Why is it that many laypeople think nurses make a ton of money? It's kind of annoying that just about every other time I say to someone what I do professionally, they say "oh, there's a lot of money in nursing because of the shortage" or "oh, my aunt Sally is a nurse- she works for XYZ medical center and makes, like, $90,000 a year." I'm not venting because I expected there to be a lot of money when I got out of school (I just recently graduated); I worked as a CNA and know that many nurses don't make nearly as much as the public thinks they do. Hence, I certainly didn't get into nursing for the money- I chose to be a nurse because I thought it would be a great way to help others while working with people who value learning and intellectual challenges. But seriously, I don't take home much more than other people who are in the helping or public service professions. It just blows my mind when people I've met who are in business/law/finance talk so casually about how they're expecting $10-20,000 performance bonuses or how much vacation time they have coming up. I'm sure they work 60-70 hours/week for their salaries and are scared fudgeless about the prospect of layoffs. However, it's still mind-boggling how people who don't help others in their daily work lives get away with that much cash. So here's to hoping that enough future nursing students who want to quit their investment banking jobs do their homework and go to nursing school for the right reasons (not just the money). And here's to hoping that we as nurses can further educate the public about what we do and the fact that many of us don't get paid a lot for doing it.
I also have a 2-year associate degree in nursing that I worked very hard to attain with plenty of sacrifices along the way.
Unfortunately, the public is solely focused on the end result, which is a 2-year associate degree. It might have taken us many years to earn the associate degree, but society doesn't give a rat's ass about that. All they see is the 2-year associate degree. They do not know or care about the prerequisites or other time-consuming processes that go into earning an ADN.
My sentiments exactly! I jumpted through a hell of hoops to attain my ADN and as far as I'm concerned, it is my BSN. But I hate explaining the difference to laypeople.
Another thing to consider when comparing nursing pay to private sector pay. I make a bit over $40/hr BUT...I have been a nurse for 24 years and I am capped. I won't get any more raises other than the occasional cost of living or general scale adjustment and we certainly don't get bonuses. I have to work another 20 years before I can retire with no hope of making very much more than I am making now. So we may start out making "the big bucks" but that train all too soon comes to a screeching halt.
Another thing to consider when comparing nursing pay to private sector pay. I make a bit over $40/hr BUT...I have been a nurse for 24 years and I am capped. I won't get any more raises other than the occasional cost of living or general scale adjustment and we certainly don't get bonuses. I have to work another 20 years before I can retire with no hope of making very much more than I am making now. So we may start out making "the big bucks" but that train all too soon comes to a screeching halt.
Do you work full time? That's $83,000/year PLUS over time. What more do you want? And you don't have an advanced degree, right? Some people might say you're overpaid.
Jeez...calm down. I never said I wasn't okay with what I make I was just pointing out that, unlike the private sector, I have very little hope for upward movement. In 20 years I'll still be making about this much money because I'm capped and by then it won't be all that much. In addition I don't have any overtime to add to that. BTW you have absolutely no idea at what level I'm trained and I'm not going to argue the point with you. Thanks for dismissing my 24 years of experience by saying that I'm overpaid...I appreciate that.
Like some of the previous posters said I do believe relative to the education nurses do make good money. I know they do where I live here in California but the cost of living is high if you want to live in a good area with good schools. I think it also depends on what you define as "alot of money." My cousin is an accountant who is not even 30 years old yet and she makes about $100,000 plus bonuses and she gets to travel. So to her $75,000 would not be considered "alot of money).Most of the people I have encountered in school say that the pay is the main reason why they chose nursing (lots of these people are not weeding out either:uhoh3:. I have seen it with my own eyes from the ADN level to BSN level).
I understand what you are trying to imply with your statement:uhoh3:
However when someone gets their BSN it can take some people 5 years for that 4 year degree. Some colleges are set up to where some BSN students start some nursing classes their freshman year, but for the majority of colleges the core nursing classes are started at the junior level with the pre-reqs taking up the freshman and sophmore years.
Because I went to a community college and not a university I did 3 years of pre-reqs, resulting in 2 associate degrees and allowing me to transfer to a univeristy at a junior level, if I wanted to. I do not feel that I am lacking any education because the degree I happen to have is a 2 year degree, since when did writting more research papers make you a better nurse?
This thread was not opened up to start a BSN vs ADN, they are different routes for becoming a RN, as a traditional univeristy would not have worked for me, but in the end we all sit for the same NCLEX.
I brought up the fact that the public assumes that those who have a ADN ONLY have 2 years of education behind them and that is simply not true, there is a lot of ground work layed before getting into a program
However my nursing program was through a community college therefore because it is a community college I got yet a 3rd assoicate degree. In the end I will be a RN the same as someone who went to a university and graduates with a BSN, however I only have $5,000 in student loans, where some of those BSN have close to $100,000 in student loans:eek: and that my firend is something to to boast about
But as far as the rest of the world is concerned you only have a two year degree - an Associate's is a terminal, two-year degree, regardless of prereqs or anything else you took. Just like a diploma RN has a diploma and no degree, even though he/she spent more time in actual nursing school than I did (I know some diploma programs can take two to three years).
I went to an Accelerated BSN program. With your argument, I could effectively say my four year degree (which I earned in 16 months) took me over 7 years to get - four years of a BS, two years of prereqs (although not really - only two years because I took one class at a time while I was working 40 hours a week), and then not quite a year and a half of nursing school. But the fact is, I have a four year nursing degree, and that's all anyone cares about.
For the record, I don't care what degree people have (or don't have) - as long as they're competent.
(And I've met maybe 2 BSNs with $100K in debt - and that was by their own choice, based on two pricey private schools they attended - unnecessarily, IMHO.)
Another thing to consider when comparing nursing pay to private sector pay. I make a bit over $40/hr BUT...I have been a nurse for 24 years and I am capped. I won't get any more raises other than the occasional cost of living or general scale adjustment and we certainly don't get bonuses. I have to work another 20 years before I can retire with no hope of making very much more than I am making now. So we may start out making "the big bucks" but that train all too soon comes to a screeching halt.
How on earth would you have to work for 44 years total to retire if you're making $80K now? Give me $80K and I'll have one hell of a Roth in ten years' time!
How on earth would you have to work for 44 years total to retire if you're making $80K now? Give me $80K and I'll have one hell of a Roth in ten years' time!
Moved from Social Security into a state job. Either way my retirement age to get my full benefit is 67 years for both. And since I switched I'm going to lose part of my SS benefit because I didn't have 25 years in it so it will be pro-rated. Also that 80k is not what I net, I do not have benefit of a spouse's salary to assist with living expenses (but believe me I live within my means) nor will I have the additional retirement income so I have to work until my full retirement is met. Just two years ago I was making $27.90/hr so I haven't had the benefit of this salary for long. In addition my retirement portfolio took a big hit with the dump in the economy and is still recovering. Also you have to consider cost of living. 80k may be great where you live but it's definitely lower middle income in my neck of the woods. I'm not complaining about my salary (it's definitely better than the $27.90/hr) but the reality is that I'm at max on the scale. There will only be cost of living adjustments from here on out. Those usually amount to about 10 cents per hour every couple of years. I'd love to be able to throw tons of money in a Roth but if I want to have some sort of a life outside of work I can't. That's my reality. I'm not entirely sure why I'm catching so much flak for relaying this info. My point initially was that in our line of work there are often very rigid caps on our salaries that are not often found in the private sector and in the end it does make a difference. Smacking that ceiling kind of hurts when you've worked for over half of your life and you have a long way to go before you can retire.
BTW you have absolutely no idea at what level I'm trained and I'm not going to argue the point with you. Thanks for dismissing my 24 years of experience by saying that I'm overpaid...I appreciate that.
Your profile says you have a diploma RN, so that would lead me to believe you don't have a BSN and haven't done graduate work, that's why I asked if you had done grad work. As for your 24 years, kudos to you (in all sincerity). That is a long time to put into a field and I hope that I am able to do the same while getting immense fulfillment from my job. And I said "some" people would say you're overpaid, I didn't say I would.
I have another sincere question though, you say that in 20 years your $40/hr really wouldn't amount to that much (at least compared to today), but if you were to switch jobs or something wouldn't you be hired at the current going rate for nurses with you years of experience at that time? So wouldn't you really be making $50-60/hr? I read on a thread here a LONG time ago that job hopping was how some nurses kept their rate high. Wouldn't that work for you?
Wow! I have not been a part of this forum for long. I was a teacher for 5 years and am returning to nursing. I am disappointed at the hostitlity among fellow nurses. The perception about teachers is also negative and I think all this hostility contributes to making the situation worse. Nurses are nurses regardless of the education. We all take the same NCLeX to prove our worth.:)
I don't think there's really any hostility, there's just lively discussions where everybody freely states their opinions. I find this website helpful...even if there are disagreements :)
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Ambitiouz
158 Posts
My sentiments exactly! I jumpted through a hell of hoops to attain my ADN and as far as I'm concerned, it is my BSN. But I hate explaining the difference to laypeople.