My advice to you would be if your absolutely certain that you love the nursing home setting, and can work there for 35 plus years and you can handle BM, vomit, bad odors, Ostomys, then go straight to LPN and get a job In LTC. (Moderately easily to get a job there) Some people love that. But if you wanna be an ER Nurse, or an OB Nurse, or a Ped Nurse, Surgical Nurse, ICU Nurse, or Even a Med Surg Nurse job today, get CNA certificate try nursing home, try Med Surg. If you feel your career lies in caring for the elderly then do LPN. If you feel that you want to work in different areas and have the full table available, go for a degree and become an RN, but don't become an LPN just so you can call yourself a Nurse quicker, and have to be miserable working in a nursing home. That would be like someone who has dreams of being a Cardiologist but does Podiatrist instead just because they can call themselves and practice as a doctor quicker but there miserable and regret there decision. Do what makes you happy and work in an area your comfortable In because remember with retirement and the economy worsening you may have to do it for 50 plus years. I can honestly say as a CNA who's worked Acute Care and Currently Long Term Care, and I will say that you love LTC when it's all you know. But once you meet acute care it brings a new kind of excitemet of real everyday people who have lives outside the facilty where the primary focus is getting in, getting better, and getting out. And it's much more refreshing than LTC. But so what makes you happy!! Goodluck to you!
And I'm an EMT and a CNA I work both jobs just to live somewhat comfortably but I will not do this until I'm 70 years old, nor would I do the job of an LPN on the floor in LTC til I'm 70.I wanna have a long career and experience many areas. I don't wanna go to school just to be called nurse and be done with it. I wanna become an RN and and be an ER Nurse, an OB Nurse, a Surgical Nurse and probly at the last 20 years of my career a nursing home Director of Nursing. Then when retirement roles around I wanna be an LTC Weekend RN Supervisor every other weekend and still earn 1500 dollars a month��
Mar 7 by downsouthlaffMy advice to you would be if your absolutely certain that you love the nursing home setting, and can work there for 35 plus years and you can handle BM, vomit, bad odors, Ostomys, then go straight to LPN and get a job In LTC. (Moderately easily to get a job there) Some people love that. But if you wanna be an ER Nurse, or an OB Nurse, or a Ped Nurse, Surgical Nurse, ICU Nurse, or Even a Med Surg Nurse job today, get CNA certificate try nursing home, try Med Surg. If you feel your career lies in caring for the elderly then do LPN. If you feel that you want to work in different areas and have the full table available, go for a degree and become an RN, but don't become an LPN just so you can call yourself a Nurse quicker, and have to be miserable working in a nursing home. That would be like someone who has dreams of being a Cardiologist but does Podiatrist instead just because they can call themselves and practice as a doctor quicker but there miserable and regret there decision. Do what makes you happy and work in an area your comfortable In because remember with retirement and the economy worsening you may have to do it for 50 plus years. I can honestly say as a CNA who's worked Acute Care and Currently Long Term Care, and I will say that you love LTC when it's all you know. But once you meet acute care it brings a new kind of excitemet of real everyday people who have lives outside the facilty where the primary focus is getting in, getting better, and getting out. And it's much more refreshing than LTC. But so what makes you happy!! Goodluck to you!
Apr 3 by eklecticsolim currently a student at new courtland and they are closing because of issues with germantown home and nc cant put more money into the school.. my education is great there and i went on a grant for half of it.hate that its closing in sept when im done... having all my bsn prereqs, except micro, being wait listed, or being told itll take me another 4 years for a bsn program i had to do something different... philly nursing market is over saturated no matter if the letters say lpn, bsn, adn, msn and so on... but persistence pays off.. follow your gut,thry even want cna to have experience!! people will always have their opinions... but as a person who has worked in homecare, rehab, snf, operating room and mental health, being a aide is what helped me to understand this is what i wanted vs. jumping into a high program that i wouldnt be perpared for... but the lpn program has helped my critical thinking and clinical strength.. best of luck to you in whatever you choose!!!
Apr 8 by MommaTyHere in Massachusetts LPNs only work in the nursing homes, and people have a really difficult time getting a job as one. As a CNA its like they will hire you instantly because the need is so high. How about becoming an RN? I have been a CNA since 2004. I just got accepted into the RN program for fall 2013. CNA courses are like 8 weeks long with the american red cross, but LPN programs here you have to take pre reqs before you apply (which are the same for an RN). So I just went for RN.