Re: Nursing Shortage - trust me, the pay is real!

More | Report Post

Oh, I'm a Lawyer. I plan to be a Lawyer from now on until I die. I've come to the
point where I see Lawyering as the best place for me to be. Somedays it will be
good, somedays great, somedays crappy, but I'm a Lawyer and I'm proud.

I just like to know what other people are doing. Too many people start whining,
and talking about how things are better doing something else. From the looks of
it, Nursing isn't some easy gig. It takes education, passing a test, working long
hours, and paying your dues, AND THEN if pays off. Sounds like being a Lawyer but
without the advanced degree.

On 3/09/06, The Zephyr wrote:
> The requirement for an RN is a 4-year degree in nursing; LPNs (Licensed
Practical
> Nurses) have a lower requirement. However, LPNs are getting "phased out" as
> being not up to the standard of training and experience required by most
hospitals
> (big liability issue here). Once a nurse graduates s/he will most likely
> specialize (like doctors)in an area such as pediatrics, geriatrics, neonatal,
> emergency, surgury, etc. The pay for these fields vary by demand and experience
> just like most jobs. But, a nurse still needs to be licensed to practice; so,
> s/he will have to pass the boards. Once that is done, s/he can practice in any
> state s/he is licensed in. "Traveling" nurses can also make a ton of money;
here
> nurses work for periods of time in differant locales, this can be good
experience
> and GREAT money. You should check Careerbuilder.com, Monster, or other websites
> to get an idea of specific opportunities for your geographic area. Me, I'm an
> aerospace engineer and attorney (can't stand the blood and guts); I know I'm
> smart enough to do the medical gig, but have no desire to do so despite the
> financial rewards. Right now my wife is the breadwinner (hurts my ego
sometimes,
> I was raised to be a "man"). I hope the law profession will allow me to take
> that burden off of her in the future so she can spend more time with my two
> boys. I just can't seem to get a break and get hired or find a partner, that's
> why I'm a solo.
>
> ~Zephyr
>
>
> On 3/09/06, rrr wrote:
>> I notice 3 things...
>>
>> 1) you wife has a masters degree.
>> 2) the nurses making big money are workin crazy contant hours.
>> 3) entry level nursing is 50K
>>
>> What are the minimum requirements (educational and experience) for a nurse to
>> make 50K and how many hours of work does that entail?
>>
>> My aunt was an on-call nurse specializing in something I don't remember, and
>> she made very good money, so I'm not suprised. I'm just wondering what it takes
>> to get big money in nursing today.
>>
>>
>> On 3/09/06, The Zephyr wrote:
>>> My wife is a registered nurse (RN) as well as an Advanced Practice Registered
>>> Nurse (APRN) specializing in neonatal care. She has RN friends who make
>>> close to 90K a year. Of course, they work a ton of overtime and have shifts
>>> that are'nt the most desireable (weekends, nights, and holidays). But, if
>>> you are willing to work hard and enjoy taking care of people (I don't, I
>>> can't stand blood, bodily fluids, and seeing kid and elderly in pain) than
>>> you can make really good money and go home knowing you made a real differance
>>> in this world. My wife has since obtained her masters degree and is employed
>>> as the clinical educator for a network of hospitals; she makes about 95k
>>> working 30 hours a week. As for the shortage, she says the hospitals around
>>> here (New England) are dying for nurses; they have resorted to hiring nurses
>>> from abroad despite the cultural obstacles and the language barriers. And
>>> yes, 50k a year plus sign-on bonuses are the norm around here.
>>>
>>> ~Zephyr
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On 3/09/06, Mr. Blue wrote:
>>>> On 3/08/06, Carol wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Or I should say in the area I live in there's nothing "alleged", it's
>>>>> real.
>>>>
>>>> I like to use the word "alleged" because the shortage could be solved by
>>>> encouraging people to enter (and to stay in) the market by offering
>>>> increased pay, better benefits, and better working conditions.
>>>>
>>>> Employers always perceive a shortage when they want to pay wages below the
>>>> market's price point. Thus, we have a "shortage" of scientists, engineers,
>>>> and computer programmers at third world wages, etc.
>>>>
>>>> Maybe I'm wrong. Perhaps they really are offering $50,000/year with good
>>>> benefits and good working conditions, but I'm highly skeptical. My fiance
>>>> is hoping to become a nurse, so it would be good if that were the case.