new grad, PDN, and experience for the hospital

clearblue3 · Sep 17, 2013

Thanks CloudySue and eeffoc :-) Yes...scary about the lack of training! These things are good to hear though! I can't remember either of your backgrounds...new grads? still doing PDN? Thanks :-)

eeffoc_emmig · Sep 17, 2013

Thanks CloudySue and eeffoc :-) Yes...scary about the lack of training! These things are good to hear though! I can't remember either of your backgrounds...new grads? still doing PDN? Thanks :-)

I worked LTC and MD offices before PDN. Yes, still working PDN. It pays better than hospitals in the area and it's far less stressful than LTC.

clearblue3 · Sep 17, 2013

yes...it seems like that is all I hear about LTC. stressful! and that people live in a huge fear of making a mistake because things are so crazy. How long ago did you graduate? How long have you been doing PDN? PDN here also pays way more than most of the hospitals. so tricky being a new grad in this economy!

eeffoc_emmig · Sep 17, 2013

yes...it seems like that is all I hear about LTC. stressful! and that people live in a huge fear of making a mistake because things are so crazy. How long ago did you graduate? How long have you been doing PDN? PDN here also pays way more than most of the hospitals. so tricky being a new grad in this economy!

LPNs in my area are almost forced to work LTC or PDN. It's not that hospitals here won't hire you, they just pay very little. I did not become a nurse to make about $11/hr. Nope!

I graduated almost 8 years ago. I started PDN about 2 years ago.

The job you take depends on your situation in this economy. If you can afford the low pay, go for a hospital position and get all the experience you can.

If you MUST make a decent paycheck, go for LTC. PDN pay is comparable in my area, but if your patient is in the hospital you are out of work for a while unless your company can have you fill in somewhere.

eeffoc_emmig · Sep 17, 2013

yes...it seems like that is all I hear about LTC. stressful! and that people live in a huge fear of making a mistake because things are so crazy. How long ago did you graduate? How long have you been doing PDN? PDN here also pays way more than most of the hospitals. so tricky being a new grad in this economy!

LPNs in my area are almost forced to work LTC or PDN. It's not that hospitals here won't hire you, they just pay very little. I did not become a nurse to make about $11/hr. Nope!

I graduated almost 8 years ago. I started PDN about 2 years ago.

The job you take depends on your situation in this economy. If you can afford the low pay, go for a hospital position and get all the experience you can.

If you MUST make a decent paycheck, go for LTC. PDN pay is comparable in my area, but if your patient is in the hospital you are out of work for a while unless your company can have you fill in somewhere.

clearblue3 · Sep 17, 2013

thanks for your thoughts! :-) around here (WI) PDN pays the most by far (unless you work for an agency), followed by the hospital, and then LTC about the same as the hospital or a little less than that. Almost all of the hospitals around here won't hire LPNs and some LPNs have been moved to tech/CNA positions if they were already in the hospital. the big Madison hospitals only hire BSNs, with experience and more likely from UW Madison (unless you know someone from the inside :-)) The outlying hospitals say "BSN preferrable, AND 1-2 yrs experience preferrable" as well. that is why I thought if I did night PDN there might be some down time to work on my BSN. :-) I am sure it will all work out...always does :-) glad to hear you like what you are doing :-)

CloudySue · Sep 18, 2013

I've been in PDN for three years, before that a year of LTC. I'm a mid-life career changer, I used to be an elem teacher! I quit LTC for the same reasons others have mentioned, however I'm grateful in retrospect for the experience I got there, the good, bad, and ugly. It's a very valuable experience and I highly recommend a year of it, stress, risk, bad co-workers and all. You will appreciate any other job you ever have for the rest of your life, plus pick up a TON of skills.

clearblue3 · Sep 19, 2013

Thanks CloudySue! I used to also teach...kindergarten :-) Loved it, but after being home with my kiddos for so many years, I don't think I could get a job now...and I really want to be a nurse :-) I am glad to hear that you appreciate your time in LTC. I like to think that I would enjoy PDN and maybe I would, but every time I go to clinicals, the part I enjoy is the variety, constant learning, and sometimes pressure filled situations. I can see really liking the hospital if in the right position, so I am definitely going to try to go that route and pray that something works out! But it is nice to know that there are those of you out there that also enjoy PDN, LTC, and other areas that I could also possibly do. One of the perks of nursing....so many options :-) Thanks for your thoughts!!

witty_online_moniker · Sep 20, 2013

I am in the EXACT same position as you. New grad, hospitals won't give me the time of day despite all of the networking I've done, and I am considering a PDN offer with an agency that feels like it would be a good fit for me based on the training/support they offer and the culture of the company. The pay is close to what I would make working at a union hospital as a new grad, but with consistent scheduling and predictable hours. I'm also starting my RN-BSN coursework in January. My concerns are being alone as a new grad, boredom with just one client instead of multiple patients, and not having the resources available that I would have in a hospital. I'm confident in my ability to respond to an emergency with a cool head AS LONG AS I HAVE ADEQUATE TRAINING. I've dealt with emergencies in my previous job and I'm generally quick to learn and pick up skills. I have heard the same thing about LTC from others -- if you can survive a year of working LTC and still keep your license intact, any other job will seem like a piece of cake by comparison. I have fantastic time management skills, but quite honestly, LTC scares me. I don't want to spend my first year of nursing working on a stomach ulcer from the stress of the job. While I may not be exposed to a lot of variety in PDN (though the agency I'm contemplating working for is big on cross-training and taking measures to avoid nurse burnout by assigning nurses to 2-3 patients per week instead of the same patient for every shift), I think that there is still a lot to be learned. I think that the acuity level of the patients I will be taking care of will likely be higher than what I would see in a LTC facility since without 24/7 nursing care, many of the PDN patients would need to be in the hospital. Paid RN experience (in a safe environment) is preferable than continuing to be unemployed for me. While I originally wanted to get into a hospital right away, I'm starting to see that there are some definite benefits to PDN at this stage in my life - I loved my hospital-based clinicals and would likely thrive in that environment, but the schedule alone would create a childcare nightmare for me. While my kids are young, PDN is starting to feel like a better fit.

Good luck to you, I'll be curious to hear what you decide to do!

SDALPN · Sep 20, 2013

I am in the EXACT same position as you. New grad, hospitals won't give me the time of day despite all of the networking I've done, and I am considering a PDN offer with an agency that feels like it would be a good fit for me based on the training/support they offer and the culture of the company. The pay is close to what I would make working at a union hospital as a new grad, but with consistent scheduling and predictable hours. I'm also starting my RN-BSN coursework in January. My concerns are being alone as a new grad, boredom with just one client instead of multiple patients, and not having the resources available that I would have in a hospital. I'm confident in my ability to respond to an emergency with a cool head AS LONG AS I HAVE ADEQUATE TRAINING. I've dealt with emergencies in my previous job and I'm generally quick to learn and pick up skills. I have heard the same thing about LTC from others -- if you can survive a year of working LTC and still keep your license intact, any other job will seem like a piece of cake by comparison. I have fantastic time management skills, but quite honestly, LTC scares me. I don't want to spend my first year of nursing working on a stomach ulcer from the stress of the job. While I may not be exposed to a lot of variety in PDN (though the agency I'm contemplating working for is big on cross-training and taking measures to avoid nurse burnout by assigning nurses to 2-3 patients per week instead of the same patient for every shift), I think that there is still a lot to be learned. I think that the acuity level of the patients I will be taking care of will likely be higher than what I would see in a LTC facility since without 24/7 nursing care, many of the PDN patients would need to be in the hospital. Paid RN experience (in a safe environment) is preferable than continuing to be unemployed for me. While I originally wanted to get into a hospital right away, I'm starting to see that there are some definite benefits to PDN at this stage in my life - I loved my hospital-based clinicals and would likely thrive in that environment, but the schedule alone would create a childcare nightmare for me. While my kids are young, PDN is starting to feel like a better fit.
Good luck to you, I'll be curious to hear what you decide to do!

You most likely won't get adequate training. You will get a day with the pt if you are lucky and then you're on your own. Also, in pediatrics, the kids crash faster. There is no time to think about staying calm and to think if what steps to take. Hospital nurses also do PDN. So if you work with them and something happens, they will remember that when you try for the hospital job. The reason the agency wants to assign you to multiple patients is not what they are telling you. The real reason is that they can use you for what works for them, not for you. The culture in PDN isn't what you think. You will be fighting other nurses for hours. The agency can and will book two nurses to the same case to make sure its staffed and silo leave you and the other nurse to work it out.

SDALPN · Sep 20, 2013

Oops, hit send before I was done.

The acuity is no different than ltc. If the pt is unstable, they are sent to the ER.

The agency sounds like they are playing you already. That's typical of them as they are usually desperate for warm bodies. The office workers don't care about you're license and just want to make their bonus.

With medicaid/medicare, they require the nurses to have a year if experience. If they find out you don't have that year of experience, they can charge you with fraud.

Sorry, but people hate the truth and would rather be comforted with untruths. Read through the PDN forum and how agencies really are. Good luck.

OrganizedChaos, LVN · Sep 20, 2013

I'm currently working PDN & I'm fighting for hours. I keep bugging the company for hours & cases hoping for full time & nothing. So it leaves me searching the internet & newspaper for a possible full time job. Also when I went to the homes for orientation - hah! I was there for 2 hours! I was told to not be there any longer! Good luck! :)