Job Offers

[suturethis, LPN]

I have a couple pending offers, and I am looking for advice. I have already consulted my friends and family. And general consensus is do what makes you most excited. To give you some background, I am in my late 20s, and have been an LPN in sub acute rehab in a long term care facility for almost 3 years now. My tasks include administering medications, PICC line antibiotics, wound care, PEG tube, initiating physician orders, assessing patients, collecting VS, supervising CNAs, collecting lab samples, reviewing results.... etc. In my state hospitals do not hire LPNs, but will hire them to fill patient care technician roles. 

Job offer #1: Non profit hospital, GI technical specialist. I was told they prefer LPNs for this role. I would be assisting the physician with colonoscopy and upper GI scopes, and collecting biopsies. Each tech takes a turn once a week to be placed in the the scope cleaning room. I did a job shadow today, and all the staff were super friendly. It did seem like it would be a nice change in pace. However in this position I would no longer be considered a nurse. And the pay is significantly less, $7 less per hour than my current rate. However, I do like that I get to work closely with the physician, RN, and anesthesiologist. It was also interesting to get to see inside the GI tract, and learn identifying landmarks, and see some common abnormalities found. I don't know if this would get old? But right now it seems new and exciting. The other downside to this role, is it is not uncommon to get low census depending on how many procedures are scheduled. So I am also not guaranteed all my hours. This hospital has a family oriented feel.

Job offer #2: Profit Hospital, much larger. LPN role in post surgical office. My main role would be phone triage. The position is actually new, because it is an office full of MAs. They are still shaping the position, and I anticipate lots of changes along the way if I were to fill this role. They said I would also be implementing orders, there to support the MAs, and do 48 hour follow up phone calls with patients. This seems more like a desk job. This company said they will most likely be able to match my pay, if not more. They have not given me an official offer yet. I am hoping to hear back tomorrow.  Some negative things I have heard about this hospital is that since it so large, and have many locations that people feel like a number, and more expendable. 

Neither job works weekends or holidays. Job #2 is 5 days a week, and job #1 is 4 days a week. 

Which job would you consider the better offer to gain new nursing skills, and become more knowledgeable? I am still not sure if I will go back to school to become and RN. Right now I am just trying to make the best out of my current LPN license. 

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

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Right now I am just trying to make the best out of my current LPN license. 

Job #1 will not consider you as a nurse.  That does not  work towards using your LPN license. $7 less per hour is not acceptable.

Job # 2  sounds challenging and will teach you new nursing roles.

Good luck.

[JKL33]

3 hours ago, suturethis said:

Job offer #2: Profit Hospital, much larger. LPN role in post surgical office. My main role would be phone triage. The position is actually new, because it is an office full of MAs. They are still shaping the position, and I anticipate lots of changes along the way if I were to fill this role.

You will need to have a good handle on your scope of practice in your state if you get involved in this, along with the wherewithal to communicate in a professionally/pleasantly assertive manner. Understand that your supervisor may be someone who doesn't have a handle on what you should/shouldn't be doing and admin might not care as long as they can get you to do it. I'm not trying to steal joy/excitement, it's just that the world is the world and how this works is that they wanted someone who they envision can do a lot more than what an MA can do, and they didn't hire an RN because that is more expensive. (Sorry).

Do they have the protocols and algorithms all written for you to follow?

And I agree with the opinion you have already been given about how large hospital systems regard staff nursing employees.

Disclaimer: I am a weirdo and make plenty of life decisions based upon what could go wrong. ??‍♀️

[PoodleBreath]

It would be helpful to know why you're looking for a new job. Both of these options are a drastic change of pace, and I'm wondering what's driving that.

The first option you won't even be a nurse, a $7/hr pay cut is a real devaluation of what you bring to the table. And you will be expected to stay in your lane as an assistant and not as a nurse. If you ever decide to go back to nursing you'd have to start at the very bottom again as you will no longer have a current set of skills.

The second offer is probably what you would get if you were having to climb your way back up again. The fact that they are developing the job is a huge red flag. "Triage" is a vague descriptor usually means you'll be wrangling staff, patients, and doctors. Who did this job before? It sounds like an RN position that's being repurposed for an LPN. Which means they've either burned through all their RNs and/or they're not wanting to pay what the job is worth. Or the job is impossible.

My own disclaimer is that I'm also a weirdo and I've also worked as an office triage nurse. ?

[suturethis, LPN]

8 hours ago, JKL33 said:

You will need to have a good handle on your scope of practice in your state if you get involved in this, along with the wherewithal to communicate in a professionally/pleasantly assertive manner. Understand that your supervisor may be someone who doesn't have a handle on what you should/shouldn't be doing and admin might not care as long as they can get you to do it. I'm not trying to steal joy/excitement, it's just that the world is the world and how this works is that they wanted someone who they envision can do a lot more than what an MA can do, and they didn't hire an RN because that is more expensive. (Sorry).

Do they have the protocols and algorithms all written for you to follow?

And I agree with the opinion you have already been given about how large hospital systems regard staff nursing employees.

Disclaimer: I am a weirdo and make plenty of life decisions based upon what could go wrong. ??‍♀️

They did say they were also interviewing RNs for this position as well. I appreciate your input, you have raised some good points that I need to consider. I don’t think you are a weirdo! LOL

[suturethis, LPN]

7 hours ago, PoodleBreath said:

It would be helpful to know why you're looking for a new job. Both of these options are a drastic change of pace, and I'm wondering what's driving that.

The first option you won't even be a nurse, a $7/hr pay cut is a real devaluation of what you bring to the table. And you will be expected to stay in your lane as an assistant and not as a nurse. If you ever decide to go back to nursing you'd have to start at the very bottom again as you will no longer have a current set of skills.

The second offer is probably what you would get if you were having to climb your way back up again. The fact that they are developing the job is a huge red flag. "Triage" is a vague descriptor usually means you'll be wrangling staff, patients, and doctors. Who did this job before? It sounds like an RN position that's being repurposed for an LPN. Which means they've either burned through all their RNs and/or they're not wanting to pay what the job is worth. Or the job is impossible.

My own disclaimer is that I'm also a weirdo and I've also worked as an office triage nurse. ?

I recently withdrew my spot in the RN program ☹️ I had gone on call to accommodate the schedule, but ended up withdrawing. It seems like the right time to pivot into a new position. For job #2 my would be supervisor is actually also an LPN. So I am not sure if that factors into why they are looking for an LPN? But they did say they are also interviewing RNs as well. I also think that all healthcare facilities are very short staffed at this time. I applied for other clinics in my area, and helping with phone triage seemed like a common task listed in job responsibilities. ?‍♀️ So I guess I haven’t thought much of that. Thank you for helping me, this is great to hear what other nurses have to say. Maybe I need to just keep looking.

[jupiter101]

Hi LPN's, 

is LPN school easier than RN school (ADN)? The course titles are the same.

[suturethis, LPN]

5 minutes ago, jupiter101 said:

Hi LPN's, 

is LPN school easier than RN school (ADN)? The course titles are the same.

Jupiter101- I would not know, I only attended class for a couple days. However personally I think I should’ve just done the RN program instead of the LPN. The long gap between completing the LPN program and getting enrolled in the advanced standing RN program was difficult for me. When you enter, you are expected to still have a clear understanding of all the concepts you learned previously in the LPN program, it is easily forgotten in that time frame. You also pick up bad habits working in the field, and what you are taught in school is not usually how it reflects in real life. I do think the skills I have picked up while I worked as a LPN would’ve benefited me in the program. And I have heard lots of LPNs do very well in the RN program, but for me personally I was overwhelmed, far more so than when I entered the LPN program. I think it was because I worked my tail end off in the LPN program, and I knew I would have to repeat that to complete the RN program. Also I don’t  have any momentum built up. I got too comfortable not being in school, and didn’t feel like I was ready to give up that freedom again, especially after this pandemic has already got me feeling hopeless. I am not in a good mental space to succeed in school right now. 
 

In short I think the RN program would offer the most opportunities, and doing the LPN program first really doesn’t take very many credits off the RN program.  I am still hoping to become an RN one day.