rsslpn

I have worked nights for the last 5 years and am now switching to dayshift, finally! I would almost always sleep with an eye mask on (cheap and easy to find, get one at wally world for about $5) and I have to have a fan! Juggling nights with a family if difficult but do-able. You will find what works best for you and your family. Also try some lavender, you can get a room air freshener with that and it does help! Best of luck to you in your new position!

I have trouble with the smell from ostomy bags. seems to smell worse when it comes out that way. I just deal with it, don't make any faces pretend it is not bothering me, until I get to the bathroom!

I graduated in 2005 and started at 16.50 + 1.00 shift diff in LTC, I am still at the same facility and am up to 21.85 plus the dollar diff. I have interviewd a few places recently and no one seems to be paying over 18.00 right now. I also interviewed in a pediatricians office last summer, they offered 12.36! I had to say NO to that! the place I currently am at seems to be about the highest paying in my area right now so it looks as if I will be staying a little longer as I am not willing to take that much of a pay cut right now.:bowingpur

I'm with you there but it doesn't seem to touch the pain anymore! (and I am still pretty young yet!)

Oh, I almost forgot we also have good benefits as well and i also earn about 1 vacation day per pay (every 2 weeks). I have enough time saved I could take off for an entire month right now if I wanted to! Hey that sounds like a good idea, hmmm.

I work in LTC and when I started at the facility that I am currently in I was only a GPN. I started out at 16.50 an hour with 1.00 shift diff for 11-7 shift. I got my first raise at the begining of the following calender year along with everyone else, but then I got another raise 1 yr after I passed my boards. I went from 16.50 to 18.75 in just over a year. our facility is giving an across the board raise to LPN's that went into effect on 1/1/07 and is said to bring everyone up to a min of 21.00, won't know for sure about how much I will be getting until Wed! Waiting anxiously to find out!

WOW! Move out east for a year! I live in south central PA and went to the local vocational school, waited only a short time to get in (about 6 months as classes only started twice a year) and the total cost was somewhere between 8-9k. I was able to get a student loan that covered the majority of the cost and a pell grant that covered the rest and then some! Now I am working on my RN but I believe I got screwed there, :smackingf but thats another story! Good luck !

I have had the "how does this thing work" "what does this button do" and the "just seeing if this thing works" calls more times than I can remember! Not so funny but gross, we have a woman where I currently work who uses the call bell for something that it is NOT intended for! I don't think she realizes that using it for her pleasure also makes it ring.We don't touch that bell to move it without gloves on! YUCK! sorry to gross anyone out!

What is the grid that has been mentioned in previous posts? I just started my courses with excelsior and am trying to get any and all advice that I possibly can.

I am in south central PA and the pay in my area (for a new lpn) ranges from 13.70 on up, most are in the 15.00-17.00 range with differentials on top of that. I am currently working as a GPN at a LTCF I make 16.50 + 1.00 shift diff, I understand I will get a good raise once I pass my boards. They also have really good benefits where I am. The place that hires at 13.70 to start is the "county home" but I hear that the benefits there are worth the low pay, I have been in this facility (we did our geriatrics clinicals there) and I don't care how good the benefits are, I wouldn't work there for that kind of money, or any for that matter!