The pay for nurses is NOT that bad

onyx77 · Aug 13, 2008

I encourage you to shadow an RN in a nursing home to see what our job really entails. I think you'll be suprised that we are NOT just glorified CNAs. I feel safe making that comment as I was a CNA in a nursing home for 9 years and I am now an RN in a nursing home, and I can tell you that they are two almost completely different roles.

MoopleRN · Aug 13, 2008

I think the OP was referring to occupational therapists as being a "glorified CNA" in a LTC setting, not nurses.

dfw2lax · Aug 13, 2008

This might be a stupid question but what is a OT?

Never mind I just read the above post so I am guessing it means - Occupational Therapist :-)

CraigB-RN, MSN, RN · Aug 14, 2008

Well, I am the opposite as well. I have been thinking about OT but after shadowing and researching the tuition cost, I am changing my mind. Most OTs don't seem to enjoy their job. Cost for tuition for OT is $80,000 at schools closest to me (can't relocate due to personal reasons).
I currently make close to the starting pay of OT graduates, so I am wondering why in the world I would add $800 per month in student loan payments and end up being poorer than I am.
I have concluded that OT is not worth if financially for me. But your situation may be different. I a not sure RN may be worth it as well.
I just visited one OT school today. This is the infor. I got:
Cost of two year program 75k-80k.
Average student is able to work only 16 hours a week.
Average starting salaries in St. Louis, MO--Hospitals $44,000, Long-term care $48,000 ,which everyone hates because you become more or less of a glorified CNA---wiping butts all day, community setting $30,000, school districts $40,000.
Those salaries are pretty dissapointing.
Average monthly loan payment: $850 per month for 10 years, plus two years of tremendous stress.
This is prety much what I am making right now with no student loans. I guess I would end up poorer as an OT. I was going for it simply for the diversity in employment opportunities and money as well.
Relocating is not an option due to family obligations.
I guess I will stick with what I got or go back to the drawing board for BSN. The grass is not always greener on the other side.

First of all the OT program is a graduate program, not an undergrad program, so you can't realy compare them. And I haven't figures out how an OT can be compared to a CNA. Now an OT Assistant is more a comparable career level. So the 75-80K tuition is the same as what an NP student would be paying.

tgirl84 · Aug 14, 2008

I'm glad I'm not the only person who was confused with the whole "OT" talk...

GOMER42 · Aug 14, 2008

Here's an idea:

Just don't go into OT instead of taking to the net and bashing an entire profession.

Jo Dirt · Aug 14, 2008

This is what I asked a CNA who was in school (on student loans) paying over $30,000 to become an x-ray technician.

The numbers just didn't add up. She told me she was going to be making at least $35k a year (providing she can find a job in this rural area) but I still don't see how that justifies the cost.

The cost of my LPN school tuition was about $2500, and I was able to get funding to pay for the whole thing. My starting pay in 2000 was $12/hr. Starting pay now is $14/hr and tuition is not much more now than it was then.

Cost of my ASN program was about $8000. I managed to pay for most of that out of pocket, with the exception of $1600 at the end, which I borrowed on my home equity and paid off in a few months. My pay as an ASN is $25/hr.

My BSN program is pricier. I'm getting federal pell grants to pay half of the tuition but I'm having to come up with about $1500 per semester on my own (I have two semesters until I'm finished). I sold a few things I don't need anymore and I have the money to pay my part of tuition for this semester. I was offered about $15000 in student loans but I'm avoiding those like the plague. I took most all of my prerequisites at the community college where tuition is a fraction of what the university costs so I was able to pay for that out of pocket and now the rest of my cost for the BSN program is about $3000.

I do not anticipate earning more money with the BSN, BUT I am using it as a stepping stone to get into graduate school to become a nurse practitioner. I am afraid I will incur some debt with this (maybe around $20k) but I am going to pay for what I can as I go. From what I can gather a PMHNP will make a lot more than 20k in their first year on the job.

Jo Dirt · Aug 14, 2008

So the 75-80K tuition is the same as what an NP student would be paying.

Maybe at an Ivy League school.

onyx77 · Aug 14, 2008

This is what I asked a CNA who was in school (on student loans) paying over $30,000 to become an x-ray technician.
The numbers just didn't add up. She told me she was going to be making at least $35k a year (providing she can find a job in this rural area) but I still don't see how that justifies the cost.
The cost of my LPN school tuition was about $2500, and I was able to get funding to pay for the whole thing. My starting pay in 2000 was $12/hr. Starting pay now is $14/hr and tuition is not much more now than it was then.
Cost of my ASN program was about $8000. I managed to pay for most of that out of pocket, with the exception of $1600 at the end, which I borrowed on my home equity and paid off in a few months. My pay as an ASN is $25/hr.
My BSN program is pricier. I'm getting federal pell grants to pay half of the tuition but I'm having to come up with about $1500 per semester on my own (I have two semesters until I'm finished). I sold a few things I don't need anymore and I have the money to pay my part of tuition for this semester. I was offered about $15000 in student loans but I'm avoiding those like the plague. I took most all of my prerequisites at the community college where tuition is a fraction of what the university costs so I was able to pay for that out of pocket and now the rest of my cost for the BSN program is about $3000.
I do not anticipate earning more money with the BSN, BUT I am using it as a stepping stone to get into graduate school to become a nurse practitioner. I am afraid I will incur some debt with this (maybe around $20k) but I am going to pay for what I can as I go. From what I can gather a PMHNP will make a lot more than 20k in their first year on the job.

Debt is a given when going to school. No matter what you are going for. If you truly want to be an NP, then go for it and forget about the cost of school. Yeah, you may have some student loans to pay off, but you will have attained your goal/dream. (if that is what you truly want) You should never put a price tag on your dreams. Dreams are priceless.

2bNurseguru · Aug 14, 2008

The whole point is--nurses are very lucky. They get to make good money with little or no student loans. Count yourselves very blessed. The stress is there but I don't know how many people make $40,000 from a two year degree.

If you have a financial need, you can easily work an extra shift. You can pay off 5-year car loans in a year if you plan well---may be work an extra shift each pay period and use the extra money for a specific project.

I just spoke with a student this morning who wanted to pursue dietetics. I told her that the choice is completely up to her but If I was to do it all over again I would have gone for nursing. You can have a masters in nutrition and still make 13 or 14 dollars an hour, with very few job opportunities.

Some careers may have less stress, but lack of stress will not pay your bills. I would rather be stressed three days a week and live a confortable life the other 3-4 days a week.

Jo Dirt · Aug 14, 2008

Debt is a given when going to school. No matter what you are going for. If you truly want to be an NP, then go for it and forget about the cost of school. Yeah, you may have some student loans to pay off, but you will have attained your goal/dream. (if that is what you truly want) You should never put a price tag on your dreams. Dreams are priceless.

This is a very unwise way to look at debt.

There are a lot of people who think nothing of piling up debt for their "dreams," and that is what is responsible for the financial ruin so many people are facing (the news headlines say foreclosures in this country are up 55%) Too many people only think in the short-term. They don't plan (or they don't plan with common sense) and they spend more than they make. They think because some loan shark "will" give them loans that they can afford it. They think because they "can" rack up over 80k in student loans it was an investment (maybe for a medical doctor that is true) but they will be paying on their mounds of student debt the rest of their lives.

I can't understand for the life of me, how that could be a part of anyone's dreams. Debt is never easy or covenient to pay back. When you live in debt, making payments, you are only denying yourself. It's no skin off my nose if people want to be in debt, but I'm not going to beat the drum for someone who thinks they are being smart by spending themselves into oblivion.

These are the same people at work who are begging the administrator for a cash advance before next paycheck so they don't get their lights turned off (they don't give them, BTW.)

I guess at least they keep the payday advance places in business (for 300% interest.)

I appreciate what it is like not to be slave to the lender.