Taking a pay cut to enter into Nursing

Medic2RN, BSN, RN, EMT-P · Feb 22, 2011

dragn2623,

You appear to be a very practical, logical and well educated person. You have already sacrificed and completed the BSN degree and should continue to acquire the clinical nursing experience in order to attain your NP. The nursing experience will build your knowledge for the practitioner role, but from my opinion they are two different positions all together. Perhaps you will not completely love the RN jobs, but find the NP position more gratifying. You won't discover this until you do it.

I changed careers and took cut of about half of my salary. I have since changed to a PRN status and have found an area in nursing where I feel I comfortable. The change was difficult at first because I was shocked at how unprofessionally I was treated. This may be area, hospital, or unit based - I don't know - but it was surprising nonetheless. I remain in nursing because of the schedule which is more family friendly for me and because I am able to work part time and still bring in a healthy salary despite it being lower than my previous salary. I am continuing my education and my ultimate goal is FNP. Realistically, I can't see running around the floors or the ED when I'm older...or rather, I probably won't want to.

Every career has it's pros and cons, whether nursing has more pros than cons is entirely a personal decision.

Best wishes to you and your decision. You have a extensive background and education and therefore, many different opportunities. I wish you well!

SnowStar4 · Feb 23, 2011

Another thought- If maybe part of your issue is that you become bored with jobs after a couple years, nursing would be good. There are so many different things you can do. Go from ER to OR to Medical to OB. Hard to be bored.

GooeyRN, ADN, BSN, CNA, LPN, RN · Feb 23, 2011

The grass isn't always greener. The rose colored glasses of nursing tend to go clear after a year or two. Can you do nursing per-diem or part time to see if you really like it before leaving a better paying position?

dragn2623 · Feb 23, 2011

dragn2623,
You appear to be a very practical, logical and well educated person. You have already sacrificed and completed the BSN degree and should continue to acquire the clinical nursing experience in order to attain your NP. The nursing experience will build your knowledge for the practitioner role, but from my opinion they are two different positions all together. Perhaps you will not completely love the RN jobs, but find the NP position more gratifying. You won't discover this until you do it.
I changed careers and took cut of about half of my salary. I have since changed to a PRN status and have found an area in nursing where I feel I comfortable. The change was difficult at first because I was shocked at how unprofessionally I was treated. This may be area, hospital, or unit based - I don't know - but it was surprising nonetheless. I remain in nursing because of the schedule which is more family friendly for me and because I am able to work part time and still bring in a healthy salary despite it being lower than my previous salary. I am continuing my education and my ultimate goal is FNP. Realistically, I can't see running around the floors or the ED when I'm older...or rather, I probably won't want to.
Every career has it's pros and cons, whether nursing has more pros than cons is entirely a personal decision.
Best wishes to you and your decision. You have a extensive background and education and therefore, many different opportunities. I wish you well!

Thank you...I'm still wrestling with this, however I am leaning towards most likely making the switch. I do not have rose colored glasses and think that nursing is glorified, wonderful position. It has it good points and bad. I do realize and agree with you that an NP is completely different than an RN, however, you have to be an RN and do an RN job before completing an NP. I suppose it's a right of passage.

I do question your comment about unprofessionalism? Is this from the staff, doctors, ptns? I would assume all.

Another reason I'm considering the switch is that I could spend more time with my husband, he works in the TV/sports industry so he works nights and weekends and travels extensively. I hope to find a three day -12 hr job and then I would be able to spend time with him during the day before he goes to work when I am not at work. Currently, I may only have one day or sometimes a couple hours to spend with him a week. It's tough, so there are some changes that need to be made. I'm just afraid to leave my comfort zone and what I'm used to knowing....

dragn2623 · Feb 23, 2011

The grass isn't always greener. The rose colored glasses of nursing tend to go clear after a year or two. Can you do nursing per-diem or part time to see if you really like it before leaving a better paying position?

If this position does not come through, I plan to look into volunteering on the weekends. It just so happened that this interview came along before I could finish up the volunteer application process.

Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN · Feb 23, 2011

Another reason I'm considering the switch is that I could spend more time with my husband, he works in the TV/sports industry so he works nights and weekends and travels extensively. I hope to find a three day -12 hr job and then I would be able to spend time with him during the day before he goes to work when I am not at work. Currently, I may only have one day or sometimes a couple hours to spend with him a week. It's tough, so there are some changes that need to be made. I'm just afraid to leave quote dragn2623

Generally speaking the day jobs outside of the hospital/patient, LTC/SNF enviroment are 8 hours days not 12. The hospital enviromentis 24/7, 365 days a year. You willmostlikely rotate shifts....You will work weekends and holidays. I find this a common problem with employees that leave the business world and enter the clinical world. They are shocked at how poorly nurses are treated and disrespected by administrations,MD's, patients and their families; just how low on the totem pole we really are placed. I have heard a milllion times "this would never fly in the business world" as far as promotions, pay raises, schedules and treatment issues are handled.I have been a nurse so long I don't know how to be anything else. I have never worked in business world so I have nothing to compare........but to make nursing work you really need to have to WANT to be a nurse.........I wish you luck.

superrntobe12 · Jun 19, 2011

I am going to be blunt and many newbies still in love with the idea of "making a difference to humanity" will disagree, and I mean NO disrespect to them, they are our future and I love them.
I am not disgruntled but will be honest and point blank here. After 15 years, with all the shift differentials working nights I make $35/hr. Sounds incredible doesn't it!
-I'm exposed without warning to TB, HIV and Hepatitis as well as MRSA and bring that home to my family
-I"m an ICU nurse, so I'm responsible for wiping the behind every 30 minutes of a GI bleed, the noncompliant renal failure getting kayexallate, the liver failure getting lactulose, the patient that refuses to use the call bell and just poops in the bed, the sedated patient on tube feeds that can't help it.
-The confused patient that is spitting and bites and kicks and hurts me, and no they are all not confused.
-The 86 year old patient end stage cancer DNR, that the family demands we code, against patient wishes.. again and again and again with no hope of a peaceful death.
-The drug seeker that manipulates, yells, demeans me with demands and calls management on me whom reply with "make them happy so our satisfaction scores are high no matter what"
-the 20yr. old that is in every, YES every week with DKA (they don't take their insulin and their body eats itself for food)... demanding high dose pain meds, a meal and the TV clicker and the VCR.
-The very routine 300lb-600 lb patients that have broken my back and my knees that refuse to lift a drink cup to their mouth and demand me to cater to them... but obviously could feed themselves.
-The shooting victims whom are "pillars of our society" that have every local "homey" on the street coming in all acting up carrying on deterring from really sick patients.
- The patients whom are kept alive on live support, suffering with no quality of life for TWO more weeks until the family gets that next social security check... and the first and 15th of the month is very common to withdraw life support after noon when the checks have cleared.
-Overdoses that result in multisystem body failures when they were simply a cry for help, many resulting in brain injuries which cause a vegatative status, while some wake up and scream that they failed
-Family drama, dysfunctional families in their worst stressful moments that bring all that crap into where I work and they make their issues more important than my patients.
-Management, all through a shift of this that rides my chaffed behind wanted 20 pages of charting filled out to get medical reimbursement while my patient is crashing, and my other one is one of the above.
Finally... the documenting... I have to cover my behind while writing a phone book because eveyone wants a quick buck and they'll sue me...and they do because there is always fault to find because we're simply human, trying our best in these and many more circumstances.
If you think this is worth $35/hr... knock your silly behind out. I have yet to teach you about press gainey and patient satisfaction scores... all while we have 24 hr. open visitation... have at it.
I need combat pay. That is the REAL world of being a nurse, what you do in between that makes a difference... barely keeps you whole.

Well damn - I think that's all that can be said to this. (I can't figure out if you're disappointed or disgruntled...even though you say you're not disgruntled.) I am entering Nursing School this fall, and I must admit - after reading this - it's definitely a "realistic eye opener" - and this is a second career choice for me. Thanks for this realism.