LPN Job market in MA?

nursekelly217 · Oct 21, 2004

I'm not sure about Western MA, but I just returned to the North Shore after 2 years in CA to find a pretty good LPN market. The bigger hospitals tend not to use LPNs, but I just took a job at a smaller community hospital, full-time Med/Surg where they utilize LPNs to the full extent of our scope of practice, as opposed to some places that use us more like CNAs. I had four interviews at various places (non skilled nursing) and was offered at all. Although I still think it is necessary to get my RN asap. Hope this helps! Good luck.

Hello, Everyone
What is the LPN job market like in Western Mass? LPN's in Connecticut have plenty of options working in nursing homes in CT but I don't want to be in that line of nursing. I am considering a move to MA so I can work in the acute care atmosphere of the hospital. I've considered an ADN program but cannot do it at present. Need to make the most of the LPN for now. Any advice? Anyone familiar with Noble or the Springfield area hospitals? Also, can LPNs do homecare in MA without one year on a med-surg floor? If I go to MA will I be limited only to the nursing homes? In CT, the hospitals are hardly hiring LPNs -very very limited prospects. Since I have been looking around, I have only come across a per diem position at a community hospital on L&D, a part time night shift position on Rehab and one position in the prison system. I can't believe I studied so hard to have so few options! Need help now! Any input would be appreciated.

Justmeandmycat · Oct 21, 2004

I'm not sure about Western MA, but I just returned to the North Shore after 2 years in CA to find a pretty good LPN market. The bigger hospitals tend not to use LPNs, but I just took a job at a smaller community hospital, full-time Med/Surg where they utilize LPNs to the full extent of our scope of practice, as opposed to some places that use us more like CNAs. I had four interviews at various places (non skilled nursing) and was offered at all. Although I still think it is necessary to get my RN asap. Hope this helps! Good luck.

Hi - thanks for writing in. I haven't been on the board for awhile but I was hoping some one would chime in and you did - thank you. I've decided to go for reciprocity so I can work in MA, but it will take a month to hear back from what I understand. . Good luck with pursuing the RN and I'm glad you had success with your interviews.

nursekelly217 · Oct 21, 2004

I had to apply for reciprocity from CA and FYI it took over 2 months to process this summer. Hope yours goes faster- it could have been the CA BON that was the hassle? Good luck!

Hi - thanks for writing in. I haven't been on the board for awhile but I was hoping some one would chime in and you did - thank you. I've decided to go for reciprocity so I can work in MA, but it will take a month to hear back from what I understand. . Good luck with pursuing the RN and I'm glad you had success with your interviews.

Justmeandmycat · Oct 23, 2004

I had to apply for reciprocity from CA and FYI it took over 2 months to process this summer. Hope yours goes faster- it could have been the CA BON that was the hassle? Good luck!

Hm, I hadn't thought about my home state BON being a problem- I just assumed if you had a clean record, good moral character, blah, blah, you wouldn't have a problem. But then again, everything about being an LPN here difficult, so I wouldn't be surprised at encountering some BON twist. I don't know why I hadn't thought about it that way before, but you'te probably right. We'll see. Then again I can't be sitting here on my hands doing nothing, I have to make a salary. It's just the thought of entering the local tar pit of a nursing home completely depresses me. Put a rural location on top of everything and my options are completely limited. I even applied to a company that does flu vaccination clinics and that got canceled because of the vaccine problem. I'm considering working as a Patient Tech in dialysis until I get my RN but I'm not sure of the pay. I'd make pretty good money at the nursing home as an LPN if I took that, but its a total dead end (no pun intended.) And then of course there's the agencies, but that's just going into other nursing homes, so what's the point of that? Maybe if I got into dialysis as an LPN I would find out whether or not it was for me and stay, but I'd rather test the waters first as a tech, if they would let me, instead of investing three to four months in their nurses training. I'm just not sure how to approach the dialysis center because its the only one around here, and if I blow that, I blow my only other chance not to work in a LTC. What do you think? Ultimately, once I get my RN behind me, I'll want to go into homecare, and yes, a nursing home would be good experience, blah, blah, but it's a completely depressing stressful way to make a living for three years while I go to school. I know what I want ultimately - I'd make a great rural, homecare nurse- I'm self-reliant, resourceful, and can get through any snowstorm. (And I think having some dialysis experience would help, particularly in assessment. A friend of the family died a couple of years ago because he was snowed in and couldn't get a ride to his dialysis appointment. Just found that out.) Anyways, I could work in homecare as an LPN, which was my original intent, but without one year of med surg behind you (state regulation) you're not allowed. If the hospitals won't hire LPNs anymore so we can get that experience, what can you do? Oh, yeah, that's right... work in the nursing home.:uhoh21: Oh, brother. I know this post is disorganized but I feel like a rat in a maze. Any input would be appreciated.

momcats3 · Nov 20, 2004

Did you try VNA? There are also some private agencies that use LPN's in home care. Look in the phone book for starters.

Justmeandmycat · Nov 26, 2004

Did you try VNA? There are also some private agencies that use LPN's in home care. Look in the phone book for starters.

Hi. Sorry to be late responding to you since I'm just getting used to the features of the BB. Called 9 homecare agencies. The scoop is that there is a state reg in CT that says you must have a 1,000 something hours on a med surg floor to work in homecare and the 800 I have from clinical as an LPN

don't count. And if you want to work in homecare, they want you to have previous homecare experience too. I've got CNA experience in facilities and the hospital but that doesn't apply either. It's nuts. The VNA in the communities within driving distance prefer to use RNs. A VNA that serves communites about 45 minutes away from me will use LPNs but only with the other above requirements. I wish I had known all this before because I'm in a rural area with only a couple of nursing homes I've had the pleasure of working in and I don't want to return either because they were so short staffed. I also tried two clinics within driving distance - one turned out to be an abortion clinic. :uhoh3: Both wanted Spanish and I don't speak any. I'm thinking of trying Excelciors but I need to figure out a short term income. Thanks for your input. Any other ideas, let me know. THanks

chip193 · Nov 26, 2004

Hello, Everyone
What is the LPN job market like in Western Mass? LPN's in Connecticut have plenty of options working in nursing homes in CT but I don't want to be in that line of nursing. I am considering a move to MA so I can work in the acute care atmosphere of the hospital. I've considered an ADN program but cannot do it at present. Need to make the most of the LPN for now. Any advice? Anyone familiar with Noble or the Springfield area hospitals? Also, can LPNs do homecare in MA without one year on a med-surg floor? If I go to MA will I be limited only to the nursing homes? In CT, the hospitals are hardly hiring LPNs -very very limited prospects. Since I have been looking around, I have only come across a per diem position at a community hospital on L&D, a part time night shift position on Rehab and one position in the prison system. I can't believe I studied so hard to have so few options! Need help now! Any input would be appreciated.

I know that we're always looking for LPNs in Pittsfield. They just opened up two new positions in the ER on nights. There's also spots on the floors.

Chip

Justmeandmycat · Nov 27, 2004

I know that we're always looking for LPNs in Pittsfield. They just opened up two new positions in the ER on nights. There's also spots on the floors.
Chip

Thank you Chip. At least that is something to go on. It turns out that I can't move right now. I got the paperwork for reciprocity but before going through all that I called the MA hospital nearest me and posed some hypothetical questions to a recruiter. She told me not to bother since the LPNs that they have there have "been there forever". It sounded to me on the phone like she was rolling her eyes as she said it. She told me not to bother since they had no plans to continue hiring LPNs in the future. I'm going to try to find a doctors office in Connecticut and then knock off the Excelsior College courses for the RN.

chip193 · Nov 28, 2004

Thank you Chip. At least that is something to go on. It turns out that I can't move right now. I got the paperwork for reciprocity but before going through all that I called the MA hospital nearest me and posed some hypothetical questions to a recruiter. She told me not to bother since the LPNs that they have there have "been there forever". It sounded to me on the phone like she was rolling her eyes as she said it. She told me not to bother since they had no plans to continue hiring LPNs in the future. I'm going to try to find a doctors office in Connecticut and then knock off the Excelsior College courses for the RN.

I'm glad that I could help!

Chip

maz35123 · Jul 5, 2005

I am a new RN from LPN ,!st you need to go back and get your RN no matter what kids finances etc... Its a MUST . Lpn work in mass is poor ,the pay is poor But I will tell you one place that gives good experience and freedom for LPN s to advance and incentive for school . Kindred hospital boston in brighton . you work with vents,iv s ,Lpn do a lot there if you are highly motivated . I worked there for 3 years got acls certified trained in picc line insertion and many more as an LPN . pay is over 22 /hr if experienced

12 hour shifts 3 days a week cant beat it . Good luck Mark