What is pay diff between RN in hospital, nursing home, or doc office?

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I will be graduating next year and was wondering what is the new grad pay difference between working for different types of places. There has been many discussions about what different hospitals pay and bonuses etc. I want to know how the pay compares for working at nursing home vs. doctors office vs hospital?

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

In which part of Texas are you located? It would greatly help if you divulged this information, since the pay rates drastically vary from one part of the state to the next.

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I am in the Dallas area. Thanks.

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

New grad RN at most area hospitals = $21 to $22.50 hourly

New grad RN at most nursing homes = $25 to $27 hourly

New grad RN at most clinics = $18 to $21 hourly

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After doing clinicals in the nursing home, med-surg floor, Labor & delivery, OR, PACU, and Day surgery I am confused! Why is the pay rate higher at nursing homes than hospitals? Hospital seems so hectic and fast paced because most people there are acutely ill or injured. I understand that overall nursing home patients actually have MORE issues due to multiple medical problems related to age, etc. but it is different. Don't know exactly how to verbalize what I mean without making either setting seem less desirable than the other. We have students who can't wait for Emergency room because they like the faster pace and love acute trauma. Then there are students who just don't love the "action". Thank goodness for the differences because there are so many different needs for nurses in totally different situations. I think any nurse can find the right "fit". I dreaded my nursing home rotations until I did them. Then to my suprise, I liked it a lot. I liked the stability of having patients for a longer time period. I liked being able to get to have first hand knowledge of what was "normal" for each particular patient so it was so easy to spot a change. In the acute setting you don't have that prior knowledge. Sorry - rambling on and on!

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

Nursing homes must offer higher starting pay rates to attract and retain people. Most new grads do not dream of working at nursing homes due to the societal devaluation of elderly people, so these facilities must find a way to get people to apply for these jobs. Many new grads visualize the hospital as their destination, and some completely overlook the nursing home setting.

In addition, you'll have many more patients to care for at the nursing home. I have cared for up to 71 patients by myself on night shift. During day shift, I'll have about 25 patients.

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