Published Mar 4, 2015
abcdefgheatherr
3 Posts
Hey everyone.. This is my first post to this forum, so I apologize if I have overlooked a thread similar to this that has been posted recently. I am an LPN of five years, working in an Acute Care hospital for over four years. We are swingbed. I have taken care of vent/trach pts, wound care, post op surgeries and all of your general med-surge stuff. When I initially graduated as an LPN, I thought my only options would be a clinic or nursing home but I got very lucky. Although they no longer hire LPNs here, I am one of the three still staffed. I have plans to further my education at some point, bridging the ADN program first, hopefully moving on to obtain my BSN after that. I guess I have gotten a little off point. My question is.. Where do I start with travel nursing? I do not have the first clue as to how to go about this process. Any information would be very helpful and greatly appreciated. Thank you so much.
NedRN
1 Article; 5,782 Posts
Call travel nurse agencies. The larger ones are probably better for LPNs such as American Mobile and Cross Country.
BigT
60 Posts
As you yourself stated, you lucked out with a LPN job at the hospital you are currently at. Most, if not all hospitals, are no longer hiring LPN's and traveling as a LPN will be harder, if not difficult due to this fact. I would suggest to get your ADN/ASN ASAP and you will have whole larger traveling option available to you. Its probably not what you want to here, but it will allow you the greatest options in the long run.
Yeah.. I know of a few hospitals that still hire LPNs within MS and LA but my options are still limited. I would love to bridge the ADN program now. I have all my pre-requisites required for the program. It's just a financial matter. I am single with no help and can't really afford not to work full-time(currently making OT every pay period and I still struggle). People have suggested online programs but in the past when I have previously tried that, I was not very disciplined and things didn't turn out so well. I do best in a classroom..
NursyLady30
9 Posts
I'm an LPN and I just worked my first contract in New Hampshire. I'm now headed to Hawaii. I hate when people say it's hard for LPN's to gain positions as travelers or in a hospital like we are useless. If you do your research you will find plenty of travel jobs. I've worked with Core medical, I hated it. I'm now with Medical Staffing Solutions.
I know! I have taken care of many, many pts and my load and acuity level is always as much(if not MORE) than the RNs. I hate the comments and outlook people have on LPNs.
Anyway. How has your experience been with Medical Staffing Solutions?
I'm on my way to maui, hi. They pay for it all. I'll let you knoq
I am sorry that you are projecting your feelings of useless because my comment had nothing to do with abilities and everything about being a numbers game. The number of hospitals using LPNs are shrinking and the number of hospitals taking traveler LPNs are even less. It would be akin to a RN posting on here that they specialize in infectious diseases and that is the only thing they wanted to travel for. There is not a whole lot of demand for that type of specialty. The demand or number of openings for any particular traveler specialty has no correlation to how worthy or useful a certain specialty is. All nurses, no matter their specialty or training areas or titles, are a cog in a chain of healing and return to wellness- if you are missing one cog the whole chain will not move very well.
My post about a LPN getting a RN license will just increase the odds in her favor to allow more opportunities to travel. Just as a RN with a dual specialty of ICU/ER will have more opportunities than just an ICU RN. Its a numbers game....
I wish you well on your new assignment.
T
abcdefgheather
1 Post
Hey, so how did HI work out?