Considering becoming an LVN in Houston - Guidance Please

[romans8:28]

Hello. I am considering becoming an LVN here in the Houston, TX area. I am 43 and this is something I should've done a long time ago. I decided on having my family first. So what I would like to do is go to school for my LVN certification, find employment with one of the many hospitals in the surrounding areas. Then go on to get my ADN, then eventually transition to BSN. I need some guidance with my plan. Are hospitals hiring new LVNs with no experience? If not where should I start my search? Will any clinics or nursing homes, etc be a better place to work to get my experience and feet wet? I really have no clue what salaries are the norm for an LVN in this area. Would you recommend just going straight for the ADN first instead? I'm just looking for guidance and encouragement from the nursing community.

TIA and God Bless!!!

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

The vast majority of the general acute care hospitals in Houston no longer hire LVNs. However, specialty hospitals such as Kindred and HealthSouth still hire LVNs.

If you ever want to work at a hospital in the Texas Medical Center, you will need a BSN degree. If you are fine with working at an outlying suburban hospital, the ADN will be sufficient.

[HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD]

I can attest to the accuracy of Commuter's statement about the local employment market for LVNs. However, if you're looking for "ADN friendly" hospitals, you'll have to look outside any community hospitals that are part of any of the major hospital systems. They are all committed to BSN-only, with very rare exceptions for nurses with highly valued skills. So, I'd suggest looking in the "ex-urbs" such as Conroe, Baytown, Richmond, Angleton, etc.