B-J-J Fighter
Royce Gracie in Action
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getting out of aviation
- Thread starter bell47
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My wife is a nurse. She's been doing it now for about 5 years. The first half of that was spent wiping geriatric butts, this last half has been in pre-op. Let's just say that the grass is always greener on the other side. It's nice that she can get a job wherever we go, with relative ease, but the pay isn't as great as everyone makes it out to be. Here are my "insights" into the nursing profession...
Pay. I don't know where all of you get your info, but for a regular 4-year degreed RN, it still isn't that great. Livable, definitely, but not the greatest. Right now my wife is making the most she's ever made, roughly $50K, working in downtown PHX. She could make quite a bit more if she entered the nursing pool, but that provides no benefits, and with me finishing up ratings right now, we need those benefits. So if you can get by without the bennies, the pay can be good. If not, it's livable at best (if you have a family). Specialties will obviously pay more, but how much more is the question. I think my wife would love to be a CRNA, but that involves more school, which won't work with my current income ($0).
Management. The hospitals are businesses, and as such their goal is to improve the bottom line. My wife's boss consistently sends people home early in order to comply with managements wishes for lower costs. My wife's last paycheck was for 69 hours over a two week period, during which there were no holidays. Her normal shift would be 80 hours over two weeks. She can't even get full-time hours because her boss keeps sending everyone home early. This last week she's been fighting to stay for as long as possible so she can help out our bottom line. This was also the case at her first hospital. I don't quite understand hospital management - they'll send home a full-time nurse who makes $28 an hour, but have no problem paying a travel nurse almost $50 an hour to do the job of the LPN who, if she was full-time, would be making about $20 an hour. I know I don't have all of the cost breakdowns to look at, but they sure would be interesting to see.
Anyway, Bell47, good luck on the career change.
Pay. I don't know where all of you get your info, but for a regular 4-year degreed RN, it still isn't that great. Livable, definitely, but not the greatest. Right now my wife is making the most she's ever made, roughly $50K, working in downtown PHX. She could make quite a bit more if she entered the nursing pool, but that provides no benefits, and with me finishing up ratings right now, we need those benefits. So if you can get by without the bennies, the pay can be good. If not, it's livable at best (if you have a family). Specialties will obviously pay more, but how much more is the question. I think my wife would love to be a CRNA, but that involves more school, which won't work with my current income ($0).
Management. The hospitals are businesses, and as such their goal is to improve the bottom line. My wife's boss consistently sends people home early in order to comply with managements wishes for lower costs. My wife's last paycheck was for 69 hours over a two week period, during which there were no holidays. Her normal shift would be 80 hours over two weeks. She can't even get full-time hours because her boss keeps sending everyone home early. This last week she's been fighting to stay for as long as possible so she can help out our bottom line. This was also the case at her first hospital. I don't quite understand hospital management - they'll send home a full-time nurse who makes $28 an hour, but have no problem paying a travel nurse almost $50 an hour to do the job of the LPN who, if she was full-time, would be making about $20 an hour. I know I don't have all of the cost breakdowns to look at, but they sure would be interesting to see.
Anyway, Bell47, good luck on the career change.
satpak77 said:
I agree. A piece of advice is kinda like a butthole, everyone's got one! LOL Like I said I'm not going to quit flying, I love airplanes. I'm just changing professions to make it a hobby again. I have thought about going to nursing school for the past ten years, ever since I worked in a Emergency clinic and loved it. It has always been something that I was interested in. My mother, grandmother and sister are all nurses, this field is not foreign to me at all. Anyway, keep the advice coming I will listen to all opinions, and options. Thanks, bell47
Bell47 excellent idea and strategy.
So many people I fly with don't have a
plan B in case things go bad. I would definately get the nursing credential.
The biggest return on your effort would be getting a two year AS degree in Nursing.
Let the hospital pay for your "bridge degree" ASN to BSN.
I am a Registered Physical Therapist, currently flying at a major fractional.
I was in the same situation as you. Except, I tried to get a flying job back in the mid 80's. Recently I thought I would have to go back to PT if things went any worse at my current job. I was amazed at the number of people who thought they would be able to survive a job action by working at Home Depot. I did the PT thing for about 8 years, formed a PT contracting business (hospital, long term care, home health) along with my wife. Flew back and forth to see patients, had a blast. But, after treating many older folks and listening to their advice, finally realized you only get one chance at this life.
I don't regret being a PT but,
I would not go back to PT if I could still fly. I gotta admit though, I sleep better at night knowing I have a "marketable" skill.
If you get a critical care certification, I would suspect you could work your way into an FO's position with an air ambulance outfit.
So many people I fly with don't have a
plan B in case things go bad. I would definately get the nursing credential.
The biggest return on your effort would be getting a two year AS degree in Nursing.
Let the hospital pay for your "bridge degree" ASN to BSN.
I am a Registered Physical Therapist, currently flying at a major fractional.
I was in the same situation as you. Except, I tried to get a flying job back in the mid 80's. Recently I thought I would have to go back to PT if things went any worse at my current job. I was amazed at the number of people who thought they would be able to survive a job action by working at Home Depot. I did the PT thing for about 8 years, formed a PT contracting business (hospital, long term care, home health) along with my wife. Flew back and forth to see patients, had a blast. But, after treating many older folks and listening to their advice, finally realized you only get one chance at this life.
I don't regret being a PT but,
I would not go back to PT if I could still fly. I gotta admit though, I sleep better at night knowing I have a "marketable" skill.
If you get a critical care certification, I would suspect you could work your way into an FO's position with an air ambulance outfit.
Tyro
Kein Jammern!!
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- 47
Questions were thought questions - not specific only to nursing or even this particular case. These could today be asked of any profession.
Take a casual look around. Those forces compressing aviation into a now vastly underpaid and wholly under-appreciated profession, are not particular to aviation: these same stresses are distressing every facet of the social order. It is logical to think that perhaps a non-business (e.g. governmental) agency might be exempt or relatively well protected. This is not the case.
Swapping horses does not alter this. The same ugliness will be there. Perhaps in a different form, - but it will be there.
The wisest thing I have seen written on this forum is from PilotYip, starts something like: “Fly because you like to...”
Best o’ Luck, Bell47. So long, Compadre.
Take a casual look around. Those forces compressing aviation into a now vastly underpaid and wholly under-appreciated profession, are not particular to aviation: these same stresses are distressing every facet of the social order. It is logical to think that perhaps a non-business (e.g. governmental) agency might be exempt or relatively well protected. This is not the case.
Swapping horses does not alter this. The same ugliness will be there. Perhaps in a different form, - but it will be there.
The wisest thing I have seen written on this forum is from PilotYip, starts something like: “Fly because you like to...”
Best o’ Luck, Bell47. So long, Compadre.
Resume Writer
Registered User
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- Feb 7, 2004
- Posts
- 1,121
The nursing profession is unreal right now. I consistently receive 10-20 positions a day from recruiters in my email from all parts of the country. I have a colleague whose husband is a traveling nurse. He makes a heck of a lot of money. He has stopped traveling now and landed a job in a top hospital here in PHX.
As far as "wiping butts and drool," that is pretty much for the Certified Nursing Assistants. It depends upon the part of the country where you reside. I have composed several hundred nursing resumes over the years, and I am consistently amazed at the inconsistency of position responsibilities and educational requirements.
Good luck to you!
As far as "wiping butts and drool," that is pretty much for the Certified Nursing Assistants. It depends upon the part of the country where you reside. I have composed several hundred nursing resumes over the years, and I am consistently amazed at the inconsistency of position responsibilities and educational requirements.
Good luck to you!
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