LPN License & B.S. Psychology

Nurses Career Support

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I am curious about job opportunities related to my education. What kind of jobs are available to someone with an LPN license and Bachelor's of Science in Psychology. I would prefer to stay more on the psychology side but want to be able to use my LPN license too. I just don't know what kind of options are out there for me. Any ideas, tips, links, resources, etc would be helpful and very appreciative. Thank you!

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My BS degree has never helped me get an LVN job. As a matter of fact, it has been noticed that I did not complete a subsequent BSN and that has, I am certain, been held against me. As you know, psych is usually not a viable career path until one gets an advanced degree and puts up a shingle to work in counseling or in teaching.

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People with previous degrees and/or careers are usually v. frustrated and/or angry to discover this, but a degree in another area really isn't going to matter for you as a nurse. I encourage you to turn the situation around -- how much would LPN licensure benefit a psychologist, career-wise? Not at all. The same is true in nursing for you.

Since you are interested in psychology, you might be interested in working (as an LPN) in a psychiatric unit. Your scope of practice or responsibilities would not be any different because of your BS than any other LPN in that setting, but you might find it personally engaging.

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

My friend has a BS degree in public health that she earned 9 years ago. She returned to school and earned an LPN license nearly 5 years ago. She has been working as an LPN for the past 4 years, and the previous BS degree has meant absolutely nothing to employers. She earns no extra money for it, and she can't really integrate the two career pathways in a feasible manner.

In your situation, I second Elkpark's suggestion to find employment as a psychiatric nurse. It will enable you to utilize your psychology education by way of therapeutic communication, interactions with the patients, and some of their disease processes (personality disorders, addictions, etc.).

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It is great if you have a BS in psych and are a LPN! You would be a great asset to a psych inpatient or outpatient facility. There are even jobs in psych units in hospitals. I have a BS in psych and working on my LPN right now. I work at an inpatient psych crisis hospital and they hire many LPNs and if you have a BS you will make more and it is easier to further your education later on. Don't let anyone tell you that is not true. Good luck to you !

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Curious if you completed your lvn. Did you find job opportunities with the psych degree and LVN? I'm a LVN now and thinking of getting a bachelors in psych

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