I work at a privately owned vascular access center. It is owned by a group of 4 nephrologists. We have been relatively successful, reportedly meeting our projected profits at the access center for the year. Another RN and myself are the only nurses. We were hired to help setup the access center. We wrote all policies, helped establish our everyday procedures (those within our scope of practice), have both been loyal employees going above and beyond what has been expected. The staff at the access center was hired one month before actually opening the doors for business in May of 2006. Since then, we have yet to receive a raise in our salaries. We were told in May 2007 that we would get raises in June or July. In June and July, we were told August. Then we were told October. Now, we are being told that other facets of the practice didn't earn as well as the vascular access center, so it's quite possible that nobody will get raises this year. I still work part-time in a local dialysis unit and am considering going back. I know what to expect at dialysis. Underappreciation, overworked, rock-bottom pay, but at least I do have the potential merit raise to look forward to every year with an occasional "salary survey" which usually boosts pay a few dollars. What should I do?
Work at the access center is much easier, but I get paid less than I do at dialysis. So that aspect is negligiable. All other benefits are pretty much equal.

As an RN in todays market, you are in the drivers seat. Get what you need/deserve or go elsewhere

Unfortunately that's not true. Even though we deserve it employers are still not willing to pay. I am in a metro area and can't negotiate $37 / hour from a major dialysis provider. People like to moan about the nursing shortage but salaries aren't changing for the better. Hospitals may be different but the dialysis industry still doesn't want to pay for experience.

You can't get $37 an hour? I feel your pain!
In our market,experienced RN's in dialysis are at 27-30 hr? Hospitals are at 25 for new nurses to 35 for experienced ICU nurses.
If you get 37 /hr,good for you1
Are you in New York or the west coast?

The last time I checked, the salary range for nurses was by no means low or near the poverty level. It seems most places start at an honest living wage. That cannot be said for all of your team members; try living or getting ahead as a technician.

Many technicians start for less than $8.00 an hour and it takes many years to get to the $15-$20.00 range. Go ahead, calculate how many 3-5% annual raises it takes to get there and then figure that the nurses are getting their 3-5% and making bigger raises. Who is getting ahead? Who is falling behind? I also bet your facility pays higher bonus amounts to the nurses at the end of the year (if your lucky enough to get one). I actually heard it rationalized like this once, "well you know, nurses have a higher standard of living than the technicians so they deserve a larger bonus". Nice Logic.

Then there are the Social Workers they are even more educated than the nurses, many have Masters degrees and are extremely underpaid for their education level and amount of work, though I do not hear them complain as much as nurses about it.

For that matter Dieticians deserve more too as well as Unit secrataries and the rest of the Team. As a matter of fact, Nurses are some of the better paid members of the Renal team

WERE ALL UNDERPAID!

If you got into nursing for $$$ you probably ought to get out; do us (and the patients) all a favor......

New York. The metro areas pay better. I know an acute RN getting $40 not including on call. I think RN's deserve $40, sorry. As far as techs their starting these days are $12.50 inexperienced. I don't think $37 is inreasonable for 21 years dialysis experience, do you?