If you have a degree should you be payed more?

Re: If you have a degree should you be payed more?

billie25 — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 21:49:08 GMT

[quote user="Susan Jackson"]

At your next review argue it. Write down what you do well and how being more qualified benefits the practce. Don't feel that you're back stabbing if you need to compare your work to hers. You are not saying she's rubbish, just highlighting your strengths.

Don't sit back and let it niggle away, as you might find it undermines your confidence.

[/quote]

I have already asked about it in a letter and then in a meeting with the practice manager, and was told that as she has the degree my pay will not match or go above hers, unless i get another qualification sadly

Re: If you have a degree should you be payed more?

Susan Jackson — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 21:32:10 GMT

Don't sit back and let it niggle away, as you might find it undermines your confidence.

Re: If you have a degree should you be payed more?

billie25 — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 21:30:16 GMT

Im glad to know im not just being silly about this as it has got me quite worked up and i find it hard to feel valued now this information has come up. thanks for everyones replys.

Re: If you have a degree should you be payed more?

billie25 — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 21:26:09 GMT

yes i was told that the reason is because she has a degree. she also dose not do any admin work. we are on the same level and do alot of the same things. the onlt difference is i qualifed first.

Re: If you have a degree should you be payed more?

Susan Jackson — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 18:44:47 GMT

[quote user="Bizzy McClure"]

Perhaps she bargined with your employer for more money when they offered her the job?

[/quote]

Yes I think you are right. When I had my interview I told them a price that I was willing to work for. I had more to bargin with though as been qualified long time and told them what I was experienced in. Experience counts for more in an employers eyes.

Re: If you have a degree should you be payed more?

BexJ — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 13:08:21 GMT

I think salary should be based on experience and competence. I qualified before NVQ (Old green book) and I wouldn't be happy if a newly qualified degree nurse earned the same salary as me.

I have worked with a couple of degree nurses who needed extra support practically especially with anaesthetics etc and it simply wouldn't be fair for them to be paid the same as a nurse with years of experience who can carry out her job without support. By the way that statement is based on the degree nurses I have worked with and not an overall assumption! x

Re: If you have a degree should you be payed more?

Honeybadger — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 12:23:42 GMT

Perhaps she bargined with your employer for more money when they offered her the job?

Re: If you have a degree should you be payed more?

Kim Buckley — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 23:07:56 GMT

I did the degree and I have never been paid more because of it and neither have any of my friends. In the last pay survey it came out that degree nurses on average get paid less than nvq nurses. Are you sure it is just because of her degree or has she had more experience in some way?

Re: If you have a degree should you be payed more?

Laura James — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 23:06:49 GMT

[quote user="Dreamcatcher"]

I heard a lot of degree nurses have quite a significant module on the business side of things... so could it be that this nurse is more involved with the accounts etc in practice and that this could be the reason she is being paid more? Or does she definately have all the same responsibilities you do?

[/quote]

I did the degree, and although I'm not qualified yet myself and my practice have the belief of 'same job, same pay' and would never expect anything otherwise, same as I'd be pretty miffed if I knew other nurses with the same responsibilities as me were being paid more than i was.

As Dreamcatcher said, there is an option to make your degree fairly business and accountant based so unless she's doing a lot of admin...? then I would think that it's unfair that she is being paid more than you, if anything I think it should be the other way around as you qualified before her!

Re: If you have a degree should you be payed more?

Dreamcatcher — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 22:55:18 GMT

I don't know much about the degree (as I am training the NVQ/new diploma way) so forgive me if I come across as ignorant! I heard a lot of degree nurses have quite a significant module on the business side of things... so could it be that this nurse is more involved with the accounts etc in practice and that this could be the reason she is being paid more? Or does she definately have all the same responsibilities you do?

I think I would feel the same if that was the case and I was in your shoes - I'm not sure it's the norm for degree nurses to necessarily be paid more than NVQ nurses, but I don't really know the situation - could it also be that this particular nurse may have had more experience before completing the degree as well? I would try not to dwell on it too much though... as someone else said she has a student loan to pay off and has probably worked for free for the past 3 or 4 years so assuming it's not a massive gap you are probably still better off, I do understand why you'd be annoyed though xx

Re: If you have a degree should you be payed more?

nets — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 21:59:52 GMT

if it makes you feel any better lest your not paying off a student loan

Re: If you have a degree should you be payed more?

Phrin Vernon RVN — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 21:37:50 GMT

I do think pay should be based on qualifications, but a QVN is a QVN. It should also be based on experience and competance, and what that individual can bring to the practice in my opinion.

I think it is wise not to discuss pay with colleagues, although I am guilty of it too!

Re: If you have a degree should you be payed more?

Vicky RVN — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 21:36:47 GMT

I definitely don't think degree nurses should be paid more than NVQ, when they have been qualified for the same amount of time. Like you say, the work is the same! I started off on the degree and would never have expected a higher wage if i'd completed it.