Thinking of moving- LOTS of questions for student/LPN

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Specializes in Neuro ICU.

I am graduating LPN school here in Arizona this June- Im thinking of moving to the Cleaveland or Chattanooga area of TN. SO here are my questions..

1) Obviously things will change (for the better or worse, who knows) by then, but how are LPN jobs in skilled nursing looking out there? Is it relatively easy to get hired?

2) I have all my prereqs done according to AZ standards and was planning on starting block 3 in August, so if I were to pass the boards out there can anyone tell me if they think the prereqs would be transferable & if you have any idea what the RN pre/coreqs are?

3) What is the approximate starting pay range for a new grad LPN out there?

Im sure Ill think of more as I go along, but I appreciate any information I can get!! Thank you!

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Specializes in Neuro ICU.

Ok I have another question.. Do you think it would be wiser to get licensed here in AZ then go to TN & get my license there? Or to wait & go to TN right after I graduate and get licensed there...

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Graduated in Ind in Aug. moved to Knoxville area the following week, took my NCLEX here in TN. Got hired as a charge nurse in a LTC the week after I got my license.

Things to consider..

TN does an FBI background check, no matter what, and that takes about 6 weeks to come back, so even if you pass your boards in AZ you will still have that 6 wk wait on your background check, before they will transfer your license.

You have to contact the TN boards and they will send you an application, (you can't print one off the net) and a card to have your fingerprints made and you can do this at your local police station, send a $60. money order and they will send it to TN BON. You have to have your director fill out some info and send it to TN BON, along with origional transcripts, can't just be your grades. So if you can do this early it will save a little time. I started the process the wk I graduated (sent off fingerprints) sent my app the wk that I moved Aug 18th(had to have a TN ID and address) and it was able to take my boards the end of Sept. was hired the following wk.

Now the downside of TN is that they don't pay that well, I make $15 an hour 3-11 and from what I hear that is about the best I can expect in this area, Hosp offered $12ish + shift diff to equal almost $14, Angencies want 1yr exp. and they say you can make 16-18 but they don't pay mileage from what I hear. So it all equals out to about the same, I do however get a few hours a week overtime, so that helps alot. But still for the most part pretty disappointed with the pay in TN.

Hope this helps a little, and good luck to you

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Specializes in Neuro ICU.

Thank you for that! Wow thats so crazy about the pay! My sister just got her LPN and is getting a job at $23/hr, I dont know if I can do $14 even if the cost of living IS less... Just seems like too much hard work for that pay...

Anyways, thank you again I really appreciate it!

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