Salary questions for AL nurses

Atl_John · Jul 2, 2007

Oh my god, 25+change after 13 years. FRONKY !!! why have you put up with it so long? :trout: I had a manager of one of the units tell me that EAMC was a great place with great pay for the area. I quickly pointed out to him ATL salaries. I hate to even mention that GN in ATL get 24-26/hr plus their 4-6/hr shift diff. He said that the COL was so low here compared to ATL. Once I told him that what I paid to live in ATL vs what I paid here to live, he really couldn't use that excuse anymore. Its the same here as it is in ATL for me, somethings are actually more expensive like Gas and car insurance (that was a shock to me). :down:

You got written up for clocking errors?? What type of errors are you talking about? Thats a prettttty stupid reason to get written up everyone makes clocking errors or forgets, etc.

John

ecat81 · Jul 2, 2007

In the southeast region the base for new grads is a dysmal 16.50 and hour and hasnt budged in 3 years. This is a ridiculous wage considering that there is a definite shortage in our area now. We have had many nurses walkout of our hospital. Its tough. Something has to be done about the low wages with gas 2.80 and milk 4.50 a gallon.

Atl_John · Jul 2, 2007

I agree ecat81, but just look at some of the many nurses on here, they will say that money isn't everything if you have a job that you love. They have become complacent with their wages they have forgotten how to be an advocate for themselves. I bet if half of the nurses decided to one day have a protest due to low wages that might get some big attention. Fire half the nurses in he hospital....I think not. Union......I don't think so. Hospitals down here take nurses for granted far too much and untill nurses join together nothing will happen.

Where are you at anyways ecat81?

fronkey bean · Jul 2, 2007

Oh my god, 25+change after 13 years. FRONKY !!! why have you put up with it so long? :trout: I had a manager of one of the units tell me that EAMC was a great place with great pay for the area. I quickly pointed out to him ATL salaries. I hate to even mention that GN in ATL get 24-26/hr plus their 4-6/hr shift diff. He said that the COL was so low here compared to ATL. Once I told him that what I paid to live in ATL vs what I paid here to live, he really couldn't use that excuse anymore. Its the same here as it is in ATL for me, somethings are actually more expensive like Gas and car insurance (that was a shock to me).
You got written up for clocking errors?? What type of errors are you talking about? Thats a prettttty stupid reason to get written up everyone makes clocking errors or forgets, etc.
John

This is off topic but it was clocking errors (forgetting to clock in/out) which they only noticed b/c I Wrote silly notes to the unit associate who fixes my time to make her smile and someone got offended that I wasn't taking itseriously enough! No I'm not joking!

fronkey bean · Jul 2, 2007

It would behardto geta union started down here. Most peopl think that a poor wage is better than none at all.

Atl_John · Jul 2, 2007

You know you are the second person to tell me that a union would be hard if not impossible to get started down here. Its like its a bad word down here. :) I just don't get the South sometimes

fronkey bean · Jul 2, 2007

You know you are the second person to tell me that a union would be hard if not impossible to get started down here. Its like its a bad word down here. :) I just don't get the South sometimes

You can sum it up in one statement - "Change is scary, Y'all":lol2:

Snickett · Jul 9, 2007

I have read alot of posts from some very unhappy nurses. If you are THIS miserable, then why not quit? Go drive a fork lift, or work at Wal-Mart, or go to med school?

fronkey bean · Jul 9, 2007

Hey Snickett, good to hear from you. I don't think for the most part Al nurses are miserable in their jobs. Most of the ones I know love nursing. I think the low pay frustrates a lot of us. We work hard and many are very loyal to the institutions where they work but we don't seem to be compensated for our efforts. There are no incentives to keep experienced nurses at the bedside so they move on and leave young nurses w/o resources on the unit. Management gives lip service to wanting to retain nurses but what they mean is they want them to stay as long as they don't have to pay them any more money. As I've said befor, I love my job, I just don't like hosp. admin.:trout:

FroggieLiz · Jul 9, 2007

Knowing that Alabama is where you want or need to live puts a damper on the moving issue, too. Not everyone is able to just drop everything they have and move to a state with higher pay. I know that my family is here and we are established. I cannot up and move them (and sick parents) just so that I could make more money. Yes, it's frustrating to know that someone in another state will make twice what I do doing half the job I'm doing, but when it comes down to it, I can't really afford leave right now.

fronkey bean · Jul 10, 2007

Knowing that Alabama is where you want or need to live puts a damper on the moving issue, too. Not everyone is able to just drop everything they have and move to a state with higher pay. I know that my family is here and we are established. I cannot up and move them (and sick parents) just so that I could make more money. Yes, it's frustrating to know that someone in another state will make twice what I do doing half the job I'm doing, but when it comes down to it, I can't really afford leave right now.

Too true. And we'll probably never be able to afford to leave b/c we work in Al and will never have the money! :lol2: I like my job b/c I like the work and my coworkers but if we weren't rooted to the area I would leave in a heartbeat.

FroggieLiz · Jul 10, 2007

:lol_hitti

Too true...That's how the hospitals keep us family folk in town; it's one big corporate scheme. Now that we're in on the secret, are our lives at risk?