We make SO much $$$

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Specializes in ICU, nutrition.

My whining on the "What's wrong with nursing management?" thread reminded me of a funny story.

I was just a few weeks out of my ICU orientation, and I was talking to a family during visiting hours. One of them asked about my scrub color (I was wearing seafoam green, most of the nurses that night were wearing navy blue, the color we are supposed to wear). He asked if the different colors meant different levels, and I told him no, actually, we were supposed to wear blue, but I got these off the sale rack and I'm waiting to see if my boss says anything. (I really did get them off the sale rack; top and pants cost me $12!:) )

Then he said, "Sale rack? Why would you shop the sale rack? You're a registered nurse, you must make a ton of money!" I could not believe my ears. I don't know, maybe my paycheck would be a ton of money to him, but it's sure not to me. And for the back-breaking work we do, I don't think we get paid nearly enough.

Comments?

Right now I'm flatter than a poor boys tortilla.

-Russell

Specializes in CV-ICU.

Konnihall, we have a friend of my hubby's that is often giving me guff for our "high" salaries (he's a guy that loves to tease). When he started in on me this past week, I asked him if he could deal with a GI bleed like I'd had over that past weekend(and then went into GRAPHIC description of what a GI bleed was). He said he thought so, which end was the pt. bleeding from. So I told him both, and he got a little green around the edges. I then told him what I had to do while dealing with the dropping hgb, trying to motivate the MD into coming in in the middle of the night, cleaning the poor guy up and continuously reassuring both pt. and family, etc.

Our friend has decided that he won't become a nurse; and he couldn't have dealt as well as I had with the situation; and I DON"T GET PAID ENOUGH for the job I do!!! :eek: :D :roll

We will see how long it is before he gives me greif about being high paid again!

I'll admit that with my husband and my combined salaries we look pretty fat on payday.

Then comes house payments, 2 car payments, child support, teenagers...

Ignorance plain and simple. Mom started encouraging nursing the first time I mentioned it because "so and so is an LPN and makes almost 14/hour...." to her that's big cash. When I told her a friend of mine brings home 70,000/year she almost fainted *lol*.

Brian

Compared to other "professionals" our pay is bad ! Nothing against Computer Programers and Accountants an such...but we deal with so much, We have lives in our hands...but what do I know??

I agree 100% with Shevalove's post; I can't tell you how many times I heard my fellow nurses saying " well, 20.00 hour is not that bad" it is not but it is all relative, if you compare to blue collar wages it is on par with many in my area. However, I always tell them you have to compare it to professional jobs that require a college degree. Nursing and teaching are two of your lowest paid professionals. Why? Probably because they have been female dominated and taken advantage of. And yes, I have encountered many who think we make a killing. What a joke. I know many people who go to vo-tech school forless than two years and make about the same as RN's. We as a profession have to get over feeling guilty about being better compensated, I think we are taught this in nursing school that demanding more money will dishonor nursing. It won't, it will just bring us on par with other professions. Did you know that in some southern states, such as MISS. and AL., nurses start out at about 14-16.00 an hour, that includes people with a BSN. That is insulting to workers who have went through the rigors of a BSN program. No wonder the best and brightest don't want to go into nursing anymore, there is just to many better options.

Bus drivers around here start at about $20/hr. Need I say more.

Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho.

I cant even count how many times since i got out of school people have said "you are making the big bucks now" PULLEEEZZZ!!!!!

I can tell you this. It isnt just Miss. and AL that start Rn's at 14 to 16 an hour. I think you can find that all over the country, depending on the size of hospital and its geographical location.

It doesnt make any difference if you have a BSN or ADN,, a staff nurse going in will make the base rate of the facility.

Small hospitals are just as short staffed, work just as hard and have as much to deal with as bigger hospitals. It just depends on where you land when you get out of school.

In my area there isnt a hospital around where a new grad can go in much over that rate unless you have previous experience and you have to ask the pertinent questions or you wont get more. And im not in AL or Miss. I think it depends on geographical location for the most part and how the nursing shortage is affecting the area.

HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA

'Nuff said. :rolleyes:

Heather

The employees at the GM plant are starting out at more than I make after 7 years in the same job! And with better benefits too!! :devil:

My FIL is always giving me grief about how much money I make. But I suppose to an 83 y/o man who has been poor all his life, $18.00/hr is a lot of money. Like another poster said, when you are dealing with life and death situations, it isn't nearly enough!! Then the families and doctors on top of that we should be paid at least double of what we make now.

I think the public has a big misconception of just how much responsibility a nurse today has. I think they still look at us as handmaidens to the doctors who say "yes, doctor, right away doctor" and don't have a brain of our own!! I have a BIL who is in his mid 40's, college educated who still thinks this way. Even after I tried to explain to him all the responsibilities we have. He still thinks that if a doctor orders a medication and we know that the medication would harm our pt or even kill them, we still have a legal obligation to give it. :eek: :eek: My response to him was "what are earth have you been smoking??" I was holding my 12 month old nephew at the time and nearly dropped the kid on the ground I was so stunned. Just goes to show that nurses have a lot of educating to do of the general public.

Hey,

My daughter was making more per hour waiting tables at Fridays than I was as an LPN. Now I'm an RN and my sister, who is an MD, wants to know "Why in the hell would you work for that kind of money? You should go to med school, you know as much as I do already about you patients, maybe more. You should be making my salery." Nuff said.

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