Paths to careers in nursing

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Not sure if this is the right forum to post this, so feel free to move this if appropriate.

Anyway, I'm looking for objective advice. I'm studying a pre-nursing curriculum right now at a local community college. I am a career switcher and have no allied health experience. I was a teacher before I decided to go into nursing. My goal is to become an RN. I'm 29 years old and not getting younger. I was thinking that if I went LPN first, I would get experience that would land me an RN job later (job experience on the resume for instance). I was thinking that I could get my LPN, start working, and see if there are programs out there from employers like tuition reinbursement if I continued my education and worked towards my RN while working as an LPN.

What kinds of opportunities are out there for LPNs, such as where do they work? What can they/can't they do vs what an RN is able to do? How much more will I make as an RN vs LPN. I know what sounds $ motivated, but let's be real, $ is why people work in the first place, regardless of what job they have.

My family is strongly advising against me going LPN first because of two reasons. One, is that being a male going into a female dominated profession, I am told it would be hard for me to be the "low man on the totem pole". That I am going to want to work my way into management later on (as I am, but that is a long term goal). The other is that RNs have so much more opportunities, and they worry that I will stop at LPN once I start working.

Thanks for any imput you may have.

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Specializes in ED, ICU, MS/MT, PCU, CM, House Sup, Frontline mgr.

i do not fault you for choosing nursing for the money, but you do not know all of the facts. first, people are graduating from nursing schools (lpns and rns) and are not finding jobs. many new grads are out of work. many new grads who are not out of work had to move their families or move away from family to be employed elsewhere.

at this time, the economy has hit employment in nursing hard! the reason being, experienced nurses have came out of retirement to work again because their spouses lost jobs and/or their retirement fund was decimated! thus, employers choose not to hire new grads (new grads cost a lot to train). not to mention that the number of nursing schools cranking out new nurses have out numbered available job positions for new grads around the country and will do so for some time to come!!! also, some facilities and organizations (to include hospitals) have closed!

second, the average wages for new nurses has dropped in many places or have become stagnant. if you find a job, you can expect as a new nurse to start out at about $40-50k/year around the country. those nurses who make more live in places where the cost of living is so high they are comparably making the same ($40-50k/year). the only nurses who make more then $40-50k/year either work over time (many employers do not allow this at this time due to budget cuts) or they have many many years of experience and are specialty nurses, which you will not be as a new nurse.

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i do not fault you for choosing nursing for the money, but you do not know all of the facts. first, people are graduating from nursing schools (lpns and rns) and are not finding jobs. many new grads are out of work. many new grads who are not out of work had to move their families or move away from family to be employed elsewhere.

i don't want to sound like i am motivated by the money only. that's far from the truth, so if i came across that way, i don't mean to. i don't mind moving either. so much for the much advertised "nursing shortage" which i am skeptical of anyway.

at this time, the economy has hit employment in nursing hard! the reason being, experienced nurses have came out of retirement to work again because their spouses lost jobs and/or their retirement fund was decimated! thus, employers choose not to hire new grads (new grads cost a lot to train). not to mention that the number of nursing schools cranking out new nurses have out numbered available job positions for new grads around the country and will do so for some time to come!!! also, some facilities and organizations (to include hospitals) have closed!

hmmm, interesting. i know that all sectors of employment have been hit hard by the economy. they just closed a middle school here in the area, and put a good number of teachers out of work. all i heard about going into teaching is that there is a need for teachers. if that was the case, why are teachers out of work and being laid off? so i hear from you nursing is no different. i guess i should do more research.

second, the average wages for new nurses has dropped in many places or have become stagnant. if you find a job, you can expect as a new nurse to start out at about $40-50k/year around the country. those nurses who make more live in places where the cost of living is so high they are comparably making the same ($40-50k/year). the only nurses who make more then $40-50k/year either work over time (many employers do not allow this at this time due to budget cuts) or they have many many years of experience and are specialty nurses, which you will not be as a new nurse.

well, like i said, i'm not looking to become rich ( i didn't as a teacher, either) , but only earn a stable living for myself.

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Specializes in ED, ICU, MS/MT, PCU, CM, House Sup, Frontline mgr.

well, like i said, i'm not looking to become rich ( i didn't as a teacher, either) , but only earn a stable living for myself.

no, i understood your post. i know that no one thinks that he/she will get rich working a blue collar job! the problem is jobs that are not abundant for new grads. many new grads go a year or more without finding a job post graduation. i know of nurses (new grads) who went back to working former jobs in order to survive and have still not found employment in nursing.

plus, i do not blame anyone for choosing nursing for money given what they constantly hear and read in the media. the media and health care administrators continue to spread the lie about a shortage of nurses that simply does not exist and won't for a long time. thus, it is not your fault for thinking it was true.

by the way, this board is a great place to read about what is currently going on so if you actually like nursing (lpn or rn), come join us! in fact, there is a male student nurse forum https://allnurses.com/male-nursing-student/ that is supported by both male and female nurses. it may help you when you have common issues related to being a male in a female dominated career. gl!

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Thanks for taking the time to talk to me about this. I did not hear of anyone having trouble finding work in this field until I came to this board. I know several people in the nursing field, and talking with them is why I chose the field. I have a cousin (a male), and other cousin married to a nurse and an aunt in the field. They have told me that most people they went to school with all landed a job in a reasonable amount of time(not necessarily right away). My cousins wife landed two, and she's been out of school less than a year. I would be naive to think the bad economy has had no impact, however.

So I guess I want to ask, where are you hearing that new grads are having a hard time? I am sure a couple of people have come to this forum saying they have a hard time. I think the advertised "shortage" is based mostly on what is pushed by the media and projections put out by the government.

I am glad that you have shared this with me, because I think since I am a couple of years away from graduation, I can volunteer or find related work to get something on my resume, so when I come out of school, I'm not just another person with RN behind their name.

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