN (no benefits) in 10/08 and started at $35/hr, plus $4 night diff., $2 weekends. As of 1/1/10, PRN rate is $37/hr plus diff. Work in pediatric med-surg.

I have to say I feel the same way as the person who originally posted this thread. I've only been a nurse for a little over a year, but I find myself burning out already as a pediatric floor nurse. I think switching to a doctor's office with normal hours (I work 7p-7a) and non-acute patients is what I need. I hate the fact that I would be bowing out of the hospital setting so soon, but I didn't get into nursing because I enjoy stress and conflict. I absolutely hate those two things and I think a doctor's office is more laid-back and interpersonal relationships with docs/nurses could be better. Am I right? Anyone have any suggestions on how to search for physician's office jobs in general?

Hello...I'm a newer nurse, a little over a year experience. I work on a pediatric med-surg floor and over the last few months I've realized that I just don't feel like I'm adjusting to the setting. I also want to work closer to home and I think I might enjoy working in an ob-gyn's office/clinic. I feel a bit bad about wanting to quit the hospital setting, but the stress of the patients/families and working nights is getting to me already. I think I will do better in a non-acute setting with more of a speciality, like ob-gyn. Do any of the ob-gyn RNs out there have any advice for someone like me transitioning out of a hospital to a doctor's office or from peds to ob-gyn? Has anyone left a hospital after such a short time and changed to a physician's office? I feel like in nursing school they drilled it into our heads that nursing is more valuable if you work in a hospital and it feels like "quitting" when moving to a doctor's office after such a short time out of school. Any suggestions or advice would be helpful.

okay, so I'm very very close to graduating from nursing school (magic number is 40 days!) and I'm excited and totally freaked out at the same time. in every single job i've had before this, i picked things up so quickly and i was always the person everyone would go to with obscure questions, and it's SOOO not that way now. i can deal with that, it's my goal to become great at what i do, i'm just not used to the slow process, you know? so much to learn....anyways, i'm in my senior preceptorship at a children's hospital in the ER, and my nurse preceptor is really good at unintentionally making me feel like a moron! i mean, she got mad at me the other day because I didn't grab her while I was triaging a patient (which consisted of only asking questions, no hands-on yet at that point). i know her license is on the line if i make a huge mistake, but come on, asking health history questions requires her standing over my shoulder? i guess i figured that if i can't do that by now, maybe i'm in the wrong profession (which i can, but she seemed to make a bigger deal about it). i'm just nervous that i'm going to graduate, pass my boards, then get into orientation and i'll just flip out. i'm praying for a wonderful, understanding, and patient nurse for orientation. i don't think my school did a good job for us in clinical skills, so i feel like there's so much stuff i should know how to do but don't. ugh....i hate that uncertain, what-the-heck-is-going-to-happen feeling, you know??

Okay, so a classmate's sister who works in Chicago and graduated from school a year ago told me she started out at about $22/hour, but for some reason, I couldn't believe until I heard it from more people. So a new grad can really expect to start around $21/hr in Chicago? Wow...I work at Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital in STL and new grads on a med-surg floor start at around $16.50/hr. My husband and I are moving back to the area (I grew up in NW subs) after graduation, and I was getting discouraged about pay because I didn't realize it was higher up there. One question...does a new grad get paid differently depending on the type of nursing, like med-surg vs. ICU nursing? I am playing phone tag with a recruiter from Lutheran General, I am very interested in their Children's Hospital (anyone have any comments?). If nurses are making $20+ an hour in Chicago, it validates the whole idea of the time and money put into college for four years, you know? I just get nervous about starting pay because we are starting out new in Chicago, buying a house, new car, etc., just getting ancy about finances. The magic number is 40!! (As in the days I have left until graduation!!!)