Starting salary for new RN grads at NHRMC

Angels_wearScrubs · Apr 6, 2011

I have worked at NHRMC for the past year and a half as an NA II and will be graduating with my BSN in a month, yay!

The New Grad pay is low. $19.76 an hour. Night shift diff is $5 an hour and weekend diff is $3

New Grads are only hired on the med/surg floors. Staffing is sometimes 1:5-1:6 on the med/surg floors during a day shift M-F. Nights and weekends are usually 1:6 and sometimes 1:7 (usually on the weekend nights, only happens once a week or two, but still!)

Certain floors are staffed better than others. I worked a Sunday shift a few weekends ago. The floor was full with 40 patients. It was only me and one other aide and the nurses all had 6 patients, including the charge nurse.

I have applied to work at NHRMC, but I also have applied at other hospitals in the state because I am willling to relocate. I will stay at NH if thats the only place that I can get a job.

On a more positive note, I love most of my co-workers, and NHRMC just built a GORGEOUS brand new employee fitness facility and is starting to upgrade the cafeteria. All off the patient rooms are private and brand new (hardwood-looking floors, flat screen tv's, sofas and recliners in all the rooms).

Good Luck!

Risgirl · Apr 6, 2011

I have worked at NHRMC for the past year and a half as an NA II and will be graduating with my BSN in a month, yay!
The New Grad pay is low. $19.76 an hour. Night shift diff is $5 an hour and weekend diff is $3
New Grads are only hired on the med/surg floors. Staffing is sometimes 1:5-1:6 on the med/surg floors during a day shift M-F. Nights and weekends are usually 1:6 and sometimes 1:7 (usually on the weekend nights, only happens once a week or two, but still!)
Certain floors are staffed better than others. I worked a Sunday shift a few weekends ago. The floor was full with 40 patients. It was only me and one other aide and the nurses all had 6 patients, including the charge nurse.
I have applied to work at NHRMC, but I also have applied at other hospitals in the state because I am willling to relocate. I will stay at NH if thats the only place that I can get a job.
On a more positive note, I love most of my co-workers, and NHRMC just built a GORGEOUS brand new employee fitness facility and is starting to upgrade the cafeteria. All off the patient rooms are private and brand new (hardwood-looking floors, flat screen tv's, sofas and recliners in all the rooms).
Good Luck!

Thanks so much for the reply. I am living in NY now and the pay is very different here BUT on a med/surg floor you usually have 8 patients and sometimes at night the nurses end up with 12 or 14 if someone calls out (which is ridiculous and unsafe). It's a tough market here so I'm looking in both areas. DO you think the starting pay is much better for nurses coming to NHRMC with a year experience rather than new grads? I have been kicking around working here in NY (if I can land something) to get some experience and then thinking about moving once I am not considered a "new grad".

Thanks again for the info and GOOD LUCK!! I did speak to a recruiter at NHRMC a few months ago and she said they like to hire from within, and look at their students first for new grad positions so you've got a great shot!! FINGERS CROSSED!

blhornack · Jun 14, 2011

Hmmm I am a registered nurse that lives in Pittsburgh Pa with my BSN. I have 5 years ICU experience and have wanted so much to move to Wilmington NC. That rate is unusually low and depressing...:crying2:I was going to do travel in that area and see how it went. Wilmington is beautiful and I am so ready to get out of the city....... Any suggestions or advise would be welcome...

Risgirl · Jun 14, 2011

You may be ok in Wilmington if you can do Travel because those rates always seem to be higher. I thought about trying to get a few years of experience here in NY and then going to do travel down there so the pay cut wouldn't be as painful!

NursingN.C · Jun 17, 2011

You guys need to understand that the cost of living in NC is very cheap compared to NY and Pa. I rent an apartment for 610 a month and that's water included. It is also 2 bedrooms. So a 1 bedroom will run you about 500 per month. You can also by a nice house down here for about 15-200k. So we don't need to make a crap load of money down here.

Angels_wearScrubs · Jun 18, 2011

I have to disagree "we don't have to make a crap load of money down here". Nursing is hard and requires a certain skill set. Nurses deserved to get paid what they are worth, and my education and the **** I put up with on a daily basis deserves more than 19/hr. I can make much more money bartending with way less stress and responsbility. NHRMC has a huge monoploy in the area, so they can pay as little as they want. It's one of the reasons many nurses are leaving.

The cost of living here in ILM is cheaper, but not so much cheaper that it justifies 19/hr. I used to live in the SF Bay area, the most expensive place to live in the US (more than NYC), and I spend just as much money on my cellphone, utilities, movie tickets, food and I pay even MORE money for fresh fruits and veggies.

I am leaving NHRMC as I was offered a job at a different facilty (more money, better benefits, better staf retention, better reputuation), but FYI, nurses are leaving en masse. We have hired 45 nurses in the past 2 months, about 20 of those are new grads from my school alone. 2 of my friends in NICU, 1 in L&D, and 3 or so on a stepdown floor. NHRMC is also employing travel nurses to get us through the next few months.

There are many reason nurses are leaving the hospital or transfering to the ICU's....keep that in mind when applying here.

Good luck to all :heartbeat

Risgirl · Jun 18, 2011

Well put - I think nurses are underpaid in many places, but hearing the differences between NY and NC makes me appreciate that although we pay a boatload of $$ to live here, the compensation is at least decent. I definitely don't look forward to making almost the same amount per hour as an RN (with a LOT more responsibility) as I did as a student extern with no license...it's a hard pill to swallow.

Angels_wearScrubs · Jun 18, 2011

@Ris-How did everything go when you were down here? :)

canesdukegirl, BSN, RN · Jun 19, 2011

i have to disagree "we don't have to make a crap load of money down here". nursing is hard and requires a certain skill set. nurses deserved to get paid what they are worth, and my education and the **** i put up with on a daily basis deserves more than 19/hr. i can make much more money bartending with way less stress and responsbility. nhrmc has a huge monoploy in the area, so they can pay as little as they want. it's one of the reasons many nurses are leaving.
ohhh, you are sooo right about this! nhrmc has a reputation of treating their nurses badly and i have only heard bad things about them-from docs, nurses and patients. the resort towns of nc (mountains and coastal areas) have a high cost of living. groceries in asheville ran me about $200/week, and i am not a big spender-i just got the basics (ok, and beer too). gas was ridiculous. when i was a travel nurse there and my contract ended, they offered me a permanent position for $23/hr. i was making almost 3 times that as a traveler, and that was with excellent medical insurance 100% covered, and also without bonuses. i had become close to some of the staff nurses, and they encouraged me to stay. i told them what they offered me and they said that the offer was high. these nurses had been in the hospital system for 15 years or more...and they thought $23/hr was good?!? i was further aghast when they told me how much they had to pay out of pocket for medical insurance. if there is no competition, the facility can screw with you six ways to thursday.
the cost of living here in ilm is cheaper, but not so much cheaper that it justifies 19/hr. i used to live in the sf bay area, the most expensive place to live in the us (more than nyc), and i spend just as much money on my cellphone, utilities, movie tickets, food and i pay even more money for fresh fruits and veggies.
yep. i paid through the nose for fresh produce. no wonder the obesity rate was so high in the resort towns.
i am leaving nhrmc as i was offered a job at a different facilty (more money, better benefits, better staf retention, better reputuation), but fyi, nurses are leaving en masse. we have hired 45 nurses in the past 2 months, about 20 of those are new grads from my school alone. 2 of my friends in nicu, 1 in l&d, and 3 or so on a stepdown floor. nhrmc is also employing travel nurses to get us through the next few months.
i know a boat load of nurses who have left the facility. i was scared for them when i heard some of their nightmare stories. they especially break the backs of the new grads. many of them were scared for their licenses.
there are many reason nurses are leaving the hospital or transfering to the icu's....keep that in mind when applying here.
good luck to all :heartbeat

this is all very sound advice. if i were you, i would stay in ny and get a couple more years of experience under your belt. then apply to travel companies. my phone rings at least 3 times a week with nursing recruiters asking me to come back. there is a desperate need for travel nurses right now. if you can specialize, then you can pretty much write your own ticket when you are hired as a travel nurse.

Risgirl · Jun 19, 2011

Thanks so much for the advice - I'd really love to get the experience here and then do Travel - that was my original plan...but hubby and I are getting sick of living in an apt and want to put down roots SOMEWHERE!! Houses here in NY are coming down in price, but the taxes will kill you ($12K/year)...otherwise we might just buy here. I guess we'll see how it all plays out and I'll keep everyone apprised!!

Risgirl · Jul 17, 2011

Hey Everyone - update, I finally got an interview at NHRMC. Any advice on what to ask, how they interview, etc? It's for all Med/Surg positions and I'm meeting with HR, the Hiring Mgr and then the PRW team...I was so busy writing everything down when I was on the phone, I didn't ask what PRW stood for -anyone know?! LOL!!