Looking for the not so typical LPN job

[SDALPN]

Please post if you are an LPN doing a job that isn't the typical clinic, hospital, LTC, PDN type job.

I'm thinking of changing my area of nursing. I have no interest in the typical jobs. I'm getting burned out with PDN. I prefer working alone or with a few people. I don't want the risk and pressure of LTC. I don't want to work in a clinic doing vital signs all day. And I'm sick of the nutty families in PDN...dealing with them in short bursts instead of constantly is fine and I'm tired of them having control over my hours. I prefer a job where I can wear scrubs. I hate dressing up for work.

So far I have applied to 2 plasma centers as I'd enjoy doing assessments all day. And I have applied to an assisted living facility for management experience.

So what do you do that is different from the typical LPN job? What is your day like? If you are comfortable discussing it, what is the pay like? Any other job suggestions? I'm in NC if that makes a difference. Thanks!

[i_want_no_world]

I'm still in school, but I plan on looking for a corrections job at a jail or prison. I've seen they have good benefits, decent pay, a lot of autonomy, etc. It's definitely not the "conventional" job.

[OrganizedChaos, LVN]

Well I do PDN, lol. But before this I worked at a alcohol & drug treatment facility for adolescents. It didn't pay that well, $17/hr. It was pretty stressful & monotonous. But if you found a different place to work at I'm sure it would pay more & be a better work place.

[SDALPN]

I'm still in school but I plan on looking for a corrections job at a jail or prison. I've seen they have good benefits, decent pay, a lot of autonomy, etc. It's definitely not the "conventional" job.[/quote']

I thought about that. I'm not sure if its for me or not. I'd almost want to shadow for a day to see what its like. They do hire LPNs for the prison here. There are quite a few in the area. I think the federal prison in Butner only hires RNs though.

I have a background (no convictions) due to being attacked by someone and they retaliated by pressing false charges. Even though I was proven innocent (he went to jail), it will still show up. So I'm not sure how that will effect me with the prison system. I've only had one company refuse to hire me and wouldn't bother to ask me for an explanation.

[lovedijah]

I was looking for "not so typical jobs" as well. There are some insurance companies that hire LPN's to do life insurance physicals. I had one done and it's drawing blood and vital signs and he may have used a stethoscope for 5 seconds. But it was nothing in depth. But if you're trying to get away from vital signs, maybe it won't work.

I saw a job listing for working in a center for people with eating disabilities. There was a student in my program who got hired at a center like that and she loved it.

Have you thought about home health? I do think home health can be slower paced or not as stressful depending on your patients. At least you could get out a hospital setting, drive around during the day and have some control over your hours.. but yeah, you'd have to deal with the family sometimes.

Depending on how much experience you have, I've seen listings for LPN's to teach CNA and MA classes. But you'd eventually be in LTC doing clinicals with your students.

I had a chance to interview for a case manager job. I'd basically drive around and do assessments on patients. But I did notice most of these jobs went to RN's.

Maybe you can work for a drug company. I always see listings on indeed for companies hiring nurses. I guess you'd have to like sales though.

[SDALPN]

I was looking for "not so typical jobs" as well. There are some insurance companies that hire LPN's to do life insurance physicals. I had one done and it's drawing blood and vital signs and he may have used a stethoscope for 5 seconds. But it was nothing in depth. But if you're trying to get away from vital signs, maybe it won't work.

I saw a job listing for working in a center for people with eating disabilities. There was a student in my program who got hired at a center like that and she loved it.

Have you thought about home health? I do think home health can be slower paced or not as stressful depending on your patients. At least you could get out a hospital setting, drive around during the day and have some control over your hours.. but yeah, you'd have to deal with the family sometimes.

Depending on how much experience you have, I've seen listings for LPN's to teach CNA and MA classes. But you'd eventually be in LTC doing clinicals with your students.

I had a chance to interview for a case manager job. I'd basically drive around and do assessments on patients. But I did notice most of these jobs went to RN's.

Maybe you can work for a drug company. I always see listings on indeed for companies hiring nurses. I guess you'd have to like sale though.

I'm not sure working in an eating disorder clinic is for me. I do visits as part of my job with the PDN company. Visits are too similar to PDN...at least for now. In NC, it exceeds the LPN scope of practice to teach CNA class or MAs. But I would love to teach those classes if it weren't outside my scope of practice. Can't be a case manager due to scope of practice in this state. I can sell ice to an Eskimo and sand to a beach bum. But I really don't enjoy sales.

[libran1984, ASN, RN]

I know an LPN who works on my hospitals IV team. She inserts PICC lines all day long and starts IVs.

I know another LPN that works as an aesthetics nurse. She gives my RN friend her botox injections.

Both of those jobs, in my opinion, are pretty unique.

[SDALPN]

I know an LPN who works on my hospitals IV team. She inserts PICC lines all day long and starts IVs.

I know another LPN that works as an aesthetics nurse. She gives my RN friend her botox injections.

Both of those jobs, in my opinion, are pretty unique.

Inserting a picc line is outside of our scope of practice. The type of people getting botox aren't the type if people I fit in well with. I could do it, but I'm not sure I'd be happy.

I thought about a call center. Not sure there are many around here though. I know there is some sort of pharmacy one near me. But they also hire pharmacy techs for the same job. So I'm not sure what that is about. But I see the ad once in a while. I could do that for a little while, but I'd hate to lose skills.

[libran1984, ASN, RN]

I wish LPN scope of practice were consistent from state to state. It'd make communication much easier.

[libran1984, ASN, RN]

Oh we have LPNs that do telephone triage and LPNs as school/camp nurses. That's kinda different.

Some places might take you on as a disease intervention specialist where u collect body fluids and test them for STDs and follow up on care of these individuals under state wide protocols

[SDALPN]

I've wondered about phone triage. I think its something I'd either love or hate.

The job checking for STDs sounds interesting. Doesn't sound like something I could do forever. But it would be a nice change for a bit. What companies hire for that?

I also thought of an idea that helped and maybe will help someone else. I went on indeed and looked at LPN resumes to see what other nurses in the area are doing and have done. Ran across a lot of nurses I know. But it gave me a few ideas. I also looked at the ones I was interested in to see how long the average nurse stayed in the position. If nurses were regularly leaving after 6 months, it is a red flag to me.

[libran1984, ASN, RN]

State health dept hire for DiS