Become an LPN? Please advise...

[ruby04]

Hi,

I graduated from college with a BA degree two years ago. After graduation it took me 10 months to find a job in government public relations. It's an hour drive each way from my home, I make $26,000/year with no room for advancement at all and I really hate what I'm doing becuase I hardly every get to interact with other people.

I've been trying to find another job in PR for the past year, but with no luck. There just doesn't seem to be $ or demand for someone with less than 10 years of experience.

A friend of mine just became an RN. She suggested I take 18 months and $10,000, become an LPN, and work my way up to RN later.

It sounds applealing.

Job security seems good with nursing, I like working with people, I grew up on a farm so there aren't many things that phase me...but I don't know if going back to school for another degree is smart, seeing as it didn't work out to well for me the first time.

Can anyone tell me the average salary and hours for a new LPN in Pennsylvania? I'd love to work days or 12 hour shifts. My friend says she think LPNs make $18-$28/hour. If that's right, that's more than I get now, plus the hospital is only 10 minutes from home.

Changing careers is the only way I'm going to get more $ and feel like I'm accomplishing something with my time. I'm just not sure nursing is right for me.

[RNsRWe, ASN, RN]

One thing I forgot to mention: I can only speak for around my area, of course, but our nursing homes are ALWAYS looking for LPNs; the medical offices don't need nearly so much. Turnover is higher in LTC, I guess.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

What's the difference between working in a doctor's office and a hospital/nursing home? The hours seem better, so I'm guessing it's less $ and more paper work??

In my city of residence, the local chain of urgent care clinics pays LPNs the whopping rate of $12.75 hourly.

The average nursing home in my city of residence pays LPNs anywhere from $17.00 to $21.00 per hour. The higher wages offered by nursing homes reflects the high demand for nurses needed to work with the geriatric population, as well as the added responsibilities of LTCF work. My first nursing home job involved passing medications and doing simple treatments on 33 elderly residents, so it was imperative that I managed my time prudently.

[Elektra6, ASN, BSN, RN]

Dear Ruby04,

I was in the same boat as you (sort of) graduated 8 yrs ago with a BA, tired of working in office jobs making barely $12 an hour, working 2 jobs to make decent money. I wanted to be a nurse since I was a teenager but was talked out of it. Nobody told me about LPN or vocational school. I wish I had been more proactive in my education back then (wish the internet was around too). After I was laid off from my job and working at a store, I decided to go to LPN school. Again, many people felt it was a bad idea but here I am working as an LPN for 8 months now and I love it. I work in LTC too.

Things I like about being an LPN:

1. You always make someone's day better even if it is just by being there and caring.

2. You get to make important decisions every day.

3. You never stop learning.

3. You can work VERY flexible hours.

4. You are not imprisoned by working the 9-5, waiting for a year to get a raise world, any longer. As a new grad I am making on the low side, but it's still more than $15,000 than my old job and I don't do much overtime, just 40 a week.

5. And best of all, I'm never bored like I was at the office.

Things I don't like about being an LPN:

1. Being a new grad, I wish I had been a nurse for 10 years!

2. People asking me why I don't have an RN

3. Wish hospitals would hire us again

Hope this helps. I think shadowing nurses is a great idea, wish I had done it! Best of luck!

[RunnerRN, BSN, RN]

IMO, I wouldn't go for the 18 month LPN program. I have a girlfriend who did it that way (LPN first, then RN bridge, then bridge to BSN, now wants to get MSN) and she said she would never do it that way again. It took so much more time and money to get to where she wanted to be. Depending on your locale and degree, there are BSN accelerated programs where you can finish your BSN in less than 18 months - it is incredibly intense. Or check into doing an RN program, and you can bridge to BSN later if you want. I'm in the midwest, and none of our hospitals use LPNs except as CNAs - you have to go to the nursing homes to be employed as an LPN.

That isn't the way a lot of people would do it, but if you can afford to take the time off, it might be better to just go for RN - assuming you can get into a program.