Take your wage and plug it into this inflation calculator... Discuss

tater.jake · Aug 9, 2011

I'm kind of surprised at the amount of RNs on here who are ok with being paid like a mailman :smackingf

and then some take it a step further and argue to keep it that way?!

jlpsu · Aug 9, 2011

I'm not arguing to keep it that way, but I am surprised that others are surprised by what nurses make. Relative to time invested in education, nurses do very well. Comparing US wages to Canadian wages is comparing apples to oranges. Same with comparing San Francisco wages with rural Georgia wages.

There are many, many worthwhile careers that require a 4 year degree that make less than nurses do coming out of school. It has nothing to do with how 'important' that persons job is. Although, I would say that a mailman is a pretty important job. Everyone needs their mail! It's all relative. You don't go into nursing to be rich...that should not be a surprise. Many very hard working people make far less, so for that reason, I will be thankful to start at $20+ an hour, which isn't bad where I am living.

joanna73, BSN, RN · Aug 9, 2011

Keep in mind that many nurses are second career nurses, or have related experience in other fields. I've been working for 25 years already. In 1990, I was making the equivalent of 8.50 an hour in a salaried position. Nursing is also my second degree, of which the latter is a BSN. Even younger new grad nurses deserve a good wage. Nurses are highly skilled workers, and human lives are at stake. Don't sell yourselves short.

Fiona59 · Aug 9, 2011

Joanna, you're forgetting we are unionized and proud of it.

Many, many Americans feel that unions are the devil. Fired without cause if not unusual down there. Very different work culture, very different economy.

We believe in standardized wages and healthcare. The American viewpoint is far different.

jlpsu · Aug 9, 2011

Me too. I am 39 years old and this is a third career. I agree completely that nurses SHOULD be paid more. But so should a lot of professions. Teachers should make more than football players, etc... Unfortunately our society values all of the wrong things. I made $18000 in my first job in 1994 which is equivalent to less than I will be making if I can get a job making $20 an hr. I was working as a speech therapist for disabled people. I think I agree with you more than you might think, but given the economy and the history of what professions make what money, my feeling is nurses are doing ok. Heck, there are plenty of nurses who went into nursing because of the money....not that that is right either...

I would also say that I am often told that my previous degrees and careers mean diddly squat in nursing, so I can't expect precious life or career experience not in nursing to have any affect on what my starting wage would be. Sad, but true.

joanna73, BSN, RN · Aug 10, 2011

Yes I do agree with you there about previous experience. Nursing is different. However, I certainly wasn't about to spend 4 years of schooling and thousands of dollars of debt to make the same salary I did before I was a nurse. If nursing paid a starting salary of 40 k, I wouldn't have bothered to pursue it. That's just me.