title: A comparison of salary-wage and hourly-wage acute care nursing units: a pilot study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This pilot study examined differences in RN perception of the professional practice environment and financial indicators between salary-wage and hourly-wage compensation models.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  There is a dearth of current information regarding use of salary-wage models for compensation for direct care nurses.
  
  
  METHODS
  A descriptive, comparative design was used to examine the Revised Professional Practice Environment Scale (RPPE) and financial indicators of nurses in a nonprofit healthcare system over a 6-month period.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean scores on the RPPE were significantly lower for hourly-wage RNs, and the hourly-wage model resulted in a 1.2% additional cost for overtime hours compared with the fixed cost of the salary-wage model.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Nurses in an hourly-wage unit reported a significantly lower perception of the clinical practice environment than did their peers in a salary-wage unit, indicating that professional practice perceptions in a salary-wage unit may provide a more effective professional practice environment. Financial analysis resulted in a budget-neutral impact.
authors.affiliation: Author Affiliations: Chief Nursing Officer and Director of Patient Care (Ms Hickey), WellSpan Surgery and Rehabilitation Hospital, York; Director of EBP and Nursing Research (Dr Buchko), WellSpan Health, York; Director of Nursing Excellence and Innovation (Ms Coe), WellSpan Health/York Hospital, York; Professor and Chair of Department of Nursing (Dr Woods), Messiah College, Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: Rosa G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Hickey
authors.forename: Barbara L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Buchko
authors.forename: Paula F
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Coe
authors.forename: Anne B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Woods
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D064648:Critical Care Nursing / Q000191:economics*; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000191:economics*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018803:Models, Economic; D009726:Nurses / Q000191:economics*; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000191:economics*; D009939:Organizations, Nonprofit / Q000191:economics*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012456:Salaries and Fringe Benefits / Q000191:economics*; D014481:United States; D055815:Young Adult