Rich nurses?

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you guys are mostly from the USA?

I just glanced over a thread and it seems you guys are ridculously overpaid?

In Australia.. nursing is by far not a well paid job. Its maybe just average. My step dad who was a traffic controller - held a sign that said "slow" and "stop" on the flipside got paid $10 an hour more than me.. i kid you not.

you guys are mostly from the USA?

I just glanced over a thread and it seems you guys are ridculously overpaid?

.

We are not overpaid. You are underpaid. Frankly, as far as I am concerned, American nurses are still underpaid for the work we do.

Seriously, you deserve a raise. This is backbreaking work.

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Specializes in Pediatrics.

Wow, overpaid??

Nurses have an incredible amount of responsibility... I don't think a really good nurse could ever be overpaid.

I'm just a nursing student, and yes part of the reason I'm choosing this field is because it is a field where I can support myself more than some other fields, but I also know how hard I'm going to be working in order to earn that money!

If I was planning on being rich, I'd be going to medical school, definitely not nursing school!

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A couple of thoughts.

One is that in order for you to have written what you did in that post to start this thread, you must feel that you are underpaid, and that bothers you. I seriously doubt you feel we are overpaid, but are probably jealous that we (US nurses in general) earn more than you do. I'm not slamming you for feelings of jealousy, just observing that it's a reasonable reaction when you find that whatever you earn is substantially below what someone else in the same industry is making.

The second observation is that you are young and I'm guessing unaware that the costs of living vary greatly across the USA, from State to State and town to town. A nurse making $50 an hour in New York City isn't rich, and yet she's making $25 an hour more than others in the exact same job in a smaller town.

Overpaid? We live in a capitalist society, which means that if there are fewer people willing to do a certain job, well, they're going to earn more than those who choose a job where there are hundreds or thousands competing for few vacancies.

Your father makes more than you do, in part, to the fact that there are even fewer willing to do HIS job than YOURS! As for me, you couldn't hope to pay me enough to stand in the middle of the highway in the hot, humid summer, in full road gear, and flip a sign up and down. Some would consider him overpaid, but the reality is, he's willing to do it, they aren't. Same with nursing. Those who are willing to do it get the money, those who don't, don't.

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Specializes in CCU,ICU,ER retired.

I have always been a fan of oxymorons, but 'rich nurses'? that is the best one I have heard in a long time.

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you guys are mostly from the USA?

I just glanced over a thread and it seems you guys are ridculously overpaid?

In Australia.. nursing is by far not a well paid job. Its maybe just average. My step dad who was a traffic controller - held a sign that said "slow" and "stop" on the flipside got paid $10 an hour more than me.. i kid you not.

Everything's comparable. We also have cost of living to think about, salaries are different in different regions of the US to reflect what that region's cost of living is.

And, as it happens, we think we are underpaid for what we do, the responsibilities we carry. So sorry you think we're not worth it.

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Specializes in Med-Surg.

I agree with the person who said that we are not overpaid, but that you are underpaid.

I live a nice middle class American lifestyle. I own my own home (which I bought while still married, I couldn't have done it alone on a nursing salary back then, but refinanced at the divorce to a lower payment), own my own car and am saving for retirement.

I would hardly classify my lifestyle as "rediculously overpaid". Just middle class. I'm better off than some others because I'm older and am at the top of my salary. Sad thing is that I'm at the top of my salary and am not getting raises.

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i know a couple who live off of one income and invest the rest because they don't want to work when they get older, they have paid off their home so that money is going into investments but this is a personal choice..living off of one income takes some sacrifices but i know that there are some jobs where living on one income is not possible

but as has been pointed out, nurses usually graduate with a debt equal to a years salary, the responsibility and the stress esp in hospital work can be overwhelming

i don't know what the average nurses salary is in comparsion to their neighbors in your part of the globe but you may get other benefits that we don't get..i know that in many countries that a month vacation is the minimum there are some which offfer this here [va comes to mind and some state jobs] but many places you have to work in same place for 5 or 10 years to work up to this level

if you have universal health care then you do not have to pay for insurance which would be a big perk

do they pay for your uniforms and upkeep

all things are relative...housing and groceries may be cheaper in one place than an other

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Specializes in psych nursing.

Most nurses are underpaid. It also depends what kind of nursing you do and how educated you are. However, I think most nurses went into nursing not for the riches.

Jennifer LPN

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Specializes in ER, ICU, L&D, OR.

I dont know. I think nurses are paid nicely. Im very comfortable. I raised 7 kids. Buy my a lot of Jewelry, shes worth it. Buy myself a lot of golf. Have a nice house. Cars are what we like, almost anyway. I still looking for a nice 56 T Bird Convertible. Im doing well.

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i've never complained about being underpaid.

i make a decent salary, esp where i don't even have a bachelor's.

i'm very grateful i can afford to pay my for my dtr's college ed, starting in 2 wks.

i'm grateful my husband saves all 'his' money, for when 'we' retire.

i'm grateful i never have more than 4 pts at any given time.

often, it's only 2.

yes, there have been times i've thought that even $100/hr wouldn't be worth it.

those are the times that salary considerations, are completely irrelevant.

that there's just not enough of leslie to accommodate 2, 3, 4 critically ill pts.

but all in all, i live modestly, humbly and gratefully.

and my kids enjoy their life, with or w/o materialism.

thank God, i can give to them, if i so choose.

leslie

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Specializes in ER, ICU, L&D, OR.

Im very materialistic.

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Specializes in LTC, med-surg, critial care.

Coming from a family of field/packing house workers I consider myself well paid. I showed my Mom my first LVN paycheck and she was amazed. I showed her my first RN paycheck and she was speechless. I'm able to live comfortably, my bills get paid, we take trips, I can afford to have children and really, what else do I need?

I am very grateful for what I am paid. I work hard and have a lot of responsibility but I'll never stand on a ladder in 110 degree heat dressed in boots, pants, long sleeved shirt and a hat picking nectarines for 12 hours a day at minimum wage (or less!) like my parents and grandparents did.

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