would you be a RN for $11.00/hr?

pmbrn22 · Mar 9, 2007

No I would not.

samaletta · Mar 9, 2007

When I decided to go to nursing school more than 3 years ago, I couldn't believe that I would start out at $20/hr.....I thought that was amazing. Now that I am in my management rotation and 7 weeks from graduation, I almost think it's not enough. I cannot believe how much stress a nurse goes through in a typical day. I never knew until I started my management rotation. One clinical day, I was so busy that I didn't take a break, eat, or even go to the bathroom till almost the end of my shift. AND my patient from the week before coded and died. talk about stressful from every aspect possible. I think employers are making out with the wages they are paying us now. WHEEEW! nursing is rough!!!! People just don't realize.

Gromit · Mar 9, 2007

1bigmedicrn - I disagree with you completely. I don't think its sad that so many RNs would refuse to work (in that capacity) if they didn't make better than $11/hr. I APPLAUD them! If you will work for less, you will be paid less. Why SHOULDN'T we get compensated for a job with such a high level of responsibility and consequences for errors? If you don't stand up for yourself, nobody else is going to stand up for you. This is no hobby. This is our livelyhood. Living on subsistance wages may have been fine back when we were teens or just out of highschool and still had no real clue as to what we wanted to do. But its not 'fine' NOW. Loving your job is all fine and good -but working for peanuts is just silly. When you make such a low wage that you have to have assistance (or worse, you dread the 'rainy day' that will bankrupt you) you aren't going to be enjoying your life too much. A truck driving friend of mine put it best: "Whats the point of working for a living if you can't enjoy the living you're working FOR?"

I really enjoy nursing, but its not my LIFE, its my JOB.

Kyrshamarks, BSN, RN · Mar 9, 2007

Gromit, I agree with you opn that. When people are willing to work for less they will pay less. I saw that everyday when I was a paramedic up in New Hampshire. Our wages were unbelieveably due to the fact here was some many that would do it for free. They told us time and again if you want more money fine, we will get rid of you guys and just go to a volunteer force. That sucked due to the volunteers keeping our wages low.

Gromit · Mar 9, 2007

Know what you mean. My county was the third lowest paying county in the state. I didn't give volunteers grief, however, because I WAS one as well -in the county I lived in (I worked in the county just north of me. My drive time was 53.7miles each way). Volunteers were pretty much firefighters and EMT-A (BLS) but no paramedics (for insurance and liability reasons -and because the medical director refused to sign off on non-employees because he had less of a control over them -or so he said). We were our own worst enemy, however. We (myself included) eagerly jumped for the job when it paid so little (if I recall correctly, our hours/pay actually worked out to $8.04 per hour! -AND we were a pretty busy county, but since (at least in Florida) there were far more paramedic/firefighters (crosstrained) than there were openings, most were (obviously) eager to work, even at such a lousy wage. To a person, each one of us either had a second job. I worked on my 'off' days in a hospital lab as a phlebotomist -which actually paid $9/hr, I worked two 8hr shifts -one of them being my first day off from EMS (and that made for a very long day. It was my 'evening' shift because I had to get some sleep first). Others had a spouse that made a living wage to suppliment the income. The problem is, that when one of us burned out and quit, there were many more waiting for the slot. When I hired on, I was the sixth (and last) new-hire, they had six openings, and 350 QUALIFIED applicants.

A city like Tampa actually commanded (I know, because I applied there as well, in the hopes of getting a BETTER job -Tampa paid much better than Pasco County) over 500 (yes, FIVE HUNDRED) QUALIFIED applicants for ONE open slot. Thats just unreal. Qualified applicants were Florida certified firefighter/paramedics, Florida residents, clean license (including drivers license).

When you have that kind of gluttony, there is just no incentive to offer a better salary. As one (Pasco) county commissioner told us at a grievance meeting: "If you don't like your pay, you are free to leave. There are many more waiting for your slot". They were correct. Its nothing personal, just business. If you can get the same work for less money, you're going to pay less money. One way to do that (and this is what that county DID) is to instill into your employees the mindset that its not a job, its a LIFESTYLE. They should be greatful to be able to do the job regardless of the pay -that you are here for the pride and priviledge to do job etc etc etc. This has the effect of making the unhappily low-paid employee feel 'guilty' for asking for more money or better conditions.

THAT is why I get my dander up when I see others trying to push the 'Nurses are Angels' bit, insinuating that we should do the job for nothing, because we care.

Yes, I care. But I also don't work for free.

porcelina22 · Mar 9, 2007

Starting New Grad pay at my local hospitalis $20.29/hour, available overtime and differentials not included. There is NO WAY I would work for $11. I'm a nurse extern right now and I make $12.55/hour! Nope, no way.

Chrissy

SueBee RN-BSN · Mar 9, 2007

Just for fun lets just pretend the starting wage for an RN (regardless of education just RN) started at $11.00 hr. Would you still be a nurse? Also, what would be an acceptable starting pay for you to consider the field?. Ill start it off by saying no I would not at $11 hr (to much risk, slave wage for the type of job it is etc) and even though our starting pay around here is $27 hr for new grads I would work for about $20 hr. Be honest with you answers :)

$11 is an insult. $32 or I would not take the job.

Gromit · Mar 9, 2007

$32 ? Don't know where you work, but I wish I was THERE! Around here, the average starting is in the low twenties.

NurseSteff_BSN · Mar 9, 2007

Simply put, no. $11 an hour is an insult. I have a $62,000 education and I would have to work almost 32 hours to make my student loan repayment, not to mention all of my other responsibilities. I think someone mentioned it before, but I know that Taco Bell hires in at $8/hour for a high school student! To pay a licensed professional who is responsible for LIVES $3 less an hour is extremely disturbing!

romansten9 · Mar 9, 2007

Yeah, it is disturbing to be responsible for lives for LESS than $11/hr. but I have been doing it for 17 years (as I mentioned before) as a Paramedic. with more danger and responsibility than most Nurses. When will Nurses stop compliaining? Probably never, I realize its human nature to want More More More..Gimme Gimme Gimme... we all do it..... But the next time you do, think about the Medic working 24 hour shifts out in the weather for peanuts and you'll likely become VERY thankful for what you have!

~*HopefulNICUnurse*~ · Mar 9, 2007

I wouldn't want to work for $11/hr. I want to at least start out with 18-19/hr. I feel it's way too much hard work in nursing school just to graduate and start out with $11/hr.

SueBee RN-BSN · Mar 9, 2007

Why are you all working for less money than your worth?? Hospitals have lots of big bucks, and don't let them tell you they don't. Unionize, and make them pay you what your worth-