I read with interest The Forum article on the need for more nurses. I am married to a nurse who is employed in a local hospital and really loves her job. She went back to college at an older age and did very well in college. She got a job with a local hospital and has gotten to a position which she is very satisfied with.
We do not have any plans to move but with her education and experience she can get a job where ever we would like to move to.
What is really tempting at times is the disparity in wages. Our oldest son is also an RN. He lives in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area and works in one of the hospitals there. He has about three years less experience and some difference in training. He also makes about $12 per hour more than she does. Looking at a person who is going to graduate into a career field the difference in pay makes a very large part in the decision on where the person is going to go to start their career field.
The article said the starting wages for nurses are $18+. The starting wage for RNs in the Cities is about $25 per hour. For a graduating RN, with school loans the decision on where to work is influenced quite a bit by the wages.
The argument for the cost of living difference always comes up. Looking at the costs difference between here and Minneapolis-St. Paul, $7 per hour more than makes up for any difference.
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I think the hospital would be better off increasing the level of pay to its nurses rather than spend that money on an advertising campaign.
As I said, we have no intention of leaving this area as we have put down our "roots" here. My partner is happy with the work which she does and plans to continue in this field but we had our "roots" set before she went back to school. If we had been young graduating people, the decision would have most likely been different.
Truman Vigen
Barnesville, Minn.
