Dose this happen to you too? $$$$$$$$$

[orionseal]

I am constantly BomBarDed with ?????s about how much I make a year and if it's worth it.

I E: I was thinking of going to nursing school, how much do you make?

Most of the time I just want to say: "If you have to ask that question, You will never make it in school."

Not that I want to be mean or anything but those who were going into Nursing because of the "job security, pay and benifits" that were in my LPN class most failed out in the first term and some just walked out of class after about a month never to return.

I believe you have to have "IT" (the desire to help others) in order to make it in nursing, either that or your just blinking streight-jacket MAD.

After all, some of the things we do; well, any person with half a brain wouldn't "WANT" to do them. (and yes, I do remember the first time I got to do a foley ALL BY MY SELF.)

Am I mad or just miffed?

[nursinghumor]

I get the question pretty often too, and it is a legitimate one. Round here (North East) I'll tell them a LPN starts bout 40K per year, an RN about 60K with benefits.

Also make sure to tell them that they'll work their tails off for the money. Best comparison I can make is to plumbing. You get paid well, it's a trade, and you stick your hands in some pretty smelly places

Once that sinks in, it gives them some food for thought.

You can find current pay rates by the way here:

Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) (United States), Today's Pay Rates, Payscale.com:
http://www.payscale.com/salary-surve...32928/fid-6886
************************************************** ****

Registered Nurse (RN) (United States), Today's Pay Rates, Payscale.com:
http://www.payscale.com/research/US/...N)/Hourly_Rate
************************************************** ****

I wouldn't get offended at the question. For most jobs, occupations it is one of the first questions they'll ask. Just be sure to answer their questions fully, so they realize it isn't just about the money.




Sincerely,

Andrew Lopez, RN
Nursefriendly, Inc. A New Jersey Corporation.
38 Tattersall Drive, Mantua New Jersey 08051
http://www.nursefriendly.com info@nursefriendly.com ICQ #6116137, AOL “nursefriendly”
856-415-9617, (fax) 415-9618

150,000 + Nurse-Reviewed & Approved Nursing Links

http://www.4nursing.com
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http://www.nursingdiscussions.com
http://www.nursinghumor.com
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http://www.nursingexperts.com

[Ricu]

Hi guys,

I think people have some idea that nursing pays well but nobody outside of the field knows just how much work both physical and mental is involved. Yes, the pay is good but not enough for the responsibility. Gratification plays a key role. Only a nurse can rationalize that and keep going to work. I'm sure there are other professions that the same can be said about, like law enforcement. Thanks for the links, Andrew- very interesting

R

[Drum RN]

Some people say that nursing isn't about the money. Actually it is. Its a profession, its a job that many, many people won't do. Self-gratification that you're helping save someone's life does help, but that itself won't put bread on the table.

There are plenty of people out there willing to walk all over you for all the hard work you do. Is $60,000 enough to live comfortably? If you're single, yes. But if you've got a wife, kids, house, 2 cars, insurance, utilities... its a stretch. Remember the days when the wife didn't have to work? You don't find that too much anymore.

Get as much as you can. You're worth it, you're a nurse.

[orionseal]

THanks all, I guess it is just a pet piev of mine to get asked how much money I make. If I had to liken it to any other question, it would have to be one like this (How capeable are you of supporting your wife and the five kids you still have at home?). Kind of a personal question to ask someone don't you think? Almost as bad as, (please don't anyone be offended by this.) Do you think you can satisfy your partner in the bedroom?

Now I know it isn't like that at all, but I allmost always feel naked after someone asks me the $$$$ question.

Thanks again for listening to me rant and again for your comments. I do truely value your opinions after all you guy's and gals have to be smart because most of you are nurses.

[Val Salva RN]

Originally Posted by orionseal

THanks all, I guess it is just a pet piev of mine to get asked how much money I make. If I had to liken it to any other question, it would have to be one like this (How capeable are you of supporting your wife and the five kids you still have at home?). Kind of a personal question to ask someone don't you think? Almost as bad as, (please don't anyone be offended by this.) Do you think you can satisfy your partner in the bedroom?

Now I know it isn't like that at all, but I allmost always feel naked after someone asks me the $$$$ question.

Thanks again for listening to me rant and again for your comments. I do truely value your opinions after all you guy's and gals have to be smart because most of you are nurses.

I agree- it is an offensive question. I'm an RN, and people rarely ask me what I make. Most assume it's more than it is, though. There are too many nurses where I live and wages are low.

When I'm traveleing, people assume I make big bucks- most travel positions now days are paying in the upper 20s to mid 30s per hr.

[WealthyNurse]

There is a time and place for everything. giving someone who is looking for council an answer to turn them off is not the right way to go. Aren't we looking for more people to come to the profession? So if someone wants to know if they will be able to support themselves and their family by going into nursing, they deserve to know. The YOUin the question the person ask should not be seen as a personal question but rather as a general one YOU (personal), are a nurse, how much do nurses make?

feel free to visit my blog The Wealthy Nurse where I discuss such issues

[WealthyNurse]

Originally Posted by Drum RN

Some people say that nursing isn't about the money. Actually it is. Its a profession, its a job that many, many people won't do. Self-gratification that you're helping save someone's life does help, but that itself won't put bread on the table.

There are plenty of people out there willing to walk all over you for all the hard work you do. Is $60,000 enough to live comfortably? If you're single, yes. But if you've got a wife, kids, house, 2 cars, insurance, utilities... its a stretch. Remember the days when the wife didn't have to work? You don't find that too much anymore.

Get as much as you can. You're worth it, you're a nurse.

I agree with DrumRN this is a profession and we should be proud of who we are and not be ashamed, of course we can always make more money--then again money is not everything right?
subscribe to my blog The Wealthy Nurse

[orionseal]

It's me again.

Thanks again for the responces folks.

I recently had my pet pieve ? asked in a way that was not unpleasant (about time).
A young gal I work with is thinking about starting pre-nursing classes at the local community college she has a child and is a widdow at the age of 23, she looked me in the eye and asked if she would be able to afford to raise her daughter and pay back student loans at the same time.
She then asked what she could expect to earn realisticly her first years out of school.
I believe it was the fact that she was cincearly interested in the job for the jobs sake, not so much the paycheck. It almost seemed like the question she wanted to ask was "Is it worth it?". (the job, for the jobs sake)
Call me a sap if you want, all I can say is this girl has passion in her eyes when she talks about becoming a Nurse. This was the first time I felt the $$$$ ? was an after-thaught.
To make a long story short she starts pre-reqs this fall.

Am I a sap? Possibly/probably, but this girl touched my heart with her plea to tell her to GO FOR IT. I didn't even mind telling her what I make.

Where am I going with this?

I don't believe I know.

It's just a relief to see a person with as much passion for this life-commitment (thats how I feel about my job) as I have. I said before that I love my job and I meen it, this is the only JOB I have ever "lived"(yes I said Lived) it still inspires me to be better tomarrow than I was yesterday.

She is going to be a great NURSE.

[SoldierNurse]

orionseal, I admire your compassion as a nurse. I hope that it never fades and rubs off others. It was so very, very hard to provide health care to Iraqi detainees [the enemy] for 15 months with any kind of compassion. After all, some were known to have been caught causing harm to US troops.

Now that I'm back at Madigan Army Medical Center I've seen first hand as a patient [L Rotator Cuff Repair surgery] how most of the staff have no real compassion for there patients. I do hope when my wife & I move back to Austin, TX to find other nurses with the same compassion as yourself, and hope that I, too, get back the same compassion. These days I'm kind of just numb... and not just my left shoulder.