To ask band 5 nurses (at lower end of pay scale) how much you earn?

[Llbarls81]

I've just done a calculation as I'm due to qualify in September and I'm shocked at how little the pay is!! I've just worked out that a band 5 entry level nurse takes home around £1400 a month?? Surely this isn't right?

And for those sneering about living on the love of patients alone, I'd go as far as to say that your attitudes demonstrate everything that is so wrong with nursing today.

DFOD. How dare you make assumptions.

Squeeze 22k a year (in your very first year of working) is nowhere near the bottom.

It would be lovely if everyone could be paid more, social workers, paramedics, police, fire brigade etc too, all start off around here or less.

Plenty of well qualified people start on even less. Lawyers are often in the teens (sometimes they don't get paid at all), architects too.

This is the world we live in.

Yes, sorry where x post.

Lots of people do still value the nursing role but I think the pressures of high pt:RN ratios have an effect on public perception of care (because there simply is less time to spend with pts, clinical staff are stretched see through) and lord knows, the right wing media loves to paint public sector workers are greedy drains on the public purse. It's easier to blame the 'shit, greedy nurse' than to address the problem at the core and try to fix such a monumentally fucked system.

I'm aware it is nowhere near 'the bottom' but to say well 'x get paid Y and they are more responsible than you, is assuming that Y is a fair price in the first place.

Aaaahhhhh Saint spotify... Unfortunately I can't live on the love of patients... I would love to say that it sustained me and put petrol in my car bu alas it does not. What I do know is it is not healthy and conducive to quality care when staff are working a 60hr week.. We are I'm afraid not the machines the government wish us to be

Sorry forgot to close my speech marks. Tired.

Working too many shifts squeezy haha

S'ok, I'll plug myself into the dock in a minute and recharge for the night.

Nurse2.0 we have the power to rebuild her

No but it is the going rate for LOTS of jobs with at least as much risk/responsibility (the other public sector jobs serving the public I listed not the lawyers, no offence to you lot! ).

It's 10k over minimum wage, it's a couple of years off the average wage. You can top it up with the extra shifts or overnight shifts (which many other jobs don't have the option of). I'm not saying it's great, but it seems fair for the market we are in.

So rather than the sneering, is anybody going to answer my question?
Would be interested to know how long those of you who feel so financially undervalued have been qualified for ?

I thought I did spotify- I feel I would be able to provide better care if I didn't have to work so much bank to survive- did you not like my answer? Is it not sneering enough? Would you like to tell me how uncaring I am because I need money to live on? That because I need money my attitude is bad? I'm highly thought of in my workplace and go the extra mile despite it all- I figure it's not the patients fault I'm tired all the time
6yrs post qualification
Masters level
Prescriber
Ps I often use my own petrol running patient errands but I'm terribly greedy

It is a vocation! Surely you don't need much money?

Aye we have professional fees- other than medics I know of nobody else; I have a student loan. My pension rate has gone from 5% to 9.3% but the benefits halved and I've decided I cannot afford it any longer
Come and walk in my shoes... It's interesting but high stress

I've been qualified just over a year... I don't think the salary is too bad however I do need to do extra shifts to make up my wage and echo what others have said that if our unsociable allowance gets taken I'm leaving the nhs... no way would I work all those crsppy shifts if I wasn't being compensated for it.

I've been qualified 7 years. Last perm job was Band 6. Now just do agency (nhsp, so not mega bucks, is about same as band 5). I think nursing is unrewarding, not just financially but generally. So much emphasis on paperwork and tick box pathways. What with my chronic disc prolapse as well, the new Code and Revalidation may well be the final straw for me. Not having a drama about it, just realise it's time for me to do something else.

I think with nursing staff and medics abandoning the Nhs the nhs will die but that is the grand plan and then the government can blame money grabbing nurses and gps

Its equivalent to social workers starting salaries and I'd say they work in a similar kind of role without the respect and more abuse.

Aah yes I forgot about revalidation... Not only do we have to £120 a year to practice we also have to jump through hoops now to maintain our Reiteration.

we have professional fees- other than medics I know of nobody else

Snap. (I work in private sector). Professional body membership fees have to be paid.

I have a student loan

Snap.

My pension rate has gone from 5% to 9.3% but the benefits halved and I've decided I cannot afford it any longer

Mine is 8%, and it's not a final salary anymore. Lost it years ago. It's not worth it anymore but DP makes me keep it

Like I said, I'm not saying I don't wish nurses could get more, but I think you are over-estimating the rest of the job market.

Why do people keep mentioning what teachers get? Teachers aren't going to kill anyone if they aren't on the ball. Nobody will die if they don't mark the kids work on time.
It's damn insulting to compare nurses to teachers and the salary should reflect that.

What I do think nurses SHOULD get, right now, regardless of cost, is free car parking. I think it's a scandal they don't.