Burnout is common in the nursing profession as they work extremely hard but get less pay and negligible benefits in return. Usually, their severe-duty requires them to work in long shifts, but sadly nurses don’t get enough compensation for their hard work. All such factors not only affect nurses’ mental health adversely but drain out their energies as well.
In case you have debt and graduation loans to pay, then it makes the entire situation more problematic because financial instability is somewhat intricate to manage. However, if you still dream about earning more money to bring financial stability in your life and pay the students loans quickly, you are in the right place. We will shed light on some of the most effective and smart ways you can try to increase your income as a nurse.
Smart Ways to Increase Income as a Nurse
You can try these ways to improve your salary as a nurse including;
- Grow your Network
Networking means connecting with new people to establish firm contact in your career. You are all well aware of this term, and you have already heard enough about it in your nursing school. But how to expand network? Or what kind of medium you should use to develop an active network?
Well, luckily, there are various social media platforms, including Linkedin, Twitter, and Facebook, etc., to increase the circle. You can try expanding the nursing school’s network, or your working area is also the best place to get to know about new people.
Most of the time, you need hard work to get the desired position. But sometimes your luck and networking help you too. Networking facilitates you to explore better opportunities for a bright future.
- Prefer Advanced Degree Program
In the healthcare industry, advanced degree programs are always beneficial to bring financial stability. For instance, if you are a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN), you can become a Registered Nurse (RN) with some additional education. The average salary of an RN is quite more than the average salary of an LPN.
Similarly, if you are working as an RN, then you can choose BSN to MSN online programs or other certifications to further polish your skills. Imagine, just a few years of extra schooling can provide you remarkable career opportunities. You not only get a better salary, but it also gives you an incredible chance to amplify your professional skills.
- Work in Nightshifts
Most nurses don’t like to work at night because it may badly influence their health and sleeping patterns. Interestingly, if you work at night, you can get the premium offers, and most of them are good enough to bring financial permanence in your life. It could be a percentage increase in your salary as well. No matter if there is a percentage increase in salary or you get some other compensation, the nightshifts always affect your overall income positively.
We understand, not everyone can opt for this practice, but if you can avail of this opportunity without many hurdles, then you must go for it without a second thought. It’s the ideal way to reap your rewards. However, your final decision requires you to take into account various factors in which your family is the core priority. Make your mind after considering all the factors properly.
- Choose Critical Care Areas
If you are working in ER trauma centers or ICU wards, your per hour salary will increase for sure. Now, you must be thinking, why? Well, working in all such areas is very challenging. Nurses have to work vigilantly as their quick actions can influence the overall problematic situation. So if you wish to increase your salary, you should work in these critical areas as you will undoubtedly get the premium. Some of the healthcare providers call it critical care pay.
- Become a Traveller Nurse
There are endless benefits and perks of becoming a travel nurse, but one of the significant benefits of becoming a travel nurse is that the earning is 18% more than the average RN. If you become a travel nurse, it will improve your financial position, but you will have a chance to explore the world. Amazingly, you always get paid for exploring the world, and you can work and enjoy it at the same time. There is a bright prospect of preferring this career as working with different facilities improves your networking. You can make new friends, explore the world, get to know about various cultures and norms, and yes, you can get handsome salaries too.
Takeaway
In a nutshell, there are endless ways to improve your financial position as a nurse, but choosing higher degree programs is one of the securest options. Still, the choice is all yours, and you can choose the one that gives you the best benefits. However, it would be best if you take the final decision after considering the pros and cons of each aspect.
Warren James is the lead editor for Diving Daily. Warren has written for many publications including the New York Daily News, Vanity Fair and Yahoo. Warren is based in New York city and covers issues affecting local communities. In addition to following the day-to-day life of the Big Apple, Warren also has a passion for martial arts.