LPN's A Dying Breed?

**Elektra6, ASN, BSN, RN** · Nov 24, 2015

Sending you a big hug! That is so unfair to lose your job not because you were not good at it, but because they changed the job requirements. Unfair you were not grandfathered in. I became an LPN in 2005. No hospital around here would hire me. I worked LTC and Subacute. You would probably do really well in long term acute care with your background. My LTC was staffed with great LPNs who were forced out of the hospital. I did the Excelsior LPN-RN school because it was affordable and I didn't have to quit working. I have been in home health since 2007 and I love it so maybe you can look into that too. Best of luck!

xoemmylouox, ASN, RN · Nov 25, 2015

Have considered going back to school? There are plenty of jobs for LPN's out there. Maybe try PDN, LTACH, etc.

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Nov 25, 2015

HCan anyone offer ANY input, suggestions/tips or advice? All will be read and considered.

1. Relocate to a region that still hires LPNs into acute care roles.

2. Return to school to obtain RN licensure, preferably via the BSN degree.

3. Learn to enjoy your current role in occupational health. Many LPNs would kill to be working in a specialty such as occupational health.

I am so sorry this happened to you. Good luck!

LPNtoRNin2016OH, LPN · Dec 8, 2015

Hugs, friend. But first, as an LPN whose most of her experience is in occ health, you have uncovered a field that many LPNs do not we can do. And once you have experience, because there are few LPNs (and RNs at that) that do, you can essentially choose what you want to do. You can do MANY positions with occ health experience. Do you have any certifications? You cannot get the occupational nurse cert, RNs only I believe, but I have several others that have been very beneficial to me: hearing conservationist, spirometry, government/non government drug testing/breathalyzers, a few other small ones.

I unknowingly created a niche for myself when I took the job, I really took it because of the hours: 9-5 M-F, no weekends/no holidays. I ended up with a lot of training because my boss had health issues. I had to leave because I needed PRN since I am back in school but I literally have people calling me due to my profile on linked in (I think that's the site), I just haven't taken any offers because I can't work full time right now.

Don't write occ health off quite yet. I was paid very well for a clinic LPN because it was occ health. It's specialized, not many people are familiar with workers comp, union negotiations, employee working restrictions and what that means for the company. If you would like to message me, I can tell you more about the different certs you can get and who I got them through. My old supervisor has offered me a job in the new year in a company that is really hard to get into - no way I would have seen the inside without my prior occ experience.

As far as other options go, like the hospital, you would have to go back to school. That's why I am back in, I was fine with my LPN title, liked the pay, but I want to do more critical care than SNF. I also want to run my own occupational health clinic one day, need an RN to do that in most cases.

I wish hospitals would wise up and utilize us more. We could float between a few floor nurses, take on their less critical patients when they are over loaded, fill in for lunch breaks, and reduce RN stress/burn out. But because it's all about the money, that will never happen.

Have you looked into financing options if you choose to go back to school? I used a private loan for my LPN so now I am using government funded loans and since I am at a community college, it's covering everything. I worked full time the first two years while getting my pre-reqs, I took two at a time , perhaps an option to look into.

If schooling isn't an option other certifications could help: EKG, phlebotomy if your not already skilled in it, and I am sure there are more that could make your job options wider.

HazelLPN, LPN · Dec 8, 2015

I am a retired LPN and spent most of my career working in critical care nursing. Back in the 1980s LPNs in all of the ICUs were told to get their RN within X amount of time or we would have to go work on one of the floors. The hospital, however, offered tuition reimbursement to return to school.

I knew that I couldn't be a floor nurse again. I had been working in ICU for over nearly 30 years at the time and I didn't know how to do anything else. I either had to quit nursing or go back to school because working on the floor simply wasn't for me and never would be. So I chose to return for my RN. However, we were allowed to remain as LPNs for X amount of time.

In the end, LPNs were grandfathered in because our nurse manager and head intensivist advocated that the remaining LPNs remain on the unit but be phased out by attrition. This is the only ethical way to do it. I ended up dropping out of my BSN program with one semester to go because life simply got in the way and I was allowed to remain as an LPN until I fully retired six years ago.

You've been though a humiliating experience. You've been told "you're an LPN which means you're no good." They probably sited some research articles passed off as facts that site mortality rates, despite poor research design and interpretation. There may be a place you can work that offers tuition reimbursement and would allow you to go back for you RN. I know a few LPNs who bowed out of ICU to work in the ambulatory setting (due to old age and burn out due to being forced out)...such as the surgery clinic, cardiology clinic, burn clinic etc....and were able to contribute with their knowledge from working in critical care without having the physical demands of the unit....perhaps you could find a cardiology clinic or group practice. I would think that they would welcome a former critical care nurse.

I tell young people these days NOT to get their LPN because there simply are fewer career options than if they have their RN...BSN if possible. Its becoming all too common that LPNs are forced out of their jobs and given options like "go back to school on your time, take a job for much less money to work far below your level of training and if you don't like it...quit! Thanks for your years of dedicated nursing care bla bla."

Best to you,

Mrs H.