RN pay

I, too was in school back in 1999 when the OP asked the question. New grad pay was in the vicinity of $16 an hour and this is for a large city (it's up to $25+ now). $14 may have been about right at the time.

I'm sorry but don't understand why people get their panty's all in a wad when other people ask about pay. I love my job I love my patients but I do expect to get payed for my knowledge and skills. How is this wrong? No other profession that I know of would even think twice about questions concerning pay.

I have this funny thing I like to do often its called: SURVIVING. I like to eat and have a roof over my head, I prefer to drive a car to work. I am more than willing to work to meet my needs but don't pooh

pooh me for asking how much I can expect to get payed.

I'm done, off the soapbox.

Amen to that. If a doctor had asked the same question, no one would have thought twice about answering and I doubt anyone would have tried to shame him/her for asking. Just because we want to know what we are going to get paid does not mean we will be any less of a nurse than those out that that pretend that money isn't important.

very well said honeydust29, i did not see anything in the original post that implied she/he was only interested in the money. i'm pretty sure most of the people that commented expect to receive a paycheck for what they do - doesn't mean that's the reason they do it. there's nothing wrong with 'wondering' what to expect. i've wonder the same thing - but that is not the reason i choose to go back to school and become a rn. and i am also sure that most rn's would give their time volunteering in different health fairs, flu shot clinics, etc..... because we care, and want to help people.

i personally am a student who went into this because i want to help people, but i also expect to get paid when i get a job, and don't think it's wrong to wonder how much.

that is just my opinion - and i mean no offense to anyone.:)

pb

i can certainly understand wanting to know what to expect in pay for the career field you have chosen. simply because you want to know what to expect as a paycheck does not mean you will love your job any less than those who are not concerned about the money. i am a nursing student and i have been looking around in my area and checking local papers to find out what range of pay i can expect to get when i graduate. i do not think this behavior or way of thinking is deplorable. in fact, i think that its just plain smart to know what kind of money you are going to have to support yourself and your family with. right now, my family is a one income family and we have 3 kids to support. i am really looking forward to enabling my family to live a better life while at the same time being able to get paid to do something i love. i am surprised by the judgemental attitudes represented by several of the replies posted. we all know that money isn't everything...however, good thoughts and good deeds do not put food on the table. for all intents and purposes...money kinda does make the world go round. i for one look forward to the day when i get my first paycheck. and no matter how big or small it is, it will in not be able to represent all the good i will be doing in my work. but it will put food on the table. shame on those of you for judging this person without asking the facts. "let he that is without sin, cast the first stone" and "judge not lest ye yourselves be judged as you have judged others"

I went to a student doctor BB (maybe it was called studentdoctor.com)....well anyway it was a while back ago and I cant tell you how many talked about money like that's really all they were concerened about ( I don't think that was necessarily the case but they were def. concerned) anyway...no one came and called them shallow for it...I went in to nursing because I was looking for something fulfilling, everchanging, something I can do to make a positive difference and something to pay the bills. So yeah money was definately a factor there and I'm not ashamed to say it. but no it wasn't the only factor.