Is becoming a LPN worth it?

heidi94 · Dec 5, 2015

Do you want to be a nurse? If the answers no then obviously don't become one. If you do want to be a nurse, going straight for your BSN is the best option, in my opinion. BSNS near me (in florida also) make about 24$ an hour plus differentials

Zysa · Dec 5, 2015

I didn't exactly dream about being a nurse as a little girl, but I don't think that's a disqualifier.

Conversations overheard from 20-something nursing students at my community college suggest that it's not exactly a everyone's dream job either (it's actually quite scary how these future nurses talk about their jobs. I feel awful for their future patients).

I would ultimately desire a job as a social worker, but I don't have any financial support through or after college, so I have to be able to work and support myself entirely through college, and then get a job so that I can work on paying off the debt.

I care about people too much to be careless or mediocre in anything I do that will affect someone directly.

I have to weigh my decisions carefully, and a BSN seems a little bit too... risky?

Not to mention, how long would that take me?

I have to work full time to support myself. Parents are out of the picture.

There aren't enough hours in the week for me to be a full time worker and a full time student.

One is an option and a luxury, and one isn't, I don't get to choose. It's a real dilemma.

meanmaryjean, DNP, RN · Dec 6, 2015

I'm not sure where you got the impression that you could become a nurse in 12 months online. You cannot. And despite your pessimism, plenty of people work their way through college and go on to successful careers. Easy? No. Possible? Yes.

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Dec 6, 2015

Nowhere in the United States can you become an LPN with 12 months of online education. All states have legally mandated clinical practicum hours that involve hands-on experiences with live patients. I had to attend three 8-hour clinical shifts per week (954 hours) over 12 months at various hospitals, nursing homes, clinics and extended care facilities.

You cannot learn to assess patients, medicate them, inject them, administer enemas, start IV lines, or perform wound care online. You actually need to touch living patients in order to learn these things. Therefore, you cannot become an LPN online.

Yes, the LPN was worth it to me. My final pay rate as an LVN was $27.04 hourly in 2010. This was right before I obtained my RN license.

heidi94 · Dec 6, 2015

It would be easier to work your way through college study to be a social worker than studying to be a nurse. Although a job as a CNA may be a good way for you to make money I think they make around 14$/hour. As a CNA you can observe nurses and see if you really think you would want to be a nurse. As far as getting through school without parent help, it won't be easy but you can do it. Scholarships are your friends. Do you have bright futures?

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Dec 6, 2015

And despite your pessimism, plenty of people work their way through college and go on to successful careers. Easy? No. Possible? Yes.

Yep. I worked 32 hours per week as an LPN while completing an associate degree nursing program. Many other people have successfully juggled full-time jobs along with full-time nursing school attendance.

miszek · Dec 6, 2015

Becoming an LPN was worth it to me.

I live in Florida and my program was 15 months long, with the classwork portion online and face to face clinicals. I also took a few online classes at my community college so I could get my prereqs done done quicker to get into a LPN to RN transition program.

I just got hired for $19/hour so I can support myself and I'm getting experience. If you don't want to be a nurse though than you probably shouldn't do it.

Zysa · Dec 6, 2015

I was referring to the actual coursework that can be completed online, but I didn't make that clear. I'm completely aware that there is additional work needed to become an LPN, and I did not mean to imply that becoming one is a quick and easy task.

As for those 'plenty of people', I am very happy for them working hard and accomplishing something! Unfortunately, I have a set of very real, very valid problems that make it absolutely essential that I make smart life decisions right now.

If I were pessimistic, nothing would get done! That isn't the case.

I have to be aware of my own limitations and constraints.

I appreciate your concern.

Zysa · Dec 6, 2015

Are you still in the LPN to RN program or did you already complete it? I'm very glad it worked out well for you!

For me, it's less of a "don't want to be", and more of a "I know it's a rewarding, but difficult job so I'm hesitant".

There may be a very slight aversion to it because of the experiences I had as a patient, a new nurse once accidentally skipped a pain medication dose and I woke up screaming. She was SO upset and apologetic but she still got fired.

And before that, when I was 3 months old and in post-op, a nurse gave me a dose of morphine, didn't record it, and then another nurse came in and gave me a second dose of morphine, which ended up in defibrillation and a adrenaline shot or two. Still here, though!

I know, too much detail, but the idea of having a real honest mistake put someone in direct harm is stressful! I don't know how you do it, I bet you had good teachers!

LPNtoRNin2016OH, LPN · Dec 6, 2015

Whether or not it's "worth it" to become an LPN is so dependent on your situation, financial strains, etc.

I have been an LPN for over 5 years now, currently in school to get my RN. For me, yes it's been very worth it for a variety of reason. One was that I had my son young, thankfully finished LPN school before I found out I was pregnant, but it did allow me to get a decent job with decent pay to support him. Second, the entry into LPN to RN bridge program can be less competitive (or shorter waits lists for schools who still have those) and you already have connections in the health care field when you graduate. I have been able to work PRN during RN school for $20/hour - that's not too bad for 12 months of schooling, which I have never heard of online LPN school either BTW. I wasn't quite ready for the full scope of RN responsibility when I got my LPN at 21 (was a bit immature for my age) so being an LPN was a comfortable meeting ground for me. I have worked in occupational health, allergy, family practice, and LTC as an LPN so I have had a lot of options where I live,.

There are cons of course. For many, it's more expensive to go this route. But, for me, if I would have gone to RN school right off the bat when I was younger, there is no way I would have put in the work I am doing now to get in, so it would have cost me more money than doing the LPN in the long run. When the economy was rough a few years ago, RNs were getting the jobs the LPNs used too because there was nothing in the hospitals. Made the LPN job market very tough. I have had an issue finding employment in years though. Also, hospital jobs are very scare for LPNs so you will be in doctor's offices, urgent care, LTC, etc.

I have made mistakes before including a big one that could have been a big deal, but thankfully wasn't. I am naturally a very anxious person and the mistake made me want to quit nursing for a few days. But, I started to see the usefulness in it. It allowed me to review what I was doing wrong and I haven't made the same type of mistake since. I have made charting errors (not charting when I needed to), but no med errors since then thankfully and I do believe I owe it to that first mistake I made when I was a new nurse. Everyone makes mistakes, it's human nature. But as long as you always do your five rights (or 6 or 7 or how many other ones there are now lol) before giving a medication, you will generally always avoid a potentially dangerous mistake.

emmy27 · Dec 7, 2015

Even in Florida (where I went to nursing school and where it's true pay is lower than many other areas of the country) I have never heard of licensed nurses (LPN or RN) making $10/hr. That's about what CNAs were making 7-8 years ago when I was a nursing student and working as a hospital tech (for slightly less than that).

I've also never heard of online LPN school. There are some online RN to BSN programs and I'm sure you can take some prerequisites online, but there's a huge amount of hands-on learning that LPN and RN programs require, and I've never heard of a legitimate online LPN program. There are starting to be a FEW all-online initial-entry RN programs, but they're small, experimental, competitive, require the students to live in specific areas to attend in-person intensive clinical sessions, and take considerably longer than 12 months.

If your friends/acquaintances are taking online courses and then working in nursing homes at $10/hr, I think there's a good chance they're inflating their title to "nurse" when talking to friends but they aren't licensed nurses at all. This is pretty common (although it is illegal to represent yourself as a nurse when not licensed). There's a much stronger chance they're CNAs or MAs. That's about the right pay scale for those jobs. In that case, they aren't a very useful source for the reality of nursing as a career in Florida right now.

You can look them up by name on the state BON website to see if they're actually nurses. If they're not there, they're not nurses, no matter what they tell you: https://appsmqa.doh.state.fl.us/IRM00PRAES/PRASLIST.ASP