?? Nursing salaries

[Tiggeroo]

I have been in school for awhile. My plan is to get into the Physical therapy program. A friend was over the other day and gave me some salaries for nurses in our area. They were quite good. I wonder it she was correct. I have all of the pre-requisites for the nursing program and depending on the waiting list could get my rn in two years. I also have alot of the bsn classes, so I could do this while working quite easily.

 

[LucyStorm]

Nursing salaries vary widely among different geographic areas and specialties. Call your local healthcare facilities where you would consider working, and ask them about starting salaries for new grads.

I love my job. But the salary does not make up for the missed holidays, long hours, and stress. While I would encourage anyone to become a nurse, I would also encourage them to be sure that is what they want to do.

There are lots of sites on the internet that give you good information about nursing. PM me if you have further questions.

 

[nativetxn]

My niece is a brand new RN (I'm so proud of her) and she started at something like $26/hour. That's in Houston.

 

[EROS]

It is estimated that the country currently has a SHORTAGE of over 150,000 nurses. It's a TREMENDOUS problem in cities like Boston with extensive medical facilities. Nurse practitioners here easily make over $65,000/year with midwives making up to $80,000. It's not unusual for staff nurses to be making a base of $50,000. Of course, I'm sure that salaries vary around the nation. As LucyStorm points out, there are real demands upon you and your family if you choose a career in nursing. I've been involved in human services x 20 years since entering medical school. The rewards from helping your fellow man are substantial, but the stress involved in health care provision is VERY real.

Good Luck,

 

[Tiggeroo]

and my kids will be seniors in hs by the time I am finished. Nursing will take two years, PT 4. I most likely will stick with the PT program. I just started a weight lifting program so I will have an easier time with the lifting.

 

[DisOrBust]

RN salaries start out good but they do not increase well according to years worked etc.... There are very few places to advance to as an RN. It is a great job that you can work part time and be Mom part time but it hard to make it a "career". Health care is efer changing and nursing is the area that gets hit by budget cuts first because it is a "cost center."

I am an L&D RN and love the Pt care but could do without being worked like a dog,LOL! The politics and paperwork are aweful! The stress of short staffing in "critical" situations has taken years off my life. was like you within 12 credits of an animal science degree and "switched" during the last nursing shortage because the salari.es were more attractive. It was a big mistake I gave up what I loved for a quick lucrative out. Life is long and so is your career.

My DH is a PT and is happy for the most part. PT is going to a masters or PHD program in most states. PT is much more organized then nursing and they know how to keep the salaries lucrative. There are many areas of PT you can work and also can work Part time. There are some holidays and weekend but NOTHING like nursing

 

[Tiggeroo]

What a good perspective you have. You are an RN and dh is PT. The program I would be in is a masters program. This is why it will take me three to four more years to complete it, compared to the two for nursing. I am maybe one semester short of my bachelors, but I do not have chem and bio one and two, so they will take up a year to do. Also, I want to re-take Anatomy and Physiology, maybe just two to refresh my memory as it has been 5 years since I took them. I believe biio, chem, calculus and phsyics are what I need to get into the pt program. I have already met with the director and been told he will reserve me a spot it I wish. I love going to school, it just seems like such a long, long road. But, most likely pt is what I will do.
The funny thing is I have a dd starting pre-med in the fall. She wants to be a psychiatrist. Sometimes she says that maybe she should go for her doctorate in psychology so that she will be finished school a year or two sooner. I tell her if it is a psychiatrist she wants to be (she is interested in the chemistry/medical aspect and wants to be able to write scripts) then the school time really will fly by. Her career will be much longer then the schooling. She has at least 8 years ahead of her+.

 

[Krisu]

Disorbust is right, you get to a certain salary and you don't increase. A lot of places would rather hire new grads for less money. Never mind that they are getting rid of experienced nurses. Correct me if I am wrong, but a lot of new grads are geared towards administrative posts..not bedside nursing

 

[JasonLyons]

nurses are sexy

 

[Krisu]

You are watching way too much T.V.

 

[EROS]

My DW is a nurse ......

 

[browneyes]

nurses are sexy

I'll be sure to tell my brother, the RN, you said that.

PT's make more money than RN's.

 

[mamajoan]

I am a PTA-graduated with an AA from Southern Illinois University many,many moons ago. I became disabled 3 years ago. I would have much better odds returning to work if I had an RN degree.
As RN with a 2 yr degree have a much wider scope of practice.

That being said, If you are deeply concerned with the salary differences then I suggest you may not want go into the medical field. There are many other benefits that come from helping others to regain their physical potential.
The people that I have met in PT and other medical fields who have been worried about the salary have not made great clinicians.
Usually great clinicians are in their fields due to their ability to provide and care for the people that they are treating with an empathetic nature. While it is true that PT's usually don't work nights. WE DO work weekends and holidays. If we are on the orthopedic wing at a hospital we can be on call for traction procedures. My RN friends have said,
"Well at least you don't have to work with bodily fluids".. that depends on what type of PT you are doing.. hec, I have seen my share of AIDS pts, debrided and dressed numerous necrotic wounds and burns. Granted PT"s don't have the problems associated with injections. As for getting your Master's in PT, it is the only way to go now. The APTA made that decision years ago. Also, most PT programs are requiring that you have at least some type of experience be it volunteer or salaried in a PT clinic, hospital or SNF prior to being accepted into their program.
Please do not take any of my comments to be rude, as they were not intended that way. I had a grand 21 year career that I miss dearly. Personally, I have chosen positions that were not of benefit to me financially, but did accomodate my other job of MOM.
There are many avenues in the medical field from which to choose. Almost all of them are financially profitable.
I hope you find one in which you can share your gifts and talents. I feel that you would then be happy with your choice of careers.
Joan

 

[Blondie]

Nurses in this town make less than the ones working north of here (Fairfax) or south of here (Richmond; MCV, UVA).

Right now they are paid $26.00 and hour, and they just got a $2.00 'market analysis' raise to keep them from leaving our hospital, raising it to $28.00 per hour.

The ER nurses got a whopping $5.00 per hour raise because they all threatened to walk out! I understand that it's only a temporary raise until they can get fully staffed again, then it'll drop down to what the other nurses got. (Our ER just expanded and is HUGE! The staff they expected to have when it re-opened never happened, and the ones that are still there are terribly over-worked--but aren't all nurses?)

 

[DisOrBust]

I am MOVING!!!! !0 years expeience and I make 20$ an hour...look out Virginia!!!