What pay/salary is fair?

Published

I was an LPN with said company for four years. I worked in various positions full time while going to school to get my RN. I graduated almost a year ago with my RN and stayed with my current company. I will have been there 5 years in less than 2 months.

Heres where my story/advice begins: So as I was looking for RN jobs to see what else is out there before graduation (didn't want to limit myself) I noticed every system in my area BUT mine offered an experience incentive if you were an LPN turned RN. So EXAMPLE every 2 years LPN experience you got more money as an RN. So, since this company I was at didn't do that I was offered the same low ball rate as a new grad who didn't even now what gauge to use for an IM shot or how to barely prime a line. I was a little annoyed by this but I ended up staying on. I tried to get a bit more money but I was told "at this time we don't have anything set up to compensate LPN experience if and when we do we'll let you know". Not only that, when it came time for our annual raises I was denied my raise for the year because , well basically, I continued my education and moved up so I guess for some reason that they couldn't truly explain to me I wouldn't get it. I felt like I was punished for continuing my education...Strike 2.

Lets move forward 8 months (current time). The company sent out an email stating their raising the new grads pay. Well, they raised it $4. SO now as a 5 year experienced clinical nurse I am making $400 a month less than the newbies coming in who can't even take a blood pressure. I am, at this point, infuriated with how the company has treated a loyal employee for five years. I am preparing to meet with my manager and HR to discuss a raise. Am I asking too much? Am I being unfair to ask for a raise?

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Specializes in critical care, ER,ICU, CVSURG, CCU.

Best wishes, your current company knows what they "got out of you" as LVN/LPN.......

Personally I would seek elsewhere

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That sounds pretty typical. The highest paid nurses tend to be "hob hoppers".

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Specializes in New Critical care NP, Critical care, Med-surg, LTC.

Unfortunately in this day and age many employers can hang the "be happy you're employed" carrot in front of employees, and unless you're able to leave and find something else in your area, they know they're pretty safe. Doing what they can to attract new talent must be their latest business plan, and while there's always the chance that an organization will find they've undervalued their experienced and loyal employees and make changes, it's not likely. I remember back to when my father lost his job at 49 1/2 years old with 19 1/2 years experience. Reaching 50 years of age or 20 years of employment would have triggered some sort of service bonus, but somehow it wasn't age discrimination that he was let go. My own company, when I was laid off last year after 17 years, was hiring new grads for similar positions. Is it fair? No, but then again life isn't fair. It certainly can't hurt to go and ask your management for what would clearly be a deserved raise in pay, I hope it goes your way. But, corporations these days aren't much for loyalty to employees, in any industry.

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Specializes in Pedi.

This happens everywhere. The girl they hired to replace me at my last job, they hired at just above what I was making after being with the company for almost 3 years. At the same company, a girl who left ~6 months after I started told me what she was making and it was $7,000/year less than they hired me at. Companies know they don't have to increase current employees' salaries as high as they do new hires' to get them in the door.

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What's there to discuss? You should have left already.

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Specializes in Case manager, float pool, and more.

I'd leave.

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