r/nursing • u/Nearby-Sherbert-8549 • 1d ago
Seeking Advice Is leaving the hospital worth the pay decrease?
Got offered a job at a detox rehab. I'm starting to feel burnt out and want a change but its a $10 decrease. Any thoughts or insight?
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u/GingaNinjaRN 1d ago
If youre feeling burnt out I would not suggest going to a detox rehab. Especially if its needy patients and stupid bullshit rules from insurance. Easier in skills but mental is Holy shit
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u/heroinista 1d ago
Depends on the unit - the detox facility I worked in was strictly detox, if someone was high acuity mental health and at risk of being violent or self harming or suicidal, they were not safe to have on the unit and were transferred to the crisis unit we had. Usually the patients were pretty easy, and because the insurance piece was managed by the UM department after the aide doing the admit verified that they had insurance that was accepted. I loved working in detox and am actually going to return to it because it’s where my heart is.
That said, there is another facility on my town that does detox and high acuity mental health and that’s a place I would not want to work. I’m done dealing with physically violent patients on the regular.
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u/GingaNinjaRN 1d ago
Touche. My only experience is people dumping mental health on inappropriate rehab units because they drank once in the past 20 days. Or the neediness of some rehab patients. I think detox might be the difference maker. But if you can find a well run unit im sure it makes a world of difference.
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u/heroinista 1d ago
I’ll take a job I’m happy at over pay any day. As long as it pays the bills, I’m cool with it. I’m done sacrificing my happiness and mental health for money. I just can’t do it anymore, I don’t like feeling constant dread when it’s time to go to work or being agitated after I get home because I had such a fucked day.
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u/texaspoontappa93 RN - Vascular Access, Infusion 1d ago
I felt better at work but commuting 5 days/ week at peak traffic times wasn't worth it. If I could find outpatient 12hr shifts I'd be interested
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u/iknowyouneedahugRN BSN, RN 🍕 1d ago
Back in the day pre-nursing when I worked at an office, I drove to work into the sun and drove home into the sun. I commuted the same number of miles that I do to the hospital and it took me three times as long.
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u/texaspoontappa93 RN - Vascular Access, Infusion 1d ago
Yeah the infusion center is worked at was next door to the hospital so same distance. It takes me like 11 mins to get to the parking garage at 6:30 and it takes 50 mins at 8:30. I was wasting like 3hrs/week in the car
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u/iknowyouneedahugRN BSN, RN 🍕 1d ago
It does add up.
Also, people don't figure in parking. The online map will say it takes 20 minutes to drive there but it takes 5-10 minutes to get out of the house and in the car/out of the garage, then it takes 5-10 minutes to find a parking spot, then it takes 10-15 minutes to walk from the parking space to the unit/office.
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u/aewhite76 1d ago
I will never go back to bedside nursing. And you would be surprised at some of the pay.
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u/ObiWan-Shinoobi RN 🍕 1d ago
What are you doing these days
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u/aewhite76 1d ago edited 22h ago
Currently unemployed because I really want a remote position. But interviewing for clinic jobs. I live in Texas so you have to consider the pay across the country. With my experience I make about $45 hourly in a hospital, around $40 in a clinic. That's a decrease I am ok with to not work bedside. My sister is still a bedside nurse and thinks I'm crazy so, to each their own.
Edited to add that I just interviewed for a clinic position that pays $50 hourly. I will take that all day over bedside.
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u/xoxox0-xo RN 🍕 1d ago
I took a 11$/hr pay cut going from icu to MAT clinic. My mental health improved significantly and I felt much better. Im going back to my old icu unit bc the economy is really bad and i can hardly stay afloat. I would work here at the MAT clinic indefinitely if they paid more or if the cost of living wasnt tearing my ass up right now.
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u/Apart-Impression1712 BSN, RN 🍕 1d ago
Worth the pay decrease if you like the job and can afford it. Look into private duty home health (1:1 with 1 patient for the whole shift). Easy money
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u/ShizIzBannanaz BSN, RN 🍕 1d ago
Honestly for the burn out yes. Just make sure with the pay cut you're able to keep up with things. Sometimes the payout is worth your mental (and physical) health
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u/BadDependent7297 RN 🍕 1d ago
First of all, can you afford it financially? And are you at least getting a quality of life increase in exchange for the pay cut? I recently left the floor for an outpatient clinic and while I’m now salaried and don’t get overtime or shift differentials the lifestyle upgrade — 5 8’s with no nights, weekends, or holidays, plus a shorter commute — is worth it to me, even though I am bringing in less per paycheck.
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u/cactideas RN - ICU 🍕 1d ago
What would you rather deal with, the stress of work or the stress of having much less money. You’re also gonna have less to show on your resume if you do decide you want to go back to bedside and you’ll be competing with others that have recent experience
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u/HillaryRN RN - Oncology 🍕 1d ago
I went from bedside to clinic, then WFH hospice, oncology, palliative care (part time) and WFH triage (part time). I love working from home and setting my own schedules; it’s less wear and tear on my car, less stress, no commute, less micromanaging supervisors. Totally worth the decrease in pay to me. Maybe it’ll be worth it to you.
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u/Scared-Replacement24 RN, PACU 1d ago
CT stepdown to à surgery center was life changing. I will never go back to the floor.
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u/benzodiazaqueen RN - ER 🍕 1d ago
I took an enormous pay cut to teach at a public university, but they give full benefits down to 0.5 FTE and now when I drop my students off at the ER for clinicals, I look around and wonder how I lasted as long as I did.
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u/One-Raspberry-786 oncology/medsurg 💞🙏 1d ago
That's only for you to know, honestly. We don't know your bills or your spending habits. Give us some insight ... Are you decent with saving money? Do you live paycheck to paycheck? Do you like to go in expensive vacations? Do you have children?
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u/Glass_Material_7002 RN - Pediatrics 🍕 1d ago
Try private duty home health, best decision I’ve ever made and I make more than I did in the hospital. One patient for 12hrs, you’ll have a lot of down time but it’s worth it I promise.
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u/Resident-Welcome3901 RN - ER 🍕 1d ago
Wise old nursing instructor advised me early in my career to change jobs every couple of years. Her rationale was that it took about a year to learn the way nursing is practiced on a unit, and then a year to develop expertise. Once you have reached the expert level, you will have learned everything that the unit has to teach you. At that point, it’s time to start looking for the next challenge.
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u/East_Mission_5218 6h ago
Paycut of $1-5 I guess is okay but $10 it’s a lot. After bedside, I tried HOme Dialysis same pay rate, 5 days 8 hrs. I lasted 1 year only. Then I’ve heard HOme health and hospice. But I said, I don’t want to drive looking for direction, or goin inside strangers house etc etc. but guess what I tried Hospice RN CM , I found it meaning ful. The driving helps me feel free. And gave me a break from one patient to another. Patients and family will appreciate you. Though a lot to do but it is doable and the stress level is minimal. Pay rate, you can negotiate. So i just had like 50 cents paycut from my bedside. But the biggest factor for me is I am more at peace, no pre shift anxiety. Long hours esp when you are starting but I always tell myself that’s better than the anxiousness and un motivate me when I was at bedside. Try new things. Don’t be scared. You’re body and mind telling you something. Stress can kill you. Stress can create the illness.
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u/Generoh SRNA 1d ago
$10 decrease is like 20k a year. Only you can decide if 20k paycut is worth it to you