New LPN and no jobs available.

zoeyzoe · Nov 19, 2008

I live on the east coast, and I was an LPN for ten years before returning back to school to get my RN. There are some hospitals that will hire LPNs' but the positions are limited. It is becoming the norm for hospitals to exclusively hire registered nurses. LPN's usually can only work on units or with patients that are stable. The RN has to monitor their work, this is part of the reason why hospitals are leading to wards hiring them over LPN's. It is part of the nurse practice act, that practical nurses have limited scope in the hospital. The pay is not even very much, I believe the starting salary for LPN's in the hospital on the east coast is about $13 versus $17- 19 in the long term care setting. It only goes up when you work for an agency, there the salary ranges in the $20's and $30's which is equivalent to a registered nurses' salary in some facilities. You are going to have to return back to school to see a difference in your pay and job opportunities. That will not change no matter what state you work in. This is something that they should teach practical nursing students so that they can be prepared for the challenges that they will face after graduation.

What you are saying is very true. I live in Georgia where the pay is crappy anyway, no matter what career u have. Your not going to make as much in the same job as you would headed more east, north or west. But as far as LPN's here, i live in Atlanta, where you can still find at least 100 job opening for us at any giving time. But, it is still a limited market, with hospital jobs being very scarce at best. When you do find a hospital that is hiring us , yup, just like you said about 12 10 14 dollars. I made 12 dollars as a CNA. When I was in LPN school just a short 2 1/2 years ago, our instructors repeatedly said we should not stop here. They just did not tell us how bad it was out here for the LPN's, who want more then just LTC's or home health, and still make more then 18 dollars an hour. So yes i've returned back to school for my RN. Now my state is trying to hold me back on that, buts that another story, for another thread.

katherine100, LPN · Nov 21, 2008

I live on the east coast, and I was an LPN for ten years before returning back to school to get my RN. There are some hospitals that will hire LPNs' but the positions are limited. It is becoming the norm for hospitals to exclusively hire registered nurses. LPN's usually can only work on units or with patients that are stable. The RN has to monitor their work, this is part of the reason why hospitals are leading to wards hiring them over LPN's. It is part of the nurse practice act, that practical nurses have limited scope in the hospital. The pay is not even very much, I believe the starting salary for LPN's in the hospital on the east coast is about $13 versus $17- 19 in the long term care setting. It only goes up when you work for an agency, there the salary ranges in the $20's and $30's which is equivalent to a registered nurses' salary in some facilities. You are going to have to return back to school to see a difference in your pay and job opportunities. That will not change no matter what state you work in. This is something that they should teach practical nursing students so that they can be prepared for the challenges that they will face after graduation.

Yes that is why i took my LPN so I can get to RN eventually. I am so glad I see more LPN positions though. I was a sec and there was no overtime available. At least now I can work in diff settings, diff times and get overtime. I do actually prefer science but I will go for the RN (maybe PA). One thing's for sure; we all have jobs (CNA, RN, etc) which is more than i can say for some of these wall street folks.