Nurse Survival!

[Guest Stella and Dave]

Hi to all nurses out there, after a year of reading I've finally worked out how to send a post! hurrah.

I've looked at loads of websites to try and work out nurses wages, they all say different things. So I thought I'd turn to you.

I will be the main wage earner for a while, so is it possible to survive on a nurses wages? specifically community or practice nurse? Many thanks, Stella

[maria]

Its not easy to say exactly what you will be earning as it really does depend on where you work: Public/ Private/ Not for profit.

RDNS (Royal District Nursing Service) are one of the biggest community service providers here in SA, they are a Not for profit private company and their pay rates vary from : $45897 (level 1 Yr 1) to $61677 (level 1 yr 9) whcih works out between $27 and $35 an hour, these are basic rates though and you can expect (approx) 15% loading for evening shifts, 20% for night shift, 50% saturday and 75% sunday, and double time for publis holiday. You can expect to earn less if you work for a private company (and there are many) and a bit more if you worked for public programmes (like Hospital in the Home as they're attached to specific hospitals and their rates would be the same as public hospital employees)

I got the figures from the ANF website and i believe they are accurate util Dec 2010

Hope it helps a little bit but as you can see the rates vary considerably just within one company

 

 

[elainew]

Not sure about community wages on a mon - fri roster. Try and get a job with weekend work that will give you penalties which is extra on top of your basic wage.

[Guest angiestaff]

hi,

 

i currently work for central northern adelaide mental health service, and i'm a year 7 level one nurse and my basic is $59,000 you then get shift allowances on top. i bring in around $2100 every fortnight. apparently my basic will go up to $61,000 in october.

 

we are currently managing on my wage and we have an expensive rental (really nice area so we feel it's worth the extra). we find it tight sometimes but then we don't exactly scrimp and save (we still have treats..wine, meals etc..)

 

hope this helps, ange x

[Guest Stella and Dave]

Thanks for that Ange, thats similar to what I'd heard off friends that had been before, sometimes its better to ask people as the scales on information sites all vary! I was so confused, i thought i would end up with £2.50 a fortnight!!!!

[Guest angiestaff]

hi,

 

the sites don't always give u the same info!, as i said b4 we don't exactly scrimp each fortnight but we manage (even have enough left for a couple bottles of wine 2morrow nite b4 pay day on thur!!). the only thing with 1 wage coming in is that you can't afford to splash out on clothes/shoes/having hair done etc..., u have to plan ur purchases well, but then again that's not a bad thing is it?, we hope that even when hubby starts work that we carry on being a bit thrifty and manage to save a little!

 

have u got a date to come out yet (4give me if u've already said in another post!) or u in the planning stages?

 

ange x