LPN needs career advice

AZMOMO2 · Jan 3, 2012

I don't have much advice to offer you, but I have totally been where you are. Its a killer when you get cancelled off. I love my Peds Private Duty job but I for one know that I would not like PICU or NICU either. But overall your B doesn't mean that you can't handle it. A B in Nursing school sometimes is an A in a regular program, I know mine was.

Once you get a critical care clinical placement in the RN portion you will get a better idea of where you'd really like to work in the future.

In the meantime, make sure that you agency knows that if your kid has a cancellation or is in the hospital or something, that you do want an alternate placement to cover the lost pay. That's what I had to do.

HazelLPN, LPN · Jan 4, 2012

I am a retired LPN with both PICU and NICU experience. You already know that if you want to work in a critical care setting, its very important to get your RN. There are some LPNs who work in these units, but most of the time they are veteran nurses and the ones who are not are exceptions to the rule. I would also encourage you to obtain your BSN because it will give you the most options in your career.

I'm sure sure how much weight I would put in grades because I don't think they mean much in the real world. I knew a TERRIBLE RN who was so proud of her GPA that she brought in her transcript at work once. All As...so what...she was still a lousy bedside nurse.

If you live in a state where LPNs are given a broad scope of practice (can push IV meds, give blood products) you might want to contact a nurse manager of a PICU or NICU. You also might want to consider acute care peds, which is more likely for an LPN to be able to work in. The best way to obtain jobs is through real life human connections and relationships. The last LPN hired in the PICU from which I retired had been a unit clerk there and was hired when she graduated at a time when the PICU had stopped hiring LPNs and would replace retiring LPNs with an RN. Every hospital unit that I have ever worked on has had a "call in" list of nurses who are trained to work in the unit but have no scheduled hours. Perhaps you can train for one of these positions if you can make good connections.

Also, read and learn on your own. You like taking care of your heart patient...find out about peds heart problems and the surgeries and new treatments. You have to love learning to work in critical care because its constantly changing and there is always so much to learn.

Best to you,

Mrs H.

wecan11 · Jan 4, 2012

Dear Mrs. H.

Thank you for the sage advice.

Best Regards,

wecan11