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I've been an LPN for almost 2 years with about year and a half experience in LTC. I'm interested in alternative jobs such as OHN. Are LPNs qualified to work in this area? I really don't want to go back to school to convert to RN because of age, expense and other life goals. Thaanks

Sounds like things are pretty rough blondieNH. I applaud your tenacity in a difficult situation, I couldn't do it. I'd like to share a different perspective, and please don't read any criticism into this. Absolutely none intended. You're LPN career has been 18 yrs in the making, the last 5 of which have been a "prison" and you feel stuck for another 6 yrs before you get "paroled from this hellish experience". That's 11 yrs of a 24 yr career that will have been bad. That's a long time to be miserable. Nursing is hard enough without that. I know you must love nursing, your patients and facility and that's why you stay in your current position, but at what cost? I sincerely hope you find a solution. A friend shared the following with me during a difficult time I was experiencing, I hope it helps: 2Timothy 1:6,7

"plan to apply several months in advance of your move." Does this mean no address is required in the new state? Surely establishing residency is required. I'm thinking of moving from Wisconsin to Indiana and of course don't have an Indiana address yet.

As a male LPN, I'm sick of pts and families asking if I'm going on to become a doctor!

LPN2005 must live in southern Wisconsin where there is a greater population base. I live in the northern third of Wisconsin where starting wages for LPNs are from $15-$18. Only after working your way up the pay scale with merit increases does a nurse get into the $20 range, and merit increases rarely keep up with the cost of living.

Cool! Another forum to join!! Thanks!

Med errors still are the responsibility of the person passing the med, regardless of the condition of the environment. That's what makes nursing such a difficult field. The nurse/tech always takes the fall. I left a LT facility that has seen a 2x turnover in staff and 5 DONs in the last year and a half to go to a new assisted living facility that is growing so fast it's darned hard to keep up. Yet I still take the fall if there is a med error. Thank God I have a very supportive boss, but she can only do so much.

Being an INFP is the primary reason I'm doubting floor nursing is for me. I dislike conflict, interruptions, delays, confusing orders, chaos, you name it we've all experienced it. What has kept me in nursing, to this point anyway, is the touching of the human heart in ways that can't be found in other fields. I probably should have stuck with my original career path of musician.

Don't let the term "health care" fool you. Any facility is first and foremost a business and in business the dollar rules regardless if the entity is "non-profit". The most expensive aspect of any busness is it's employees. In many industries/fields empoyees are "asked" to "do more with less" and health care is no exception. So while the public hears cries of a nursing shortage, facilities continue with understaffing and eager-to- work nurses aren't hired. Man, it's difficult to keep cynacism at bay!

Angelfire, Find a different church. Don't lose faith because of one church's misinterpretations. The bible also says "husbands, submit to your wives".

Thanks, I'll check out that link. At the rehab facility, one of the things that fried me was the library of manual charting that had to be done in multiple charts in a very short period of time. Even so, I'll look into your suggestion-it's probably much different than my past experiences have been. Thanks again...

I've been an LPN for about a year and a half working in a LT rehab facility and currently assisted living. I'm getting very fed up with the so called "shortage" of staff. I know this topic has been beaten into the ground but until the "powers that be" move from the simple spreadsheet formula for staffing and move to acuity staffing, it will remain the same. It also always, always, always comes down to staffing as being the biggest expense of operations. We are not dealing with ball bearings in a factory. Enough of my rant. I want out of long term care (and know I don't want an acute care setting) but don't know what resource lists options for non-floor nurse positions. I know of clinics and possibly corrections. Is there a resource or can some members of this community share what other areas an LPN may work? Thanks much...