Hello! What a great forum - I've been wondering how to get some questions answered and I found this site. Hopefully some of you might be able to help me. :)
I'm a mother of 3, age 31. I'm looking to head back to school into nursing. My children are 12, 7 and 4. Our local college here (Grande Praire, AB) has a Nursing Degree program, 4 years. The competition is stiff, 48 seats and 149 applications last year. I have major upgrading to do, and I would need an average of at least 85% to be hopeful of a spot in that program. There is an LPN program offered here as well, through Northern Lakes. The upgrading I would need to get into that program would be much less. At my age, having only 2 years of school (after my 4 semesters of upgrading) is appealing, both financially and in the interests of time.
My concern/question is regarding what I've read about the job situation for LPN's. Is it difficult to get a reasonable position once you have your LPN certificate? I'd be happy with permanent part-time and I believe the pay in AB is around $17-22 an hour. From some of the topics I've read, it seems that finding a position as an LPN is more challenging than the Colleges would have you believe.
I have a friend (well, we were classmates in grade school, but we keep in touch through Facebook) in the LPN course in Kelowna - I believe he's second year though. His name is Sam. Ring any bells?
I have to do Bio 20, 30 and Math 120 then I'm ready to enter the program. I only wish I'd started upgrading earlier - it's very do-able part time and I waited longer than I needed to.
Our program is 1 year, 12 months strait through, divided into 3 semesters. There is no Sam in my class, but he could either be in the class that will graduate in December or at Sprott Shaw.
Regarding the math upgrade, check with whatever school you'll be attending about that. For my math, I chose to take a nursing math test. It had nothing to do with dosages etc. Just a test to see what your basic skills were like.
The requirement for my program was Math 11, which I had, but with a horrible mark. So I got tutored on grade 8-10 math for a few weeks, took the test and got 91%!! It saved me a ton of time, money and frustration in upgrading math!!!
I will be doing this through Northern Lakes College. Unfortunately, it's "blended" delivery, so done through some computer conferencing, etc. with some teachers on site. I'd prefer a more traditional classroom presentation, but maybe it will be better than I expect.
The program requires Math 11 too - I don't know about challenging any tests, I haven't asked. I was hoping to be in the program (a 2 year program) by the time my youngest (currently 4) is in Grade 1. That is Sept. 09. But now, I'd like to bump that up to next Sept. Maybe I need to talk to the college and see what I can do. In a way, I want to rush to get into the program and get working, but in another, it's nice to be able to pick my son up from preschool, and next year Kindergarten (here they do 5 half-days per week).
The balance of life/family/school is probably best managed (for me) by taking things slowly, but surely.
Here in AB, they've posted the rates as being between $17 - $23 per hour. Early in the thread here, you'll see Fiona posted that their contract is up for negotiation, and that the scope of practice is widened so perhaps that will get a bit of a boost.
If I wanted a $17/hr job, I could go nearly anywhere in Grande Prairie - unskilled labor gets paid for showing up and breathing here right now.
I want to get my education in PN so that I can do something I enjoy, and that uses my natural skills and abilities.
I have wanted to be a nurse since I was 13 or so, but I slacked off in high school and only took what I needed to graduate. I enrolled in a medical office assistant course right after high school and worked in medical offices until this past July.
To me, it was in the medical field, but requiered very little training. It served me well in my 20's. Decent pay, steady work etc. But I still knew I wanted to do nursing. So I got my butt in gear right after I turned 30 and my youngest was 3.
I'm just LOVING my program and so happy to finally be doing it!!
I can't wait until 2nd semester in January and we get to start the "good stuff"!! Inserting catheters, wound care etc, injections, etc.
I'm off to bed now, but it's been great chatting with you!!
PM me or write back here if you'd like to chat more another time about anything.
So you have some experience in the medical industry at least, and already know you like it.
We do sound like twins! I did the "get me out of here" graduation program too, since I didn't think I needed the Maths or Sciences. I've worked steadily in offices, but found that I really don't like administration - I'm more people oriented. Situations that give me the opportunity to positively impact people's lives, even in small ways, are really energizing to me.
My biggest challenge in this was the beginning - making up my mind, and getting over all my self-doubts, when it came to deciding "what I want to be when I grow up". Considering that 31 (nearly 32) is VERY grown up.
So taking it slowly is also helping to build my self-confidence.
I can't wait to begin learning the hands-on practice, too! The human body, and medicine, is endlessly fascinating to me.
If I weren't already in my 30s', I'd probably have gone for RN.
Though someone (in real life) told me that LPN's don't have the same stress, or administrative crud, that RN's can get bogged down with. And that the pay difference really doesn't matter when you consider those things. For myself, at this point in life, that is really an appealing thought.
It's been nice chatting with you too. Off to bed for me now, tomorrow we set up our Christmas Tree. :)
If you did Biology back in high school, go straight to Biology 30 (gr. 12). I did biology 12 back in the darkages and decided to refresh for my programme. Had no difficulties. Hey, when I did it the first time, DNA was a "new" science that might or might not amount to something.
Negotiations start in March and the LPNs are very unhappy. My scope has expanded to include IV starts and meds on a general hospital floor. We expect AUPE to bargain hard for US this time around. Task wise on my floor the only difference between RN and PN staff is we cannot hang TPN and start blood, we can't insert NG's (hospital policy) even though we have the training. We are basically operating at the same level as the old diploma nurses from a few years back for way less money. Currently we are about $6/hour behind a new grad when we reach the top of our payscale.
AUPE's bargaining committee needs to start bargaining for the professional nurses it represents and not tell us to accept a contract that is blatantly unfair to them. We are licensed professional nurses and not NAs.
I hope they negotiate well, not only because I'll be in that field in a few years, but because it doesn't seem fair to have such a wide scope, with such disparate pay. Will be watching with interest, PLEASE keep me updated as to what is happening this spring.
Personally, I could go get a job that would pay me mid-range of LPN rates, without going back to school at all. It's tempting... but I'm sticking with my plan to get my LPN.
Guest233447
118 Posts
Thanks for the encouragement!
I have a friend (well, we were classmates in grade school, but we keep in touch through Facebook) in the LPN course in Kelowna - I believe he's second year though. His name is Sam. Ring any bells?
I have to do Bio 20, 30 and Math 120 then I'm ready to enter the program. I only wish I'd started upgrading earlier - it's very do-able part time and I waited longer than I needed to.