Reasonable Wage in the ALF World

[NurseQT]

Little bit of background.. I’ve been a LPN for 17+ years, 15 of those years was working in LTC and Rehab fields. Two years ago I made a big switch to the ALF/CBRF field. I am no longer doing any skilled nursing tasks and work M-F. My official title is Resident Care Coordinator and I work hand in hand with the Health and Wellness Director. I’m basically her right hand man and do whatever she needs me to do plus I’ve picked up a few of my own tasks over the past two years. I also help out on the floor when we’re short staffed. When I was orientated I was trained to do everything that the HWD does and actually this past summer I stepped into the role of HWD while she was on maternity leave. This position is brand new in our community and I’m the first RCC they’ve ever had, I’ve also never seen a similar position at any of the other ALFs in my area. When I was hired it was to be the RCC in the assisted living building (there are three separate buildings on our campus) and just recently the HWD and I have taken over managing the independent living building as the LPN who worked there as the HWD part time went full time to a different community. With taking on 20 more residents Jamie and I (as well as our Executive Director) feel that pay raises are in order. But because this is a new position in the facility and there aren’t any similar positions that I can compare wages to Indint even know where to begin with what a reasonable wage should be for my position. When I was hired they started me at $1 more an hour than what I had been making in skilled nursing.. There are now some LTC facilities that have starting wages that are $5 more than what I make now. Do I start with that? I definitely think a raise is in order I just don’t know what’s reasonable.

PS.. I live in WI, nursing wages in the city where I live are lower than they are in other parts of the state...