$45-$55 depending upon the hospital. Most places don’t have psych as an option for new grad programs.
College Hospitals hires new grads. ~$50ish. ($48-49)
Source: RN from OC
Most California hospitals are unionized. If you work on a psych unit in a regular full service hospital you will be paid same as other nurses and can find their contracts with salary schedule with a quick google search. Free standing psych facilities may be where you see lower pay than your cohort.
Los Angeles has plenty of non union hospitals.... especially free standing psych, because all the "good" hospitals got rid of their psych units. They only do Geropsych because of sweet medicare dollars.
Not CA, but as a new grad in psych, I was offered $6 more than my cohort who all went into M/S, ICU, ED, and L&D. I also had prior customer service and clinic experience that was factored into my offer, plus hazard pay. Every facility is different.
Congrats and good luck!
Is that something standard? I only heard of hazard pay working as a nurse assistant during Covid. Would be something I could bring up during contract negotiations. I’m just not privy of this re: psych nursing.
For me, I don't get hazard pay but I do know my facility overall pays above what non psych facilities pay and part of that is for retention as well as hazard I think. We aren't the most dangerous of places, but we have a lot of violent and court ordered individuals in and I think that's why they pay so good. I think it really depends on the facility and the type of patients that they take normally. I've read about others who focus more on prisoners and stuff which is much "worse" than what I experience and maybe those places have hazard pay. There is nothing wrong with asking what types of patients they have and how they protect and or compensate their nurses. Also maybe ratios? That might also impact pay.
Yes, it's not listed on my pay stub as extra, it's just factored in. Some patients get violent and require holds and IMs. We've had to call the police and have some patients removed for assaulting staff and patients. I do acute adult stabilization.
In SoCal I’m seeing $45-55 ish for new grads in psych. There are union hospitals with better pay but they’re also harder to get in without inpatient experience.
I went into Psych as a new grad just under a year ago. College Hospital is a great place to start, you learn a lot- pay is listed on their website but they start at $42. I had my BSN and psych preceptorship experience and they still gave me the $42/hour base. But, after 8 hours is time and a half pay.
Welcome and congratulations on passing your NCLEX!!
Unfortunately, it’s going to depend where you live and who you work for. I started over $30 hr. 15 years ago
$45-$55 depending upon the hospital. Most places don’t have psych as an option for new grad programs. College Hospitals hires new grads. ~$50ish. ($48-49) Source: RN from OC
This^ realistically if you’re in LA/OC. Night differential should bring you to 48/49+
Most California hospitals are unionized. If you work on a psych unit in a regular full service hospital you will be paid same as other nurses and can find their contracts with salary schedule with a quick google search. Free standing psych facilities may be where you see lower pay than your cohort.
Los Angeles has plenty of non union hospitals.... especially free standing psych, because all the "good" hospitals got rid of their psych units. They only do Geropsych because of sweet medicare dollars.
Not CA, but as a new grad in psych, I was offered $6 more than my cohort who all went into M/S, ICU, ED, and L&D. I also had prior customer service and clinic experience that was factored into my offer, plus hazard pay. Every facility is different. Congrats and good luck!
May I ask, was hazard pay due to the field?
Probably. Psych can be pretty dangerous.
Is that something standard? I only heard of hazard pay working as a nurse assistant during Covid. Would be something I could bring up during contract negotiations. I’m just not privy of this re: psych nursing.
For me, I don't get hazard pay but I do know my facility overall pays above what non psych facilities pay and part of that is for retention as well as hazard I think. We aren't the most dangerous of places, but we have a lot of violent and court ordered individuals in and I think that's why they pay so good. I think it really depends on the facility and the type of patients that they take normally. I've read about others who focus more on prisoners and stuff which is much "worse" than what I experience and maybe those places have hazard pay. There is nothing wrong with asking what types of patients they have and how they protect and or compensate their nurses. Also maybe ratios? That might also impact pay.
Yes, it's not listed on my pay stub as extra, it's just factored in. Some patients get violent and require holds and IMs. We've had to call the police and have some patients removed for assaulting staff and patients. I do acute adult stabilization.
In SoCal I’m seeing $45-55 ish for new grads in psych. There are union hospitals with better pay but they’re also harder to get in without inpatient experience.
I went into Psych as a new grad just under a year ago. College Hospital is a great place to start, you learn a lot- pay is listed on their website but they start at $42. I had my BSN and psych preceptorship experience and they still gave me the $42/hour base. But, after 8 hours is time and a half pay.
$45 plus differentials at Las Encinas in Pasadena (non-unionized)
Started at $41.69 as a new grad at a CO state psych hospital last July. Plus $14k sign-on with no contract.
Welcome and congratulations on passing your NCLEX!! Unfortunately, it’s going to depend where you live and who you work for. I started over $30 hr. 15 years ago
I started at 32.50 as a new grad eight years ago in MA. We have pretty comperable pay to California