New LPN deciding where to get job

allnurses Guide · May 9, 2012

In this economy the best place to work is the place that will actually offer you a job. You probably won't have the luxury of being choosey. New grad nurses are having a ton of trouble finding work at all.

prettymica, ASN, BSN, MSN, LPN, RN, APRN, NP · May 9, 2012

If you can work in a hospital go for it. Most LPNs here work in a doctor's office, nursing home, ALF,home health, dialysis or hospice. Not many opportunities to work in a hospital here unless you live in a rural area. I also agree with not.done. yet. go with the first place that offers a job, so many nurses are having a hard time finding a job even with experience.

Murphree8 · May 9, 2012

I have had a lot of people tell me it's best to try to work in a hospital at first if you can. But here in north Mississippi there aren't a lot of hospitals hiring LPNs. But I am going to apply everywhere I possibly can in hopes that I find a job quick.

LoveMyBoxer99 · May 9, 2012

I have not graduated yet, but I have been trying to research job opportunities. I am trying to decide where would be the best place to work: clinic, nursing home, hospital, etc. Any advice is helpful!

Congratulations!

I have been an LPN for over 15 years. In that time I have had the privilage of working in hospitals, nursing homes, private duty, and in administration. Currantly, I am a full time student bridging toward my RN license.

Every area has it's own unique opportunities. In the hospital, I had the opportunity to work with telemetry, post-op, bariatrics, and 24 hr observation. There were times when I floated to oncology, med-surg, and ortho floors as well. The hospital will give you invaluable experience working with a variety of situations and patients. Everything that I learned at the hospital made me a better nurse. There are also many opportunities for special certifications in the hospital that you don't have in long term care settings. ACLS, PALS, telemetry, are just a few. Also, you may want to consider that the hospital also tends to offer a more intense benefit package - better insurance, PTO, EIB, and more.

With long term care, you have a different learning experience. In long term care, you have the advantage of learning your patients entire history because you are with them every day. Some facilities have patients with tracheas, wound vacs, and maybe a few iv's, but there is not usually the more technical care related patients with things such as chest tubes and such. You will learn to give a lot of meds, do a lot of charting, and help frequently on the floor as needed when the nurse aids are short. But everyday your patients will smile to see you coming in because they know you will take care of them.

Being a new nurse can be really scary. But you are never alone. There is always someone there or a phone call away to help you when you need it. Treat others as you want to be treated, value every other coworkers job as much as your own, and learn something new every day. When you leave work, leave the job at work. Burnout happens to everyone.

Best of luck to you! I have faith you will do exceptionally well with whatever choice you make.

AngieFaye

Murphree8 · May 9, 2012

Wow. Thank you so much! That was very inspirational and helpful! Iv often wondered what field would I rather work with, but I guess I won't know until I truly have experience there. I can not wait to graduate and get out there and see truly how amazing this profession is!

A quick question Ms. Faye.

You mentioned that you are bridging into RN. Do you think it wise to go ahead and do that right after graduation or wait like you did? This is my fourth year in school and I am VERY burnt out. I worry about going right into it and not being serious enough because I am so burnt out from school. So, Iv been considering waiting.

LoveMyBoxer99 · May 10, 2012

Well I can tell you my situation. I was young, had a family, and needed that LPN paycheck desprately. Like you, I had been in school for a long time and was ready to get out there and go to work.

Years passed. I saw other nurses, LPN's going back to school for their RN, and RN's and I really really wanted that to be me. Finally I decided that it was time to put up or shut up. Either I was going to get back and earn my RN, or I was going to work my remaining career as an LPN. So here I am.

You gotta make that decision based on what is best for you, and on where you are in your life. LPN's don't have as many opportunities in my area (Western Kentucky) as they used to. And they definately don't get paid like they should (not that any career will pay what you really should earn).

If you do go into the workforce, don't take too long to make your decision. There is alot of technical (book) information that you have now that will become distorted in your mind as the time passes and you get into the groove of the real world of nursing.

You sound like a good girl with your head on your shoulders, and of that I am proud. Please go back soon. It will pay off more than you realize. And if you ever need anything, feel free to shoot me a message on here. (New to allnurses but I am getting the hang of it :) )

Murphree8 · May 10, 2012

:) I am new too and I'm sure I will be bugging everyone on here. Im full of questions!! Thanks again for all your advise.

Autymn · May 10, 2012

Thanks so much for the information AngieFaye76!

allnurses.com is such a great forum to come and get info we need, and lots of encouragement as well on specific topics.

I am still in pre req's -- still haven't decided about LPN or RN. I have family in careers in healthcare; one though did it for 7 years, many, many years ago and changed careers at that point. I have shadowed locally and that was very interesting, but I still don't feel like I really know the differences. What are the differences say between an LPN's typical/atypical day in an actual hospital position as opposed to an RN on the same floor with approximately the same experience? I also understand there are practice limitations (seemingly only a few though) between the two licenses.

I have met one LPN who has four years of experience - she feels very strongly about staying an LPN. She loves her current job in a rehab center - but also liked her other/first job out of school - in an LTC. She is great with her current pay, making a bit more now ($21.00 ph - does mostly nights and weekends) and has full benefits now; and really loves her co-workers at the rehab/LTAC connected with a hospital.

I understand there being more future opportunities available, but I also keep hearing RN's who are really only three and four years into their careers and they are totally burnt out, overwhelmed, even bitter etc. The RN's seem to mainly feel pulled - in that they don't have enough time/as much as they used to for quality patient care and they are just zooming from the time they hit the ward til after leaving -- soooo much paperwork/documentation etc.

Do LPN's have seriously LESS documentation to have to do along with their clinical duties/patient care? I guess in some cases they do not have to be taxed with managing as many other personnel in addition to their specific job duties?

Thanks so much!