LPN's in Urgent Care

[Elle.p.enn]

Hi everyone,

I just found my first "real" LPN job, it's in an urgent care setting. There are three doctors: a cardiologist, a pulmonologist, and an orthopedist.

There are no RN's. I get one week of training, and the job description doesn't really explain what my role is in patient care. What the doc's really seem concerned about is if I can start IV's.

Are there any LPN's who work in a similar setting? If so, what is your nursing role?

Thanks in advance!

[Roseyposey]

I started in an urgent care clinic in June. I love my job, though the pay is significantly less than I could have made elsewhere. My orientation was quite short; however, I am the only LPN at this clinic and won't ever be staffed without an RN. School starts back this month, and they're letting me basically set my own hours. I'm not iv certified, so I only help monitor and dc iv's, but we only have one or two per week. My main duties are to check in patients, collect history, vital signs, urine collection, etc. I give lots of injections, set up sterile fields for sutures, dress sutures and some wound care. I also assist with vag exams, irrigate ears, and just generally assist where necessary. I set up appointments for referrals to orthopedists, MRIs, etc., and answer general phone calls, call in prescriptions, etc. I know I can't spend my entire career doing this type of work, but for now it's great - the docs are very kind and willing to teach.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

There's a large chain of urgent care clinics in my geographical area that hire LPNs; however, the pay is horrible. They pay LPNs/LVNs $12.75 hourly, whereas the local LTCFs pay $18.00 to $21.00 hourly.

[Fiona59]

Pay might be horrible, but not everyone wants to do LTC. For those of us with children the flexible hours offered by these offices are great places to work.