Lemme tell you about the "Molly the Dental Hygienist" employed by me:

[PCIntern]

She makes 45 dollars an hour, has a humanistic boss, vacations 4 weeks a year, gets holidays and Jewish holidays off, gets to listen to my liberal rants all day, which are worth 30 an hour right there...I mean, who else is this lucky?

I'd work that job if I could!

[The Wielding Truth]

1. And her health care?

[PCIntern]

6. thru their spouses...

I offer it here and we do a deal; they can work a few more hours or no raise for 2 years and they're on permanently. Believe me, they get the better part of the deal either way.

[TwilightGardener]

2. Dental hygienists make 45 dollars an hour? Seriously? I was a registered nurse

making 20 dollars an hour after 5 years of experience. Holy crap, I picked the wrong profession.

[MANative]

3. Wow - one of my biggest clients is a healthcare staffing firm...

and they regularly place RNs at $55/hour and up - sometimes WAY up, depending on specialty (Med/Surg or Ped). Unless this was more than 10 years ago, you weren't getting paid what you were worth.

[TwilightGardener]

5. I was an ICU nurse for most of my career, in large regional/teaching hospitals--

you do make a lot more with temp/prn work, but you have to be willing to keep going into new and unfamiliar situations--I liked knowing where we kept the gauze, and which docs you could call at 3 am about a low blood pressure who wouldn't scream at you, and what the procedures were for ordering units of blood products, so I opted for comfortable familiarity over pay. But still, I feel ripped off! I am not in nursing now, anyway.

[MANative]

8. One of the other dynamics that's changed in

the last few years is a growing shortage of RNs concurrent with our aging population, so I'm sure that's a contributing factor. Still, directly employed hospital nurses in our area (CT) make over $40/hour. Nursing is a very difficult profession - I have loads of respect for people who have both the skills and the heart to do it. Hope you're enjoying whatever you're doing now!! :hi:

[TwilightGardener]

9. Thanks!

:hi:

[demokatgurrl]

4. Hey are you hiring? Can you train an idjut? n/t

[PCIntern]

7. I would make a joke but the PC people here would jump all over me...

I don't train...the school does...you need a certificate and State Boards. You also have to be aware that you're going to be working with the occasional abusive/obnoxious/potential-disease-infective/resentful/oversexed-testosterone-laden patient here and there. Beleive me, you will earn your money.