Well, just got some bad news... Advance for Nurses just arrived and the lead article is a New England Salary Survey for nurses. The good news? Nurse earnings range from an average of $22.50 per hour in Vermont to $39.88 per hour in Massachusetts. Connecticut nurses are doing pretty well at $34.18/hr. The problem is this: the hourly rate by specialty area for New England nurses ranges from $30.05/hr to $43.00/hr and guess which specialty is at the rock bottom? Psychiatric Nurses.
Why would this be? Is it mostly new nurses bringing down that average? New nurses (< 5 yrs at work) earn considerably less, $27.92/hr, while rates increase to $32.20 at 6-15yrs, and $40.30/hr with 16-25yrs experience. (Interesting that those with 26+ years experience have lower hourly rates on average ($39.42/hr)- that does not sit well with me either.) Mary Jane Krebs, APRN-BC VP of clinical and nursing services at Spring Harbor Hospital in Maine identifies the average age of psychiatric nurses is 47years. I don't think that supports the lack of experience argument.
Perhaps it is location of employment. I don't know the numbers, but I am sure many psych nurses work for state or federal (VA) facilities which have the lowest annual salaries ($66,823 vs. nonprofits of $71,061). That might be part of the reason. I don't think it is a good reason, but perhaps benefits packages are better? I suspect the work is very difficult in government facilities...
My worst fear would be that the stigma of working in psychiatry is alive and well. I can't tell you how many times I have heard that people who work in psych are crazy... I'm tired of that. As a group we need to actively thwart those who perpetuate this myth.
As a group we should be paid on par with all other specialties. We have extremely difficult jobs, and deserve to be paid well for our services.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
As an RN about to start a DNP program this Spring (I work in the SICU at Yale now - your posts make you sound familiar with CT??), this concerns me. While money isn't everything, it does help fuel my desire to further my education and practice.
ReplyDeleteThe buzz around the nurses in the unit who are in FNP school is that PMHNPs "make bank", and I have also read rumours on the internet that agree. Obviously there are differences based on location and area of psych (a post on All Nurses mentioned a new grad job with starting salary of $120k...at a correctional facility), but the $66k new NP salary you quoted above is less than I make now (2 years out of BSN program, and no overtime)- yikes!
I'm sure one can seek out some of the higher paying positions if they are picky, but I was enjoying the confidence I had regarding making a sizable salary jump where ever I worked. I had also heard the higher salaries for PMHNPs was due to the fact that they are in low supply but increasingly higher demand in recent years.
Hmm.
Thanks for the comment, I don't know why I only realized it was there now... I apologize!
ReplyDeleteI am reviewing RN salary not APRN's. I am from CT... just down the road from you! Also remember that the New England average includes NH, VT, and ME which all have much lower rates than CT and Boston area hospitals.
I did just see a salary profile for APRN's... and you are correct, Psych NP's make nearly the highest salaries of all NP's. We are in low supply... and I don't expect that will change much in coming years...
Thanks for clarifying and maybe I'll post again on salaries... but for APRN's now. I hope your started your program and are enjoying it!
Joanne
Their yearly compensation also varies from one another. The type of industry that they work for is just one of the factors that affect their average income.Registered nurse salary in Maine
ReplyDeleteThe nursing associations and boards in this state are very strict when it comes to licensure. The registered nurses in this area are required to pay regular renewal fees to keep their licenses updated. Non-compliance to this policy will lead to the application for reinstatement of licensure. Average Wage of Registered Nurse in Maine
ReplyDeleteThanks for your shared about "Registered Nurse Salary".
ReplyDeleteI really appreciated for that.
regards.
Richard Nurse
https://registerednursesalary.blogspot.com