Yes, another salary negotiating question!

rn4ever? · Jul 4, 2010

You've never had any previous nursing experience before, so technically you don't have the nurse experience that they are looking for. What if someone works as a housekeeper in the hospital for 10 years, should that also be counted as hospital experience?

In most hospitals, new grads get the same rate-----regardless of what unit or area they work in, because the HR goes by the nurse's years of experience in determining the salary.

evolvingrn, BSN, RN · Jul 4, 2010

I understand what your saying. I have patient care experience but unfortunately that doesn't help my pay. my friend on the other had was a unit clerk and got an rn position at the hospital he had worked as a clerk . he will get the pay of someone who was an rn for 4 years. So if you worked at that hospital as an aide...maybe they will give you credit too? best of luck. even though it feels like you aren't getting credit you are because without your previous experience it is very unlikely that you would have been given such a hardcore job right out of school ! so it did pay off. Congrats and good luck!

nursemimi08 · Jul 4, 2010

I agree with the others that you do not have any years of *RN* experience. However, perhaps you can negotiate to have a 6 month review with a salary increase. Within a 6 month period you will time to prove your worth and it will be a good trial period for the hospital. You should have less of a learning trajectory than a new grad lacking any type of healthcare experience. Just be forewarned that even negotiating a 6 month review may be difficult because as others have pointed out, most hospitals pay based on years of RN experience. Others have pointed out that this has not been the case, so it's at least worth asking. All they can say is, "NO," but be ever grateful for even scoring a job in this economy in first place. Few new grads are employed these days, let alone in a place they wanted. Good luck to you! Just my 2 :twocents: !

agldragonRN · Jul 4, 2010

okay yes i know this has been mentioned a million times before and yes i have looked at a few of the threads and none have helped me. but i have not gone through them all.
anywho, my question is how do i negotiate salary as a new grad with hospital experience. i have worked in a hospital for the past 3+ years so i am not completely new to the health care field. i think i deserve more as a new grad with hospital experience compared to someone who worked for walmart until the day before graduation and the only hospital time they had was clinicals. so how do i bring this up when discussing salary?
i was offered a position in the er once i graduate and i will be the first and only new grad they have ever hired in the er so i don't want to ruin anythng, but i don't want to settle for less than i am worth. please help if you can. just trying to think of the right words to say or how to let them know i am worth more than someone that is completely new.
tia
by the way, i do know some of you are frustrated with new grads wanting more pay. but if you don't stand up for what your worth, hospitals and everywhere else are going to offer you as little as possible.

is the hospital hiring you as an lpn or as a tech? if they are hiring you as a tech, then maybe you can negotiate salary since you have the hospital experience (that is if your experience is equivalent to being a tech).

where exactly is your previous experience anyway? what was your title?

tntrn, ASN, RN · Jul 4, 2010

If that hospital is unionized, the salaries will be clearly defined. Our new hires, with no experience all start at the same salary. Increases are made yearly. New hires, with other nursing experience, are put on the scale depending on how many years experience they have. LPN experience doesn't count for full experience; neither does home health care, or office work...but they are given some credit. Our per diem nurses get 15% over and above their step level to compensate for not getting any kind of benefits, others than holiday pay if you work the holiday.

mediatix8 · Jul 5, 2010

That one who worked at Walmart is probably not even getting ANY job offers right now due to the economy. You should just be glad you got hired. I graduated in 2005, a time when there were jobs galore and sign on bonuses of $5,000. One if my teachers told us before we graduated (and she used to work as a DON) that we should NOT ask for more money as a new grad because they really aren't able to offer new grads more money. New grad pay is new grad pay and that's pretty much it. It would cause too many problems with the other nurses who would be mad that a new grad is getting more than they are. Your previous "hospital experience" doesn't count. You still are going to need the same several weeks of orientation as any other new grad. You may earn more later by doing an awesome job and getting good raises. Many new grads do come with some hospital experience, BTW, so it's not really that much of a big deal.

Scrubby · Jul 5, 2010

I remember feeling exactly the same way after I graduated. I worked as an AIN for a year before my graduation and my role involved doing a lot of similar duties as the RN such as medication administration (under supervision), vitals, checking blood results, fluid balance, ADLS, etc. I was very lucky to have this opportunity because when my grad year came I knew my way around the ward environment and had a lot more confidence with patient care than some of my fellow grads who hadn't even worked in a nursing home.

The thing is though as a new graduate you don't really have a lot of bargaining power. And also, until you've worked as an RN and can manage the full load of responsibilities expected in this role you just have to take what you're offered. If you don't like the salary then someone else will gladly take the job, especially since you have a tough market at the moment in the US (things are getting bad here as well). My advice is to take this opportunity and learn as much as you can, do post grad studies in this speciality, join speciality groups and attend conferences and THEN you can negotiate salary based on your expertise.

I wish you the best of luck

SICU_Murse · Jul 5, 2010

SMH. Im a new grad. Ive worked in the hospital for 6 years. We dont deserve anything special. You have NEVER worked as a REGISTERED NURSE...take what they give you, at least their offering you a job...what more could you want in todays economic climate?

HamsterRN, ADN, RN · Jul 5, 2010

Being a typically union profession, RN salaries are rarely negotiable. Pay rates are typically based solely on years of experience as an RN with additional flat rates for things like a BSN or a specialty accreditation. Our union is fairly strict on this, even if the hospital wanted to pay a specific nurse more in order to recruit them the union does not allow it, this was a question that came up in our recent negotiations.

Calixan · Jul 5, 2010

Okay, some of you are actually helpful. Others seem to be a little snippy. I don't have time to deal with snippy attitudes so moving right along!

Anyway, I think I should have been more specific. I am in a LVN program, will be graduating at the end of the month so I wil NOT be an RN yet. As an LVN in the ER, you work as a tech but still get LVN pay (which I am not sure what it is yet). Currently, I am a nurse extern so technically, I do have some type of nursing experience. My duties as an LVN Tech in the ER consist of starting IV's, blood draws, EKGs, transporting patients, helping in codes, etc. Most of these I have done as a Nurse Extern. All except starting IV's.

Clinicals to me do not count as experience so of course those who have gone through nursing school are not considered "experienced". As a matter of fact, I get more experience at work then I do at school. I have never inserted a foley on someone during clinicals but I have at work. I'm sure there are plenty more situations like this. Using wal-mart as an example again, someone who codes at work, being in a hospital setting for so long I kind of know what to expect and what the role is and know not to get to nervous, etc. Versus someone who is new that may become overwhelmed because this is the first time they have experienced this situation.

Only reason I really asked this question is because last year, when a co-worker of mine had just graduated school, she told me not to accept a salary less than X amount of dollars, which was more than 4 dollars more than starting pay. She negotiated the price because she had worked at the hospital for 6 years prior as an aide. So that being said, me working there for 3 years I thought should count for something.

Oh and for the person who said something about the house keeper working in a hospital for 10 years, just think about your own statement. Do housekeepers deal directly with patient care. I mean I know they speak to them etc, but do they take vital signs, help with codes, assess patients, etc? All of which I have done. There is a difference between the two. Working outside of a hospital with "clients" is not the same as working in a hospital with patients. I have plenty of customer service experience from before working in a hospital and would not consider that experience. I think this whole post got out of hand so I don't really need anymore feedback but thank you to all that tired to help. I will go and talk to HR on Tuesday and try to find out everything. Thanks again!

Calixan · Jul 5, 2010

I had a few misspelled words in my previous post but sure everyone knewwhat I meant. Just got home from work so a little tired.

caroladybelle, BSN, RN · Jul 5, 2010

To the OP:

You have asked a question of a diverse group of people. You may think that some of them are "snippy"......I do not. I think that they are blunt and honest, many of whom have answered this question and will answer it many times over and have learned that sometimes the receivers of that advice will not "get it" otherwise. You do not have to like it what you do not agree with, but accept it.

You will find these posters are much more respectful that much of what you may have coming in your future.

I have read several of your posts and will tell you, that despite what you have written, approximately 95% or more of the facilities WILL NOT CARE and this will make absolutely NO difference in what they pay you, especially as an LPN. I will also tell you that as someone who has had input on hiring, that in this economy, in most areas, there is no way as a new grad LPN or RN, I would certainly not be going up $4/hr on pay based on what you have listed as experience. I would also probably making me less favorable towards as a potential employee, though if already hired, that would only make a difference in your future not your hire.

Your experience probably got you seen and interviewed as a new grad LPN in the ER, and probably gave you an edge in getting hired....no small thing for an LPN in the ER in this economy. As far as the rest, there is a BIG difference in working as licensed personnel and working under someone else's.

Now, in 6-12 monthes, if you have proven that you are a better nurse than the average new grad, you will indeed perhaps have something to bargain with. But honestly, you will find in many cases the learning curve is not much different and often those that worked as techs prior, within 6 monthes are not much different. And sometimes "experienced" people are harder to work with than an enthusiatic newbie.

Are people people that worked previously in "the hospital" better than those who worked at Walmart. It depends. A single mother that has been dependant on working two retail/waitress jobs to make all her ends meet often has better work skills and attitude than someone that was just working 20 -30 or so as a tech and not managing a household. As far as calm in critical situations, a military vet or police officer can be quite adept, and for juggling multiple tasks/orders/pts, I've met some waitresses or fast food clerks that truly rock it better. It doesn't take much to transfer some of those previously learned skills to the nursing world.

As for the poster that said that nursing is a predominantly a unionized job, I disagree heartedly. As a traveler, I have found very few unionized nurses. But as far as pay, generally EVERYONE starts at the bottom when they are new. Now when you PROVE that you have better skills in 6-12 monthes, then you have room to negotiate.