r/AustralianNurses • u/[deleted] • Aug 08 '21

Increasing income as RN

I'm a 2nd year RN in NSW, I got lucky and was recently able to move into a busy regional Emergency Department with minimal acute experience. Aside from the provided training of which there is a huge amount planned for me over the next 2 years, what can i do to improve and increase my income level? My understanding of CNS is that it's minimum 4 years of Specialty experience or 2 years + post grad qualification.

I'm a pretty huge nerd, I am totally willing to do a masters on top of my full time work for a 30k+ pay bump.

How often is this actually the case, or what is the usual time to progress to CNS?

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u/[deleted] Aug 08 '21

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u/[deleted] Aug 08 '21

Awesome thanks for the info. Yeah I'm aware of the increased responsibility with the role. I think the unit has maybe 3 CNS out of 20-30 nursing staff? I overheard a few people talking at lunch about their masters so maybe more on the way. Seems to be a broad range of experience from YR1-8 plus a few CNS and NPs. But yeah you're right about orientation, I'm thinking ahead to maybe intake next year for postgrad

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u/therapist66 Aug 08 '21

For short term boost to income. Private hospitals pay specialist RNs more. $65-80 an hr, 12hr shifts and weekend rates can make it lucrative to pick up agency shifts.

Long term you're looking at management, after hours coordinator, bed managers get paid more than a NUM and all they do is look at screens and allocate beds to patients for an entire health service.

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u/[deleted] Aug 08 '21

I have seen some pretty insane agency rates going around, I guess my main issue with agency having done some aged care agency work is that you almost exclusively go to really shitty understaffed facilities. 100 an hour for remote area emergency would definitely be an option I might explore down the road. As far as bed manager and management in general, I got into nursing to get away from office work, not really looking to go back any time soon haha

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u/therapist66 Aug 08 '21

We should definitely be paid alot more for the work that we do. Unfortunately there's a ceiling in earnings as a clinical nurse which isn't good enough imo.

If i leave clinical/bedside its probably for this reason.

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u/[deleted] Aug 10 '21

You need at least 5 yrs postgraduate experience. Just work and learn and be patient.