Pay for hospital nurse vs LTC nurse

I'm about to graduate in May and I am really stressed about finding a job. I really like LTC and have been looking at nursing homes and assisted living places to apply, but I heard that pay a lot less than hospitals, and while I didn't become a nurse for the pay I do have a lot of loans to pay back from college. Anyone have any ideas abouta graduate nurse RN with BSN pay in LTCs and hospitals in PA??
I don't know about PA, but here in central WI, they are pretty equal. My last job was LTC/rehab (with a $2 PM shift differential) for $24.65. Last job I interviewed for at a hospital was offering me $22.30 for a day shift. Pretty similar. Go with the area that you prefer, or will it not be worth the few extra dollars you make. Also need to consider chances for overtime and how much they will take out for your share of insurance.

As a new graduate with a need to pay off your loans, I would go with LTC, being that they would pay more as opposed to hospital pay. But as far as your skills, I would do PRN or one or two days a week at the hospital to pick up some skills in varies areas.

Quote from josinda421As a new graduate with a need to pay off your loans, I would go with LTC, being that they would pay more as opposed to hospital pay. But as far as your skills, I would do PRN or one or two days a week at the hospital to pick up some skills in varies areas.

I am in the Dallas/Fort Worth area of Texas. Nursing homes will pay a new nurse significantly more than the major hospitals around here because many people do not like working with the elderly on a daily basis. However, the hospitals in this area tend to have better benefits even though the starting pay is lower. Many of the nursing homes around me pay competitively, but have expensive health insurance (or no health coverage at all) and other crappy benefits. So I suppose it is a wash.

I started last year as a new grad RN in LTC. I think I made about $2 more per hour than the hospitals... but the benefits are TERRIBLE!!!!Note to self: next time, instead of accepting a job out of desperation, look at the bigger picture (i.e health insurance, disability, life insurance, paid holidays, shift differential, etc).Now I am on the fast track to a mental breakdown from the stress of my job... and I dont have any health insurance to pay for my future in-patient psych evaluation.FMLJust remember, money isnt everything... even if you are making good money and paying the bills, it wont bring you happiness if you have no energy left over for relationships/family or maintaining your own well being.

I work LTC and just got a job in a hospital. The hospital pays a little less (shift differential makes it more since we don't get that at my LTC facility) but the benefits are much better at the hospital. We start getting PTO right away at the hospital. I have worked at the LTC facilty for almost a year and still haven't had any PTO. You have to work there a year to get one week vacation. Plus health insurance is less than half. The nurse patient ratio is horrible at the LTC facility and you always feel like you are struggling to stay afloat. I really love my residents so it upsets me that they don't get proper care. If you have the chance I would start in a hospital. It is easier to go from hospital to LTC instead of the other way around.

As a hospital RN, I make about $4 less than I did in a LTC (north central Florida). The hospital pay is less, but I like my job a lot more, so the pay cut was definitely worth it.

thanks so much for all the responses. It is so stressful trying to find a job right now. I don't graduate until May but so many of my classmates already have a job lined up. I started to apply online but everywhere I want to apply for requires at least a year of experience and the only experiences I have are clinicals and my preceptorship that I'm doing in the PACU. It's really stressful when people ask if I job yet and I say "no" and they give that look like "seriously?"