You really think nurses make alot of money? Let me give you something to think about

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Specializes in ER, Peds, Informatics.

So, I am tired of the student nurses that come through our unit saying "Well, nurses make alot of money." I like to gently explain to them that we don't in the following way:

I make $27 an hour. I have 4 or 5 patients with varying acuities (I work in an ER). So, if I have 4 patients, I am making $6.75/hr per patient (with 5 it's $5.40 an hour). I am responsible for assessing, verifying orders, medicating, etc etc. The last time I was in the hospital I asked for an invoice, and if I remember correctly, they charged me around $200/hr for nursing care. (Now this was on a floor, but I am just using it for general comparison).

I have to also take into consideration that hospitals have overhead (housekeeping, techs, etc.), but still that mark-up is huge. In my previous career, I was making considerably more money for less responsibility and less stress and the mark-up on the products was around 13%. I know I am comparing apples to oranges, but it's just something else to think about.

Most students gasp at this when looking at our wages like this, but it's just something I think we should consider. I sometimes think our wages would be better if they were based on acuity and ratios (for hospital nursing). What do you guys think? Am I looking at this all wrong?

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Specializes in Peds, School Nurse, clinical instructor.

nope, I think you hit the nail on the head :smackingf

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Specializes in LTC, geriatric, renal.

I think you make an extremely great point. Especially when you think of those of us (like myself) who work in LTC and have upwards of 20 patients all to ourselves per shift. And I make LESS than you do. I just did the caluclation, and with your math, I make 0.63/hr for each patient I work with in my unit. Its ridiculous.

Great point and I will remember this if I ever hear students or other people saying this to me.

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Specializes in wound care.

i think your right , it makes me cringe sometimes when i here other peoples hourly wages, especially whens its a non skilled position that requires no education and they make 20-25 dollars a hour , my uncle works for the government he has been at his job for around 6-7 years , he does clean up around the naval base and just got a promotion to some supervisor position and now he makes 26 dollars a hour! 3 more dollars a hour than me , and im responsible for people LIVES!! , im happy for the guy hes got a family but how can that be?? i dont no when but nurses need to def get more money than non skilled non educated positions

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Specializes in Med/Surg Tele; LTC; Corrections.

I think the potential to make a good living is there, I guess it depends on how much you hustle. I remember being in school the nurses who had graduated would come back and show us their big checks and I would think wow...that's a lot, but u guess it would be for a student who has little to no income of my own...now since I'm out and get those " big checks" I can't help but think wow...I had to work my behind off for this...Idk it never seems like its enough.

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I thought it was already like that.. ER, ICU, L&D get paid more than MedSurg & LTC over here..

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Specializes in labor & delivery.

I thought it was already like that.. ER, ICU, L&D get paid more than MedSurg & LTC over here..

We all have the same payscale where I work... get the same raises....or not for the last 2 years...I never looked at it this way...I usually have 8 patients as I do couplet care and we have 4, and lately sometimes 5 couplets to care for. Interesting.....

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I agree with you guys. As a student I was thinking, yaaaaay, I'll finally be able to live comfortably and be happy with my career as a Nurse. The career, I like but the pay... now that I have it, I look at it as I'm working extremely hard to keep people alive for this pay and my friend makes more delivering mail!

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I agree that nurses are underpaid for the degree of responsibility and stress we deal with...however, I think "mark up" on nursing care (or and any hospital supply for that matter) is highly complex. What a hospital charges is not necessarily what they receive in payment. For example, while the hospital bills $10K for a PNA requiring three days of care, it may only get reimbursed half that. Or similarly, a patient with no insurance may not pay their bill at all. JMHO.

But again, I totally agree with you that nurses are underpaid. If we're incompetent, people could die. That's a bloody scary thought.

Though on the other hand, I can't think of many professions where you can get full benefits at 24 hours a week. Or 3 weeks paid vacation to start. Or dirt cheap health insurance. I love the hospital I work at!

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Specializes in Critical Care, Emergency Medicine, Flight.

i find that jobs like ours are not compensated well in terms of money. It is a bit annoying that a plumber makes more $$ than i will, but ill just have to work harder

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I ALWAYS tell my husband that I will never make as much as him. I am not a nurse yet, but when I obtain my BSN, I STILL won't make what he does. He makes $40/hr and doesn't even have a HIGH SCHOOL education. It is insane.

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The pay is really low compared to what is required as far as education and the responsibility of a nurse. I am in my fourth semester of a BSN program, second career student. After I graduate and hopefully get a job, I will start out making less than I did in my previous job without a college degree. I personally knew I wasn't doing this for the money but for as difficult as school is nurses should make much much more than they do.

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