LPN/LVN salary for 2013/2014

Nurses LPN/LVN

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I would like to hear from fresh LPN/LVN about starting salaries. Also I would like to know where was your first job? And how do you like being a LPN? Do you think you made the right career choice? Since, I will be a fresh LPN/LVN soon. I would like to hear everyone's input. Let's start with Cincinnati Ohio......

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My first job as an LPN was 3 yrs ago at a LTC facility in Charles Town, WV. I started off at $15/hr but got a raise to $18/hr within 2 months. I just relocated to Nevada and got a job in corrections. My starting pay here will be $27/hr. That is on the high end for this area. Starting range salary for this area would be $18-22/hr.

I absolutely love being an LPN and I am currently working towards my RN. I made the right career choice for me. However, I have met many other nurses that joined nursing for the wrong reasons (Usually because of the money), and regret becoming a nurse. With that being said there are many different avenues in nursing (clinics, LTC, corrections, hospice, ect.).

I hope this helped to answer your questions. Good luck!

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I am a new grad and will be starting a new job soon as a pediatric home health lpn with a rate of 22.50 an hour. I too am working towards my RN and did a bridge program so I got my LPN in 9 months and can go into third block and finish to fourth right after. I've made the right choice, will have experience as a nurse before even getting my RN. I will not be a new grad nurse in the RN title. I've been an emergency room tech for a while now, taking it in steps.

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My first job was in December 2012, it was in NY. My salary was $21.00/hr. My current job is also in NY, I make $24/hr. How do I like being a LPN? Uh..Well its definitely not what I had expected. I kinda feel like in school they paint a nice rosy picture of whats nursing like. And then the "real life" nursing is totally different IMO. I feel I'm not really putting to use all that I learned in school. I feel that mostly all I do is pop pills all day. (I work in a LTC facility -- pretty much the only place that still hires LPNs..atleast where I live.) I'm currently in school pursuing my ADN for my RN. I'm not too sure if I've made the correct career choice or not. I have a year left in school, definitely have had 2nd thoughts alot of times. My parents keep pushing me to finish what I started, so I'm doing just that. I really hope once I graduate and become a RN I will like nursing a bit more. The reason for that is because I know as a RN you have a bit more choices as to where you wanna work, what kinda work you want to do. For example, you can be a school nurse. You can do teaching (of course once you have all the credentials), work in different specialities. I'm not too sure. I really hope I end up liking nursing. But the problem is a lot of hospitals are requiring a BSN to even get a job as a RN. I don't think I would have a problem getting a job as a RN in a SNF or LTC facility cause of my background as a LPN. But in hospitals -- yeah I think thats going to be a bit more tough. I feel I'm gunna have to get a BSN..even though Im not sure on this career choice just to see what its like. Kinda sucks if you ask me. I really do hope nursing works out for me, haha. I definitely don't wanna be one of those nurses where you can tell they DO NOT like what they are doing. I don't wanna be miserable going to work every day. If nursing doesn't work out, I think I'm going to go into Veterinary medicine. Its what I've always wanted to do..

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Specializes in Medical-Surgial, Cardiac, Pediatrics.

Working as an LPN, I made base pay of $17/hr, working home health in shifts. I enjoyed the work overall, but was very glad once I got my RN and it freed me up to do more with my career professionally. Still, it was a great experience, and I'm very glad that I did it.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Med-Surg, Psych, Geri, LTC, Tele,.

I'm not in your locale. But here, I was paid $16/hr as an LVN new grad. All of my friends from school make $19-$29./hr, so that rate was low.

2nd new grad job paid $22. I had no experience because I didn't include my 1st job on my resume because I was fired after only a few weeks.

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Thank You for your response back, I'm looking for a lot of avenues where I can work :))

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Michelkejxx thank you for your response. You will have a lot more choices as an RN! It's the same here in Cincinnati Ohio all the hospitals are hollering BSN!!! I hope nursing work out for you think positive and positive things will happen!!! Keep pushing my nurse friend :))

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I'm sorry to hear about you being fired! But I'm glad you found a replacement also! Thank you for your response I'm seeing hope in everybody post! Again thank you :))

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My first job was in December 2012, it was in NY. My salary was $21.00/hr. My current job is also in NY, I make $24/hr. How do I like being a LPN? Uh..Well its definitely not what I had expected. I kinda feel like in school they paint a nice rosy picture of whats nursing like. And then the "real life" nursing is totally different IMO. I feel I'm not really putting to use all that I learned in school. I feel that mostly all I do is pop pills all day. (I work in a LTC facility -- pretty much the only place that still hires LPNs..atleast where I live.) I'm currently in school pursuing my ADN for my RN. I'm not too sure if I've made the correct career choice or not. I have a year left in school, definitely have had 2nd thoughts alot of times. My parents keep pushing me to finish what I started, so I'm doing just that. I really hope once I graduate and become a RN I will like nursing a bit more. The reason for that is because I know as a RN you have a bit more choices as to where you wanna work, what kinda work you want to do. For example, you can be a school nurse. You can do teaching (of course once you have all the credentials), work in different specialities. I'm not too sure. I really hope I end up liking nursing. But the problem is a lot of hospitals are requiring a BSN to even get a job as a RN. I don't think I would have a problem getting a job as a RN in a SNF or LTC facility cause of my background as a LPN. But in hospitals -- yeah I think thats going to be a bit more tough. I feel I'm gunna have to get a BSN..even though Im not sure on this career choice just to see what its like. Kinda sucks if you ask me. I really do hope nursing works out for me, haha. I definitely don't wanna be one of those nurses where you can tell they DO NOT like what they are doing. I don't wanna be miserable going to work every day. If nursing doesn't work out, I think I'm going to go into Veterinary medicine. Its what I've always wanted to do..

OMG, I also wanted to be a veterinarian when I was younger. I love animals *small* animals..lol but i can remember watching this show called 'Animal Planet' and it would show surgeries being done on pets..I found it quite fascinating but dream later vanished. I'm pursing my RN (ADN) and in the back of my mind, I also think of the same thing about becoming a nurse. It's in demand and you have many job choices, but I also want to enjoy what I do. I think I have this kind of behavior toward nursing because I have been working as a CNA at my current job for five years and witnessed the disrespect and being mistreated. We have patio staff ratio 1: 24 and its exhausting. My job doesn't acknolwedge the nurses not one bit. Can we get a "thank you for working with us" something? Nope five years and all the job does is mistreat the staff. Recently my job was sued by an employer djue to not paying us overtime and other misc things and we won the case so that was a blessing. Since then, nothing has changed and management is so money hungry its crazy. They will accept any and all patients without a proper screening. Its terrible. I try not to take my experience in believing that nursing is like that overall. It's one place and hopefully nurses are treated with respect in other places.

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I am a new grad and started my first job this past week working nights 7pm-7am. I'll be making 16.50 with a $1.50 shift differential, so $18 an hour total.

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Anyone in CA? Im looking for my first job as an LVN. Wondering where to apply and how much is an hourly pay rate.

thank you!

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