Salary of nurse in nyc: Registered Nurse Salary in New York

Nursing Salary by State

A day in the life of Veronica Pasha, a senior staff nurse at New York-Presbyterian Hospital in New York City, is long. She’s up by 5 a.m. and at the hospital by 7 a.m., serving as a float nurse who works across all units in the women and children’s health division. She is also on call for the hospital’s emergency department three times a month, according to a CNBC profile.

Her shifts are long — typically 12.5 hours, but sometimes stretching as long as 16 hours — but it’s rewarding work. She told CNBC that the most meaningful part of her job involves creating a “rapport” with her patients.

“Especially in this specific area of labor and delivery, you’re fostering a family and you’re bringing a child into the world and you’re creating a family,” she said. “There’s no better feeling.”

If you’re considering a career in nursing, it can be a rewarding and lucrative profession. Pay ranges differ depending on geographic location, work environment and a nurse’s discipline.  

Each of these pathways within nursing comes with different salary expectations:

• Licensed Practical Nurse
• Registered Nurse
• Advanced Practice Nurse — including Certified Nurse Practitioner, Clinical Nurse Specialist, Certified Nurse-Midwife, Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist

Location matters. Nurse salary by state varies widely. But what state has the highest-paid nurses? For registered nurses, California currently stands at the top of the 10 best-paying states for RNs, followed by Hawaii, District of Columbia, Massachusetts, Oregon, Alaska, New York, Nevada, New Jersey, and Washington, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

Here’s a general look at nursing salaries throughout the United States, as reported by the BLS.

A licensed practical nurse provides patients with essential day-to-day care, such as preparing equipment, and administering medications and immunizations under a physician’s supervision. LPNs can also assist RNs and physicians with patients, maintaining medical records and coordinating contact between the whole medical care team, making sure that patients and families know what proper at-home care consists of outside the hospital or clinic.

You’ll find these nurses in doctor’s offices, clinics and hospitals. They also offer targeted care directly to patients, including at-home visits. 

The median annual wage for an LPN is $46,240, according to the BLS. In 2018, the bottom 10 percent of LPNs earned below $33,680 per year, while the highest 10 percent earned over $62,160.

Here’s an overview of the highest-paying states for licensed practical nurses, according to 2018 BLS data:

LPN Salary Rhode Island: $59,130

LPN Salary Massachusetts: $58,990

LPN Salary Alaska: $58,250

LPN Salary Nevada: $57,140

LPN Salary Connecticut: $56,970

As with other nursing disciplines, the salary for LPNs varies by geography, according to 2018 BLS data. The LPN salary in Florida, for instance, is $44,400 per year on average, while the LPN average annual salary in California is $56,200. In Missouri, it’s $42,580 and in Pennsylvania, it stands at $48,120. Salaries vary per state and work setting.

Interested to see where your state falls? Here are the numbers for LPN salaries from 2018 BLS data below.

Licensed Practical Nurse Salary by State

Annual mean salary (in U.S. dollars)

Alabama: $38,230

Alaska: $58,250

Arizona: $54,090

Arkansas: $39,570

California: $56,200

Colorado: $51,210

Connecticut: $56,970

Delaware: $52,860

District of Columbia: $53,370

Florida: $44,400

Georgia: $41,690

Guam: $34,700

Hawaii: $50,930

Idaho: $44,280

Illinois: $51,080

Indiana: $44,310

Iowa: $42,820

Kansas: $43,240

Kentucky: $41,920

Louisiana: $39,480

Maine: $45,610

Maryland: $53,650

Massachusetts: $58,990

Michigan: $49,040

Minnesota: $47,020

Mississippi: $37,930

Missouri: $42,580

Montana: $43,770

Nebraska: $43,160

Nevada: $57,140

New Hampshire: $52,510

New Jersey: $56,290

New Mexico: $47,560

New York: $48,770

North Carolina: $44,610

North Dakota: $46,410

Ohio: $43,430

Oklahoma: $41,260

Oregon: $53,240

Pennsylvania: $48,120

Puerto Rico: $23,530

Rhode Island: $59,130

South Carolina: $40,890

South Dakota: $38,630

Tennessee: $40,120

Texas: $46,990

Utah: $48,130

Vermont: $49,720

Virgin Islands: $46,970

Virginia: $44,850

Washington: $55,420

West Virginia: $36,770

Wisconsin: $45,290

Wyoming: $46,790

A registered nurse is someone who earned a license to practice nursing in their state, providing patient care in a range of settings from major hospitals to clinics to nursing homes and schools. RNs include clinical nurse specialists, but not advanced practice registered nurses. RNs care for patients, diagnosing and treating conditions that fall under specific areas, such as oncology and geriatrics. Research online bachelor of nursing degrees.

Registered nurse salaries can vary but the average annual pay for registered nurses was $75,510, according to 2018 BLS data. The top 90th percentile earned an annual salary of $106,530.

According to the BLS, the top five states for RN salaries are:

RN Salary California: $106,950

RN Salary Hawaii: $98,080

RN Salary District of Columbia: $92,350

RN Salary Massachusetts: $92,140

RN Salary Oregon: $91,080

Registered Nurse Salary by State

Here’s registered nurse salary by state according to 2018 data from the BLS.

Annual mean salary (in U.S. dollars)

Alabama: $59,470

Alaska: $89,310

Arizona: $77,000

Arkansas: $60,780

California: $106,950

Colorado: $74,240

Connecticut: $81,220

Delaware: $74,800

District of Columbia: $92,350

Florida: $66,210

Georgia: $68,950

Guam: $59,030

Hawaii: $98,080

Idaho: $67,110

Illinois: $73,890

Indiana: $64,860

Iowa: $59,130

Kansas: $61,030

Kentucky: $63,100

Louisiana: $63,970

Maine: $67,610

Maryland: $76,820

Massachusetts: $92,140

Michigan: $71,330

Minnesota: $78,920

Mississippi: $58,490

Missouri: $65,130

Montana: $67,450

Nebraska: $64,470

Nevada: $85,620

New Hampshire: $72,760

New Jersey: $82,750

New Mexico: $71,730

New York: $85,610

North Carolina: $64,850

North Dakota: $65,740

Ohio: $66,820

Oklahoma: $63,080

Oregon: $91,080

Pennsylvania: $70,390

Puerto Rico: $34,940

Rhode Island: $78,420

South Carolina: $64,940

South Dakota: $58,340

Tennessee: $61,320

Texas: $72,890

Utah: $65,670

Vermont: $69,160

Virgin Islands: $61,550

Virginia: $69,790

Washington: $82,670

West Virginia: $61,780

Wisconsin: $71,470

Wyoming: $67,360

Advanced practice nurses, or advanced practice registered nurses, have finished advanced clinical and educational certifications. They’re nurses who’ve chosen to further their education, specialize in a specific area, and obtain additional certification credentials. Research online master of nursing degrees.

Here are three types of nurses who fall in this category, according to the BLS:

Certified nurse practitioner: Cares for patients of all ages, diagnosing and treating illnesses, and focusing on wellness and overall changes that promote better health outcomes. NPs can specialize in areas such as acute care, psychiatric mental health, women’s health, and family nurse practitioner.

Certified nurse-midwife: Cares for pregnant women and their families, assisting with prenatal care, labor and delivery to helping new mothers in the postpartum phase adjust to life with a newborn.

Certified nurse anesthetist: Administers anesthesia before and after surgery.

Nurse Practitioner Salaries by State

Curious about annual APRN salary? Here are the various salaries for certified nurse practitioners, certified nurse-midwives and certified nurse anesthetists in the U. S., according to 2018 data from the BLS.

Disclosure: “Not available” indicates that the BLS has not provided data for it. All data was accessed in 2019.

Nurses Salary Schedule – 2018‐2021

• See a printable PDF version of the Nurses Salary Schedule »

Head Nurse (DOE)

6/16/2018			2/14/2019			5/14/2020			5/14/2021
	Exp. Diff.	Min. Base Plus Exp		Exp. Diff.	Min. Base Plus Exp		Exp. Diff.	Min. Base Plus Exp		Exp. Diff.	Min. Base Plus Exp
0		70,452	0		71,861	0		73,658	0		75,868
1	813	71,265	1	829	72,690	1	850	74,508	1	876	76,744
2	1,624	72,076	2	1,656	73,517	2	1,697	75,355	2	1,748	77,616
3	1,624	72,076	3	1,656	73,517	3	1,697	75,355	3	1,748	77,616
4	2,435	72,887	4	2,484	74,345	4	2,546	76,204	4	2,622	78,490
5	3,246	73,698	5	3,311	75,172	5	3,394	77,052	5	3,496	79,364
6	3,246	73,698	6	3,311	75,172	6	3,394	77,052	6	3,496	79,364
7	3,515	73,967	7	3,585	75,446	7	3,675	77,333	7	3,785	79,653
10	4,058	74,510	10	4,139	76,000	10	4,242	77,900	10	4,369	80,237
13	4,600	75,052	13	4,692	76,553	13	4,809	78,467	13	4,953	80,821
15	4,869	75,321	15	4,966	76,827	15	5,090	78,748	15	5,243	81,111
17	5,724	76,176	17	5,838	77,699	17	5,984	79,642	17	6,164	82,032
18	6,158	76,610	18	6,281	78,142	18	6,438	80,096	18	6,631	82,499
20	6,585	77,037	20	6,717	78,578	20	6,885	80,543	20	7,092	82,960

Public Health Nurse

6/16/2018			2/14/2019			5/14/2020			5/14/2021
	Exp. Diff.	Min. Base Plus Exp		Exp. Diff.	Min. Base Plus Exp		Exp. Diff.	Min. Base Plus Exp		Exp. Diff.	Min. Base Plus Exp
0		68,501	0		69,871	0		71,618	0		73,767
1	784	69,285	1	800	70,671	1	820	72,438	1	845	74,612
2	1,573	70,074	2	1,604	71,475	2	1,644	73,262	2	1,693	75,460
3	1,573	70,074	3	1,604	71,475	3	1,644	73,262	3	1,693	75,460
4	2,365	70,866	4	2,412	72,283	4	2,472	74,090	4	2,546	76,313
5	3,154	71,655	5	3,217	73,088	5	3,297	74,915	5	3,396	77,163
6	3,154	71,655	6	3,217	73,088	6	3,297	74,915	6	3,396	77,163
7	3,413	71,914	7	3,481	73,352	7	3,568	75,186	7	3,675	77,442
10	3,942	72,443	10	4,021	73,892	10	4,122	75,740	10	4,246	78,013
13	4,466	72,967	13	4,555	74,426	13	4,669	76,287	13	4,809	78,576
15	4,732	73,233	15	4,827	74,698	15	4,948	76,566	15	5,096	78,863
17	5,561	74,062	17	5,672	75,543	17	5,814	77,432	17	5,988	79,755
18	5,984	74,485	18	6,104	75,975	18	6,257	77,875	18	6,445	80,212
20	6,391	74,892	20	6,519	76,390	20	6,682	78,300	20	6,882	80,649

Pediatric Nurse Associate

6/16/2018			2/14/2019			5/14/2020			5/14/2021
	Exp. Diff.	Min. Base Plus Exp		Exp. Diff.	Min. Base Plus Exp		Exp. Diff.	Min. Base Plus Exp		Exp. Diff.	Min. Base Plus Exp
0		73,182	0		74,646	0		76,512	0		78,807
1	845	74,027	1	862	75,508	1	884	77,396	1	911	79,718
2	1,688	74,870	2	1,722	76,368	2	1,765	78,277	2	1,818	80,625
3	1,688	74,870	3	1,722	76,368	3	1,765	78,277	3	1,818	80,625
4	2,531	75,713	4	2,582	77,228	4	2,647	79,159	4	2,726	81,533
5	3,375	76,557	5	3,443	78,089	5	3,529	80,041	5	3,635	82,442
6	3,375	76,557	6	3,443	78,089	6	3,529	80,041	6	3,635	82,442
7	3,653	76,835	7	3,726	78,372	7	3,819	80,331	7	3,934	82,741
10	4,220	77,402	10	4,304	78,950	10	4,412	80,924	10	4,544	83,351
13	4,781	77,963	13	4,877	79,523	13	4,999	81,511	13	5,149	83,956
15	5,059	78,241	15	5,160	79,806	15	5,289	81,801	15	5,448	84,255
17	5,949	79,131	17	6,068	80,714	17	6,220	82,732	17	6,407	85,214
18	6,399	79,581	18	6,527	81,173	18	6,690	83,202	18	6,891	85,698
20	6,845	80,027	20	6,982	81,628	20	7,157	83,669	20	7,372	86,179

Advancement Increase

	6/16/2018	2/14/2019	5/14/2020	5/14/2021
Head Nurse/HN (DOE)	1,569	1,600	1,640	1,689
Sup. Of Nurses	1,732	1,767	1,811	1,865
Sr. PT/Sr. PT (DOE)	2,342	2,389	2,449	2,522
Sr. OT/Sr. OT (DOE)	2,342	2,389	2,449	2,522
Supervising Therapist	2,646	2,699	2,766	2,849

Staff Development

	6/16/2018	2/14/2019	5/14/2020	5/14/2021
Presenters	50.91	51.93	53. 23	54.83
Trainees/Attendees	22.82	23.28	23.86	24.58

Salaries of doctors in the USA – Vatnik in America

Bills that come from hospitals to Americans can amaze an unprepared person, and ruin those who pay them. At the same time, there is a lot of information on the Internet about the huge salaries of American doctors. And doctors in the US are really such a highly paid profession, as is commonly thought? In American cinema, a doctor (like a lawyer) is almost always a rich man with a big house, an expensive car and, optionally, a mistress.

In Marvel’s Doctor Strange, a successful New York City surgeon drives nothing more than a

Lamborghini

I will not drag out the intrigue and say that huge salaries are a reality. But maybe there are some nuances here, and not everything is so simple at all? Let’s see which of the doctors can count on such huge salaries.

How much do you earn?

If you ask Google how much doctors in the US earn, you will get impressive data. According to the latest data, 5.14 million people work in hospitals across the country. And here, for example, Business Insider reports that a number of specialists receive an average of $100,000 to $260,000. And this is not a chapel – orthopedists and cardiologists receive about $ 500,000 a year. Indeed, doctors of various specialties (not only oncologists and plastic surgeons, who are most often shown in films), s who have developed a client base and opened a private practice can earn half a million or even a million dollars a year.

But even this is not enough for some, and they start inventing illnesses for patients and pulling money out of them for nothing. In 2015, Detroit oncologist Farid Fata made false diagnoses, convincing people to be treated for non-existent end-stage blood cancer. “What was the motivation? Why me? I don’t understand what I did to him,” says one of the victims. “Because of all these bills, I can’t afford to have my teeth fixed,” says another victim. Over several years, he pulled out $34 million from 553 patients, of which $17.6 million was paid by insurance companies. These are the amounts that the most successful doctors are talking about, but there are very few of them. Farid himself received 45 years in prison for his art.

A social worker in hospitals earns an average of $70,870 per year. But this is exactly what the average salary in the country, as well as the average temperature in the hospital. Out of 48,070 such specialists, some receive $50,000, and some receive $100,000

Here are just surgeons, anesthesiologists, and a few other categories, even receiving more than $ 250,000 a year in the hospital, this is a very small elite – about 5,000 specialists of each category throughout the country (nurses, for example, more than half a million). And then the question immediately arises. And who are the people who can afford to be treated by such specialists? After all, these big salaries are not taken out of thin air. They are formed from the exorbitantly inflated medical bills paid by ordinary Americans. It is a well-known fact that hospital management forces doctors to prescribe unnecessary tests and procedures to patients.

Let’s go back to the Business Insider article. If you add up all the doctors making more than $100,000, that’s less than half of all doctors. In addition, not only doctors work in hospitals. In addition to security and cleaners, there are also nurses, ambulance workers and other doctors. The American healthcare system cannot be directly compared with the Russian one.

Ambulance staff

The simplest example is an ambulance. In Russia, an ambulance doctor is sent to travel abroad (at least this should be the case in theory until the latest reforms). But in the United States, “paramedics” work in an ambulance – they are not doctors by qualification, have a lower status and receive a more modest salary. According to 2022 data, they earn an average of $41.659 per yearup to $51,699, and in such poor states as Alabama and Kansas for $30,000. I can’t say enough how nerve-wracking and sometimes dangerous this profession is. Nurses earn about the same.

If you watched the series “Scrubs”, you probably noticed that the main characters Turk and JD are forced to rent one apartment for two, and when Dr. Reed quarreled with rich parents, she was forced to rent rather miserable apartments. Although this is a comedy, there is plenty of truth to life in it – otherwise the series would not have become a cult. And the truth is that not all doctors receive some sky-high money and a lot depends on the state and even the hospital.

The main characters of the series “Clinic”

There is no direct analogy with Russia, but these are the heroes of the series “ Clinic ” – young doctors who complete their studies while working in a clinic. These are general practitioners, who are often given the most difficult work. In the status of “resident” doctors work for at least three years, and often five years and even 6 and 8 years. And now they average about $64,000 a year, while 52% of graduates have a debt of $200,000, and another quarter have to pay $300,000. “Patients deserve doctors who aren’t overworked and stressed out by low pay,” says Shreya Amin, MD, endocrine officer at the University of Vermont Medical Center.

The next step in the career is the “physician assistant”, who, according to official data, already receive $116.080. But official statistics also like to inflate salaries. In Kentucky, such a doctor receives $79,000, and in Alabama $88,500. And $116,000 is already talking about the richest states like Alaska and New York. But you still have to live up to this salary and pay off the loan. In fairness, it should be noted that 43% of doctors said that they receive an adequate salary, but those who are members of trade unions strongly disagree with this and their salary is not enough. And they do not have enough precisely because of the fact that a lot of money is spent on paying debts.

According to the latest data, 53% of healthcare professionals have experienced depression because of their high debt, and 9 out of 10 debtors are worried about this. And 1 in 15 borrowers even considered suicide because of their debt.

The level of indebtedness of physicians directly affects their mental health and their professional activities, damaging the quality of medical care. In recent years, not only the scale of emotional burnout among doctors has increased, but the number of suicides has also increased.

How many doctors are there in the US and who can afford them

The relatively high salaries of doctors in the US turn out to be the other side of a rather unattractive fact. According to the United Nations for 2018, the United States was in 61st place in terms of the number of doctors per 1000 people – only 2.64 doctors. This is even less than in Saudi Arabia and corresponds to the average level in Latin America, but still less than in Ecuador and Mexico. But this is not counting Cuba, which is in first place in the world in terms of the number of doctors – 8.4 doctors per 1000 people. In Europe, this figure is on average 2 times higher than in the United States. According to CNBC, 25% of Americans do not visit doctors because of the high cost of services, and 66% of Americans are afraid that they will not be able to afford medical services.

“Medicine costs due to an accident or illness are very serious and can cause long-term financial damage.” – Mark Hamrick, economist.

Of course, by law, even poor Americans are entitled to health care. A policeman can call an ambulance for a homeless person and they will still provide him with some kind of emergency assistance. At least in theory. But God forbid you find money that you can pay. Some Americans, even bleeding, beg passers-by not to call an ambulance, and prefer to get to hospitals by taxi even in a very serious condition. It gets to the point where people prefer to call an Uber even if they have internal bleeding or a severed arm. In a word, they take any risk, just not to pay bills for an ambulance.

Drew Culver’s medical bill for $108,951

Drew Culver, a 44-year-old high school teacher from Houston, Texas, who had a heart attack at his home on April 2, 2017, was taken to the nearest emergency room by his neighbor. A couple of days later, he was discharged with a bill for $165,000, of which the insurance company only paid out $56,000. “They want to give me another heart attack by sending me bills like this” , Culver later said, because that’s more than twice his annual salary. But the ambulance staff definitely do not see the money that patients have to pay. In order to be treated seriously and comprehensively at your own expense, without the risk of becoming bankrupt, you need to be, without exaggeration, a millionaire.

“Doctor House” I think everyone watched. So, according to the plot, Gregory House works in a free hospital at Princeton University and, first of all, he has a research department, which allows him to treat for free using all the technologies available to science, even homeless people, even ministers. In reality, of course, this does not happen. As you know, in the United States, most hospitals are either private or operate as commercial enterprises. And for medical services, most of the amount is paid by insurance companies (if there is insurance), and part is paid by the patients themselves from their own pockets. Therefore, any talk about the high salaries of doctors is not complete without talking about super-high prices for their services.

One in four Americans do not visit a doctor due to the high cost of services

It is no coincidence that according to recent opinion polls, 80% of Americans are worried about the impossibility of obtaining qualified medical care. And the vast majority of Americans are dissatisfied with the lack of universal insurance. Only 12% are satisfied with the healthcare system, and only 6% consider the prices for medicines acceptable. On average, Americans spend $12,000 a year on healthcare.

Your sores will not be treated for free – at most you will be stabilized in the emergency department and sent for a walk. The alternative is a more than modest network of free and charitable clinics – 1,400 clinics throughout the country. They are approached by those who cannot afford insurance, let alone pay for treatment on their own.

Inside the Charleston Free Clinic

One of the largest of these clinics is located in Charleston, West Virginia and sees 26,000 patients annually. “Many people think that only the unemployed go to free clinics, but this is a delusion. More than 80% of our patients have a job or at least a part-time job. Without us, many people will have no other way to get health care than to quit their jobs and become poor enough to qualify for federal Medicaid ”, – says the head of the clinic, Angie Settle . “There were women in my practice who didn’t see a gynecologist for 20 years because they didn’t know how to get there,” nurse Bobby Morrison echoes her.

For example, Ricci Shannon, 21, heard about this clinic from a work colleague after she complained of severe toothache. But since she does not have money for insurance, she constantly put off going to the doctor, realizing how much it would cost: “It’s just very expensive. Another bill when you first got a job. Paradoxically, in America, to get medical care, you need to be not only prosperous or rich, but also quite poor. Many people are balancing between these states; They cannot rise, but they also have no desire to go to the bottom.

And according to the Centers for Disease Control in 2019, almost 33 million Americans have no insurance at all, and free clinics can reach at best 2 million people – less than 10% of those in need. At the same time, people without insurance under the federal Medicare program can wait for an appointment with a specialist for six months, or even a year. In free clinics, the necessary assistance can be obtained almost immediately, but the range of services there is small.

“Bosses say they value us, but they don’t”

Nurses in trash bags as protection and their boss Dr. Kios Kelly

But if you thought that all this gigantic money that Americans pay on medical bills goes to providing hospitals with equipment, medicines, and personnel with protective equipment, then this is the wrong answer. Back in April 2020, in some US hospitals, the Centers for Disease Control recommended that doctors and nurses use scarves and neckerchiefs instead of masks due to the lack of the latter. And in one of the hospitals in Manhattan, medical staff were forced to wear disposable garbage bags instead of medical capes. And the head of the nursing department, Kios Kelly, eventually contracted the coronavirus and died from complications.

In favor of the fact that doctors and nurses do not ride like cheese in butter, the mass nature of the strikes clearly speaks. Literally on September 12 of this year, 15,000 (!) nurses from private hospitals in Minnesota went on a street strike. This was the largest strike in US private medical history. And their salaries are noticeably lower than those of doctors. This three-day strike was intended to point out to the public the shortage of nurses across the country, especially during the pandemic. The problem is truly massive – in April 2022, 4,000 nurses and junior staff were on strike at Stanford and several other major and elite medical centers in America. As the nurses themselves said, it all started because the management “treated patients like business as usual. ”

Striking paramedics at Stanford

Nurses claim that in some departments they take shifts without a head nurse, and work for experienced employees is dumped on yesterday’s graduates. Since private hospitals are business as usual, management strives to maximize profits and minimize costs. And in the costs they write down junior staff, on whose salaries you can save, shifting the duties of senior employees to junior ones without any additional payments. The nurses demanded not only to raise their salaries, but above all to participate in the selection of personnel and scheduling shifts.

“I can’t give my patients the care they deserve,” said Chris Rubets, vice president of the Minnesota Nursing Association. “It eats you up from the inside. If there was a member of my family in this bed, then I would not want to leave them,” says nurse with 14 years of experience, Kelly Anaas, adding that over the years her workload has steadily increased. “We are sorry that it came to a strike. But we feel this is the only thing we can do to show the management how incredibly important nurses are to the hospital. Management tells us it’s our fault. We tried to negotiate, but we didn’t achieve anything, ”said one of the striking nurses, Brianna Hnath.

The Minnesota Nursing Association said that hospital officials continue to “refuse to address” staff shortages and neglect safety issues in drafting employment contracts. The administration simply ignores the ever-growing problem of emotional burnout and high staff turnover. Striking nurses at some hospitals have said their shifts are often filled with 5-10 fewer nurses than expected, forcing nurses to see more patients than they can handle.

“We work long enough to know what our patients need,” said co-chair of the union, Dominic Mouldon. “We have not seen respect for our profession from the authorities, and this has been going on for a long time. I think the pandemic has clearly shown this. We were working at a very difficult time when our employer could have come to our rescue rather than interfere with our care of our patients,” said nurse Marlena Pellegrino, who was on strike with 300 of her colleagues in Chicago in 2021.

US median salary for nurses. But even among them there is a not very numerous “working aristocracy”, which receives $100,000 or more.

And this problem did not arise yesterday. Minnesota nurses with the same demands went on a large-scale strike back in 2010, and then hospitals had to urgently hire 2,700 new employees – in fact, strikebreakers who refused to join unions. For years, US hospitals have faced shortages of staff. Soaring demand and increased safety risks for nurses during the pandemic have only exacerbated the situation. The pressure under the lid grew until the steam tore it off.

“Bosses say they value us, but they don’t. They just spin us around the way they want. We are short of half the staff, but they don’t care. They just load us with more and more responsibilities and criticize if we do not have time to do everything. And all these posters with “Health Heroes” are just rubbish. We don’t believe this nonsense for a second. We are the dregs of healthcare because our bosses don’t care about us,” says Cathy Haff, who was on strike in 2021.

After the emergency recruitment in 2019year, the number of health care workers in the United States has still not recovered to pre-pandemic levels and is down by 37,000 compared to February 2020. New York and Florida have reported their worst nurse shortages in decades. According to recent studies, patients most often died due to the fact that overworked nurses did not have time to prevent their death. Nurses who risked their lives during the pandemic are leaving en masse and retiring at the earliest opportunity.

Nurses and other healthcare workers protest in California in 2020

“I just want safety at work. I don’t want your hot dog. You tell me what a hero I am and how beautiful I am. Just make normal working conditions. That’s all nurses need.” -Kimberly Smith, nurse with 12 years of experience.

But if with nurses, as with less qualified employees, this was expected, then doctors definitely have no reason to strike. After all, they have such high salaries. It is so? Not really. This year, a union representing more than 1,300 interns and residents at three Los Angeles County public hospitals reached an agreement with the county to prevent a three-day strike scheduled to begin on June 13th. The union agreed to a peaceful settlement after more than 20 hours of intense negotiations. And 9 people voted in favor of the strike9% of union members.

“It is thanks to our organization and the threat of a strike that we have been able to move the negotiations further than ever and get what we need for our safety and the care of our patients.” – Monica Hedmann, Resident Physician, Regional Vice President trade union and negotiating team member. The Committee of Interns and Residents (CIR) represents 22,000 interns and doctors throughout the country, which in itself speaks of the magnitude of the problems with working conditions.

The threat of a strike resulted in a 5.5% increase in average wages in the first year and 3.25% in the next two years, as well as a $3,000 increase in rent compensation. The June strike could have been the first for doctors in 32 years, but the exhausting work during COVID-19 had a sobering effect on many, and the doctors realized that if they endured a little longer, they would die. As it turned out, interns generally worked 80 hours a week for $14 an hour, which is $3 more than a McDonald’s employee’s salary.

At the end of February 2022, hundreds of paramedics came out to protest in Los Angeles, who received $ 15-16 per hour. They also demanded higher wages.

Prior to this, there were major strikes by doctors in 1990 and 1979, when thousands of doctors went on strike. For example, in January 1979, 4,000 doctors and interns in New York went on a 24-hour strike when the authorities set out to lay off 20,000 health workers. They decided to save, of course, in the poorest areas and in particular in Harlem.

This was a New Year’s gift to commercial clinics that would receive clients who lost the opportunity to be treated for free. Despite the threat of fines, deprivation of medical licenses and even imprisonment, the strike took place and brought its positive results. Some of the reforms have been rolled back. A similar strike took place in 1990 – then the Bronx doctors went on strike for 9 days.

The small number of such large-scale strikes does not mean that the doctors in general are doing well. Just in each of these cases, they decided to rob them too brazenly and patience burst. And petty attacks on the rights of doctors and nurses were ongoing. And if all doctors received at least $ 200,000, or even half a million, then the problem of student debts would not be so acute. Democrats play a trump card with their write-off before each election. Of course, student debt is not just about doctors. But this is a real pain for young resident physicians, who, being the largest category of doctors, are infinitely far from a salary of $ 300,000.

Conclusion

Paid and free medicine cannot exist indefinitely – one will definitely squeeze out the other. And paid medicine is being promoted by big business with the help of the state, which is destroying public health care. Doctors and nurses do their best to resist this. But the logic of business is this logic: “Let people not be treated at all, what will be treated for free, and I won’t make money on it.”

But for those who can afford good insurance and receive a good salary, then at your service are specialists of various profiles who receive really very large salaries, even if taxes, rent of ever-rising housing and other things are deducted from them. And it is, without irony, remarkable that such a useful profession for society is so well paid.

But not only highly paid specialists work in the healthcare system. They make up about a third of the employees. Nurses, paramedics, medical residents and many young specialists bear no less burden (there are no direct analogies with the Russian Federation). Although they do not earn a penny and do not live in poverty (although paramedics and nurses often balance on the edge), it is clearly not enough for their qualifications and the psychological and physical burden that falls on them.

• Covid-19
• Medicine
• Society
• Work in the USA

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How to become a nurse in the USA? Guide for Immigrants

Leading universities, medical colleges and other educational institutions offer numerous opportunities for nursing education at the individual course level, bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral levels. Nursing in the US has great opportunities as the profession is in high demand.

To understand how to get an education and work in the field of medicine, in particular the profession of a nurse, we turned to Nadezhda Dobrydnik, who has been working as an Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner in the role of a family therapist for more than two years at a polyclinic in Miami.

Nadezhda helped me deal with the following questions:

• What are the duties of a nurse?
• Huge range of career opportunities
• Nurse uniform and schedule
• How much time is invested in learning from scratch?
• How much does tuition cost and factors that affect this cost?
• Who pays for advanced training courses?
• What should you be prepared for when choosing the profession of a nurse?
• How much do nurses earn in the US?
• Tips and Steps to Take to Complete Training
• Useful resources

What are the duties of a nurse?

The profession of a nurse is in demand in any country. Nursing the patient, maintaining his vitality is the main task of the staff of hospitals and clinics. The profession is multi-faceted. Nurses must be able to do a lot: take tests, perform various medical procedures, keep rooms clean, hygienic, understand and correctly follow doctor’s instructions when working with documentation.

If a nurse works in a maternity ward, then her duties will include not only caring for a woman in labor, but also for a newborn after childbirth. She also educates the new mother about the signs/symptoms of infection after childbirth, tells her about medications that are prescribed by the doctor, and helps with the care of the child. In the postpartum department, there is another narrower specialty of a nurse – a lactation specialist. This is a specially trained nurse who helps with breastfeeding.

If a nurse works in an operating room, she has very different duties and concerns. There are also several positions. For example, the circulating nurse is responsible for ensuring that the operating room has all the necessary instruments and drugs. If something is missing, for example, blood is urgently needed for a transfusion, it is she who is responsible to bring the blood.

If the nurse works in the neurology department, in addition to the usual examination of the patient, she conducts a detailed examination of the patient’s neurological system. Outside the walls of the hospital there are several different areas for nurses.

To work as a nurse, it is important to be a good psychologist, to be able to put yourself in the place of the sick, to have compassion.

Wide range of career opportunities

One of the advantages of this profession in the USA is the wide range of career opportunities. Wherever you would expect to see a nurse. Let’s take a look together:

• Advocate Nurse Assistant. Medical malpractice or negligence litigation is not new in the US. Lawyers who specialize in such cases will often hire a nurse with experience to review an injured patient’s record. It will be a plus if the nurse is certified as a “lawyer’s assistant”, but this is not an absolute requirement. Sometimes experience is more valuable than a crust.

• Race nurses. NASCAR employs several nurses who work to develop safety protocols during races. They are in constant contact with the riders and their teams, monitor their physical and psychological health.

• Script writing consultant nurse. Television or cinematic medical dramas continue to gain popularity. Screenwriters often need help from qualified and experienced nurses who know firsthand how the hospital works, what actions and decisions the medical staff makes on a daily basis.

• Yacht/cruise ship nurse. Where as on a yacht a small number of people requiring first-class care may need nursing services, on a cruise ship there may be many more patients. But both activities allow the nurse to travel, and are also well-paid careers.

• Accompanying nurses during flights. Sometimes patients have to be transported over long distances for various reasons: the patient is a citizen of another country and wants to continue treatment in the country of residence; the patient cannot be given the necessary assistance in this hospital and has to be transferred to another. If the patient’s condition does not allow him to be discharged and fly on an ordinary passenger plane, the patient is transported by helicopter or a specially equipped aircraft. During the entire flight, the patient is monitored by a nurse.

This is certainly not a complete list of exciting career opportunities in nursing.

The form and work schedule of a nurse

The workload of a nurse depends on the department. Nurses are given the least number of patients in the wards where the most critical patients are. For example, in intensive care, it is customary to give 1-2 patients per nurse. Often there are situations when there is not enough staff. Such problems should be solved at the legislative level and as soon as possible.

In hospitals, nurses usually work 12-hour shifts, three days a week. Weekend work alternates. Work also rotates on public holidays. Many nurses build their own schedule, based on the principle of alternating weekends and holidays.

How much time is invested in learning from scratch ?

A licensed nurse (RN) high school diploma with an associate’s degree in nursing takes about two years to complete. Newcomers have two choices: Registered Nurse (LPN) or Licensed Nurse (RN). Approximately the same amount of time is spent on training these specialties. But licensed nurses (RNs) are paid more and have more career opportunities.

Nadezhda Dobrydnik immigrated to the US at the age of 18 with a good command of English. She acquired it during an exchange program for schoolchildren aged 15-16 years. Having started her nursing education in the USA from scratch, she completed two years of training, then continued her journey in this direction, graduating two years later with a bachelor’s degree, and then applied to a master’s program – and this is two more years. As a result, Nadezhda received a doctoral degree, which took her another two years. Having received a full education in nursing, Nadezhda ended up studying for 8 years as a practicing nurse to work as a family therapist (Family Nurse Practitioner).

In the photo: Nadeja Dobrydnik.

How much does training cost and factors that affect this cost ?

There are several factors that affect the cost of education.

1. Location. As with any business, the higher the demand, the more expensive the supply. In states where nurses are well paid, the cost of education is higher.

2. University accreditation. If the university is accredited, then the cost of education increases at least twice. Accreditation is not only prestige, it is also an almost guaranteed ease of transfer from one university to another. That is, if you are planning to study further, to get higher degrees, you are better off looking only at accredited educational institutions.

3. Prestige. The more “promoted” the program, the more it costs.

4. Academic degree. The program after which you get a diploma of 2 years of education, of course, is very different in cost from the bachelor’s program. Moreover, with both degrees, you can get a license and start working.

5. Your ability to find funding. If you find a scholarship program that pays for everything, then your education will be free!

Who pays for advanced training courses ?

Nurses who work in hospitals have unlimited free access to continuing education courses. If a nurse wishes to be certified in her specialty, the hospital can often pay for this as well. If the nurse works as self-employed, then she has to pay for any advanced training herself.

How much do nurses earn in USA ?

It is difficult to determine the exact figure, since there are also factors affecting the salary:

• Experience. The more experience, the more valuable the worker.
• Specialization. Nurses working in highly stressed departments like intensive care, emergency department get more. The level of responsibility they have is much higher, respectively higher and compensation.
• Location. In areas and states with a shortage of medical staff, salaries are higher.
• Your personal negotiation skills. If you can negotiate correctly during the recruitment process, your salary will be higher.
• Fluctuations in the labor market. In the history of the United States, there have been several examples of severe shortages of medical staff. Then the working nurses could “bargain” for themselves a higher salary.

Average salaries range from $59,130 ​​to $167,950 a year for nurse anesthesiologists. There is a good social package with health insurance, paid vacation and sick leave.

What should you be prepared for when choosing the nursing profession?

You should be prepared for stressful situations, you need to be able to quickly make the right decisions, be resistant to difficult moral and psychological situations. You must always remember that the life or death of a person may depend on you.

5 tips from an expert for people who want to become a nurse

1. If you are an ambitious person who loves personal and career growth, if you know how and love to help people, then nursing is for you.

2. Never let other people tell you that you can’t do it. Once you have clearly defined your goal of becoming a nurse, make a plan for yourself and stick to it.

3. Find yourself a mentor. A mentor is a person who already has experience in the profession, a person who can inspire you by his example, who can tell you, show the pros and cons when choosing a career path, or education.

4. You need English in every area of ​​life in America. Learn English, the level of knowledge must be high in order to read, understand and apply information during nursing education. Terms are hard to learn for everyone, not only immigrants, but also native speakers, so don’t worry about it.

5. If you don’t like any area of ​​the sisterhood, don’t despair, you have a lot to choose from. You will definitely find something to your liking.

Specific steps to take for people who decide to learn a new specialty

Step #1: Since all work will be done in English, it is necessary to acquire this knowledge at a good level. Language training in the USA takes place on the basis of with paid ESL classes or at Community College. You should also understand that even if your English is at a good level, you still have to take an English course that native speakers also take. This course teaches you how to write correctly, write essays, and arrange written work at the college/university level. The SAT and TOEFL exams are accepted by many universities as the standard for basic knowledge and English language proficiency.

Step #2: At this stage, decide where you want to go. This must be done in order to save time and money, not to collect unnecessary items. Then, a college advisor/counselor should be contacted to assist in the preparation of a study plan in order to study all the necessary subjects, before entering directly into a nursing school. These items are called Prerequisites. Usually these subjects include microbiology, anatomy and physiology, chemistry, human development at different stages of the life path, mathematics, sociology, psychology, nutrition. Also, if you are applying for a bachelor’s program right away, you may need statistics. These subjects may vary depending on the requirements of your college/university.

Step #3: When you have successfully passed all the prerequisites, you can apply directly to the sister school. Requirements for applications and documents are different! Most colleges and universities require an entrance exam. Find out in advance what kind of entrance exam your school accepts, where you can take this exam, and how many attempts per year / semester you are allowed to take. The most common exams are TEAS, HESI, NLN.

Step #4: For those trained in their home country and seeking work in the US, and for those who have studied at US universities, the NCLEX exam is required. Every nurse, before being allowed to practice in American clinics, must pass a professional exam to demonstrate her knowledge and be licensed to work.