Should nursing pay remain modest?

[Longleggedstar]

Long story short I had a discussion with a veteran nurse, who argued me to the sky that nursing pay needs to remain modest to protect the integrity of the profession. She went on and on about how much better nurses/nursing was when the pay wasn't as high and while at the time I disagreed because lets face it we do a lot, I am beginning to have some ambivalence about the matter. As I see more and more people flock to the field solely for financial gain, and even more nurses who have me whispering what the *what* every day... I begin to ponder, was she correct? What do you guys think?

[Sour Lemon]

Long story short I had a discussion with a veteran nurse, who argued me to the sky that nursing pay needs to remain modest to protect the integrity of the profession. She went on and on about how much better nurses/nursing was when the pay wasn't as high and while at the time I disagreed because lets face it we do a lot, I am beginning to have some ambivalence about the matter. As I see more and more people flock to the field solely for financial gain, and even more nurses who have me whispering what the *what* every day... I begin to ponder, was she correct? What do you guys think?

That's probably one of the dumbest things I've ever heard in my life.

[caliotter3]

When a new minimum wage rate rivals the pay of nurses, it puts into proper perspective how nurses are valued. No one needs to graduate from nursing school and pass a licensing exam to deserve minimum wage.

[heron, ASN, RN]

Nope.

[Luckyyou, BSN, RN]

hahahahahahahahahahahaha no. Cut my pay and I'm out the door. I'm not a professional martyr, thanks.

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

nursing pay needs to remain modest to protect the integrity of the profession.

No, nurses need to maintain standards of competency and professionalism to maintain the integrity. I expect to be paid for what I do, and not for minimum wage. If minimum wage increases, nursing wages need to increase. If inflation increases, wages need to increase. Taking a pay cut by not increasing wages as minimum wage and inflation increase actually devalues the profession.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

The best and brightest minds gravitate toward professions that will reward them both intellectually and financially.

If physicians and engineers were not being paid well, the bright minds out there will enter other occupations that provide financial incentive.

Law was once a profession that only the cream of the crop entered. During the golden age of law, attorneys were paid handsomely. Nowadays, due to the lawyer glut and proliferation of investor-owned bottom tier law schools, salaries for attorneys have plummeted in recent years.

Bright minds are now deciding to stay away from law due to a lack of financial incentive. Meanwhile, lower-caliber students with pitiful LSAT scores are enrolling in law school in droves.

To keep a long story short, competitive pay is important. Once the pay drops, the quality of entrants also takes a hit.

[roser13, ASN, RN]

Good grief. Just when I thought that the "nursing is a calling" movement might be dying a natural death, along comes a new offshoot. This is absolutely ridiculous. Who on earth would go to nursing school for 4+ years, (possibly incurring a mountain of debt along the way), in order to work for slave wages?

Personally, I have never cared what motivates my nurse when I'm in the hospital, as long as he/she is competent. So what if someone's in the profession to make a decent salary?

[KatieMI, BSN, MSN, RN]

That ol' good time, skies were bluer, and water was wetter, and nursing was nurserier. Nothing new about it.

Otherwise, I totally agree with Commuter. There are not many proven ways to attract high-level professionals in any area of human occupation, and money is the most effective of them.

[CrunchRN, ADN, RN]

No. If you do a hard job well you should be paid well.

[qnmimi]

No matter what, modest pay means so very different things to the employer VS the employee. Do I enjoy the fact I have to work hard, keep a lot of knowledge up to date, deal with difficult people to name only a few things we nurses have to deal with? NO! Would I willingly do it for less if I did not need to? NO again. Your co-worker's thinking is very outdated, and as an RN for almost 30 years, I have run across all stripes of nurses. Nursing is a noble profession, repeat profession, and we all deserve good pay for the job we do.

[Jules A, MSN]

Law was once a profession that only the cream of the crop entered. During the golden age of law, attorneys were paid handsomely. Nowadays, due to the lawyer glut and proliferation of investor-owned bottom tier law schools, salaries for attorneys have plummeted in recent years.

Bright minds are now deciding to stay away from law due to a lack of financial incentive. Meanwhile, lower-caliber students with pitiful LSAT scores are enrolling in law school in droves.

This sounds exactly like what is happening to NPs