[Tony1790]

I received my acceptance letter in the mail today, I have orientation for school in 3 weeks and classes start Sept 2nd, I have to reserve my spot in class by the 18th of July with a phone call to say that I still want the slot.

To be honest, I'm struggling with the decision. There are a whole lot of jobs out there that pay way better or at least as much as an LPN here and are nearly as stressful.

If I don't go to LPN this year, I can go take my BSN for second degree holders at ETSU next year and graduate with a better degree, I'll just be in neutral until next year though.

Tony

[OhDaughterofZion]

I have to say that having an LPN is excellent leverage when it comes to experience. I don't know how many countless times I've heard people ask how they are to get jobs when all of them require some form of experience. In the long run, having as much education behind you as you can is pretty smart, LPN or not.

I have quite a bit of respect for those who have worked their way up from CNA to RN, not to disparage those who haven't WHATSOEVER, by the way. Considering I have no education at all.

But it seems to me that going through the year of school is part of character building, gives you one more strength to fall back on on your way to RN, and the stability of having a nursing education with the way our economy is right now, helps exponentially while you're in school to get your RN.

We have very limited options much like you do where you live Tony. My family is from outside of Asheville, N.C. which isn't terribly far from you. I live in rural Pa, and had I not chosen to do LPN first, I would be stuck with only one program, 50 miles away, with a 4 year ADN (part-time) that may or may not have 15 slots open that take years to get accepted into.

Or an adult learner BSN that would take me an extra 2 years to complete because of the adult learner status.

As a result of me choosing to do a 1 year LPN, I can now go to the same college that offers adult learning, for 2 years, no wait, for LPN to RN.

Your situation is pretty unique in that you have VA benefits to use at your discretion. It seems elementary that you would go back and get a BSN since you already have a degree now. I believe though, that you may very well have to take some classes over again.

Whatever you do, it's great that you have the VA helping you out. If you served after 9/11, I know my brother was really excited about a bill that just passed that will give veterans a ton of extra education benefits if they served at least 36 months after 9/11.
Not sure if it's in addition to GI Bill or in lieu of though.

Good luck!

[tothepointe]

I've noticed that many pof my classmates have unrealistic expectations of how much they'll make once they graduate. They fail to differentiate between starting paying and whatever someone ones mum/tia/cousin whatever is making.

[bobs201]

Originally Posted by motorcycle mama

Where was this salary earned?

I have never heard of any healthcare facility offering some of the benefits being claimed. Even those in the larger cities.

There are so many urban legends in nursing when it comes to pay rates. I had a CNA try to tell me the other day the hospital (MTMC in Murfreesboro, TN) was paying over $15/to get ice and change bedsheets and you didn't even have to have a license, and on top of that they get a dollar raise per hour every month.

If that is the case why go to nursing school at all, because new grad RN's only start out at a little over $19/hr at that same hospital and I know for a fact they don't get a dollar raise every month.

Pretty soon the people changing bedsheets and getting ice will be making more than the RN's!

I know a camp fire story when I hear one.

You need to leave TN, im in sc and new RN's start around $28 an hour and new LPN's start around $22 an hour, my cousin has been an lpn for for 7 years and she is paid what she works for, she makes that much because she has 2 jobs and there are no rules stating that nurses can only have one job and live off of that one salary.....i dont know what other way to put it... What may be a campfire story in TN it is a reality in SC....Im sorry that you live in a state that dont pay as much.

[dreamon]

Wow that is pretty good for SC- I never looked at the salary out there but I would've guessed less. The housing in most of SC is reasonable.

[scorpiostudent]

Originally Posted by bobs201

You need to leave TN, im in sc and new RN's start around $28 an hour and new LPN's start around $22 an hour, my cousin has been an lpn for for 7 years and she is paid what she works for, she makes that much because she has 2 jobs and there are no rules stating that nurses can only have one job and live off of that one salary.....i dont know what other way to put it... What may be a campfire story in TN it is a reality in SC....Im sorry that you live in a state that dont pay as much.

wow, what part of SC? I'm in SC (w/in an hour of Florence/Conway/Georgetown/Myrtle Beach) and have been kicking myself for going LPN instead of straight RN because of the mentality of LPN = "low paid nurse". She works at a nursing home?

It would make my day... no my year to make more than $15 an hour (considering I was capable of making $13 p/hr in my prev field)

[OhDaughterofZion]

I know that I originally got excited about nursing when I took an unlicensed home health position on the weekends to supplement my income.

I thought I was going to have to grit my teeth and pray the whole time, because I figured I'd be pretty squeamish.

But, I didn't mind at all. I actually loved it, and realized that nursing was where I needed to be.

I looked at LPN jobs because I wanted to get school over with quickly as I have 2 kids and no family or anyone to help me out. LPN's got paid around 16-18.00/hr to start after graduation in the DFW area closer to the city, and I was shocked.

So, they really CAN make good money. I now live in Pa. and they start at about 12.00/hr which is really really disturbing and angers me to no end. My point is that LPN pay rates can vary pretty widely depending on lots of factors to include location. But,
lol @ a dollar pay raise PER MONTH as an unlicensed CNA. Even in DFW they started at about 8.00 per hour.

[bobs201]

Originally Posted by Jenlaana

wow, what part of SC? I'm in SC (w/in an hour of Florence/Conway/Georgetown/Myrtle Beach) and have been kicking myself for going LPN instead of straight RN because of the mentality of LPN = "low paid nurse". She works at a nursing home?

It would make my day... no my year to make more than $15 an hour (considering I was capable of making $13 p/hr in my prev field)

Yeah, she works at a nursing home in columbia. Do you work in a hospital? Did you go to HGTC?

[scorpiostudent]

Originally Posted by bobs201

Yeah, she works at a nursing home in columbia. Do you work in a hospital? Did you go to HGTC?

I'm still a student, starting the nursing classes in the Fall at Williamsburg Tech (I'll be with their 3rd graduating LPN class...its a new program). I am planning to transfer to either HGTC (already applied and working on the general education LPN to RN pre-reqs) or Florence-Darlington depending on where I work as an LPN once I graduate. Right now I work at a hospital in Florence as a unit secretary, (making waaay less than I have in the past 10 years just for the "hospital experience") but my husband works in Conway and we are living right between the two.

[bobs201]

[quote=Jenlaana;2948032]I'm still a student, starting the nursing classes in the Fall at Williamsburg Tech (I'll be with their 3rd graduating LPN class...its a new program). I am planning to transfer to either HGTC (already applied and working on the general education LPN to RN pre-reqs) or Florence-Darlington depending on where I work as an LPN once I graduate. Right now I work at a hospital in Florence as a unit secretary, (making waaay less than I have in the past 10 years just for the "hospital experience") but my husband works in Conway and we are living

Wow! thats great! im currently in the 2nd LPN class at WTC. I've been looking into the bridgre program at trident tech in charleston mainly because its only 2 semesters (4 nursing classes) and you only need a 70.5 avg to pass there. Because WTC nursing classes are new they require an 80% avg to pass, in which have kept me up many nights studying. But besides being demanding, it is a great, rewarding program that requires dedication. I've gotten 2 job offers so far, one of which is a nursing home in charleston that offerered $21 an hour plus differentials for their baylor shift (Im one of the few that love geriatric nursing).