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jnxn t1_j1z93p4 wrote

This. My wife and I are in healthcare and moved here during the pandemic. She's a nurse and I am non-patient facing. It's crazy to me the gap of what I make compared to her. If we stayed in Western mass she would be by far the bread winner and making over 100k but no we moved to Maine and she makes 60k with more patients and less benefits. I see how much Maine hospitals rely on agency RN's and its not sustainable yet they are doing nothing to retain employed nurses. Dumbasses are going to be fucked as more continue to retire or leave patient facing jobs. My wife is going towards remote triage nursing because if you're going to get paid shit might as well not break your back caring to 6 dying patients at one time

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w1nn1ng1 t1_j1zisny wrote

The only way to be a nurse in Maine and be fulfilled financially is to be a per diem nurse. You get no benefits, but you get 50% more pay. I know traveling nurses making close to $100k in Maine. You have to be specialized, but it’s there. Working for a healthcare system in Maine as a nurse is short changing yourself and forcing yourself to be overworked.

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jnxn t1_j200wui wrote

Traveling is fine if you're under 30 with no family but it's not an option for most. Per diem just means not committed to a weekly schedule but they get paid the same. Sometimes though rare they give extra incentives to cover open shifts but nothing that gets you anywhere near $100k. At least at MaineHealth

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w1nn1ng1 t1_j2024vt wrote

Why isn’t traveling nurses an option? I know plenty who are home every day and don’t have to stay near the hospital. In Central Maine, I know people who worked for St. Mary’s, CMMC and Maine General and were home everyday. They also made easily $90k per year doing it.

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