Today I met with HR.
Summary of events to this point: I’m getting a $9/hr bump with a $20k sign-on bonus and $400-800 bonus per OT shift at my new nursing job.
My old facility is staffed 75% by travel nurses and is paying new hires more than established staff so people are leaving in droves. Because it’s apparently cheaper to pay $200/hr for a traveler than an extra $5-10/hr for someone already employed.
A higher-up I am friendly with asked if I would consider staying on per diem, which isn’t a bad idea for the first couple weeks of a new job just in case it’s a bad fit. PRN is also usually a lot more than a FT position because it has no benefits.
Asked HR for the details today- $3/hr less than my current offer and a minimum of 1 shift per week, and of course no OT or bonus for it being my 4th shift in a week because it’s a different company. Everywhere I’ve ever worked PRN has been 1-2 shifts a month. Hard pass. The HR rep straight up said they couldn’t get near my new rate and agreed I would spend my career bouncing from hospital to hospital because that is the only real way to increase pay. Staying long enough to have my 403b vested is only worth about $2k per year (ie 5 shift bonuses at the new place) and pensions aren’t a thing anymore so company loyalty is long gone. I can reliably expect an extra $1-2/hr every 1-2 years when I move, and qualify for another sign on bonus of $20k+ 1-2 years after leaving a previous company. Supply and demand, and they keep threatening to replace us with international nurses but the countries of origin aren’t letting their skilled workers leave so it is a hilariously empty threat.
I recently met another nurse who moves and changes specialties every 1-2 years to keep work interesting and rates up- this is now my life goal 🙂
Have I mentioned how nice it is to be the one in the power seat? Hospital staff just aren’t taking the abuse and exploitation any more so things are finally improving!