Crueltiming

Group homes...overnight shifts...only thing I lift is my lazy butt off the couch every 15 - 20 mins to check on my medicated, sleeping clients hehe

I worked agency for 2 years and loved it....just missed the benefits...like sick time...vacation pay...our agency didnt give squat. But...I did have to turn down alot of shifts..had too many...not sure how things are now tho...(Phoenix area)

I work as an LPN in Behavior Health...(Peds specifically)tho its not for everybody...I cannot see myself anywhere else..

Keep in mind....some agencies do not have benefits....so you want to make sure you look at the big picture...I worked Registry my first 2 years out of school...money was great...then my back went out...needed surgery....what saved me was I had medical benefits thru my wife's job...but still..no work...no pay unless you buy your own insurance which is costly. Also...liability insurance isnt a bad idea (in my humble opinion)..its cheap (google NSO)..I think I pay around 100 dollars a year for 5 mil or so in coverage etc...

I live and work as an LPN in the Phoenix/Mesa/Tempe area (Behavior Health - Peds)...and yes..there are alot of jobs here. The organization I work for currently has several openings for LPN...depending on exp...can start 18 - 20 an hour. (We were asked by management to not post our name online for a variety of reasons so email/pm me for details). I worked here 2 years as a Registry (60+ hours a week) and have been here almost 2 years as a full time. We work in Residential Treatment Centers. Speaking of...Registry are always looking for Nurses...I worked for one Registry and had to constantly turn down hours...they paid 25 and hour to start...and if they needed ya in a pinch would pay anywhere from 27-30 an hour...but..no benefits and you have to track and pay your own taxes. I am too old and tired to be running around like a crazy person on a Med Surg floor so RTC is a great pace for me...pass meds, administer ppd, constant assessments due to psychotropic meds, and other non nursing duties...positive role modeling...I have sewn and ironed clothes, cooked and other things for clients that ya dont typically find a man doing hehe..sometimes go on outings with clients such as NFL games etc....but it IS Psych...so take the good with the bad... Anyway..hope this helped you....and sorry for rambling... Respectfully Crueltiming

"I would be especially challenged not to castrate some of them... Sounds like you have a very interesting job! How long did you work with this population?" I still work with this "group". I agree...sometimes these guys act more like a victim than victimizers, which, staff and therapists are quick to set them straight. Although this work can be unpleasant at times, I still cant see me running around med surg...I am too old to be that busy Respectfully Crueltiming

"All bleeding eventually stops"

Maybe PDA's and Nursing could be a good topic. Pretty nice having drug guide, tabors etc in my pocket....

I work in Behavior Health (pediatric). I have worked at several locked facilities in the Phoenix area as a registry LPN, but now work full time at a residential treatment center for male teenage sex offenders. I have been there full time for a year, but worked at this exact same facility as a temp for 2 years, so I knew the clients, staff, and system real well. If you want a challenge, try working with a SO population. Daily I find myself tested to the limits of my impartiality(is that a word?) and, on occasion, my professionalism. We keep our clients approx 18 months (less if they cannot program, act out, keep failing polygraphs etc). The line between nursing and behavior health techs are fairly blurred, at least at some of the facilities I have worked in the Psych field. You can even find yourself performing pat down searches of clients in some facilities, acting more as a security guard than a nurse, which I personally never cared for. There are alot of plus and minus working where I do...but overall, it seems to balance out...for now Respectfully Crueltiming Mesa, Az