"I work harder than a nurse in a hospital."

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I had a "conversation" with several of the people I work with in a nonclinical setting this week, and it was said by a couple of them that the work we do and the stresses we are under in a nonclinical setting are more intense than those in clinical settings....specifically the hospital setting.

I have a hard time believing that. We all used to work in the hospital setting. They made it sound like working in a hospital is easy as pie. That is not the kind of work I remember.

Anyway, how much do you think a nurse in a nonclinical setting should receive in annual pay: more than the clinical setting, less than the clinical setting, or the same as the clinical setting?

Also, should associate's level RNs be compensated the same as bachelor's level RNs in a nonclinical environment?

[Cattitude]

i worked almost 7 yrs in a hospital and now 4 in home health. i make approx. 10-12,000 more per year than i would/did as a hospital nurse. should i be making more?

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[color=#483d8b]well, i did much more physical work in a hospital that is true. but in home health, the paperwork is overwhelming and i feel my responsibilities don't always end at the end of my shift. i can't just hand off my pt's to the next nurse, i am their next nurse. so yes, i do find it more stressful. having said that, i doubt if i will ever go back to bedside again, if i retrun to the clinical setting, it will be in a different role.

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[control]

In our work, we do not have patients....ever. In fact, we never have physical contact with patients of any kind. We give very limited "advice" talking on the phone all day. We write a few notes on each phone contact, but that is the limit of our paperwork.

I just feel like the liability we take on in our daily work is very, very low.

[dria]

Seeing as how I have no acute care experience since nursing school, I'm definitely not qualified to address the issue of "who works harder." I think that any role has its own unique set of stressors. I also work the phones, and patient interaction is probably the least stressful part of my day. My biggest concern right now is the fact that since I have a national caseload (and not national licensure) I am routinely practicing without a license...that's more that enough liability for me!!!

As for the salary issue, a nurse is a nurse is a nurse. My associate's degree got me the same RN license that they gave to BSNs and also the Diploma nurses. If the duties performed are the same, the compensation should be the same as well.

[SCRN1]

I've only worked in hospitals and an office. So that's all I can compare. I definately have to say that work in the hospital is much more physically demanding and requires more critical thinking. Also, the liability is greater.

As for pay between ADN & BSN, if they're doing the same work and have the same liabilities, I say they should have the same pay.

[sister--*]

I've only worked as a hospital Med-Surg Nurse. The stressors are tremendous from physical to mental to organizational. No matter if there is help or if there isn't (ancillary staff/departments, nursing assistance) it all boils down to the sole/bottom-line responsibility belonging to the bedside Nurse.

I'm sure other venues of Nursing have their tremendous stressors as well.

I believe if you do the same job, you should receive the same pay. I think the benefit to the BSN is that of greater choices in Nursing paths.

[eltrip]

A nurse working in the hospital is having to juggle more and (usually) perform more strenuous tasks than most nurses outside of the hospital. I can't imagine that any nurse in a patient-care situation, whether nursing home, hospital or home health wouldn't work harder - overall - than a nurse not performing hands-on care of a patient.

I do not have hands-on contact with my patients. Mine is all via telephone. While my brain may be fried by the end of the day & I don't want to talk on the telephone at all, my body is not nearly as worn out as it was after a 12° shift in the hospital. I am grateful for the time I spent working in the hospital as it provided the experience I needed for this job.

As for the pay for the degree, well, it'd be a nice gesture to pay BSN-prepared nurses more, though really, as a BSN-prepared nurse, I don't see the need...at this time. But really, even with a higher level of pay, it still wouldn't compensate for the short-staffing, mandatory overtime and physical risks associated with those two situations that are endemic to hospital nursing. It's not the pay that's making nurses leave the bedside. It's the conditions.

[BeHappy!]

It seems that people always like to feel they are doing "more" than others as some sort of validation for themselves. Nurses tend to eat their own kind if you know what I mean. I have worked in the hospital as well as an office. The hours and physical demands of bedside care are exhausting. However, the office is very fast paced, lots of paperwork as well as phone triage, patient care. The office nurse also must educate the patient to make sure they don't end up in the hospital. ADN and BSN nurses should be compensated the same because they are both entry level positions. Associate degree nurses generally have more clinical time in school whereas bachelor's degree nurses have more research time. :smilecoffeecup:

[Roy Fokker, BSN, RN]

Didn't realize doing my job meant competing in a popularity contest...

Didn't we all graduate high school?

Sorry to be curt and blunt but the whole "well, my job is harder than your job" reminds me of "my daddy can beat up your daddy".

In my opinion, of course.

cheers,

[Interesting]

Hi Everyone!

I'm in Oklahoma City and wanted to find out if anyone is going to attend the Healthcare Networking Professionals Event on Tuesday Feb 20th 9-noon at The Oklahoman 9000 N. Broadway. I've heard the event is supposed to have recruiters with hospitals, state agencies and home health. Just interested to find out if anyone has heard anything else. I've heard really good things about what they are planning and that it will be a casual breakfast type of event - does anyone know any more details? Thanks!

[StNeotser, ASN, RN]

I think we all probably have it pretty tough. Have never worked in a non clinical nursing job so couldn't compare.

But the "we have it worse than them" argument seems to crop up all the time. If someone wants to bellyache about how hard they have it compared with another dept, perhaps they need to apply for a job in that other dept.

[nurscee]

I am a telephone triage nurse. The work is WAY less stressful than the hospital. Of course, the pay is lower.

But we still work hard.

Nurses work too hard almost anywhere you go.

Anyone who thinks hospital work is EASY is a GOOBER.