Wages - we are underpaid

rickybear · Feb 10, 2005

I'm a nursing students to have been around nursing all of my adult life. I have never known nurses to get paid what they are worth. Pay and the odd shifts are what had kept me out of nursing for a couple of decades. Corporate America is trying to fifth paint as many American workers as it can into a corner. I would never worked for a rual ho or s non-union hospital. And I expect that corporate America is the reason ANA endorses Democrats

*PICURN* · Feb 10, 2005

I work at a 592 bed hospital in california

I'm a new grad starting off at $25.36 for days ($29.36 for nights), with full benefits

Per diem (no benefit) nurses make $50/hr

We are also unionized

LoriRN911 · Feb 25, 2005

I work in a 250 bed hospital north of Boston. 13 years exp. $39.51 hr $5.00 for call, time and half if you come in. After 11pm add $6.00 to hourly wage.

Not too bad if you get called in.......

nickola · Mar 6, 2005

:angryfire

TMnurse · Mar 6, 2005

HEY,

I work at a Union hospital & it's funny how many people--including many nurses think that Union hospitals are a breeding ground for lazy people. Well, there are plenty of lazy people in and out of the union.... MY POINT...... in most union hospitals a situation of such gross salary disrespect would NEVER happen. We have a clearly documented contract with the salary for RNs and it's broken down with years expereince as an RN...nothing else. It starts at about $23 something with 1 year and caps at the mid 30s. I have found stories similar to yours at non-union hospitals where upper management sits down at a table and says "we have too much agency & we need more nurses... we should increase our pay to new nurses to draw them in". Yeah, great idea but there is no consideration for the people who have worked 20 years long! Sorry about your story. I guess it's afact of life in some places. Well--one thing before you get too upset--perhaps this girl is married or has decided to waive all her benefits (health/403b/SDT&LDT). I am pretty sure that'll jump even a new staff grad up to the 30s. That could be part of it. I would respect your decision to "spit"--be sure to let you hosptial know why--but think it better to be part of the solution. You should certainl think about seding a letter to those decision makers. Let them know that what a poor decision they've made & althought they might be drawing in new nurses--they may also be losing the best one they've got. Best of luck!

Oh and lastly, as a new RN (and not realizing how nursing is)--she may do what 90% of people do when discussing salaries and innocently/falsly inflate what they make in thinking it'll somehow gain them more respect or what ever. Be sure that this is the case before you raise you BP.

TMnurse · Mar 6, 2005

Sorry george!

To answer your questions. @ a hospital in chicago RNs start at $23.00 an hour those with 18 years cap at about $37 so basically your somewhere in the range of a little less that a dollar a year---depending on the department the hourly to be on call is about $6.00. All the above is with Full benefits---you would get significantly more if you dropped insurance or 403b or LTD or STD. Hope that helps.

nickola · Mar 6, 2005

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ppwrkprncs67 · Mar 17, 2005

wages suck

Hello, I am new posting to this thread but I felt compelled to respond. Overall, it is amazing how little most of us are still getting paid. I left an or position in a 300 bed level 2 (9 ors) to go travel. My wage at that time was 23.00 an hour and that was very good for my area. I live in nw Fl. My travel pay has ranged from 28.00 -34.00 an hour. I am going to have to return home for a while and it breaks my heart to know I will be making in amonth what I could make in two weeks traveling. Good luck to you. :crying2:

pizzigirl · Mar 25, 2005

I've been an OR nurse for 12 years. I currently make $30/hr. We get $3.50/hr stand-by pay and time and a half for coming in on call. This is in Portland, OR. I've been here 1 1/2 years. Prior to that I was in Sacramento, CA. Level on trauma center/teaching hospital. I made about the same, but $7.00/hr stand-by. My most recent job before moving to portland i was paid $35.00/hr and 1/2 time for stand-by. SWEET! If you really want to make a lot of money go to S.F.

altomga, ADN, BSN, MSN, DNP, RN, APRN · Mar 25, 2005

WOW! What a difference in all our pay...I know it sometimes depend on the area, position, and yrs experience, but there are some vast differences going on here.

When I started working 7yrs ago my pay was $14.76...they new grads now start b/w $18-19. I have climbed a clinical ladder twice, received annual evaluation raises, some "cost of living" raises (although that's not what they are called) and still make less than $24.00.

We do not get extra money for carrying a beeper, doing charge, precepting, nothing extra for being certified in ANYTHING, Call back pay sucks (couple extra bucks is all we get really), no money for being on-call... :angryfire .....getting the picture yet?? :crying2:

BTW ...I work at a level 1 trauma center that serves most of Eastern North Carolina....the next comparative hospital is around Raleigh, NC.

Before I get asked..no I can't go to another hospital in my area..they are all small, rural places that will not give me the experience I am after, nor do they pay as much.

BeckRN · Mar 25, 2005

I work in a pediatric hospital. I've been a nurse for a little over 3 years, make $28.80 an hour. We get paid $20.00 an hour for the first 4 hours we're on call, and if we're called in, we get double time.

*LA* · Apr 12, 2005

Dear Nurses,
would you please be so kind an e-mail me a rough description of the hospital you work in, how many years of experience you have and what your hourly wages are??? Please, our hospital is trying to enter the new mellinium now and modify the wages to current standings.
Please let me also know, how call is reimburst, it would help me a lot to build a case for management.
You do not need to give your name.
Please help
George

Hi george, its nice to meet you. Im new here, Im "LA".

Anwya, Ive been home for a few yrs ( 4), been an RN since 90.

Next month, Im going back to work, I took a pool position at the local suburban hospital where I worked a few yrs ago. (Im on the east coast, Phila)

The hourly wage is 32$/hr days. ( the regular staff rate is a couple of dollars less, I think they get 29$ hr, but they have benefits, I dont as pool)

anyway, they dont pay you to carry a bepper but on call pay is time and a half, if youre called in.

nice to meet you

ps Im not sure how many beds? but I worked at a major university hospital here, abt 1300 beds, and this place where Im going to work now is much much smaller, so I guess abt 400 beds? ( I'll check)