Question Regarding Hourly Rates for RNs

Nurses General Nursing

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I know a RN who has worked in Med/Surg for 9 1/2 years, and just started a new job in the midwest making $23.00/hour! Do you think that is too little per hour for nurses who have over eight or nine years experience?

Personally, I think it isn't enough. Your thoughts appreciated! Thanks!:)

:angryfire I've been a nurse for sixteen years. I make $18 an hour in LTC. That's what I would make in med/surge at a hospital also. There is only about a $2 difference in the pay ladder from new grad to nurse with 10 years plus experience. It really sucks!

This is why I will be glad when I finish graduate school and will be able to get out of nursing. As an LPN I make $18.00/hr at an embarrassingly simple job of sitting with a woman in her home from 7pm-7am. I sit on the couch and watch movies most of the time. I will be finished with an ASN this spring but since I have landed this new job I am wondering what's the point? This agency does not hire RN's so it isn't like I can move up the ladder in pay, and the couple of dollars more an hour I would make as an RN anywhere else wouldn't make it worth the trouble. Just because I like to finish what I started I'm going to complete the ASN, but I'm not going to give up my job I have now as an LPN to work as an RN, even when I become an RN.

Nurses get no respect. It's shameful.

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Specializes in Community Health Nurse.

Hi everyone!

Thanks for all your responses! :)

Are there any Missouri nurses onboard? How much is a "reasonable hourly wage" in that state? Do nurses who live in the northern part of the state have higher wages than those in the southern part of the state?

I'm in Illinois now, but have heard of some good hospitals to work at in the St. Louis area, but from what I learned from the nurse who is only making $23.00/hour with her nine years of med/surg experience, I'm not sure if I want to check into those hospitals. But, then again, I'm NOT hearing much good about the wages in southern Illinois either. :rolleyes:

Anyone have any recommendations of hospitals to work in around these parts (the southern part of MO and the southern part of Illinois)?

Would working the 12 hour nightshift be a good idea just for making the $4.00 an hour increase in pay? My friend works the dayshift, but is thinking of switching to nights just for the increase in pay?

Thanks for your input nurses! :)

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Specializes in ER.
Hi everyone!

Thanks for all your responses! :)

Are there any Missouri nurses onboard? How much is a "reasonable hourly wage" in that state? Do nurses who live in the northern part of the state have higher wages than those in the southern part of the state?

I'm in Illinois now, but have heard of some good hospitals to work at in the St. Louis area, but from what I learned from the nurse who is only making $23.00/hour with her nine years of med/surg experience, I'm not sure if I want to check into those hospitals. But, then again, I'm NOT hearing much good about the wages in southern Illinois either. :rolleyes:

Anyone have any recommendations of hospitals to work in around these parts (the southern part of MO and the southern part of Illinois)?

Would working the 12 hour nightshift be a good idea just for making the $4.00 an hour increase in pay? My friend works the dayshift, but is thinking of switching to nights just for the increase in pay?

Thanks for your input nurses! :)

H! I am a nursing student in KC. From what I have heard it is better to cross the state line into Kansas. A Kansas hospital about 15 minutes from my house pays 19.75 for new grads with a 2.00 night diff. Another KS hospital slightly farther away has the same starting pay but a 3.00 night diff. I really do not know what the wages are on my side of the state line but the info packet from the school that I go to says that RN's in our area start out at $14-$16 an hour. I really hope they are wrong or I clicking my heels three times and heading to Kansas!:rotfl:

Tracy

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Wow, I think a nurse with that much experience deserves ALOT more than $23/hour. I am a new grad working nights in Med-Surg and I make $30.75 an hour. We need experienced nurses where I work. Tell her to come to New York. :)

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:angryfire I've been a nurse for sixteen years. I make $18 an hour in LTC. That's what I would make in med/surge at a hospital also. There is only about a $2 difference in the pay ladder from new grad to nurse with 10 years plus expeience. It really sucks!

Dixiecup, are you a LPN/LVN?? I'm asking because that is an extremely low salary for a RN with 16 yrs experience!! I've never heard of an RN with such a low salary. You are right though, because a new grad (RN) makes about $20 an hour in my area (Louisiana). I am a BSN student, and you'd be surprised at how many of my fellow students are upset about us making that.... they feel it is too low.

BSN GRADUATE, DEC.'05!!!!!

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Specializes in Community Health Nurse.
h! i am a nursing student in kc...................the

info packet from the school that i go to says that rn's in our area start

out at $14-$16 an hour. i really hope they are wrong or i clicking my

heels three times and heading to kansas!:rotfl:

tracy

well...if i'm offered rates like that, i'll be clicking my heels elsewhere, too.!:rotfl:

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well...if i'm offered rates like that, i'll be clicking my heels elsewhere, too.!:rotfl:

i'm in kansas city, mo..working in a hospital in liberty, mo. new grads here start out over 19.00/hr with 3.00/hr night shift diff and 2.00/hr weekend shift diff in addition. with my weekend and night shift diffs (i only work weekend nights, btw), i make 26.00/hr and i've been at this hospital for 3 yrs. i also work a night every so often with an agency and make 35.00/hr for those shifts....just for a 'little' extra. :)

i don't think missouri wages are bad. it just depends which hospital you work for.

i think everyone needs to keep cost-of-living for an area in mind also. my home in kansas city was $220,000.00. on either coast, the same house would be listed anywhere from $500-800,000.00. it's all a matter of perspective and location.

a.

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Here in St. Louis the starting wage for new grads is around $16.50/hr. I don't know the pay scales for different levels of experience, though. But as you already know, St. Louis nurses' pay is not the highest. BTW, Barnes-Jewish is offering a $6000 sign-on bonus with a 1-year commitment if you sign on before January. And I believe the SSM hospitals are offering a $5000 bonus. Perhaps that makes a difference? Good luck with whatever you decide.

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I just interviewed for a job in Granite City (which is just across the river from St. Louis) and they offered me $18 an hour and I have 5 years of experience on a surgical floor. They also have a $4,000 sign on bonus plus what they call a GEM bonus and you can get up to $4,000 extra a year doing that.

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Specializes in Community Health Nurse.
.............st. louis nurses' pay is not the highest. btw, barnes-jewish is offering a $6000 sign-on bonus with a 1-year commitment if you sign on before january. and i believe the ssm hospitals are offering a $5000 bonus. perhaps that makes a difference? good luck with whatever you decide.

really! that's a pretty hefty bonus! i'll have to share this with my friend.:)

i met someone else today who told me barnes-jewish does not pay good either, so what else do they offer over the other hospitals in st. louis?

what are ssm hospitals? :confused:

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Specializes in Community Health Nurse.
i just interviewed for a job in granite city (which is just across the river from st. louis) and they offered me $18 an hour and i have 5 years of experience on a surgical floor. they also have a $4,000 sign on bonus plus what they call a gem bonus and you can get up to $4,000 extra a year doing that.

eighteen an hour just blows my mind! :uhoh3: i really expected this part of the midwest to pay their nurses more. don't know why, i just did. :o

well...for a time, i've vowed to my youngest daughter to stay in the area to help her out with the kiddies when her husband goes on his military assignment. since she is wrapping up her bachelor's degree in march, i want to also be here for the graduation. then, she is going on for her masters. time for me to enroll in school so i can have more jobs to choose from if i decide to stay in nursing. :rolleyes:

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Specializes in MICU, neuro, orthotrauma.

I am also in KC, new to nursing, and I make 19.50/hr with weekend 3/hr more and if I choose to work nights, 4/hr more, which i wont do. money is nice, but being on the same schedule as my ten month old is nicer.

I work on a neuro floor. We do tele and continuous monitoring, but it's still, essentially, a med-surg floor.

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