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Economic Disparities

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We love our nurses!

Our mission is to continue to ensure our nurses receive the resources, recognition, support, and financial benefits to which they are entitled. We are passionate about advocating for Registered Nurses to receive fair pay and equitable retirement benefits. With 90% of the nursing workforce being women, nurses face gender bias that undermines their right to access the same income and pensions that professionals in male dominated fields receive.

Educational Disparities

Earning an associate's degree in nursing is widely recognized as the most rigorous academic path among all associate's degree programs offered in the United States. Unlike other associate degree programs, which typically require 60 credit hours, RN students must complete 90 credit hours. This represents a 50% increase in academic coursework compared to all other degree programs. Additionally, RNs must pass the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) before they can even begin seeking employment. Below is a list of associate degree programs that we are referring to:

  • Mechanical Engineering: 60 credits

  • Software Engineering: 60 credits

  • Pre-Law: 60 credits

  • Pre-Med: 60 credits

  • Criminal Justice: 60 credits

  • Computer Science: 60 credits

  • Electrical Engineering: 60 credits

  • Construction Management: 60 credits

Salary Disparities

Registered Nurses are responsible for helping save the lives of over six million patients annually. In contrast, police officers save a fraction of those lives that nurses do. Police officers and construction workers--both male-dominated fields--earn an average of $120,000 annually (with many earning $150,000 to $200,000 with overtime) while nurses, despite their life-saving contributions, earn significantly less than their male counterparts.

Pension Disparities

Retired police officers receive cumulative pension payments totaling almost $1 trillion annually, with each retired officer receiving an average pension and benefits package of $130,000 per year. In contrast, retired nurses receive cumulative pension payments of less than $1 billion annually, and many receive no pension or benefits at all. This reflects the systemic inequities nurses experience in retirement.

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