TN New grad pay

[Mommy TeleRN]

Just curious - who we have graduating and what the new grad pay is in your area of TN.

The highest in my area is in Memphis. I hear Baptist is 19.50 + 2/hr bedside for a total base of 21.50. Is this the highest in TN? Most hospital are paying

roughly $20.xx with bedside diffs + nights/weekends.

PS - I'm not going to work there - I don't believe in just going to the best paying. But I was curious how various hospitals across TN are paying - I believe our pay is slowly coming up!

[ee1rn2]

Mommy

Why don't you consider re-locating!! Up in Chicago, our new grads start at $26.00/hr Plus 2.50/hr night diff; 2.00/hr PM diff; weekend bonus--$3.00 per hr.

Plus we have EXCELLENT benefits.

But what's the cost of living? Any state income taxes? Base pay sounds sweet but that's only part of the pic. Now if the Cost of Living is like that of Memphis, I'd be game to move to Chicago... well, until I remember how sub-zero it gets that is!:uhoh21:

[ee1rn2]

This is interesting. I was considering Vanderbilt Hospital because of how great it rep was given in US News&World Report. I knew it said magnet hospitals didn't always have the best pay but that was made up from a wonderful work enviroment. However, 17.50 for a new grad??? Isn't that kinda low?

As for Baptist, I thought they were the highest paying hospital in Memphis... and I was told they make sure you earn every penny! Yes? no?

[Mommy TeleRN, RN]

elecen - to respond to your questions here and PM :) I do not work at Vandy so I don't know what their starting rate is now..perhaps it's gone up a bit. Heck all over West TN rates have jumped just in the last few months. I hear Jackson is going up $1/hr from a friend that works there.

Yes Memphis has gone up at most hospitals and as far as I know Baptist is the highest at 22.xx/hr (stated earlier in this post) and yes I hear you have to earn every penny.

I agree on Chicago being too cold...brrr.. of course right now it's hot as heck here down South :)

Right now I feel pretty content with my perdiem position, the pay is pretty good esp nights+weekends. If I ever have to tae bennies though I'll go down significantly ... hopefully by the time that would occur I'll qualify for a weekender position and would go to that and still make good $. But given a choice I prefer the flexibility of the perdiem schedule rather than being tied to weekends only.

[turtletyme]

Not sure, but I have heard that Memphis area has union nurses, could this be the reason for making more money. I live in Paris and make 17.00. I have heard this about Nashville too. If this is the case we all need to ban together and go union.

[Mommy TeleRN, RN]

I have not heard of any hospitals in memphis being union. Do you know which ones? If we had union I'd expect better working conditions. Seems everyone is short staffed!

[prinzessdy]

I know that Methodist and baptist is not union. I dont know about the others tho

[ee1rn2]

Only union hospital I know in Memphis is the VA. I believe someone told me they had to be since they are federal. I know that does not really make any sense but I am informing you what I was informed.

[mmutk, BSN, RN, EMT-I]

Methodist in Oak Ridge is union and they earn more than any other Knoxville area hospital

[Jen1228]

I live in Murfreesboro, about 30 miles south of Nashville. I interviewed at a few places for my first RN job. Middle TN Medical Center offered me $18.10/hr. University Medical Center offered $17.18/hr. Where I work now offered me $19.85/hr.

[ocb_dave_ocb, LPN]

I live in Murfreesboro, about 30 miles south of Nashville. I interviewed at a few places for my first RN job. Middle TN Medical Center offered me $18.10/hr. University Medical Center offered $17.18/hr. Where I work now offered me $19.85/hr.

That just seems so low to me.. I am an LPN making $17 and my wife is an LPN making $18.88 an hour granted we work in a SNF 20 minutes north of Knoxville.

[eymilin]

At Bordeaux Long Term Care I was told it starts at $21.87/h, +$1 (evening), +$1.50 (night) but the weekend diff. is only $1.

[TNMommy]

Just wanted to put my two cents in! Vandy may not pay that much starting out, but they do make up for it in benefits. They are unreal. They even have pet insurance if you want it. They also pay 70% of your college tuition. If you have children, they also pay 70% of your children's college tuition. They have a whole list of benefits on their website. Always worth checking out!