Help.. LPN stuck in Dr office.

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Where I live in IN it seems none of the hospitals are hiring LPN's. Anyone else seeing this? When I went to school a little over 2 years ago they still were. Since then I have done LTC for 3 months (which was a very bad place) so I left and went to a doctor office setting (pediatrics). I have always wanted to work in a hospital setting, but it seems it won't happen. I want to go back for my RN, but I can't do it working 8-5 m-f. Plus the pay is awful. I don't have kids, I don't mind working holidays or weekends. I just want to advance. Hence why I want to get into a setting like a hospital. Any advice anyone can offer would be appreciated. :nuke:

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Specializes in Peds stepdown ICU.

If you want to advance but can't go back to traditional school, why not try Excelsior college. I did this back in 2005 and it has been wonderful. I have been working in the peds stepdown ICU since 2005. This can be a good way to earn your degree and still work!

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Do you live near Richmond??? I know Reid Hospital hires Lpns....one of the girls in my class started working there..

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I 100% understand what you are saying here. I am in a family practice and have only been there about 4 months. I know this is not where I want to stay the rest of my life. Its really nice and its great having weekends and holidays but I want the chance to work in a hospital too. My plans are to go back to school in the fall full time at our local college. I am hoping to maybe get a pt time job somewhere. Best wishes to you..I would try the online school. I am taking a English course online and its not to bad at all.

Jean

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Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.

Many people are taking advantage of Excelsior because of reasons such as this. Maybe you can consider contacting them to see what classes you would need for your pre-requisites and then search the colleges to see if you can take some of them on the weekends or evenings, if your hours at work allow.

Personally, I would at least try and take the heavy science courses at an actual college. If you excell in science, that would be great, you can possibly skip that option and study for it on line. I know that I could not have taken a science like anatomy, or microbiology on line because I really felt that I needed input by listening to a professor that can hopefully break down the difficult concepts for me to comprehend. You would be able to transfer those science courses to Excelsior and the grade would not have to be as competitive as it would be to enter a nursing program on line. Good luck!

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100% agree with Pagandeva about taking as many courses in a physical college setting. I'm tired of explaining things to co-workers who are trying to do it all via distance ed. Take classes in the evening and weekends. My local college offer three hour lectures M-Th and on Sat &Sun. So you could easily pick up credits that way.

On the other hand start looking at hospitals for casual work. It's easy to pick up weekend shifts in my area. We just can't get people to work Saturday evenings (3-11). You might have to use some of your vacation time to do the orientation though.

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100% agree with Pagandeva about taking as many courses in a physical college setting. I'm tired of explaining things to co-workers who are trying to do it all via distance ed. Take classes in the evening and weekends. My local college offer three hour lectures M-Th and on Sat &Sun. So you could easily pick up credits that way.

On the other hand start looking at hospitals for casual work. It's easy to pick up weekend shifts in my area. We just can't get people to work Saturday evenings (3-11). You might have to use some of your vacation time to do the orientation though.

Hi there Fiona59...just a thought but, you could always work as a tech in the ER at your local hospital, get tons of experience, work 2or3 12 hour shifts a week and the pay will probably be close to what you make in a Dr's office. Our tech's start @ 14.00/hr. but b/c I was a LPN, they started me out at $17.50/hr. I started out there as a tech (w/ my LPN license) and worked as a LPN in the Ped's after hours clinic (for $22.50/hr). Once they figured out that I knew what I was doing , they let me hang up my tech scrubs and work as a LPN in the ER. Now I am going back to school for my RN and they helping to pay for it. :specs:Good luck in whatever you decide.

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Hey, I'm not the OP, but she'll appreciate the advice, I'm sure.

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hey, i'm not the op, but she'll appreciate the advice, i'm sure.

oops...sorry!!

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Thanks to everyone for your advice. I have already enrolled in the college network and have been making payments and all of that, but right now I can't afford to spend $200 plus dollars for each of the tests right now. I just miss going to actual school, but if I have to then I will. I am trying to get an entry level admitting position in a hospital for the weekends. Hopefully this will get my foot in the door for bigger and better things.:nuke:

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Specializes in Mother-Baby, Rehab, Hospice, Memory Care.

Maybe I am mistaken, but I thought that for Excelsior that you had to work in either a hospital or skilled nursing setting because of the clinical hour aspect. I worked with an LPN doing Excelsior who had to get a job at a hospital because she worked at a dialysis center and that didn't meet the qualifications.

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If you want to advance but can't go back to traditional school, why not try Excelsior college. I did this back in 2005 and it has been wonderful. I have been working in the peds stepdown ICU since 2005. This can be a good way to earn your degree and still work!

Did you get your RN license through Excelsior? I thought we need to work in ahospital setting in order to get clinical training through online courses like that!

And would you mind share the processes of Excelsior for LPN-RN? Thank you very much,

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