Eliminating the LPN position

WCSU1987 · May 21, 2015

Appreciate the feedback. Being on the inside working in healthcare over the past few year's raises a lot of concerns for me. As I said earlier the state shut down the LPN program for two year's. Still the private schools had classes, but that is almost $30,000 better to do an accelerated program for $40,000 at that point. With the state budget in disarray thinking of stopping the state programs again due to the belief regarding hiring ratio in the state.

Kind of like the hospital taxing right now. Tax from hospitals that are good on budget erroneous amount of money, but tax less on the hospital that is in the red and give them the extra tax money collected...huge issue in the state a lot of hospitals want this changed.

Then at least three hospitals changed over to only hiring BSNs or enrolled in a RN to BSN/MSN program.

Two schools eliminated their nursing programs, one did change to a Bachelor program and the other is as well.

With that said a lot of hospitals realizing gaps in their home health care area, since most had ADNs. So they are now hiring good amount of LPNs, so guess it is growing again. The state just pushed funding for DMHAS so LPNs are being hired in that area. Also a few nursing homes and group homes. As well as a few hospitals hire LPNs in the role of Medical Assistant in some Doctor offices in the area. However, when I heard about the giant numbers of LPNs let go from one hospital a few month's ago I freaked out.

Nursing is competitive in the state some people are placed on a three year wait list for the ADN programs. Now that most programs start only in the fall in the state, the LPN program still has two start dates. If somehow can maybe do LPN and skip the ADN part apply as a new grad into a BSN program or Accelerated program. By time finish with the LPN program start date for the BSN program would start up.

MidLifeChg2Nursing · May 21, 2015

If you're looking for a guarantee that all your plans will happen exactly as you want -NOT. Life has no guarantee of anything. All you can do is plan with the best information you have available, and go from there - just do it. Expect bumps, hurdles, mountains, curve ball, and adapt to any new situation with the same end goal, you just may need to take a few paths not anticipated - it may make the journey shorter, or longer, or the same amount of time, who knows? But make a decision! NO job has any guarantees of having plenty of openings.

I'm quitting my $75K job of 26 years in August to go to the CT state run LPN program. I'm using my savings to continue paying my mortgage. I'm working per diem as a CNA and will work near full-time as a CNA while going to school - my income will be cut to a lot less than half, with the hope of getting hired as an LPN at the facility I now work as a CNA; the end of the LPN program is about the same time my savings will run out to pay may mortgage - I'm hoping to get hired as an LPN ($25/hr) to pay the mortgage out of a salary, and continue in an LPN-to-RN bridge program. Are there any guarantees? No. Am I a little nervous I won't find an LPN job right away? Yes. Is there a possibility I not finish the LPN program? Unlikely, but you never know; then what? Am I going full steam ahead? Hell yeah!

You're letting the fact that you got fired make you stop, drop, and roll in self pity and self doubt. GET UP! STOP putting up your own road blocks! STOP focusing on all the negative things that COULD happen, and focus on all the positive things that COULD happen - half full, not half empty.

AdamantiteEnigma · May 21, 2015

FWIW to you this is my perspective 14 years later...

Looking back, I had similar options here in AZ back in 2000. I moved to AZ to directly care for an ill parent, and was an EMT at the time. The positions available at that time for me were absolutely abysmal. After numerous interviews that all went well, I was offered a sparkling 8.50/hr to do the same job I'd done for 10 years previous. That was the high offer, the others were less. My payrate when I left was over 10.00/hr higher. And, the cost of living was much lower. It was a no brainer to swap over to CNA/PCT and look at schools related to nursing.

My research included online searching, walk in visits, tons of mail, and interviews by invite. In the end I went to LPN school. My reasoning was similar to what you are stating now. But there was another factor to consider - Waiting Lists. I signed up for the RN program at the community college level. 6 months later, It actually appeared I'd fallen further back on the waiting list. I checked in twice a week on this, as it's been my experience that it's easy to forget an individual in situations like that. My preference has always been to remain on a first name basis in these types of endeavors. Anyway, at the year mark, still no progress. But my personal approach paid off, I received a call around 8am one morning asking if I can get over there right away. A student who was up didn't show for the first day of class. And I was just getting off of night shift at the hospital I was working at during that time.

Sadly, it was their LPN program that had the no show. With no spaces in the RN portion, and an opportunity to move ahead (to whatever degree) I took the spot and ran with it. Logically, it made sense. I'd be able to move ahead sooner as opposed to later. The pay would be better. The experience invaluable. It all looked good on paper, as they say...

Fast forward 11 months later. I graduated with good marks. Only to learn that the waiting list for the same school had a 2.5 year waiting list. My category had switched from a regular student, to an advanced placement student. Sounds nice, but the reality was that the waiting list was longer as an advanced placement student. I couldn't even describe the degree of my frustration with this. Nearly daily apologies, but no results. And I like results. So, I became a nurse extern, then a full LPN at my hospital. Shock and awe move one occurred. I was making 15.31 as a PCT. Wanna guess what my LPN rate of pay was? Hint, it was less...

So, I heard about nursing registries. And I left that hospital to do it. 25 bucks an hour was much better. Though I had to get used to the concept of turning chaos into order every shift I worked. Not sure if I have to say it, but it's draining. Occasionally, with block booking, it wasn't so tiring. Yet my locales changed as the wind blows lol. It was great though in giving me a grand tour of health care facilities in this area. Meanwhile, the owner of the registry elevated me. 2 years in I was his clean up guy. Man, that was a great position actually. 45 bucks an hour to take call for other nurses struggling at their assignments. I'd come to them with some elbow grease and CSR experience and get things on track. Constant stress, but it was worth it to me for what I was being paid. Some nights, not a single phone call. I'd make my rounds and do ancillary things for our other nurses while they were on assignment. My first name basis preferences and all. Other nights were chock full of insanity. And I was paid either way. Again, loved it.

So my name finally comes up on the advanced placement list. It's been 3.8 years post graduation and licensing btw. I'm making 45 an hour at one position, and 28 working on staff full time at a hospital to keep my skills sharp. Both are full time positions. I show up to the first day of class and got pulled down to the academic advisor's office mid afternoon. There I was informed that my prerequisites had gone out of date. AZ has time limits that are rather short on these courses. So, I lose my seat right there. Sent away with a list of classes I'd already done (every single one I needed to retake), total of 12 in all. Reading, writing, arithmetic stuff. Oh, and bio and chem. It was no less offensive to me that I have a degree in both Biology and Chemistry. Bachleors, but hey, who's counting right?

I broke my 300lb punching bag that day, if it tells you anything.

The registry I worked for closed it's doors when the economy went south in 2007. I figured, no big deal. I knew people everywhere it seemed. So I made the rounds looking to replace my second position. No one was hiring LPN's. And I was thorough in my searching. Then the impossible happened. I showed up for shift at the hospital and was pink slipped right at the time clock. Severance check and all. Sorry, we have applied for magnet status - we cannot keep you on staff any longer. Yep, shock and awe number two.

Remember those prerequisite courses I'd been given a list of? Yeah, pride...

So, between 09/08 and 10/12 I only worked occasional registry assignments. Not full time hours, no benefits, and robbing Peter to pay Paul having a chronically ill parent living with me. in October of 2012 things started picking up again. But in areas I've always avoided like the bubonic plague due to personal preference. Prisons/Local Jail etc. I've never seen myself working in those areas, but I did. Because... bills :)

So, I got injured working there in a racial fight that broke out during my medpass. My dominant hand required two surgeries. Still trying to put off a third these days. Working full time now at a nursing home in a not for profit group. And actively trying to land a seat in an ADN program that has a great reputation. Plan is to do what I should have done from the start. Waited for that seat in the RN program.

Imo, waiting two years while working as a CNA/PCT would have been far better. My rearview mirror shows this clearly in my case. There is nothing I've found more frustrating than to have a resume full of experience, and be absolutely barred from getting the jobs I know like the back of my hand. Or, to have my experience completely nullified by entry level coursework requirements with short time frames for eligibility. And I have a collection of punching bags with fist/feet holes in them to prove it

My advice, just do the RN coursework. Then move up while working as an RN. Less flaming hoops to jump through while you are trying to live your life.

MidLifeChg2Nursing · May 21, 2015

Wow, AdamantiteEnigma, you've had ups and downs, and seem positive despite it all (with the exceptions of the occasional punching bag holes - but that's what their for :up: . You have definitely living life. Your persistence and endurance will pay off.

WCSU1987 · May 22, 2015

FWIW to you this is my perspective 14 years later...
Looking back, I had similar options here in AZ back in 2000. I moved to AZ to directly care for an ill parent, and was an EMT at the time. The positions available at that time for me were absolutely abysmal. After numerous interviews that all went well, I was offered a sparkling 8.50/hr to do the same job I'd done for 10 years previous. That was the high offer, the others were less. My payrate when I left was over 10.00/hr higher. And, the cost of living was much lower. It was a no brainer to swap over to CNA/PCT and look at schools related to nursing.
My research included online searching, walk in visits, tons of mail, and interviews by invite. In the end I went to LPN school. My reasoning was similar to what you are stating now. But there was another factor to consider - Waiting Lists. I signed up for the RN program at the community college level. 6 months later, It actually appeared I'd fallen further back on the waiting list. I checked in twice a week on this, as it's been my experience that it's easy to forget an individual in situations like that. My preference has always been to remain on a first name basis in these types of endeavors. Anyway, at the year mark, still no progress. But my personal approach paid off, I received a call around 8am one morning asking if I can get over there right away. A student who was up didn't show for the first day of class. And I was just getting off of night shift at the hospital I was working at during that time.
Sadly, it was their LPN program that had the no show. With no spaces in the RN portion, and an opportunity to move ahead (to whatever degree) I took the spot and ran with it. Logically, it made sense. I'd be able to move ahead sooner as opposed to later. The pay would be better. The experience invaluable. It all looked good on paper, as they say...
Fast forward 11 months later. I graduated with good marks. Only to learn that the waiting list for the same school had a 2.5 year waiting list. My category had switched from a regular student, to an advanced placement student. Sounds nice, but the reality was that the waiting list was longer as an advanced placement student. I couldn't even describe the degree of my frustration with this. Nearly daily apologies, but no results. And I like results. So, I became a nurse extern, then a full LPN at my hospital. Shock and awe move one occurred. I was making 15.31 as a PCT. Wanna guess what my LPN rate of pay was? Hint, it was less...
So, I heard about nursing registries. And I left that hospital to do it. 25 bucks an hour was much better. Though I had to get used to the concept of turning chaos into order every shift I worked. Not sure if I have to say it, but it's draining. Occasionally, with block booking, it wasn't so tiring. Yet my locales changed as the wind blows lol. It was great though in giving me a grand tour of health care facilities in this area. Meanwhile, the owner of the registry elevated me. 2 years in I was his clean up guy. Man, that was a great position actually. 45 bucks an hour to take call for other nurses struggling at their assignments. I'd come to them with some elbow grease and CSR experience and get things on track. Constant stress, but it was worth it to me for what I was being paid. Some nights, not a single phone call. I'd make my rounds and do ancillary things for our other nurses while they were on assignment. My first name basis preferences and all. Other nights were chock full of insanity. And I was paid either way. Again, loved it.
So my name finally comes up on the advanced placement list. It's been 3.8 years post graduation and licensing btw. I'm making 45 an hour at one position, and 28 working on staff full time at a hospital to keep my skills sharp. Both are full time positions. I show up to the first day of class and got pulled down to the academic advisor's office mid afternoon. There I was informed that my prerequisites had gone out of date. AZ has time limits that are rather short on these courses. So, I lose my seat right there. Sent away with a list of classes I'd already done (every single one I needed to retake), total of 12 in all. Reading, writing, arithmetic stuff. Oh, and bio and chem. It was no less offensive to me that I have a degree in both Biology and Chemistry. Bachleors, but hey, who's counting right?
I broke my 300lb punching bag that day, if it tells you anything.
The registry I worked for closed it's doors when the economy went south in 2007. I figured, no big deal. I knew people everywhere it seemed. So I made the rounds looking to replace my second position. No one was hiring LPN's. And I was thorough in my searching. Then the impossible happened. I showed up for shift at the hospital and was pink slipped right at the time clock. Severance check and all. Sorry, we have applied for magnet status - we cannot keep you on staff any longer. Yep, shock and awe number two.
Remember those prerequisite courses I'd been given a list of? Yeah, pride...
So, between 09/08 and 10/12 I only worked occasional registry assignments. Not full time hours, no benefits, and robbing Peter to pay Paul having a chronically ill parent living with me. in October of 2012 things started picking up again. But in areas I've always avoided like the bubonic plague due to personal preference. Prisons/Local Jail etc. I've never seen myself working in those areas, but I did. Because... bills :)
So, I got injured working there in a racial fight that broke out during my medpass. My dominant hand required two surgeries. Still trying to put off a third these days. Working full time now at a nursing home in a not for profit group. And actively trying to land a seat in an ADN program that has a great reputation. Plan is to do what I should have done from the start. Waited for that seat in the RN program.
Imo, waiting two years while working as a CNA/PCT would have been far better. My rearview mirror shows this clearly in my case. There is nothing I've found more frustrating than to have a resume full of experience, and be absolutely barred from getting the jobs I know like the back of my hand. Or, to have my experience completely nullified by entry level coursework requirements with short time frames for eligibility. And I have a collection of punching bags with fist/feet holes in them to prove it
My advice, just do the RN coursework. Then move up while working as an RN. Less flaming hoops to jump through while you are trying to live your life.

Wow you like totally blew my mind. You went through hell and still going strong. I appreciate the advice.

My reasoning for the LPN is I was going to take Anatomy in the fall and Anatomy 2 in the Spring. I then have to wait until December apply then wait till Summer to find out if I made it into the program. Granted during that time I take Micro and Chemistry.

Still by the time I find out if accepted or not into a BSN program or ADN program I finish LPN school. I already would of completed a year of nursing school while waiting to start nursing school.

Again appreciate the advice.

Rachelle78 · May 22, 2015

I am 8 weeks into the LPN program. Just decided to take baby steps. I've been a CNA for a year, and I figure that it's a year to the LPN, and then maybe I'll consider bridging..if I live through this schooling! It has certainly been a challenge, I have an instructor that hates me because I have tattoos and the students are snobby and cliquish..If I live to take the LPN-I'll consider if I'm going to keep going LOL that NCLEX seems hard!

NurseSpeedy, ADN, LPN, RN · May 31, 2015

AdamantiteEnigma's story is a lot like mine, only a few minor differences...personally, I would also work as a CNA/PCT while completing prerequisites and waiting for a spot in the traditional RN program. Too many things can happen when trying to find a way around it. I was told that I had to have either my CNA or LPN to go for an RN program many years ago. I was told that the traditional program had a three year wait list after completing specific science prerequisites and a few other prerequisite courses (and this was back in the time where new grads had no problem finding work. Employers were scouting us out before we even graduated let alone pass our boards and have a valid license) but the LPN to RN transition program had no wait list.....everything that happened after I finished my LPN and the following 15 years, a lot like the the poster mentioned....now I should be graduating early next year....much longer road than anticipated...

AdamantiteEnigma · Jun 1, 2015

AdamantiteEnigma's story is a lot like mine, only a few minor differences...personally, I would also work as a CNA/PCT while completing prerequisites and waiting for a spot in the traditional RN program. Too many things can happen when trying to find a way around it. I was told that I had to have either my CNA or LPN to go for an RN program many years ago. I was told that the traditional program had a three year wait list after completing specific science prerequisites and a few other prerequisite courses (and this was back in the time where new grads had no problem finding work. Employers were scouting us out before we even graduated let alone pass our boards and have a valid license) but the LPN to RN transition program had no wait list.....everything that happened after I finished my LPN and the following 15 years, a lot like the the poster mentioned....now I should be graduating early next year....much longer road than anticipated...

I just knew I couldn't have been the only go getter out there who got tackled by life :) It takes time to recover from circumstances. And while it absolutely can be done - it's a much longer, and harder road imo.

Knowing what I know now, I just wouldn't make the same recommendation to a person at the beginning of that road. Better to avoid the potholes and detours and take the CNA/PCT position until graduation and licensing as an RN. In my case, I made a lot more money. But I didn't realize until it was too late just how expendable I am despite my experience.

Many facilities I see (and I hear on good word from friends at hospitals as well) are absolutely in dire need of CNA's/PCT's. Security lies in the needed category. And that security will see you through the next rung of the ladder with exponentially less stress in my opinion.

Granted, that's only my opinion. And I'm one of perhaps millions of licensed nurses in this country.

AdamantiteEnigma · Jun 1, 2015

Wow you like totally blew my mind. You went through hell and still going strong. I appreciate the advice.
My reasoning for the LPN is I was going to take Anatomy in the fall and Anatomy 2 in the Spring. I then have to wait until December apply then wait till Summer to find out if I made it into the program. Granted during that time I take Micro and Chemistry.
Still by the time I find out if accepted or not into a BSN program or ADN program I finish LPN school. I already would of completed a year of nursing school while waiting to start nursing school.
Again appreciate the advice.

It's pretty solid in my opinion, what you are mentioning here. I'd recommend not letting a better job offer etc distract you from moving forward until you hit RN level. The most shocking thing I'd ever experienced in healthcare was an employer offering to assist in payment for RN school; yet, at the same time, refusing to make any accommodations in my scheduling so I could go there. I was genuinely confused by this move.

mcgovernpirate · Jun 2, 2015

Girl, first of all you made my heart skip a beat. CT is NOT "getting rid of LPNs"...they did do away with the program for several years though (you know, Rowland and that $100 million budget shortfall) but reinstated it just this year for fall 2015. I believe the next admission isn't until 2017, but I might be wrong. As for you, please try to be accurate before you scare me like that!

Nursing "shortages" are everywhere, and I'm pretty sure LTC facilities are some of the best/only places LPNs can get jobs quickly these days in CT. Forget hospitals for the most part unless you're working at Charlotte-Hungerford or somewhere in the boonies--there are very few hospitals not affiliated with Yale and trying to get magnet status, etc. That being said, CT LPN pay is some of the highest in the country along with Mass, Jersey, Las Vegas, and Colorado. Depends on your finances, and you might wanna do some (med) math gauging your income now vs. that of a BSN income a lot sooner than getting your LPN and slowly working to RN/BSN.

But it's not all bout the monayyyy! The last point, maybe most importantly, is do you WANT to be an LPN, or go straight into RN? I LOVE being an LPN and though my grades were good and everyone is secretly disappointed that someone "so smart" doesn't want to "go further," I am so well-treated/paid by my LTC and love being around my patients so much and so often, without loads of computer- and paperwork, that I see going to RN/BSN as a real sacrifice right now. The future? We'll see, LPN is a real foot in the door. But for now I feel the salary is so good and the work, while I'd never call it easy, is so rewarding...I'd recommend LPN school!

Go with your heart girl, I wish you the best!