I just finished 3 consecutive 12-hour shifts and was doing a bit of reflecting this morning. I work on a med-surg floor in San Antonio, TX. The hospital is in an economically deprived area of town, and serves that demographic. It makes for some challenging days. Patients who are more sick, non-funded, uneducated, and may seek hospitalization for refuge. Also, me not speaking Spanish is proving to be an obstacle.
Then there's the typical community hospital politics and staffing issues. Here the maximum patients they can legally give us is 7. However, they utilize team nursing with an LPN and give up to 14. Then you constantly have admin asking you "when are you discharging your patients," only so that they may have that extra bed to fill. This makes for some exhausting days, with multiple discharges and admissions. Most days I'm on my feet for the duration of the shift.
I make $23/ hour, with some differentials for weekends and such. This comes out to about $42k a year before taxes. I understand that salaries vary in different areas based on the cost of living. I know there are nurses making 45-50/ hour in places like LA, NYC or Honolulu. So say on the high end a nurse takes in 80k a year before taxes.
Are nurses really compensated for what they're worth. I think that is a very important question and should be addressed on a higher level. Personally, for what we do and what we're responsible for, I do not think we should make less than 80k a year. A physician makes from 170k to 400k+ a year. I understand they have more invested to be able to make the decisions they do, but when you really look at the numbers, I don't think it quite makes sense.
My old job as a new nurse in upstate NY paid 22.86. The senior nurses didn't make much more. Since moving to a more metropolitan area in the northeast I started making more like 30. It is remarkable how much the wage difference is from one area to the next. And the cost of living is not that drastic. Upstate NY may have cheap houses, but the commodities, bills, and other things you have to pay for cost the same as anywhere else. Buying a new car in upstate NY or western PA costs the same as anywhere. The cost of food and clothing is also the same. And there are even additional costs: let's not forget heating oil or gas for the winter, that places like CA or FL never have to worry about. The wages don't follow the cost of living as much as they do how economically prosperous an area is.
Honestly, I think a large part of the reason is because you can have an associate's degree and be a nurse. At my hospital, I get paid MAYBE $1 more than ultrasound techs.
Also, probably due to how easily nurses can be replaced. People are paid according to how much a company needs them, not according to how hard they work.
being a 24 yr old, I make almost about $56,000/ year (BEFORE tax, of course thank you Bamawelfare), so I think compared to many people in our age group, I think I am doing just about OKAY. Now, compared to what we do, liability, tremendous things to do, responsibilities and etc, of course we are being paid less. That is why I would never choose nursing if I could go back in time.
I work at South Dallas, the ghetto of the Dallas area lol... lots of uneducated, indigent, entitled population....;;; So my big leaping plan is, to become APRN: enjoy good pay, good life, respect and autonomy. Oh, and if where you work is for-profit, get out. Especially in Texas.
My *favorite* is when people tell me that I must make "soooooooooo much money" being a nurse. Ha! I actually had an instructor ask me why I couldn't pay out of pocket for a $300 per credit hour Genetics class at the local community college because "you new graduates make a lot of money."
I'm sure it's been mentioned ad nauseam in this forum, but cost of living in such a big factor in determining personal satisfaction with salary. To really examine the question "do nurses make enough money?" we have to examine the context. So many things are factors. A single person with no children or a spouse supporting his/herself in a low-cost of living area might be okay with $22/hr, while someone that has children and a family living in a high-cost area couldn't survive on that salary.
Right now probably due to the influx of nurses. They can afford to pay us these wages and we accept it as evidenced by those of us that clock in and out daily.
Right now probably due to the influx of nurses. They can afford to pay us these wages and we accept it as evidenced by those of us that clock in and out daily.
Well, of course we except it. The job market being what it is and people needing basic essentials like housing, sustenance, and clothing means that if you're offered a job and it's your only option, then you'll take it.
I'm in upstate NY and made $22.50/hour, very very stressful job doing med-surg/rehab and had 10 patients!! I'm now a school nurse and make $24/hour (but i'm salaried) and waaay less stress. I agree, so many people think nurses make lots of money but around here we definately don't. It's okay to live on but still can't afford anything fancy. Plus the profession itself has so much responsilibty for how low we are paid (again, what we are paid here, I cannot speak for other areas of the country)
I'm in upstate NY and made $22.50/hour, very very stressful job doing med-surg/rehab and had 10 patients!! I'm now a school nurse and make $24/hour (but i'm salaried) and waaay less stress. I agree, so many people think nurses make lots of money but around here we definately don't. It's okay to live on but still can't afford anything fancy. Plus the profession itself has so much responsilibty for how low we are paid (again, what we are paid here, I cannot speak for other areas of the country)
It also doesn't factor in that it's a base salary rate. It doesn't account for what is removed for health benefits and/or your tax bracket. So that $22/hr decreases significantly given those additional factors.
The simple answer is the nursing mentality that it isn't about the money. It isn't ALL about the money, but it IS about the money. When you have nurses willing to work for substandard pay, then substandard wages you will get. It's that simple.
RNdynamic
528 Posts
My old job as a new nurse in upstate NY paid 22.86. The senior nurses didn't make much more. Since moving to a more metropolitan area in the northeast I started making more like 30. It is remarkable how much the wage difference is from one area to the next. And the cost of living is not that drastic. Upstate NY may have cheap houses, but the commodities, bills, and other things you have to pay for cost the same as anywhere else. Buying a new car in upstate NY or western PA costs the same as anywhere. The cost of food and clothing is also the same. And there are even additional costs: let's not forget heating oil or gas for the winter, that places like CA or FL never have to worry about. The wages don't follow the cost of living as much as they do how economically prosperous an area is.