New LPN Advice

bugya90, ASN, BSN, LVN, RN · Feb 6, 2013

My first lpn job was at LTC facility as per diem, 3 weeks out of orientation they offered me a FT spot. Even for those first 3 weeks i would have 20+ hours per week from nurses calling in sick or going on vacation. If you can't find a FT right now i would take the per diem.

studentmare2012 · Feb 7, 2013

thank you for replying!did they pay you the regular hourly rate during training?also, when you were training as a per-diem, did you go in daily to train?

Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN · Feb 7, 2013

My first job was per-diem...however I was able to get enough hours to easily make a full-time schedule. A year later, I accepted a full-time permanent position. Granted, it wasn't in LTC but in psych, so things may be somewhat different.

IMO, take whatever you can get to get your foot in the door as well as to start adding work experience to that resume. Also, no one says you can't continue to look for work elsewhere (if necessary) while working per-diem.

Best of luck!

bugya90, ASN, BSN, LVN, RN · Feb 8, 2013

I didn't make as much training because i was just a graduate nurse, took boards a week before my training ended, but once i got the official license i got a raise to their regular starting salary for lvn with no experience. When training i did some 40 hour weeks and some less, keep in mind i was studying for boards and still taking full time classes at community college at the time so the managers really worked with me. I had very understanding managers and DON there so i got very lucky. Each facility is different so those are all questions you would need to ask the managers where ever you apply at. One downside is i didn't get differentials so i made the same for day night and weekend shifts.