would you be a RN for $11.00/hr?

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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 :)

Specializes in Rodeo Nursing (Neuro).

No, but at my facility, that's almost what LPNs are doing. Their starting pay is a bit over 12/hr, and the differences in our job description are pretty slight. Come to think of it, next time I'm getting into Pyxis and looking for a witness to waste so I can push 0.2mg of dilaudid, Q2H PRN, I should probably remind myself that I'm getting an extra 10-12 an hour for doing it (and a few other things).

I do believe CNA--LPN--RN is a great track to enter nursing, but I wouldn't advise anyone--at least in hospital nursing--to stay an LPN any longer than it took to get an RN license.

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That was my starting salary in 92'. I thought I was rich. If offered that now, I would laugh. It would cost me to work; quality childcare and transportation costs would be too high. Saying that, I do love being a nurse--I am glad I do not have to face that salary/option.

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Specializes in Orthosurgery, Rehab, Homecare.

Only if I lived in an area with a comparably low cost of living(Probably another country) and didn't have loans to repay. In my current residence, no way! I made more than that as an aide.

~Jen

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Specializes in Mental Health.

I agree with some of the posters that stated that they were either making $11 or just under it before becoming a nurse. I wouldn't go to school to make what I could make without an education. And nursing can be tedious and demanding...it would not be worth it.

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I could be a teller right out of high school and make $12/hr starting with full benefits. $11 an hour, ya right.

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Specializes in Mental Health.

I agree with some of the posters that stated that they were either making $11 or just under it before becoming a nurse. I wouldn't go to school to make what I could make without an education. And nursing can be tedious and demanding...it would not be worth it.

At this point the only way I would work for $11 an hour is if all I had to do was record vitals for about 5 then go home...no charting, passing meds or IVs, observation, assessments, wound care, or med ER...that would be the only way...just recording the vitals and not having to do anything about the vitals that were not WNL...;)

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Specializes in Medical, Surgical, Cardiac.
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 :)

You said be honest so here goes.......$11/hr for the work i do as a fairly inexperienced RN? You have a better chance of seeing the Messiah than seeing me swipe my badge at the timeclock than seeing that. I made more than that as an aid. Further I'd have to work 5 hrs a week to pay for gas, another 4 hrs a week to pay for my student loans, 8 hrs a week to pay for health insurance.....and the list goes on.

As you can see $11/hr doesn't go anywhere near as far as it used to. I started out at about twice that, and with my differentials I make almost 3 times that. I truly hope that the arbitrary wage you came up with is that....arbitrary. As one poster opined, it's accepting wages like that that creates an atmosphere of low wages, low morale, and worst of all the low level of respect nurses get. I read recently that we are part of the most trusted professions, but is there anyone else out there that would give up a little trust for a bit more respect, because the two are mutually exclusive.

Until we all stand up and assert our needs and wants, management is going to continue to step all over us. I have been an advocate not only for my patients but for myself and my peers, questioning staffing matrices, education benefits, and licensing requirements (or lack thereof). I am lucky enough to have the talent of stirring being assertive without being an as.....you know what I mean.

It is up to us, the hardworking Nurses to not only ask, but demand that we are treated with respect and as equal professionals in healthcare.

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HELL no! I made more than that as a nurses aid. I don't think I make enough now for the stuff I have to put up with and I make a lot more than that!

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Specializes in ED, Cardiac Medicine, Retail Health.

Making $11.00 is not a living wage in my neck of the woods so I would have to say no. I am starting $28.00/hr as a new grad. Made $15.40/hr as a telemetry tech.

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Specializes in cardiac med-surg.

i only make $36.00/hour but deserve no less than $50.00/hour

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Specializes in Surgical Intensive Care.

Uh that would be a no. Considering I made almost $13/hour as a tech while in nursing school, I would not nurse for $11/hour. I just graduated and my base pay here in Texas is $19.50/hour without diffs. I would not work as a nurse for $11/hour- I'd go work elsewhere making the same money and not risk my livelihood (license). Interesting question though...

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All I know is that im broke a$$ at $11.00 hr going through nursing school. No wonder lab has such high turnover...too much risk not enough pay.

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