Glenna, LPN

I live in Oregon and I work at one of the clinics with the VA as an LPN. I'm a happy camper with the VA over all. I've also noticed that the VA hospital hires LPN's on the floor. Not for all of them but there is a couple floors they work on and all the IV nurses are LPN's.

Hey!!!! I live in Oregon too! I also work for the VA, not at the main hospital but one of the clinics...although I don't live that far from the main VA hospital. I just sent in all of my transcripts to excelsior this last week and now I am playing the waiting game to see what the think. I have my associate of science degree so hopefully I have everything I need in the pre-req area. In 2010 I needed an ambulance ride after passing out at home....anyway when I was being taken to the hospital I was talking to the paramedic and she was telling me how she was working on her paramedic to RN through excelsior and was liking it.

No matter what happens, hold your head up high and be proud that you have made it this far. I wish you the best of luck with everything. When it comes to applying for the jobs with the VA keep applying everytime you see an opening. Even apply for volunteer positions because that helps get your foot in the door for a job.

I've been going to school on and off since I graduated high school in 2005. I finally finished all of my pre-req classes this last December at the community college. I also got my LPN in 2011. At the moment I am looking to get into an LPN to RN bridge program. I work for the veterans affairs and I know that they help with student loans after you've been working there for a year. I was just counting up how much I owe...which is over 43,000. I laughed to myself...but this was the only way I could make it to where I am today. I'll apply for some aid from work after my 1 year point but it just has me thinking.... How much do you guys owe in student loans? What is the average?

If you were to get a job with in the Veterans Affairs healthcare system they don't care where you got your RN through. So if you are licensed in one state as an RN and then worked at the Veterans Affairs with an out of state RN license you should be able to work in Cali that way.

Sounds like you are in the green now! It still takes forever at this point it feels like. After I got my tenative offer in sept 2012 I didn't start working until dec 2012.

While in my LPN program I did my clinicals at the VA. After I graduated and passed my NCLEX....I applied to the VA 5 times. On my 5th attempt I got two interviews at two different clinical's within the VA. The clinic where I did my clinicals really wanted me and when I was there for my interview was told she had already sent my paper work to HR. From putting in that application till interview time was a month....then from interview till when I actually started work was five months. Good things happen to those who wait. ^_^

I was happy and sad at the same time. I was happy with how much I was making...but then I was sad with how much is being taken out for taxes and for health insurance...so that's over 540 being taken out every paycheck. *deep breath sigh* more you make the more is taken out.

Sometimes between all the stress you need to take some time out for yourself and do what makes your soul happy. If you don't do that every now and than between it all you will go crazy. For me, I would miss sitting on the couch watching tv. I missed some of my relax time. So every now and than I would study on the couch with the tv on the background. It was nice.

I'm going to be doing a lot of that with my new job. I don't know about you but I'm super nervous.

I got two gift cards for scrub shops! Those things aren't cheap. lol Congrats on passing your NCLEX

I live in Oregon and I just got hired on at a clinic with the veterans affairs (VA). I feel so fortunate to be hired on with the VA because there are so many opportunities for LPN's. My dad is a veteran and was having surgery at the VA hospital a couple of weeks ago and I noticed that they had LPN's in the ED along with on the med/surg wards. In the civilian hospitals in my area do not use Lpn's anymore. If possible try and get hired on with the VA. They have good benifits and they will help pay for student loans after awhile.

Hello there! I live in Oregon. I'm going to let you in on a little secret. If you take your NCLEX here in Oregon and get your RN here...then endorse your license to Washington and you won't have to do the extra hours. :) You can clep out of a few classes or you could just take them online at a local community college. I'm not sure which part of washington you are in but Lower Columbia has an online LPN to RN program they offer once a year. Or if you wish...there is always Indiana State where you could to your LPN to BSN but that may take you a like 3 years.

After I posted it, it showed up a little weird. I'm really sorry about that. My classmate typed up the notes we came up together with on her mac book, which she then sent to my PC...which then of course in return got kinda weird on allnurses. But I really hope that it helps you out. In my study group we came up notes like these and would review them and review again before the tests. If you come up with notes kinda like this, I think you would be golden. Good luck and happy studying. I understand the stress of this class. Since you didn't do bad your frist exam like I did, I have faith you can make it out with an A.

I think that you are wise to be taking that CNA program. Finish up those last classes and work as a CNA for a while and see how you feel afterwards. Then turn around and get your CNA 2 acute care and work in the hospital. Now that is the real eye opener. After I worked at the hospital as a CNA...I knew this was my calling, this was where I was meant to be, a nurse. Of course here it is really hard to get right into an RN program so I want the LPN route and I'm working towards getting into a bridge program. I enjoy working with people and taking care of them. The things that you listed about being a nurse the whole flexibility, security, decent pay part is just a bonus.