I'm a recent military retiree, working as a PCT (cna) hourly rate $9.25 with $1.15 night diff + 20% for no benefits, I'm making close to $12 an hour. According to the LPN's on my Cardiac care floor, they only make around $11 an hour, with nurse externs making close to $12 an hour.
My question, is it even worth the hassle of going to school for a long year, to have a very stressful job and only make $11 to $14 an hour? I mean the county starts the street sweepers for that kind of money here in TN. There are easier ways to make low wages, no??
I have 3 years of college money left to spend and I'm slated to start LPN school in the fall, RN school would be for next year anyway due to pre-req, etc. Plus if I graduate LPN and don't like nursing or the low pay, I've only wasted a year of life.
Any thoughts on the issue of pay versus stress and/or bang for the buck of working in health care??
Tony
(retired military)
p.s. If you had 3 years of college money to spend, what would you do with it??
I'm a recent military retiree, working as a PCT (cna) hourly rate $9.25 with $1.15 night diff + 20% for no benefits, I'm making close to $12 an hour. According to the LPN's on my Cardiac care floor, they only make around $11 an hour, with nurse externs making close to $12 an hour.
My question, is it even worth the hassle of going to school for a long year, to have a very stressful job and only make $11 to $14 an hour? I mean the county starts the street sweepers for that kind of money here in TN. There are easier ways to make low wages, no??
I have 3 years of college money left to spend and I'm slated to start LPN school in the fall, RN school would be for next year anyway due to pre-req, etc. Plus if I graduate LPN and don't like nursing or the low pay, I've only wasted a year of life.
Any thoughts on the issue of pay versus stress and/or bang for the buck of working in health care??
Tony
(retired military)
p.s. If you had 3 years of college money to spend, what would you do with it??
HI EVERYONE,
I've worked in public for 8yrs and for my job as truck driver for sanitation department pay more and good benefits,however i don't want to do LPN because its not better than my current job.On the otherhand,i haven't been accepted to an RN program either,so i'm having second thought about LPN because i'm getting old.Oh YEAH city street sweeper here makes 19.00 an hour with retirement.:typing:typing
but whats wrong with that? I see it that way too. However I also see an ADN as a stepping stone towards as BSN, and a BSN as a stepping stone towards an MSN and an MSN as a stepping stone towards a PhD...
Education SHOULD be seen a a stepping stone towards something greater. We SHOULD be considering going as far as we can in college. Nobody is saying you have to continue on, but its nice to have the option to "step on to" something else. The biggest reason that I found nursing to be the right field for me, compared to other ways that I could serve others and help the sick and the infirm, is because of all the ways to continue to educate myself and the room for growth within the career path.
Part of me hopes I go all the way through to my PhD, and the other hopes that I never quite make it, just so that I always have something to look forward to and strive for. I think I will be just a little bit sad if/when I get to "the end" because the journey will be over.
Education is never wasted. However, as a Canadian reading these forums it is strange the way so many Americans appear to state "I'm only doing the PN because the lists for RN are too long and then I can leapfrog into a bridging programme and they have to take me and let me be an RN".
In my world it doesn't work that way. There was a very short lived bridge available in my province. An LPN had to complete the basic arts requirments and obtain reference letters from her employers and a verification of a minimum of 1200 hours work experiene to apply for the bridge to BScN. We don't have weekend programmes, ADN programmes, etc. We either do PN or BScN. Our nursing education system is constantly changing and we don't know what will happen two years down the road.
Our governing body is becoming more proactive in educating the public about the education and skill level of LPNs. Our union is bargaining harder on our behalf. And as strange as it may seem to the Americans here, the average member of the public in the city I work in doesn't even know there is a distinction between the levels of nursing. For those who do, it's usually a senior who thinks we are still educated at the trade school level and are amazed at how far our profession has evolved in the last 60 years.
We are professional nurses just as RNs (of any educational level) are. I work with nurses who have multiple degrees but when they decided to enter nursing there were no fast track entry courses or their degrees didn't have enough science content and they were facing a four year stint to become an RN. Some people just don't have four years to spend at university but four semesters back at college could be managed.
We don't lack drive or a thirst for knowledge we just work in a very different system.
If Lvn's/Lpn's were given as much respect and opportunities as our canadian sisters then I think many of of here would stay as lvn's
Exactly,
On my Cardiac Step down unit, the LPN's (after having gone to the IV class) have the same duties and same patient loads as the RN's do. They just work for half the pay that the RN does. Of course there are a few things the LPN isn't allowed to do....have a drip patient, start blood, care for a pic line, etc.
At a neighboring hospital that is in the same company system, the LPN's are utilized as nothing more than glorified CNA's, they work with the RN directly and do all of the traditional CNA duties. That would push me right over the edge, no way would I spend a year in school and go through all of that, just to work as a glorified CNA, I'm doing the CNA thing already with no education to speak of.
I enjoy my patients that I work with as a PCT (cna) and I hope that I would also enjoy helping them as a nurse, but I still don't think that being an LPN in East TN is worth the hassle of going to school, having to deal with the stress of testing and then floor nursing, all for relatively low wages.
And to all of the Florences out there, that say you shouldn't be working for the money, I've got to say that is nonsense, that's the biggest reason that you go to work anywhere. You've still got to enjoy the job and be respected and feel valued by your employer. Unfortunately, in our system of work, the amount of value that you are shown is shown by how much you are paid, low wage workers are paid by how valuable the employer feels they are worth. Do the math, LPN's don't seem to be all that valuable, hence my reason to ponder this career choice.
Tony
p.s. I like my LPN's that I work with, very bright and hard working, just doing the job for close to half what their RN sisters are making.
I hate the "don't do it for the money" conversation, lol. Why does everything have to be so black and white?
For me... it would be easier/more cost effective to continue to be a stay at home mom for the rest of my life...or atleast until my kids didn't need childcare anymore (it costs $600 a month just to drop my little ones off at daycare in order to go to school) But I woke up one day and realized that I was feeling incredibly unfulfilled with that, and needed something more. So I browsed to the local CC website to see if there were any interesting classes that I could take. After doing some soul searching, I realized that nursing would give me a chance to work with my hands and get up off my bum (past jobs have always been chained to a desk), would help me fulfill my everlasting urge to find my "greater purpose" in life (I hear its a common Scorpio trait) and would allow me to make enough money to cover the costs of working with a little something extra. Now that I could have gotten from pretty much ANY job, and I didn't chose nursing because it was "big bucks" but I did chose it because it was "a job" as there's no way I could afford to shell out child care and fuel/car payment costs for a freebie.
All that aside, once I started doing my research, and realized how much more RNs make, how similar the duties are, and how many more options there are (options really being the biggest draw to me) it became a no brainer. Of course by this time I'd already gotten into LPN school, so am only lucky that there's a way to bridge the gap between the two.
In it for the money? no. In it even if there was NO money? no.
Hi all, just wanted to ask ? and maybe suggest a solution. Why, in most of the post on this site, do posters type " In my area." What area? please, alot of questions on this site are geared toward ones location. So PLEASE, do not just type " In my area....." Type, at the very least the state in which you are located. Remember it is the Who, What, Where, When, and Why, that informs and also is a great communication skill. BTW, i'm from Charlotte, NC. Thanks that is all.
Hi all, just wanted to ask ? and maybe suggest a solution. Why, in most of the post on this site, do posters type " In my area." What area? please, alot of questions on this site are geared toward ones location. So PLEASE, do not just type " In my area....." Type, at the very least the state in which you are located. Remember it is the Who, What, Where, When, and Why, that informs and also is a great communication skill. BTW, i'm from Charlotte, NC. Thanks that is all.
Isn't East TN specific enough for ya, it's right there upper right on my post.
But to be fair to the poor LPN's that get paid so little in East TN, EVERYONE gets paid less in East TN. Less than an hour away in Asheville, LPN's start significantly higher $4-$5 an hour higher. But the cost of living is higher as well.
In it for the money? no. In it even if there was NO money? no.
Yes, no one is going to get rich by working a job, but we're not "volunteers" either! The whole point of working is because we have to and if we have to it'd be nice to get paid enough for your time.
Having said that, I agree that we need to work for something besides money, respect, teamwork, camraderie, joy, fulfillment, etc
I agree on being an RN brings more flexibility, that's too bad, it'd be nice if LPN's got more respect and better pay.
I still don't think that being an LPN in East TN is worth the hassle of going to school, having to deal with the stress of testing and then floor nursing, all for relatively low wages
Tony
Let me see if I can give you a little insight here Tony, seeing that I am from East TN too.. I actually live about 15 miles north of Knoxville. If you want to continue to work in a hospital your correct you will make significantly less money.. If you want a cake job as an LPN you could do something like a Methadone clinic...
DRD mangament in Knoxville pays $15 per hour and you work M - F from 5:30 AM to 2:30 PM
Currently I have been workin at a LTC SNF, I work 3 days per week.. M-T-W 6pm-6am Off every T-F-S-S I a make $17.50/hr.. My wife also works there, same days been there 5 years and she makes $19.38/hr.... Last year we filed > $69,000 together last year on our taxes. I think that is good money in EAST TN for
It doesn't always have to be about the money. I will admit when I went to Nursing school it was for the $$ and the fact my mom was a Nursing Supervisor she coaxed me into going. Now that I have been a nurse for 2.5 years I love my pt's. and I have established a great rapport I wouldnt change it for anything
Good luck either way Tony, oh btw where abouts are you in East TN. Maybe the wife and I could give you some pointers?
Alot of people talk bad about LTC's I love mine. I have a 28 bed skilled hall, its not as bad there either because we only have RN's on 1st shift. SOOO no Chest Tubes, or PICC lines.
but whats wrong with that? I see it that way too. However I also see an ADN as a stepping stone towards as BSN, and a BSN as a stepping stone towards an MSN and an MSN as a stepping stone towards a PhD...
Education SHOULD be seen a a stepping stone towards something greater. We SHOULD be considering going as far as we can in college. Nobody is saying you have to continue on, but its nice to have the option to "step on to" something else. The biggest reason that I found nursing to be the right field for me, compared to other ways that I could serve others and help the sick and the infirm, is because of all the ways to continue to educate myself and the room for growth within the career path.
Part of me hopes I go all the way through to my PhD, and the other hopes that I never quite make it, just so that I always have something to look forward to and strive for. I think I will be just a little bit sad if/when I get to "the end" because the journey will be over.
I agree, i know some people that started out with the generic ADN program and failed out after there 3rd semester......I personally dont want to to make a leap so high from the ground and fall like my peers, when there are steps available that ensure that you make it....or atleast you won't be back where you started after all that hard work!!! Im in sc, just finished an lpn program and have 2 job offers: one at a medical university averaging $18 an hr, and at a LTC facility averaging $23 an hr. Also i live close to another city that only starts RNs out at 18$ an hr in a hospital, and there isn't much a difference in the cost of living. So, its all about location. Also if the lpn decides to further their career they will continue on as a second year RN student, and they will be paid as a nurse while furthing his/her career.
Also about the city floor sweeper making $19 an hr, you have to ask yourself; Will you really be happy with ur job, and look forward to waking up in the morning to keep the city roads clean, if so than the best of luck 2 you!
Let me see if I can give you a little insight here Tony, seeing that I am from East TN too.. I actually live about 15 miles north of Knoxville. If you want to continue to work in a hospital your correct you will make significantly less money.. If you want a cake job as an LPN you could do something like a Methadone clinic...
DRD mangament in Knoxville pays $15 per hour and you work M - F from 5:30 AM to 2:30 PM
Currently I have been workin at a LTC SNF, I work 3 days per week.. M-T-W 6pm-6am Off every T-F-S-S I a make $17.50/hr.. My wife also works there, same days been there 5 years and she makes $19.38/hr.... Last year we filed > $69,000 together last year on our taxes. I think that is good money in EAST TN for
It doesn't always have to be about the money. I will admit when I went to Nursing school it was for the $$ and the fact my mom was a Nursing Supervisor she coaxed me into going. Now that I have been a nurse for 2.5 years I love my pt's. and I have established a great rapport I wouldnt change it for anything
Good luck either way Tony, oh btw where abouts are you in East TN. Maybe the wife and I could give you some pointers?
Alot of people talk bad about LTC's I love mine. I have a 28 bed skilled hall, its not as bad there either because we only have RN's on 1st shift. SOOO no Chest Tubes, or PICC lines.
Thanks for the reply, I live in Johnson City, but I work at Bristol Regional Med Ctr (wicked long drive).
The LPN's that I work with are hospital based, one mom on my son's baseball team is an LPN at the JC skin cancer place and she makes about $20 an hour, so you can make money as an LPN even in JC. She's been an LPN for awhile though.
How has your experience been as a male LPN? I agree about bonding with the patients, I love my long term pt and the frequent flyers.
I went to school orientation yesterday and hope to be able to make through school without falling flat on my face.
How has your experience been as a male LPN? I agree about bonding with the patients, I love my long term pt and the frequent flyers.
I went to school orientation yesterday and hope to be able to make through school without falling flat on my face.
Tony
My experience has been a great one thus far in my journey of life, nursing etc. I am a people person anyway, So I do well with my pts. Though some think im the MD, have to initiate pt teaching lol. I just try and do the job best I can.. There are a few drawbacks (some times a good thing) Some elderly ladies down want a male to cath them, do pericare, put them on the bed pan etc. Then there are also some males that down want a female to do caths.. So you hear on the PA " David Smith, LPN please come to the south nurses desk," And of course you get the pleasure of hearing, Hey so and so is a big Lady/Man can you help me transfer them, or Mr. XXX doesn't want me to cath him do you mind doing it..
My team of co-workers is exceptional, I work with a female LPN on my hall, So sometimes we trade off if she has a male or I have a female that prefers the opposite gender.
Also on the other hall is my wife and her best friend.. So I do get called alot, " hey honey can you come over here and help me do...." But that works both ways.. That is a completely different story though.. I actually met my wife working were I do, and we have been married over a year and a half and we have a beautiful baby girl..
Those are some of my experiences as a male, congrats on the school thing.. Stay focuesed and you will do great.
BLESSINGME
32 Posts
I've worked in public for 8yrs and for my job as truck driver for sanitation department pay more and good benefits,however i don't want to do LPN because its not better than my current job.On the otherhand,i haven't been accepted to an RN program either,so i'm having second thought about LPN because i'm getting old.Oh YEAH city street sweeper here makes 19.00 an hour with retirement.:typing:typing