Salary of Nurses in Ghana, Scale, and Other Benefits
Sometimes when you go to the hospital, you regret it the minute you walk in, some of the nurses are unsympathetic and straight-up disrespectful, especially the ones working in the government hospitals. What is their excuse? They say that they are not being paid satisfactorily. Does this excuse their behaviors?
How much are nurses paid? Is it still a career path someone should take? Nursing used to be one of the most promising careers but presently, many nurses have ‘side hustles’ beside their profession because the government has refused to pay them. The exact salary of nurses can’t be known because no one actually tells his or her friend how much they are paid right?
Salary Scale of Nurses in Ghana
We will not know exactly how much they are paid but we will make estimations. Some say that even degree nurses are being paid only GHS 2,000, how true is that? We know for a fact that the salary of a nurse in Ghana, on average, is between or should range between GHS 3,000 to GHS 9,400, from this amount, tax and other important deductions will be removed.
These amounts may increase over time, taking into consideration, the experience level, and job specification. The following is a list put together by Salary Explorer Ghana, to indicate how much nurses of each job title are paid. Are these salaries enough? If tax, rent, food, and other necessities are removed, how much will be the reminder? Is it enough? Be the judge of that.
Salaries of Nurses in Ghana
| Nurse Rank | Monthly Salary |
|---|---|
| Company Nurse | GHS 3,040 |
| Nursing Assistant | GHS 3,560 |
| Psychiatric Nurse | GHS 3,560 |
| School Nurse | GHS 3,630 |
| Home Nurse | GHS 3,710 |
| Nurse | GHS 3,720 |
| Licensed Practical Nurse | GHS 3,810 |
| Registered Nurse | GHS 3,810 |
| District Nurse | GHS 3,840 |
| Staff Nurse | GHS 3,870 |
| Mental Health Nurse | GHS 4,050 |
| ICU Registered Nurse | GHS 4,070 |
| Utilisation Review Nurse | GHS 4,160 |
| Informatics Nurse Specialist | GHS 4,250 |
| Acute Care Nuser | GHS 4,270 |
| Nurse Midwife | GHS 4,390 |
| Critical Care Nurse. | GHS 4,420 |
| MDS Coordinator | GHS 4,470 |
| Nurse Coordinator | GHS 4,570 |
| Head nurse | GHS 4,690 |
| Nurse Practitioner | GHS 4,960 |
| Neonatal Nurse Practitioner | GHS 5,570 |
| Case Manager | GHS 5,590 |
| Occupational Therapist | GHS 6,030 |
| Assistant Director of Nursing | GHS 6,610 |
| Theatre Manager | GHS 6,620 |
| Respiratory Manager | GHS 7,200 |
| Nurse Director | GHS 9,040 |
Do nurses deserve to be paid more than they are being paid? Most people in Ghana try to compare their income to those of other people in developed countries, the economy in Ghana cannot be compared to that of Germany or the United States. What Ghana’s government can do though, is only employ or admit students they know they can pay at the end of their education, admit only students that they can give jobs to.
What about salary increment you may ask, generally, nurses expect to have an 8% salary increment every 22 months. But 53% of surveyed nursing staff reported that they haven’t received bonuses or increments within the past year, 47% on the other hand, said they were not left out.
How does a nurse get an increment? How does it change over time? Nurses with 2 to 5 years of experience on average, get 32% more than freshers or new nurses. Those who have been in the system for more than 5 years on average, also get 36% more than those who have practiced for less than 5 years.
Being a nurse for 10 years guarantees you on average, a 21% increment. 15 years and above, 14% more. These estimations depend on the job title.
Apart from increments, what other benefits do nurses derive from the job?
They are given bonuses depending on several factors.
One of them is an individual performance-based bonus. How well are you performing as a nurse? What milestone have you reached? What is one outstanding thing you’ve done over the year? There are also company performance bonuses, when celebrating excess profits and earnings, you can be award as well.
There is also holiday or end-of-year bonuses which are very common. Goal-based bonuses are also available to career-driven nurses.
Facts or Myths?
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Female nurses are known to be paid 8% more than male nurses. How true is that? The government sector does pay a little more, about 8% more than the private sector.
Many nurses have also complained about paying before getting medical attention. Why does a nurse who works for the health sector have to pay her medical bills? Is it reasonable?
Takeaway
Working as a nurse in Ghana is not very interesting or lucrative all the time, but it’s a profession, it’s a skill you have at hand. If you’re planning to attend a nursing training school or earn a degree in any of the fields, do so. You will have the skill and certificate and can work outside Ghana if you want.
As for the fight for salary increment from the government, nurses should not stop, they deserve it. At least, perhaps they’ll stop being cranky all the time. The government should also provide jobs for them, no nurse should be left sitting at home after school.
