She suggests retaining nurses with longevity pay. Most experienced nurses express the need to have their wages increased more regularly. A lack of longevity pay does not send give the signal that nurses are highly valued. Silvers said that the wage plateau has been created by the nursing model, which continues to assume that nurses are young women who are only working until they leave to raise children. Nurses no longer fit that model.
Pay is a factor in the decision to become a nurse as well.
Most RNs have at least a bachelor's degree, plus clinical experience. Experts point out that the amount of money invested in nurses' education is not returned in their salaries. Other fields, such as computers, business or telecommunications attract potential nursing students, since they require less education and pay better. Many nurses have left the field for more lucrative work in health-related fields such as legal nurse consulting or medical billing companies. Besides money, Leoson said that nurses don't get as much recognition for their contribution to people's recoveries.