What can I do with my license?

**NICU Guy, BSN, RN** · Feb 22, 2016

You have weigh all the factors not just the $/hr. You can get high pay per hr on the west coast, but cost of living is much more than KY, so the income minus your expenses may not be that significant compared to what your disposable income is now.

APRN., DNP, RN, APRN, NP · Feb 22, 2016

This may sound strange, but I'm a registered nurse in Kentucky. I have no kids so I'm up for moving to anywhere. I currently work in ICU. I was wondering what state do RNs make the most? What field do they make the most in general? Example: hospice, VA, hospitals, etc? And, what all can I do with my nursing license? I've tried google, but there is just so much that comes up that I don't even know where to begin. I plan on traveling later on, but not right now.

There is much that comes into play when talking about making the mostâ€ as an RN. Does pure income equate to moreâ€, versus benefits?

Do you have an ADN, BSN, or MSN? Different opportunities present themselves with different levels of education.

What interests you?

amoLucia · Feb 23, 2016

I believe that Kentucky is a nursing license COMPACT state. So that might influence your travel decisions and desire to set down future 'roots'.

LeChien, BSN, RN · Feb 23, 2016

If you're in it just for the money you're in the wrong profession :/

Been there,done that, ASN, RN · Feb 23, 2016

"what all can I do with my nursing license" .. is up to YOU.

The research is also up to YOU. There are many threads on this topic on AN.

LightMyFire · Feb 23, 2016

There are many things you can do with your license, depending on your degree. Most of them that don't involve "floor nursing" require experience. You get that by working in the trenches (hospital floor, LTC, etc.).

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Feb 23, 2016

You can earn a starting wage of $50+ hourly in certain northern California job markets such as Sacramento and the San Francisco Bay area, but the cost of living will be astronomical.

In general, high pay = high cost of living...

nutella, MSN, RN · Feb 23, 2016

This may sound strange, but I'm a registered nurse in Kentucky. I have no kids so I'm up for moving to anywhere. I currently work in ICU. I was wondering what state do RNs make the most? What field do they make the most in general? Example: hospice, VA, hospitals, etc? And, what all can I do with my nursing license? I've tried google, but there is just so much that comes up that I don't even know where to begin. I plan on traveling later on, but not right now.

Perhaps check out the travel nursing forum - with some experience in critical care it may be an option for you to travel if you would like to see different cities/places. Not everybody likes to travel but if you are up for adventures and like to challenge yourself it may be an option.

rninkentucky · Feb 23, 2016

Never said I was just in it for the money, but I do have to make a decent living. I don't think there is a single person out there that can say they don't care about how much they make. I care about my patients and take excellent care of them. If all I cared about was money they wouldn't be taken care of.

I asked a question that I was curious about. I never said I was just in it for the money. If I can provide excellent care to patients and make even more while I do it then it is a win win situation.

Extra Pickles · Feb 23, 2016

If you're in it just for the money you're in the wrong profession :/

That assumption is a little mean don't you think? She didn't say that she was in it just for the money she asked where she could make the best money and asked what options she had with her license. Your comment was mean-spirited.

Kentucky, the others have made good points, that the COL so greatly affects the real value of a paycheck that you can't go by the dollars per hour alone. You said you work in ICU, do you have lots of experience in that area or in another area of nursing? I would think you could start by taking a look online and seeing what requirements there are for what jobs and seeing if any of them sound interesting to you and whether they'd be a good fit.

APRN., DNP, RN, APRN, NP · Feb 24, 2016

Having run the gamut of LPN to RN to MSN, I would have to say that I've been able to do WAY more with my advanced degree (and license), than just my license alone.