Should new grads negotiate their pay??

The answer really depends on a variety of factors. Supply and demand in the local area, can you realistically afford to have the hospital reject you? Is there another facility in your area where you could work? Do you have any previous medical experience? I am always a proponent of knowing your worth, presenting pay rates from other facilities can get you a leg up in your quest. Only you can decide if it is worth the risk to you, but I disagree with others who say the answer is a flat no.

oh my ....roflmao

If I were you, I would be cautious. I definitely wouldn't bring this up in your interview with a unit manager as a new grad. Most managers that I work with hate discussing salary, and many of them don't have much to do with it. If you really feel like you need to negotiate salary, talk to HR after you get an offer.

Also, there are SOOO many more important things than how much you get paid. Do you love this unit? Does your employer respect you? Do you work as a team, and feel supported? Is your patient load acceptable? Pay is important, but in the big picture, such a small piece to a big puzzle. I think by asking this question, you may be too focused on this small puzzle piece.

After you have at least a year of experience, I think you should ABSOLUTELY negotiate pay. Nurses are in high demand, and your experience (although only a year) is invaluable. Know your worth! I know you mentioned that you have some medical experience. I think that's great! If you really feel like this makes you a more valuable nurse, feel free to use it as leverage. But also be careful. You do NOT want to come off as an entitled, spoiled, millennial. Most hiring managers are generation X, or Baby Boomers, and they won't take that very well.

Good luck in whatever you decide to do.

If I were you, I would be cautious. I definitely wouldn't bring this up in your interview with a unit manager as a new grad. Most managers that I work with hate discussing salary, and many of them don't have much to do with it. If you really feel like you need to negotiate salary, talk to HR after you get an offer.

Also, there are SOOO many more important things than how much you get paid. Do you love this unit? Does your employer respect you? Do you work as a team, and feel supported? Is your patient load acceptable? Pay is important, but in the big picture, such a small piece to a big puzzle. I think by asking this question, you may be too focused on this small puzzle piece.

After you have at least a year of experience, I think you should ABSOLUTELY negotiate pay. Nurses are in high demand, and your experience (although only a year) is invaluable. Know your worth! I know you mentioned that you have some medical experience. I think that's great! If you really feel like this makes you a more valuable nurse, feel free to use it as leverage. But also be careful. You do NOT want to come off as an entitled, spoiled, millennial. Most hiring managers are generation X, or Baby Boomers, and they won't take that very well.

Good luck in whatever you decide to do.

YES and NO. I agree, HR is who you direct your money questions at AFTER you get an official offer. I ALSO agree that there are SOOO many more important things than how much pay you get. BUT the interview and the hiring process is the best and most appropriate time to to discuss INITIAL compensation rates if you have concerns or wish to more fairly try to align your financial value with the benefit the organization will get from YOUR services. How your team and organization interact with you, is something that takes months to accurately gauge AFTER you're hired. I also agree that money discussions need to be professional and tactful, you can't go into it with the attitude of an entitled individual.

YES negotiate!, be ready for compromises, and be ready for failure. But for the love of Josh, negotiate something if you feel an offer is lower than what you value yourself at....$0.38...or $1.09...2days of extra vacation...3 extra pairs of scrubs...something! This may be a career that demands compassion from it's staff, but that doesn't mean RN's (new or seasoned) ought to avoid salary negotiations. Money isn't the primary reason many go into nursing, but telling folks that it's better to passively avoid salary negotiations (with or with years of experience) is defeatist and hurts us all in the long run. AFTER you get an official offer and are about to sign some paperwork give negotiating a shot. YouTube some professional and civil tactics to negotiating and have a nice conversation backed up with concrete examples of how your previous work experience will benefit an employer from day one of your hire...and be fair. Do lots of interviews in a row and hopefully you will learn what others in the area are paying. If they only do one interview, then at the end during your questioning, flat out ask, what is the common compensation rate for someone like yourself. It's a business meeting after all. But keep money talk short and direct. You don't want to come off as some money hungry new grad. It's a game we all have to play. It's better to to try to negotiate many days after the first interview, AFTER you get an offer letter in the mail or email. And usually money talk will be HR. If you LOSE an offer just because you asked another adult if they could negotiate a higher starting rate because you felt you were somewhat of a higher value compared to other less experienced new grads, then I say you're better off without them. To flat-out boot a candidate from a job AFTER you give them official offer, is childish and shady. No one should have to work for people like that. By the time you get an official offer, you've met and interviewed with nurse managers and they liked you enough to want to bring you into their team. AGAIN, to lose this opportunity because you wanted to further discuss compensation options with HR....that is an awful culture that I personally will not be a part of. They don't have to give me the increase I asked for, but they better not cut ties with me just because I talked money with the money point person during the hiring process. **Be strong ya'll. Advocate for the pt and the organization and your-self and your bank account and the family you wish to raise.**

(extra blank post, I don't know how to delete. Opps.)

There is nothing to negotiate as a new grad. You can try, but as mentioned above, there is usually a line up these days of new grads hungry for the opportunity to get a foot in the door of acute care. Chances are you will lose your slot if you try to insist you have more to offer than the next new, inexperienced grad.

MONEY is money, business is business. To be interviewed and then be given an official offer AND THEN have that offer rescinded because you open up a conversation that aims to try to negotiate the offered compensation rate.....well that shady, childish, and not a business culture I will accept and allow to flourish with out my clear objection. You must be smart and willing to push the envelope and advocate for yourself during the hiring process, if you have years and years of past experience in some area, that is a "VALUE". It doesn't mean it's a $1.50 extra value, but it could be a $0.32 value with an extra vacation day. New grads that didn't work somewhere before hand for a while....well ok, they have less negotiating power. BUT, hell let them try to negotiate....maybe the hiring manager is giving them a lower offer than they can actually afford....because that's how business can be. Sometimes, they start low and take it from there. Don't ask them bow their heads and not even try to negotiate.

If a new grad candidate has years and years of work experience that will allow them to more easily provide compassionate care and potentially work better with all the people in a team healthcare setting....then that's value that can be argued in favor of. Now....no one is entitled to their demands, but asking and having a civil and tactful conversation needs to be allowed and encouraged.

Yes, I negotiated even as a CNA after my first job and got a slightly higher rate out of it. Union wasn't happy about it, but HR gave me a written offer with my requested rate. I also negotiated for my first RN job as I had relevant non-nursing experience with the population. Neither negotiation resulted in a massive increase in pay, but I started my CNA job with an extra $0.90 hour, and my RN job $3/hr higher than I would have if I hadn't asked - that adds up over time, particularly if pay annual or merit increases are based on percentage of current pay.

The key is be reasonable in your request - know your own worth in terms of skills you are bringing and what those are likely worth to the employer - as well as a reasonable rate to negotiate for - knowing the ball-park of wage for new grads locally is helpful and an employer is less likely to balk at a request for the high end of "normal new grad range" than they are for something that is so out of normal pay range that it causes them to assume you out of touch with the market. Also accept that some employers won't be open to negotiation and you can either accept their offer or walk depending on how much you want the job.