Decisions.. your Opinion

Nursing Students LPN/LVN Students

Published

Background- im 26. Currently in a pt LPN program class hrs are 6pm to 10pm monday to thursday. starting september it will be tues 6pm to 10pm and 12 hours on saturdays both for clinicals. im expected to graduate Oct 2015. im a at home call center travel agent who works 830a to 5pm mon to friday no weekends. recently challenged and pass the CNA florida exam. my commute from home to school with traffic is 50 mins my commute from the work office to school would change to 1;20 depending on traffic

the problem- our dept is merging so the new dept will operate Mon to Sats and everyone must come into the office. They offered a pay increase to 13.50 a hr. they will "try" and work with my schedule but there is no guarantee they can. they will not offer part time. CNA work pays $10 no experience but i can find a program that does doubles 2 days in a row and then find agency prn work for any other days i might want to pick up. i make 12.21 as is and bills are pretty tight.

other info- im thinking i should stick it out with CNA work as i can work as much as i want and i need the experience inthe long run. i can hustle for the next 14 months and int he end it pay off??

what do yal think?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Postpartum, Mother/Baby, Comm. Health, Geriatric.

I think I would work as a CNA and tough it out because a year from now you may be a nurse at that same facility.

I am working 32 hours a week T-F 8am-4 pm (with a 1 & 1/2 year old) and will have class on Mon/Tues/Thurs nights, with a Sat 7am-7pm clinical because I refuse to lose my position at the hospital I work at. I will grind hard for this next year because next year around this time will be awesome and well worth it.

You can do what ever you put your mind to. Believe it, acheive it!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I was thinking that too , im going to have to grind hard for $10 a hour. Picking up shifts when ever i can. i guess i should mention i too have a 14 month old. hes currently on a mini vacation with my mom in nyc and she doesn't mind helping out. I looked at the positive and your right il be a LPN making more then both in a little over a year.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Most definitely go the CNA route. I am currently in a similar situation but I agree that at the ending of my schooling I will be making double of what I'm offered now so I say stick to school and going the CNA route !!! Come October next year you will be happy that you did ! Good luck and God bless! :)

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

If your new call center work schedule will fit with your Nursing school schedule, don't underestimate the value of $3.50/hr extra plus benefits and seniority/stability.

Perhaps try PRN CNA work while you keep your job. You may find the work so rewarding that it becomes worth it to you to make $150 less per week (comparing full time to full time)

I loved my CNA job...well I loved my 4th CNA job, The experience was invaluable as an aspiring nurse. But if i had another option for a different job that made more than $9/hr (my Cna pay approximately 2 yrs ago) I'm not sure I would have done worked for that low pay.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Update this is what they offered me on friday. I would work 9 to 515. I can not make it to class on time. I will be late every day due to Orlando traffic. I'd then have to make up the hours on Fridays and Saturdays. When clinicals start in September they can give me Saturdays off. The extra cash is totally something I need right now but at the cost of schooling I don't think it's something I can do. I spoke with my teacher and prof ram director and they gave my text book answers "we prefer our students to not work doing school and if your more then 15 minutes late to class it's a full point off your final grade for each time" I'm in med surg I can't afford to have that many points taken off. I've have perfect attendance since beginning and it's like I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in None yet..

Tough decision! So many variables and only you can weigh each one. Without other information, I'd have to agree with shan409 and cocoluv06.

You may be earning less per hour now as a CNA but you will be earning more as an LPN. Do the math - how much do you lose in earnings over your student period by being a CNA vs. how much you gain over the rest of your working life being an LPN.

Also, call center jobs are notorious for job insecurity. My brother and quite a few women in my CNA training class were all people laid off from call centers. What's the possibility you'll find yourself laid off midstream when your company downsizes or merges or .....?

I also have to agree that working as a CNA at a facility is an excellent way to slide into being an LPN/RN there. Plus the facility will be much more supportive and accommodating of your student schedule; they're invested in you as a current and future employee, after all. My facility hired me as a half-time float CNA with full knowledge that I might not be able to work the schedule for the job when nursing school starts at the end of September. (That's a month of orientation and less than two months of new-hire work from me before they may need to put me on per diem and rehire for my position. A big factor was that I'd been a volunteer there and they knew they'd have a shot at hiring me when I'm an RN.)

You're blessed to have your mom helping with your babe. Give her a big hug from me the next time you see her. You can do it, Cynt87. Everyone else, thanks for the peer support. It's tough starting new as a CNA and going to nursing school but it's not like any of us are doing it alone. We can get through this!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Omg Seattle Jess you made my day. Thanks so much for the support. I mean in the end it will be way more worth it. I'm going to have to work my butt off. Yes my mom is a life saver lol its suck my son is in NYC while I'm in Florida but I need to make sure he has a stable life. I really appreciate all of the input.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Tough decision! So many variables and only you can weigh each one. Without other information, I'd have to agree with shan409 and cocoluv06.

You may be earning less per hour now as a CNA but you will be earning more as an LPN. Do the math - how much do you lose in earnings over your student period by being a CNA vs. how much you gain over the rest of your working life being an LPN.

Also, call center jobs are notorious for job insecurity. My brother and quite a few women in my CNA training class were all people laid off from call centers. What's the possibility you'll find yourself laid off midstream when your company downsizes or merges or .....?

I also have to agree that working as a CNA at a facility is an excellent way to slide into being an LPN/RN there. Plus the facility will be much more supportive and accommodating of your student schedule; they're invested in you as a current and future employee, after all. My facility hired me as a half-time float CNA with full knowledge that I might not be able to work the schedule for the job when nursing school starts at the end of September. (That's a month of orientation and less than two months of new-hire work from me before they may need to put me on per diem and rehire for my position. A big factor was that I'd been a volunteer there and they knew they'd have a shot at hiring me when I'm an RN.)

You're blessed to have your mom helping with your babe. Give her a big hug from me the next time you see her. You can do it, Cynt87. Everyone else, thanks for the peer support. It's tough starting new as a CNA and going to nursing school but it's not like any of us are doing it alone. We can get through this!

Aww you are the best!! This was so AWESOME !! :))) Totally agree with everything that you stated!!!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in None yet..
Omg Seattle Jess you made my day. Thanks so much for the support. I mean in the end it will be way more worth it. I'm going to have to work my butt off. Yes my mom is a life saver lol its suck my son is in NYC while I'm in Florida but I need to make sure he has a stable life. I really appreciate all of the input.

Keep your eyes on the prize! Undoubtedly it will get tough but it won't last forever. The second-year students at my school advised us that the No. 1 tip for nursing school is to get a good day planner and to use it for everything - work, school, commute, exercise, sleep... everything. (And round up for travel times.) I'd add to stick a picture of that adorable little guy of yours in/on your planner and notebooks where you'll see it. You're doing a wonderful thing for both of you. God bless.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment