I understand why people go the LPN route

katiescow · Mar 10, 2013

Your totally right!! I graduate may 31st of this year with my LPN and already am getting jobs/interviews lined up. & really there's more opportunities than people realize. Some places these days hire more LPN's then RN's because it's cheaper for them but the LPN has many similar responsibilities as the RN & eventually if you do decide to go on for your RN you've already got this schooling done and have a good foundation for the rest. Not to mention there are bridge programs with universities that you can get your RN just a year or two after your LPN :yes:

mappers · Mar 10, 2013

I teach in an LPN program and have learned so much from the LPNs who help me with my students (I'm an RN.) What LPNs do in LTC is tremendously valuable and I have the utmost respect for them. As our society ages, we will need more people willing to dedicate themselves to the care of the elderly.

DeVonna32RN-BSN · Mar 10, 2013

Dear Downsouthlaff:

First of all, I would like to say I encourage you to do what you feel is BEST for you. I get sooooooooo irritated when society acts as if a LVN/LPN is not a nurse or as if those programs are not worth pursuing. I too, went the LVN route due to similar reasons. It was easier for me to stair-step my way through school since I had to put myself through school. I worked as a certified nurse aide & certified medication aide in longterm care for 6 years before completing a vocational nursing program. As a LVN, I gained a vast amount of knowledge and experience in geriatrics (which is our largest patient population in and out of the hospital), psychiatric nursing, and I have worked in every area under the medical-surgical nursing division. The 6.5 years working as a LVN were PRICELESS. I had experience as a fulltime hospital staff nurse, agency nurse, and longterm care nurse. There are skills and thought processes you will gain as a LVN that will benefit you tremendously as an RN. vocational nurses usually have impeccable hands on skills. When I completed my BSN, I didn't necessarily have to focus on learning patient care and figuring out my time management....I already had this is place. I was able to transition into critical care and progress very quickly in learning how to function as a RN.......I wouldn't trade it for anything. As long as there are sick people; there will be a need for ALL types of nurses. You have to make the decisions that are right for you; and not based off of what "the latest talk is about." I feel nursing as a profession should stop being so divided.....it is very common to hear talk about getting rid of LVNs or wanting all nurses in the hospital to BSN based..........I say, "Enough Already." We should be focused on encouraging others to join the profession. However, to each its own. If you desire to gain your RN, then do that; but if you have a plan on how to get there and still be in the field....then go for it! Male nurses are needed in all phases of nursing.

Best Regards in all of your future endeavors!!

emcadams · Mar 10, 2013

Sounds like you're trying to justify your own choices to allnurses readers!!! I say stop worrying about what others think, and go do what you need to do. I worked as a CNA in a LTC, now I work in a hospital. I am in RN school. RNs (and LPNs) have SO much responsibility when it comes to patient care. I don't blame you one bit for wanting to go LPN. You can be done in 12 months, then work on the rest of the college classes for an RN bridge program. In my neck of the woods, there are definitely jobs for LPNs. Most are in LTC...but having worked in both environments, LTC definitely has some good things going for it. I personally do not think the care hospital patients receive is any better than in LTC. Both systems have there ups and downs.

Maremma · Mar 10, 2013

You know when I was in my LPN program every single one of my instructors had said that when the time comes that they or a loved one would need an RN they want one that worked as an LPN first. They said hands down they make better rounded nurses. You get more variety of experience than someone that would just come straight out of RN school.

I also will say that it is my experience that the LPN's that worked as a CNA first also make better LPN's! You will be awesome no matter what level of education you are at because you will be giving yourself the time in between to gain those unique skills required by working each job as you go that you would otherwise be deprived of going straight through for your RN.

LTC is changing rapidly. With the increasing cuts to medicare you can bet more and more facilities are going to be adding in rehab units like where I am at right now. I do everything the RN's do except No TPN, No starting IV's, no changing IV dressings, no blood draws through a PICC or Port. Everything else I not only am "allowed" to do I am darn good at and am expected to do.

When I first got started on this ladder there were a lot of people that made me feel as if I wouldn't be a "real nurse" unless I got my RN and if I were an LPN all I would be is a "glorified pill pusher". I no longer can be made to feel as if I am "less than" any other nurse. RN or not. If my own personal health were not part of my personal equation I wouldn't even be considering the bridge program and would just be staying right here on the front lines doing all the hands on REAL nursing rather than the paper pushers that the RN's in the LTC setting really are forced to be. They have no time left after all the computer and paperwork to really do much if any hands on nursing.

It is actually a joke in our facility when an RN is forced to "work the floor" because an LPN called off and no one else can stay late or come in, get pulled or whatever. No lie, it takes TWO if them just to get med pass done and they "can't possibly manage" to get treatments or charting done too! God FORBID if something is "wrong" and we then need an SBAR, incident reports etc. That is all left for whatever LPN they can get to come in and finish the shift for them! But WE are to do it all, do it perfectly, and do it in the time they give us. Hmm No, I will never be made to feel as if an RN is a better or more important nurse than I am ever again.

downsouthlaff, LPN · Mar 10, 2013

Thank you all for the replies! Good helpful information. Now I will say that where I live there is a ginormous pay gap in LPN and RN salary! And LPNs really do not work in hospitals anymore much here. But none of that really matters now. LPNs still have LTC, they shot ill have LTAC, Still have corrections, Psych and Drug Addiction, Mental Health. The LPN sandy in my area ranges from about 13 to 23 dollars an hour. The RN salary ranges from about 27-40 dollars per hour. But it rally doesn't matter to me. RNs earn it I guess you can say. Commuting 2-3 years busting there rear just go get into nursing school. Where as LPNs go straight to nursing school. But I really don't care 14-23 dollars an hour working in the nursing home sounds fine to me. And yes EMTs are very underpaid for the work we do. And so paremedi a for the liabilty on them. A Paramedic can consider it a luxury heard if he/she makes it to 16 dollars an hour. But thanks all and I understand that LPNs are nurses too, just Nurses who have a different role than Registred Nurses in the healthcare field.LPNs in my opinion in most places are becoming theStable Long Term Care Nurses, where as RNs are the Critical/Acute Care Nurses i guess that's kinda the route nursing is taking, wich is fine by me because I love long term care nursing homes. Thanks all for the replies. I will be going back to my local vo tech when the Practical Nursing program starts in August!! Thanks!!

downsouthlaff, LPN · Mar 10, 2013

And the reason I love long term care is because of the chance to in anyway possible lift a residents spirits. Nursing a homes are not fun places, there not a place ANYBODY wants to be. No matter how many colorful decorations or activities you have, a person has to give up there life, there freedom, there dignity and there independence. They have to remain in this facility day in day out holidays, birthdays, eat the same old food at the same time everyday, have to smell all the disgusting odors of there roommate, there always around sick people and old people who are at this facility to die. They have a small little space to live in. They have staff constantly going in and out. Noise at all hours of the night. Somewhere family forget them, and come see them once or twice a year! They are told when they can and when they can't eat, and what they can and can't eat, they are told they can't go outside and get fresh air. It's basically hell. But the worst part about is there paying high expensive costs to live there. And then you haveoud mouth sassy and verbally abussive CNAs. Who the facilty refuses to let go of, Nurses who don't respect residents rights if they refuse to eat or go to bed! It's not a good place. And we as staff get to go home and have days off they don't. There there for good most of them. And yet some of those old people are still happier than us, and have 100 percent better attitudes than us. They inspire me. They make me realize that my probly aren't so bad. That's why I love the long term care setting.

ECBui · Mar 10, 2013

ECBui, where do you live? In MO, LPNs make $15-18 an hour, or at least around here. CNAs don't make anywhere near that.

I live in San Francisco Bay Area (California) as a CNA that was my wage. Now as an LVN I am earning more as a new grad and am able to work with a team of nurses and love the experience and lessons its showing me along the way! (:

spearsfm · Mar 10, 2013

I am currently a PCT (don't even have my CNA license) and they started me out at $10.36 I've been.at the same job for almost 5 years and im only making $12.50! Sounds kind.of rediculous but after trying to get into an RN program and being put on so many.waiting lists I just said screw it and decided to go the LPN route.it only takes a year and.the school that im at now has a bridge program that takes another 9 months to complete to become an RN so really if you.think about it I'll be in the program for the same amount of time as the associate degree program and am still paying.the same amount.of tuition but.the positive side.is I can.work as.an.LPN while pursuing my RN license :) and what's even.better is the Lpn wage where I live (PA) is $23/hr for new grads :)

downsouthlaff, LPN · Mar 10, 2013

Here in Louisiana a New Grad LPN can expect to earn 14-16 dollars an hour! In LTC! A new CNA can expect to earn around 8 or 9 dollars per hour. Some facilities have Healy raises for example one facilty I worked agency at started CNAs at 9 per hour. After a year they made 10 per hour! After another year they made 11$ ph then they got there Maxed out salary at 12 per hour. So CNA was 9-12$ an hour. And LPN was 16-19 $ an hour. With a very similiar dollar more a year raise model. Now at the facility I work at, CNAs are paid 8.10 an hour plus 25 cent shift diff for 2-10 and 10-6. And the LPNs make 15 per hour and they get a 50 cent shift diff for 2-10 or 10-6. I know what your wandering why in the world don't I work at the facility with 9-12 $ per hour? Because the facility is never hiring because if the salary they pay especially to CNAs! Now the best salary for an LPN in my state is correctional prison nursing! 65,000 a year for LPNs. And pysch/drug/rehab pats well here too!! Thanks all for reply!!

LadyFree28, BSN, LPN, RN · Mar 10, 2013

I am currently a PCT (don't even have my CNA license) and they started me out at $10.36 I've been.at the same job for almost 5 years and im only making $12.50! Sounds kind.of rediculous but after trying to get into an RN program and being put on so many.waiting lists I just said screw it and decided to go the LPN route.it only takes a year and.the school that im at now has a bridge program that takes another 9 months to complete to become an RN so really if you.think about it I'll be in the program for the same amount of time as the associate degree program and am still paying.the same amount.of tuition but.the positive side.is I can.work as.an.LPN while pursuing my RN license :) and what's even.better is the Lpn wage where I live (PA) is $23/hr for new grads :)

^ When I worked for 5 years as a PCT/NA, I went from 10.00 to 17.00 in PA...I went from 12.00 to 17.00 in three years as a tech at a Magnet hospital...New grad wages have improved, I see; I was being offered as low as 19.00 in psych..20 in HH and 23-24 at the rehab hospital I worked.

I made up to 35/hr...it is truly relative to specialty and geographical area, and facility.

DeVonna32RN-BSN · Mar 10, 2013

Well Said Maremma!!!! I couldn't agree with you more!!!