To Stay Or Not To Stay At The Bedside
Couple years ago when I decided to return back to school for a master degree in nursing I was amazed to see many nurses at the bedside were not very supportive of my decision to return to school. Master prepared nurses that I worked with at the bedside told that it was not worth returning to school mainly because the pay is much better at the bedside than anywhere else.
It is true that the annual income for nurses at the bedside today is considerably higher due to the chronic staffing shortage, but it is not necessary because they get pay more than nurses in non-clinical settings. The reason is the basic principle of supply and demand. There is a greater need for staff nurses at the bedside than any other nursing position, so to attract nurses many facilities offers sign on bonuses as high as $20,000, bonus shifts as high as $200 for an 8 hour shift.
With these kinds of offers, today many nurses are working as much as 80 hours a week. It is easy to see how a staff nurse can make $100,000/year comparing to a master prepared nurse making $60-$70,000 dollars/year. I see many of these nurses today very dissatisfied with their jobs, they may be making a lot of money, but they are very unhappy people. They are chronically tired, moody, grumpy and after many years their career stagnated because nursing suddenly become a job where they exchange time for money with no satisfaction or fulfillment.
Returning to school whether for your BSN or your master, will open new set of opportunities for you, the reward may not be monetary in the beginning, but you will be a happier person.
It is true that the annual income for nurses at the bedside today is considerably higher due to the chronic staffing shortage, but it is not necessary because they get pay more than nurses in non-clinical settings. The reason is the basic principle of supply and demand. There is a greater need for staff nurses at the bedside than any other nursing position, so to attract nurses many facilities offers sign on bonuses as high as $20,000, bonus shifts as high as $200 for an 8 hour shift.
With these kinds of offers, today many nurses are working as much as 80 hours a week. It is easy to see how a staff nurse can make $100,000/year comparing to a master prepared nurse making $60-$70,000 dollars/year. I see many of these nurses today very dissatisfied with their jobs, they may be making a lot of money, but they are very unhappy people. They are chronically tired, moody, grumpy and after many years their career stagnated because nursing suddenly become a job where they exchange time for money with no satisfaction or fulfillment.
Returning to school whether for your BSN or your master, will open new set of opportunities for you, the reward may not be monetary in the beginning, but you will be a happier person.
This article is great. Great topic.
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Great article. A must read for all nurses.
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