Yes, another salary negotiating question!

[Calixan]

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.

[akrn2]

I understand your point of "hospital experience", versus a new grad with only nursing school clinical experience. There is a bit of difference, but at the same time, many of the responding posts have made excellent points about RN experience versus hospital experience. When I was a new grad (many many many years ago), I was hired by the hospital where I had done clinicals. Since I knew the system & facility, my orientation could be a bit shorter and they gave me a 5% pay increase over new grad hires without similiar experience. If you have experience at the facility that has hired you, this might be a point you can bring up. You also have to consider the fact that if a bargaining unit is involved, their hands are tired in respect to what they can offer to pay. I wish you the best of luck in your new job! Enjoy the ED, and take advantage of all the learning opportunities you can!

[pippi40]

I have worked as a staff member in more than one facility where new grads were hired in making more than myself and other experienced nurses. Not just a little more, a lot more. In my experience the only way to dramatically increase your pay is to switch facilities. There seems to be no advantage to loyalty. A maximum of five percent increase on an annual evaluation just isn't enough. For the new grad I would say get some experience and be grateful you have the opportunity to learn in that environment. I worked in the Er for six years and the nurses that will be training you will working twice as hard as u while u "train".while u train they will be working and teaching u everything they know. Make sure u say thank you to those nurses. You aren't entitled to anything more than any new grad. You are going to learn 90 percent more than u ever learned in school. You just don't know what you don't know. These are the scariest dangerous new grads, over-confidence call and does kill real people . I have seen it happen. Good luck in your career.

[pippi40]

Sorry for the typos. I hate the text predict function.

[caroladybelle, BSN, RN]

Bump.

Curious as to the outcome for the OP.

[TNCC RN Guy]

I agree with pippi, it's pathetic that one has to change jobs every 4-5 yrs in order to get a decent bump in pay.

As for learning, no-longer new grad said to me not long after I was hired that the scariest thing is not knowing that you don't know what is going on in a particular situation. To be cognizant of your knowledge deficit and seek help is one thing. To be unaware of it is a whole lot more dangerous. The pearl if wisdom is to not hesitate to seek advice or ask for help if you even think there's something you may be unsure of and always look up everything new, drugs, procedures, etc.

Further reading and research on your own time of things you were uncertain of or that were new to you at work can also help shorten the learning curve and build confidence.