What Money?>

If there is one thing (and actually there are a he-- of a lot more than one) that drives me crazy, it's the assumption that nurses make great money.
Reality check. If the money was that great, why is there a shortage.
Yes, the potential is there--You just have to be willing to give up benefits, security, a life.
I actually knew one guy who worked 5 (12 hour) shifts a week when he could manage it. Yes, he made excellent money but he was also away from his family, did not have any work sponsered benifits, never knew where in the hospital he'd be working. And I have to ask myself, is it worth it??
For me, I like knowing that I'm in the unit, no floating to different floors. I like the stability it offers. I may not be guarenteed my hours in times of low census but at least I know I have PTO to cover those hours. Plus, and this is frightening, the benifits through my hospital are better, for the most part, than my husbands. These pluses equate to making a smaller salary than most of the public realizes.
I hear a lot of people talking about the great sign on bonuses. These are wonderful recruiting tools. Basically for agreeing to, usually, a 2 year commitment, you get x amount of money. New grad's can get help paying off student loans, there is some minimal tuirion reimbursement. But, I'm not a new grad, I don't want ot start all over in a new place every couple of years even though it get really depressing to know that on average, I make only 1-2 dollars more than a new graduate and that is with a decade of experience!!
So please, love your nurse and remember, especially if you have a nurse that's been around for a while, odds are She's not in it for the money, BE NICE!