Help!Give me some reasons why I should pursue nursing and not take my jobs promotion!

[clarissairene]

Help!Give me some reasons why I should pursue nursing and not take my jobs promotion!

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Hello,

I am in Florida and I have just got accepted into an LPN school. Its great, 9-3, be home in time to pick up my kid from school. Its only 1 year. The federal goverment is giving me $5000 towards tutition. CA gov. is approving me for about $8000 benefits to use as cost of living since my husbands job relocated us here to Florida. My school costs 13,000 so I can get a small loan to cover the rest.

In california i was an administrative assistant for about 10 years. I hated it! I hate sitting at a desk and doing office work and scheduling appts for people. All though its SUPER easy and i can play on the internet all day long if i wanted. My last job i loved, it was more technical with the IT help desk but I had to quit because of the move. We moved to Florida and assistants here get paid about $9 an hour!! I was getting $18 without a degree in CA!!! And great benefits.

I was able to stay home for a while but I need to help out with the bills and save some money and I wanted a job that had some fulfillment in it. I thought of nursing because I love people and the money, i thought, was good and the flexible schedules. I want to work 3/12 to have more time at home with my family.

So the utility company here in Central Florida has offered me a job as a helpdesk administrator, still administrative work but its starting up a help desk which i have done and they want me to not go to nursing school and do this. They may offer me about $42,000 and within in 1 year $45,000.

My question is.....

Do LPN's inFlorida ever reach that money in there career? I see jobs posted starting at around $13.00!!!

Do LPN's here in Central Florida have 3/12 jobs??? I dont want an 8-5.

Can LPN's have flexible schedules like 3/12s or part time or 4 days a week. I really want to be home with my kids more and work less.

What are the downfalls of being an LPN. (the guy that offered me the job said his mom was a nurse and its not a uplifting type of job to take because of all the sick peolpe.... well i want to help the sick people!)

I am stuck on if i should take advantage of the grants I am getting and take a year and become a nurse or if I should go for the money at a normal 8-5 job, have my kids in daycare, forget the grant money and just sit a desk all my life but making decent money. And we could use the money right now!

Help, any advice!!???

thanks for reading!

-Clarissa

[sassiebaz]

So, I am having second thoughts. How do I figure this one out? I have already made up my mind that I do NOT want to work any other shifts than days. Here in AZ it's either 7am-7pm or 7pm-7am. Agencies claim you get to pick your hours but not sure how true that is. This is hard for me since my husband is in sales and some days doesn't even get home before 8pm. Who will be taking care of my kids if Im not off until 7pm? The reason a part of me wants to be an RN is that I really love Labor & Delivery and my goal was to do that type of nursing. Am I just talking myself out of this?? Im not sure how a job as an LPN is going to work around my family life...which is number one for me!!!! Any advice...anyone???

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

I would take the promotion, as Central Florida is not known for excellent LPN pay rates. Even their RNs don't earn a great deal of money. Also, I am admittedly lazy, and would prefer a decently-paying desk job with minimal human contact.

I have been an LVN for 1.5 years and must deal with rude physicians, abusive family members, backstabbing coworkers, sorry nurse managers, unpleasant sights and odors, long hours on my feet, high stress levels, needy patients who pull me in all directions, the overall lack of respect, and aches and pains. Most older nurses who have been in the field for many years suffer from extreme back problems.

In addition, nursing is very low on the interdisciplinary food chain due to our educational level. Occupational therapists are educated at the master's degree level, physical therapists are educated at the doctorate degree level, dieticians have a minimum of B.S. degrees, the people in the business department have BBAs and MBAs, and the lab analysts have B.S. degrees in molecular biology.

However, nurses tend to be the least educated professionals in the healthcare facilities, and this is the truth. This is why many doctors are so brusque toward nurses. Nurses tend to have less educational attainment than physicians, so the docs are sometimes very mean. I know of an RN with a BSN who is attending medical school, and she is afraid to reveal her nursing background to the other medical students. This is because the medical students continually make horrible comments about how stupid nurses are.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

Im not sure how a job as an LPN is going to work around my family life...which is number one for me!!!! Any advice...anyone???

I am fully aware that L&D is your goal, but nursing home jobs tend to offer flexible 8-hour shifts that coincide quite well with family life. As an LPN, you could be hired for the 6am to 2pm shift, or the 7am to 3pm shift. At my facility, most of the nurses with children work this shift because they are able to spend the rest of the day with their families.

[sassiebaz]

I am fully aware that L&D is your goal, but nursing home jobs tend to offer flexible 8-hour shifts that coincide quite well with family life. As an LPN, you could be hired for the 6am to 2pm shift, or the 7am to 3pm shift. At my facility, most of the nurses with children work this shift because they are able to spend the rest of the day with their families.

I guess it may be best to call around to some LTC facilitis and ask some seious questions.

[BigB]

I have been an LVN for 1.5 years and must deal with rude physicians, abusive family members, backstabbing coworkers, sorry nurse managers, unpleasant sights and odors, long hours on my feet, high stress levels, needy patients who pull me in all directions, the overall lack of respect, and aches and pains. Most older nurses who have been in the field for many years suffer from extreme back problems.

No wonder you only work the 2 days a week. Could you imagine dealing with that for 5 days in a row!! I use to and it drove me nuts. One of the reasons I decided to work in the prisons was the fact that I would have zero contact with "patient" family members. Its sad but everything you listed, and everything LTC LVN's complain about, could be eliminated and solved if the staffing ratios were better. 1 nurse for 15 patients max.

[BigB]

I am fully aware that L&D is your goal, but nursing home jobs tend to offer flexible 8-hour shifts that coincide quite well with family life. As an LPN, you could be hired for the 6am to 2pm shift, or the 7am to 3pm shift. At my facility, most of the nurses with children work this shift because they are able to spend the rest of the day with their families.

I did like this about LTC. The hospitals around here all seemed to do the 7am - 7pm shifts and you couldn't tweak the hours.

[gettingupthere]

Wow! Nursing, Tell you the truth, I'd take the promotion! been in nursing for almost 40 years, my girls grew up with mom home only every other weekend, they didn't know if Christmas was on Christmas eve or christmas day, it depended on when I had off. Holidays were always being either postboned or at grandmas without me. That part really stunk! Otherwise, I LOVE NURSING! My girls are grown now, they don't either one of them look back and say, it's too bad we didn't get all the holidays together. They always comment on how proud they were and are of my being a nurse and happy they always were that I enjoy my job. But, the weekend and holiday thing was always an issue for me!

After previewing this post, I see that it doesn't help you at all!!!!!!

[JoAnnS]

hi.

with the nursing career, you will always have a rewarding job.

no matter where you move to, you will always have a job.

i was at my job for 6 years until the company decided to move my office to st louis, mo. i live upstate ny. there aren't any jobs like that in my area.

at least with the nursing and my desire to be a nurse most of my life, i will always have a job. plus i feel it is more rewarding to help someone & hopefully put a smile on their face before my shift is over.

ok, i'm not a nurse right now. but have to wonder, how many more years are you going to put into a job where you will never be paid for what you are worth? it has happened to me many times.

my opinion, do this for yourself. become a nurse. never have to worry about a job again.

good luck on whatever you decide to do

:balloons:

[jjjoy, LPN]

hi.

with the nursing career, you will always have a rewarding job.

no matter where you move to, you will always have a job.

ok, i'm not a nurse right now. never have to worry about a job again.

when you say you're not a nurse right now, does that mean you have license but currently aren't working as a nurse or that you're perhaps thinking of becoming a nurse?

while there is a high demand for nurses, it's not always as simple as "never having to worry about a job again" or "always having a rewarding job." often the places that are desperate for nurses are desperate for a reason - such as miserable working conditions from which most end up quitting sooner or later.

the demand for nurses varies from place to place and sometimes can vary depending upon the area that you have experience in. if you've been, say, a l & d nurse for several years, it may be a difficult transition to a different area of nursing if you move to an area where l & d nurses aren't in demand.

if you hurt your back or for some other reason can't work at the bedside, that can make it more difficult to work as a nurse. the competition for non-bedside nursing jobs increases exponentially.

nursing does have a greater degree of stable job opportunity and flexibility compared to some other jobs, but it's not a magical cure-all. i'm not dismissing the many benefits of a career in nursing but it doesn't seem useful to imagine there are no downsides.

[JoAnnS]

when you say you're not a nurse right now, does that mean you have license but currently aren't working as a nurse or that you're perhaps thinking of becoming a nurse?

while there is a high demand for nurses, it's not always as simple as "never having to worry about a job again" or "always having a rewarding job." often the places that are desperate for nurses are desperate for a reason - such as miserable working conditions from which most end up quitting sooner or later.

the demand for nurses varies from place to place and sometimes can vary depending upon the area that you have experience in. if you've been, say, a l & d nurse for several years, it may be a difficult transition to a different area of nursing if you move to an area where l & d nurses aren't in demand.

if you hurt your back or for some other reason can't work at the bedside, that can make it more difficult to work as a nurse. the competition for non-bedside nursing jobs increases exponentially.

nursing does have a greater degree of stable job opportunity and flexibility compared to some other jobs, but it's not a magical cure-all. i'm not dismissing the many benefits of a career in nursing but it doesn't seem useful to imagine there are no downsides.

hello:

i am starting school this sept.

please excuse me if i have made an incorrect evaluation.

for me personally, i have worked so very hard. 10 or even 12 hours a day in the mortgage field. i was a manager in the closing dept. we reviewed & clear title liens and produced mortgage closing documents. reviewed documents for accuracy and funded the loan. i have poured my heart and soul into my job, knowing how tough it can be to find a job within 40 minutes of my house. i also live in a rural area. past jobs the same hours. the stress involved in the mortgage field is so high and intense. i wouldn't wish this job on my worst enemy. so for me, saying you can find a job anywhere, is easy to say. every day i look in the want ads, rn, lpn, ma, etc. i have always wanted to be a nurse and now is my chance.

i do understand, (from reading these posts) there is nonsense, cruelty, dishonesty, sexual harassment, family members of patients that are awful and back stabbing going on with the medical field. i have endured all that being the last stop in the mortgage process. i have been cursed at, threaten by clients to come and shoot me if they close on time, had a computer monitor thrown at me, etc......

so as i don't understand all of the issues in the medical field, i am very hopeful i will get a job in a nice place with real people. maybe i am ignorant or living in a dream world. but i have always wanted to be a nurse and thought the job of a nurse is somewhat close to an angel. now i know i'm going to get comments on that statement. lol.

i am not trying to offend anyone. was just giving my opinion between the medical field and other professions.

have a great day today.:balloons:

[SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN]

but i have always wanted to be a nurse and thought the job of a nurse is somewhat close to an angel. now i know

you have a really romanticized view of nursing. when i see something with fluffy wings wielding a damp washcloth and some periguard to help clean up an incontinent old man i'll believe it. for now, i see a lot of overtired, underpaid, disrespected women.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

i have always wanted to be a nurse and thought the job of a nurse is somewhat close to an angel. now i know i'm going to get comments on that statement. lol.

not all nurses are wonderful, angelic people. some are low-down, backstabbing, passive-aggressive, greedy, incredibly mean, selfish, miserable, hateful, and bitter. some experienced nurses will attempt to purposely set newer nurses up for failure. i have observed that some nurses enter this field for nothing more than the steady paycheck and virtually unlimited access to controlled substances such as vicodin, xanax, oxycontin, etc.

also, it is difficult to be an angel when family members would rather berate you, scream at you, and threaten to sue you for helping their loved ones. you depend on your cnas to help you, but they often backstab you because they feel that they "do everything" for lower pay.

honestly, i entered nursing for the job stability, sense of fulfillment, and money. i have found money and fulfillment in nursing, but the job stability is a joke. many healthcare facilities have exceedingly high turnover rates because of hostile work environments for nurses. at my workplace, about 90 percent of the nurses have been there less than 1 year, and this is because management runs off all the caring people. even grocery supermarkets have lower employee turnover rates than hospitals and other healthcare facilities. i have observed plenty of job-hopping in nursing, so the job stability is not true. in addition, not all geographic areas of the u.s. have a nursing shortage.

nursing can be a wonderful career pathway, but i desperately urge you to please not enter the medical field wearing rose-colored glasses. in other words, be realistic instead of idealistic. after all, there's a reason why 500,000 currently-licensed nurses have abandoned nursing altogether.