A United States-based Kenyan medic, Amos Orwa, has explained how nurses working in America can earn more than KSh1 million within two weeks, attributing the earnings to hourly pay rates, long shifts and overtime compensation.
Orwa said his latest explanation was meant to provide more details after he previously claimed that nurses in the US could earn more than KSh1 million over a short period.
Using an example of a nurse earning $50 (about KSh6,400) per hour, Orwa demonstrated how working three 12-hour shifts could generate significant income.
According to his calculation, the nurse would earn $600 (about KSh76,800) for a 12-hour shift. Working three such shifts would therefore generate about KSh230,000.
Orwa then explained that the same nurse could take additional shifts during the same week, with the extra hours attracting overtime pay.
He calculated the overtime rate at 1.5 times the regular hourly rate, meaning the nurse earning $50 per hour would receive $75 (about KSh9,600) for each overtime hour.
Working another three 12-hour shifts at the overtime rate would generate approximately KSh345,600, according to his calculation.
This would bring the nurse's earnings for six working days to roughly KSh576,000.
"If the same nurse works another three days the same week, it's paid as overtime at 1.5x," Orwa said while explaining the calculation.
He projected that maintaining the same pattern over two weeks could result in earnings of about KSh1.1 million.
Orwa, however, noted that the $50 hourly rate used in his example was not necessarily the highest amount nurses can earn in the US.
He said some regular floor nurses can earn more than $70 (about KSh8,960) per hour, while Nurse Practitioners (NPs), who have advanced clinical training and responsibilities, can earn significantly more.
"Now, this is a regular floor nurse, some make over $70 per hour and Nurse Practitioners, NP, make even more," he said.
Orwa's figures have drawn attention to the potential earning gap between healthcare professionals working in Kenya and those practising in the US.
However, the calculation represents a specific work pattern rather than a guaranteed income for every nurse.
Actual earnings can vary depending on state, employer, experience, specialty, shift differentials, overtime rules, taxes, benefits and the number of hours a nurse is able or permitted to work.