What is your minimum base pay on Covid-19 unit???

[NewRN'16]

I just need an approximate point.

They are offering us way below the other facilities around .

I want to help, and have been , but I come home and I feel used, as my life is worth only a few $ more an hour????

No I won't accept that anymore.

[VRS82, BSN]

In Knoxville new grad nurse BSN pay is $19.00. ? Obviously there is an oversupply of nurses, that is all I can make of it...

[MeganMN]

It is so hard for me to even read these posts. I went to nursing school in Alaska. My first job right out of school was $38 an hour base pay. Then we moved to West Virginia and it dropped to $21 an hour (don't ask, long story). Finally ended up in Minnesota- had to move out of WV because we were living in poverty as a family of four on a part-time salary of about $37000 per year! In Minnesota, base pay is $32/hour and I am now making substantially more with 14 years experience. It annoys me. You know that the health care costs the same, is probably billed the same. Why are we all paid so differently? I do not buy the cost of living argument. I am sorry you are feeling the way that you are, it is completely understandable. What else are you passionate about? Might be time for a change!

[Peditra]

The bottom line seems to be....nurses don't get enough!! Where I am (Philly, suburbs and surrounding counties), RNs start between $25-$38, LPNs $20-$25. I started as a LPN 10 years ago $22.50, and it looks like they are still starting LPNs and RNs the same, with no adjustment for inflation. I've worked recently with CNAs and med techs who make more than LPNs and make the same as new RNs. Of course, they've been at the same job for years, but still...my last job was $33, my agency job $52 and I just started a union job for $38. I negotiated for the $33, the $52 (they tried to pay me $10 less), and the union there is no negotiating. All I can say as a new grad, there is generally no negotiating, but once you get the one year, go somewhere else and negotiate once they officially offer you a job. Or if you work somewhere that has consistent good raises, stay there and get a PRN on the side.

[9kidsmomRN]

On 7/24/2020 at 8:29 AM, RN-to- BSN said:

+5 an hour for COVIS unit and ICU.

+3 an hour for other inpatient unit.

But we are done with extra pay already, have been for a month. No more incentive. But, they claim, they didn't fire anybody.

Took away the 401K match, those making over 37$ don't accumulate PTO no more. No raises for anybody this year, and the administration took 20% pay cut. They should for "working from home" as opposed to the front line staff.

I wonder when admin will pitch in and actually do pt care? We are so short staffed—contract staff let go and chronically full (rebound business from delayed “elective” procedures and surgeries) and are offered bonus pay to pick up extra shifts. Also still have staff from some areas furloughed... yet we work short or have many staff called in for OT or bonus pay. I helped teach upskilling classes ( mandatory while waiting for covid to hit our area) but those I taught seem to have disappeared...

anyway, I don’t know how they can take vacation accrual away. They can decline your request, but how can they not allow you to accrue?

[Schweet]

I saw your recent post that you wish it could be deleted, but I believe it's better that you got to vent. Sometimes we all need to vent and feel heard/understood.

As for pay, not a simple question. There are two questions I noticed being answered on this post, the 1st being are we getting more specifically for Covid pt and the 2nd is how much per hour are we making (which it seems the original post didn't seem to ask this, more of a rhetorical question of "is any pay worth it" in general, due possibly to feeling under valued ?)

I want to address them separately. As for Covid, our hospital does not pay more specifically for that unit, just the usual extra to float in general. There is special pay to work extra shifts (more than usual) From what I hear, many other hospitals directly around here also don't pay extra for Covid patients either.

Regarding general pay amounts. This is a complex question with many factors such as hospital unit vs clinic v LTC, which all pay vastly different with different pt ratios.

Also, where you live matters, even within a city I see hospital pay vary dramatically. My experience, the hospitals with more assistance, CNAs and lift team, pay the RNs less while the hospital that pays the most has less assistance and RNs do total care (VS, Baths, go for work, etc). Each hospital having its own benefits and problems. The grass is ALWAYS greener on the other side in experience.

The question "Is it worth it" comes to every nurses mind, especially during hard times, let alone during this extreme situation. There is no right answer and it's truly a decision for each person to carefully consider. But I can say, each new job has its own new problems and benefits.

It's always best to make a Pro/Con list and be truthful with yourself. Sometimes its just a reaction to being overwhelmed and other times it's really time to move on in our career.

My Pro/Con list helped me decide to stay at my hospital job working directly with Covid patients for many more reasons than I could see to leave. Back in March I felt very different than I do now (fear, anxiety d/t Covid at that time), & that may not be a good time to make any life changing decision, in my case.

If you are frustrated and/or scared, those feelings can cloud your vision and an objective point of view on paper may help you see things more clearly. Also ask your family for input, they may (or may not) have some insight. My husband told me to quit, so they aren't always right ? And more pay doesn't ensure happiness or make up for hazards, especially right now when there is less opportunity to spend money. But maybe more pay does help us feel better about risking our lives, you know, that "perception of feeling valued", does wonders.

-SW

[areason4stars, ASN, RN]

I work at a residential psych facility for children and teens (165 beds) in Florida back in April full time employees were given 2 300$ covid bonuses even tho at that time we had no positive patients and only one confirmed positive staff. About 3-4 weeks ago we had 2 positive nurses and about 4/5 positive staff members also we had 7 positive patients. The 7 positive patients were taken off their units (we have 6 units) and put in the school's gym for 12 days for the first few days we were told one nurse per shift ( we have 3 8hr shifts a day ) would have to take responsibility for the covid positive patients in addition to their assigned unit/unit(s) but would get paid double for that shift. Then the policy changed to whichever nurse was assigned to unit 2 ( where 6 of the 7 patients came from) on day and eve shift (were there is one nurse per unit scheduled) would be responsible for the covid patients in the gym... and on my shift overnights ( where we are assigned 2 units sometimes 3) we still had to pick one nurse a night to cover the covid patients. We took turns during overnights. I ended up having the covid patients for 2 8hr overnight shifts and 1 12hr 7p-7a shift. Luckily these covid patients were for the most part asymptomatic and we had proper PPE

[Alphia, BSN, RN]

I am a new nurse in MN ( 5 months) in TCU, I got paid $30/h when I work am shift +$3 covid pay. If I work pm or noc, I will have $1+$1.5 shift differential. My friends got hired at the hospital and they pay $34 without covid pay. I think it depends where you work. I am happy with any job I can have now since most of the hiring process are freezed in my state

[amoLucia]

23 minutes ago, Alphia said:

I am a new nurse in MN ( 5 months) in TCU, I got paid $30/h when I work am shift +$3 covid pay. If I work pm or noc, I will have $1+$1.5 shift differential. My friends got hired at the hospital and they pay $34 without covid pay. I think it depends where you work. I am happy with any job I can have now since most of the hiring process are freezed in my state.

Am glad to see these words during these crazy times. Hope your job continues to hold out OK for you.

Good luck to you and stay safe.

[barcode120x, RN, NP]

Found out our surgical ICU unit (which houses critical covid patients) and ER got a few $$/hr increase for covid hazard pay meanwhile my unit, which is the primary covid telemetry/med-surge unit was denied. Administration and upper management has been honoring their initial plan of keeping us at 3:1 as long as staffing allows which it has been. If I had to choose, I would definitely choose 3:1 ratio over $ increase per (though, it would depend on how much IF it was offered haha). It's crazy how much time you save by having one less patient. There are shifts where nurses are even down to 2:1 since we only accept covids and r/o covids on our floor. At the same time, even 3 patients can still be heavy especially if a nurse has more than 1 high flow or bipap patient.

[JadedCPN, BSN, RN]

We get an extra $10/hr for nursing if you are placed on any of the official covid units.

[2BS Nurse, BSN]

On 7/20/2020 at 1:53 AM, NewRN'16 said:

We get exposed to the virus all out shift, and every other shift beyond. I don't think my life is worth 23$ an hour. Yes that much they pay me as an RN ?

I want to help, but not for this anymore ..I feel really uneasy about everything that is going on.

I feel lost ?

I am sorry

Btw , English is my second language, so don't attack me on that .

Ty ?

Are you a new grad?? I don't work inpatient, but you would be at least at $35.00/hr in my area.

[2BS Nurse, BSN]

On 7/25/2020 at 9:31 PM, VRS82 said:

In Knoxville new grad nurse BSN pay is $19.00. ? Obviously there is an oversupply of nurses, that is all I can make of it...

Whaaaaaat??? You need to move!! New grad pay in the midwest is at least $29/hr! Plus signing bonuses in the OR.