RNtoNPhopefully

Hi! so great to see your post! I am a like minded nurse who has also found the power of food to manage my autoimmune disease! I have been an ICU for 15 years and have recently finished my MSN for family nurse practitioner. It is so great to see you on here. I am so passionate about functional medicine and the power of food as medicine. I am hoping to become certified in functional medicine and to start making a difference here in the Pittsburgh area. This area is in real need of alternatives! Take care :)

I think the starting salaries you mentioned are pretty typical! There are areas in the country- such as California, New Jersey, New York- where you may see salaries approaching 100,00, but this is a rarity and usually in those places with the highest cost of living. It will take about ten years before you start to approach the higher end of the salary range in your area. Then only a few more years after that, then you will hit the highest salary you will make. There is no glass ceiling to be broke through as an RN. That being said, there are a million better reasons to be excited about your new career. Nursing is a wonderful profession. You will grow immensely as a person and have an ongoing sense of doing something of value. I know that sounds cliche, but it is the truth. There are very few jobs that can give you that deep satisfaction of making a difference while bearing witness to the most significant and meaningful aspects of life. Not may professions that give you a hefty dose of that all in one day! Hang in there. If you feel that your nursing job isn't all that it should be- then get some experience )at least 1 year) and go on to the next opportunity! There are endless opportunities which await you in the world of nursing. Just don't settle for what you see right in front of you. It is healthy to stay open to what is possible and to go grab it! The most unhappy nurses are those that stay on poorly managed understaffed units for too many years. We all know those nurses- the ones that are extremely negative, falling apart physically and never willing to change their circumstances. Good Luck to you! That world is your oyster now!