How long does it take to be a registered nurse through a community college? What are the average starting wages for a RN? How much do they usually make a month or an hour?
Thanks

charlotte234s

You can become in RN in about 2 years through a community college (I'm going to start a
nursing program when I get accepted there =P)

Starting wages are around $16-19 and may increase over time to almost 30 dollars, and you can find jobs where hours are flexible, so you can work about as much or as little as you want.

J_9

After you take your prerequisites the RN program is a 2 year program. I graduate in May and I started in 2003.

Starting pay varies from area to area and hospital to hospital. The hospital I will be working at will start me out at $23 an hour as a graduate nurse.

mjl

You guys are lucky!! Where I live you can not becaome a RN through community collge, here you have to go to university for 6 years!!

cerisa

[quote=J_9]After you take your prerequisites the RN program is a 2 year program. I graduate in May and I started in 2003.

It still adds up to six years of education MJL

J_9

[quote=cerisa]
Yes, it can. My point was that the actual nursing program itself is only 2 years for an Associates Degree RN. Now for a Bachelor's or Masters, you are looking at around 6+ years.

OnYxHaWk

Quite a few good questions, but none with an easy direct answer in the current medical climate. But I will try...

- There are two forms of the 'registered nurse'. There is the associates degree which typically takes 2 years at a community college and there is the bachelors degree which typically takes 4 years. Both degrees are considered 'registered nurses (RNs). That being said, if an RN decides to further her education, she would need a bachelors level degree (ie. the 4-year BSN degree), and there are courses to bridge from an associates degree to a BSN.

- There are accelerated programs for both of the degrees mentioned above. Whether they are good or bad is a discussion from a different topic.

- On the job, there is a minor differential in the pay scale of $3-5 depending on location and demand. But hospitals are slowly trying to phase out the associate-level degree, but this will probably take a while since there is a national nursing shortage that doesn't seem to be going away any time soon.

- The starting wages for an RN vary. It would depend on where in the US you work. Whether you are an employee of the hospital or a staffing agency? Do you work per-diem (part-time) and/or are you full-time. There is a decent range that you can earn (and I hesitate to quote numbers), but $15 - $45/hr is about average. You earn more working for an agency, working as a travelling nurse, over-time pay, working in medical areas of need, and/or you earn more the more experience you have.

- The hours are typically fairly flexible with typical shifts being 8 - 12 hours. About 36-hour weeks (3 x 12 hr shifts). This enables a nurse to technically be able to have a full-time and a part-time job to make up 48 - 60 hours weeks.

- Staff nurses are typically paid by the hour, though there are salaried positions, and administrative nursing positions are typically salaried.

Hope this helps.

Ccg1003

Thanks a lot. All of you are very helpful. Especially Onyx. but I live near the bay area (california) in fairfield.

Ccg1003

I live in Fairfield California, which is near the Bay Area. Anyone know the average starting wages? and how long does it usualy take to get a raise? and one last thing. how much do you usually get paid for over time? 1.5 times? or double?

J_9

I don't know anything about your area of the country. Starting wages vary from city to city, and facility to facility.....Getting a raise is also very individual for facilities...

Overtime? Now, many, not all, work you on 3 12 hour shifts, giving you 36 hours a week. This means you are working full time 3 days a week. Pretty nice....

Now, others have 8 hour shifts....again depends on the facility.

Hospitals have what is called Shift Diff, which means Shift Differential. People working first shift make less than those that work second. Nurses working second shift make less than those working third shift.

Then you have a pay difference according to the department in which you work for. Many ICUs pay a hazard pay due to the increased risk of infectious organisms, including HIV/AIDS.