| In today's economy with declining employment in | | | | construction of a new hospital wing, or to the |
| many fields that require degrees, the profession of | | | | purchase of new diagnostic equipment. |
| nursing is as solid as it ever was. People with prior | | | | Whether or not the nurses are unionized is also |
| degrees are looking to enter the nursing profession. | | | | another factor in entry level nurse pay. Unions can |
| The salary of a nurse varies greatly. There is really | | | | either work for or against nursing wages. Sometimes |
| no base salary but a fluctuation across the board. | | | | non-unionized hospitals pay more. |
| The reasoning for this is a varied as the salaries in | | | | Shift premiums are also a factor. The top shift |
| nursing. | | | | premium is paid for the midnight shift. Midnight shift |
| The base pay of a nurse is determined by many | | | | premiums range anywhere from $2.50 per hour to |
| different factors. The first of these factors are the | | | | $4.50 per hour. Since most shifts in hospitals are now |
| years of experience that the nurse brings to the | | | | twelve hour shifts, midnights start around 7:30 p.m. |
| table. A GN or graduate degreed nurse will start out | | | | and end around 7:30 a.m.. These are attractive hours |
| at the lowest salary of nurse pay. They will remain at | | | | for many nurses since they get four days off during |
| this level until they pass their board exam or NCLEX. | | | | a week and are still considered full time at thirty six |
| Upon passing their boards they will receive a small | | | | hours per week. Health benefits including dental and |
| increase in pay anywhere from $2.50 per hour to | | | | optical are included in the total package and begin |
| $5.00 per hour. The most important factor in this | | | | anywhere from one week after hire up to ninety |
| scenario is to keep in mind that if the graduate nurse | | | | days. |
| does not successfully pass the board exam the | | | | The area of the hospital that the nurse will work in is |
| hospital can terminate their employment or extend to | | | | also a factor in pay. For instance those nurses that |
| them a grace period in which they have the | | | | are trained for specialty care areas such as intensive |
| opportunity to pass the boards a second time. In the | | | | care units (I.C.U.), the operating room, recovery |
| past years, it was not unusual for a graduate nurse | | | | room, or in the cardiac care facility will get paid an |
| to stay on as a hospital employee for years before | | | | extra premium upon completion of their training in the |
| finally passing or taking their boards. | | | | hospital. |
| This practice is no longer widely accepted. Also the | | | | Different areas of the United States have been |
| graduate nurse is not allowed to pass any | | | | known to differ in nurse pay scales according to the |
| medications until they have their licensure. The | | | | cost of living and population densities. |
| question remains, what is the typical base salary for | | | | In the final analysis, the following factors are involved |
| a graduate nurse. It is safe to say that the salary | | | | in determining the salary of an entry level nurse; a) |
| ranges in the low to mid forty thousand dollars per | | | | their years of experience in patient care, b) the shift |
| year. This discrepancy of several thousand dollars has | | | | they will be working, c) the hospitals location, either |
| much to do with the location of the hospital. For | | | | rural or metropolitan, d) whether or not the nurses |
| instance, in rural communities where much of the | | | | are unionized, e) the population density and per-capita |
| hospital funding comes from the government, the | | | | income of the residents in the hospitals region, f) the |
| pay rate may be higher or lower than a privately | | | | area of specialty the nurse will work in, such as I.C.U., |
| funded institution. | | | | C.C.U, etc., g) successful completion of licensing |
| The mitigating factor is how successful the grant | | | | boards. h) whether or not to accept a benefit |
| writers are at tapping into government funds, and | | | | package or keep extra dollars per hour and opt not |
| how much private endowment monies are bestowed | | | | to take the benefit package, i) whether the hospital |
| to the hospital. Even with these two factors in place | | | | is government or privately funded. |
| comes the process of dissemination of the funds. | | | | Learn more about nursing education at The Nursing |
| This is dependent on how the board of directors see | | | | Entrance Test Study Guide. |
| fit to use the funds. These funds could be put to the | | | | |