Should I ask for a raise?

[OnTheSearch]

Hello all!

I have been a BSN RN now for 2 years. 1.5 years in adult ICU, now 6 months in the NICU. I switched over to NICU and accepted what they offered to me because it was the same I was making at my previous job. Looking back now, I should've asked for more but I figured I was being greedy since I was going to be going through training.

well now that I'm discussing with other new grads hired in the residency, two of them are getting paid THE EXACT SAME as me. And their experience is just tech experience!

So now that I'm nearing the end of my training and at my 2 year as a Nurse mark, I was wondering if I should ask for a raise. I guess the worst thing they could do is say no?

what do you guys think? Advice?

thanks in advance.

[OnTheSearch]

I did not discuss it, another RN simply showed it to me, without me asking.

[LibraSunCNM, BSN, MSN, CNM]

Discussing salaries is unprofessional

But why??? How does it hurt nurses to compare salaries? Yes, I understand that if someone doesn't want to share their salary, it's none of your business, and of course I also understand that someone might not tell the truth about it. But as a principle, what is actually unprofessional about it?

[jena5111, ASN, RN]

Strident insistence that one SHOULD NOT DISCUSS SALARIES is a common strategy employed by management to depress wages overall and increase $$$ for the uppermost echelon. This happens across many industries; not just in nursing. The only way out is for nurses/workers to actually discuss salaries (which is NOT inherently unprofessional, as long as information is readily volunteered).

If you, OP, know for a fact that inexperienced new hires make your same wage, you should question that. Unfortunately, as another poster stated, your best bet at a raise will most likely be to jump ship for a competing employer. That's just a strange reality of nursing.

Good luck, and I hope you find what you're looking for.

[HalfBoiled, BSN, RN]

Curious, have you been bumped up to Staff Nurse level 2? (or similar)

[The Incredible Nurse, ASN, BSN]

First, to all of you that keep saying that divulging your salary is either unprofesional or not allowed, well shame on you. There are laws in place that protect employees that do choose to share their salary from suffering repercussions. It is not unprofessional to either ask or share what you or others are making. On the contrary it is beneficial for nurses to know if they are being shortchanged for the work and experience they put it. I see this situation happen so often and it makes me both irritable and dissapointed that trained proffesionals in critical thinking cant figure out that management is ********ing them about this fact.

I have seen many great nurses get, and pardon my french, screwed because they loved by this false code of conduct. When i first got into nursing, I was making $5 more an hour that nurses that had 5 to 7 years of experience. How in the heavens is that proffesional or ethical for an organization to do. By sharing pay details employees can be made aware of injustices in the pay system and feel empowered to fight for what is rightfully theirs. Do not let management fool you into thinking is wrong for you to know these details. At the end of the year they get their nice raises and bonuses, etc, so no pity for mostbof them.

We already are underpaid as it is, attitudes like these just make things worse for all of us. It is getting to a point that anyone but fast food workers (nothing againts them it is just an example) is making more money than most of us trained profesionals with human lives in our hands.

[The Incredible Nurse, ASN, BSN]

To the OP, you are most likely going to be stuck with the same pay for now. Most organizations refuse to adjust pay during lateral transfers. Your choices are:

A) Stick around until you get 2 years of experience in your desired specialty (NICU in this case based on your post)

B) After having the 2 years of experience (The Golden Ticket for Jobs) talk to your manager and very nicely request a pay adjustment in the scale based on your total years of experience. If given the runaround, nicely say that you are willing to walk out with all that great experience they nicely paid to foster in you and go somewhere that appreciates it. (Only do this if you are willing to walk away for real, managers can smell the lie if you are not really willing to leave).

C) After getting your experience, find a new organization that wants to hire you and lay for your experience. This is typically the only reliable way to get pay increases. Move on to he new employer or use their offer to provide an ultimatum to your current job to match or bust.

Whichever path you choose to follow, never ever put your head down and let yourself be abused. You earn what you get paid, and experience should be rewarded.

My 0.02 cents.

[Elaken]

Oh no you didnt.First of all what others make unless you have a union is none of your business.Discussing salaries is unprofessional and how do you know they are telling the truth?.

Discussing salary is NOT unprofessional and it is ridiculous beliefs like that which lead to wage gaps for women, POC, etc. If someone makes more than others than the *company* should be able to justify it. If they feel two new grads are equal to the OP than they should be able to explain why. Salaries should be open and discussed and it will lead to a lot more equity. The whole idea of "we don't discuss salary" is completely to the benefit of the company which is why so many LIE to employees and tell them they can't discuss it.

If someone chooses to keep their salary private that is fine but do not tell people they are unprofessional for discussing it.

[Cowboyardee]

Oh no you didnt.First of all what others make unless you have a union is none of your business.Discussing salaries is unprofessional and how do you know they are telling the truth?You are a new nurse with barely any real NICU experience[which is usually 2 years],no certifications in any specific area.If it is a merit based system [which sucks] you need a solid performance review, [no excessive absences,no suspensions,no major med errors and a A+ in butt kissing]journal club presentations.Focus on your position,plan for certification at 2 year mark[hope they pay for exam] and then you will see,there is much to learn in NICU oh..Jedi.

I disagree with lots of this.

- Discussing pay with coworkers is not at all unprofessional; management just doesnt want you to do it for their own reasons.

- In my experience coworkers seldom lie about their pay and many will happily show you a paycheck if they trust you. Why would they lie?

- Few hospitals use a real merit based system to determine pay. A good performance review never hurts, but youre waiting for Godot if you think just getting a good review buys you the leverage you need.

Now, with that out of the way some hospitals do offer to reassess and adjust your pay based on local markets, which might be a good option for the OP. But when push comes to shove, the best leverage is a competing job offer at a better rate.

Also, the OP should bear in mind that she is only a little more useful to a NICU than a NICU nurse 6 months out of school, since the NICU is pretty specialized. That will likely work against her. She should realistically assess whether she is currently doing more for her unit than the coworkers she's comparing herself against, rather than just compare on-paper qualifications and experience. At 6 months, the NICU likely hasnt yet gotten out of you what it put into your training, low hourly rate or not. So bear in mind that leaving the NICU for another job could risk a poor review when future employers call for a reference.

Whether it's a good idea to push her luck where she is or get to that year or 2-year experience threshold first depends on the OP's priorities. But I see no reason at all to beat up on her for considering and discussing pay, as if she works only out of the goodness of her heart.

[Nunya, BSN]

You might make less in the suburbs...

[mmudell]

I agree to some extent. I think we should be able to discuss salaries. I'm sure men do and that's probably why they make more because they aren't worried about stepping on toes or being silently polite. Women sit back and get what they are given without complaint. I guess at the end of the day if you want to look at salaries in your area you could look at statistics and request a raise at your next evaluation or negotiate when you change jobs. I would stay in the NICU for two years before jumping ship. You will be more marketable then.

[Robmoo, ADN, BSN, RN]

I don't discuss my salary because past experience has shown me that it can create animosity among my coworkers. I have made some good career decisions and have been a nurse for over 20 years. :-)

Your hospital just put a lot of money into training you for the NICU. You do have some leverage if you ask. You would have more leverage after completing a year in your specialty. Two years would be ideal. After 4 years in nursing I was in a similar position. New graduates at several area hospitals were making more than me. I was offered $5 an hour more to leave. My hospital offered me $6/hr more to stay. Turnover is a major expense for hospitals.

I'd advise politely pointing out that you are more valuable than a new graduate, are worth more money, and imply that not getting a raise would be a major point of dissatisfaction that will likely lead you to leave in the not too distant future. Do this now or do this at your annual review if you are not hurting financially. You may have more leverage at your evaluation. The worst they can do is say no.

[klone, MSN, RN]

As a manager- never discuss salary with your peers.

As a manager - this is a whole lot of hooey. And any company that tells its employees not to discuss salary amongst their coworkers is breaking the law.