Can a new grad LPN get a per diem position?

Nurses LPN/LVN

Published

Here is my situation. I am 3/4's of the way through a 2 year part time LPN program (3 evenings a week and some weekends). I will be finished at the end of this year. I work full time during the day, plus have a family. I went back to school because I am in a job where there is no room to move up and the challenge is gone. Plus, there is a gut feeling that our place will close or be sold within the next few years and becoming a nurse is job security.

Upon graduating LPN school, my hopes were to find a job full time as an LPN and if I enjoyed nursing, pursue my RN.

Now the problem, I just received a substantial raise at my current position. With this raise, I would actually be taking a pay cut to become an LPN. However, I do not want to walk away from what I have started. I would like to finish LPN school. My thoughts are to keep my day job (partly because it is a Mon-Fri job, day work, no weekends or holidays, on top of now getting a good salary), then maybe getting a per diem LPN position to keep up with my skills. Then if our facility does close or gets sold, I could then become a full time nurse.

Are there places out there that will hire new grad LPNs per diem? And if so, what kind of facility?

PS I live in Jersey

Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.

A couple of friends of mine got jobs right out of LPN school per diem at LTC facilities for $28 an hour! If I were in your shoes I would start right up with the RN program after you graduate LPN school, unless of course they require that stupid 6mos experience thing. That way you can keep making the money you are now and as long as you are a student you will be enhancing your nursing skill set at the same time. I admire your forward thinking and know its tough working full time and going to nursing school. Much continued success to you. Jules

There are plenty of per-diem LPN opportunities here for new grad LPN's. I'm sure you can find some.

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