Want your opinion on 2 possible jobs.

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Specializes in Assisted Living, Med-Surg/CVA specialty.

i'm a new lpn (passed nclex-pn in january) and hope to finish my rn in december & take the nclex-rn next january '08. i don't have any experience in health care other than what i've gotten from school.

i have been looking for a job recently to start full time in the summer and then once school starts again, i'll need to go to part time (2-3 days a week max). the only places really hiring are ltc & assisted living. all of the hospitals in the area either need someone with experience or to be relief/per diem.

i have 2 job interviews tomorrow:

i had my job interviews on 4/25 and a couple things have changed. i posted the changes in a reply.

1) assisted living place about 45 minutes from my house. $17/hour, 2:30pm-11pm shift. i'd be full time in the summer & she mentioned she knew i'd probably want to be part time in school which i'm sure she'd like to have someone full time.

i was told it will be "supervising" the staff (i'm assuming cnas-- comment was made by don that they don't always do their work at night & take extra long breaks), "occasionally" passing meds (cnas in maryland can give meds i've heard?), assessments & sounds like lots and lots of paperwork/charting. also sounds like i'd be the only nurse there at night and to me that's scary considering i have no experience.

2) nursing home/rehab ("skilled nursing") about 30 minutes away. i don't know the pay, i'm assuming 17+ minimum. 7am-3pm shift (preferred for me) fri, sat, sun. i told the lady on the phone i'd like to be full time in the summer and she said i could work the f/s/s and be "per diem" during the week & mentioned i could pick up hours if someone went on vacation, etc. i could keep at least the sat & sun during school.

i was wondering what your opinions would be. i'm kind of afraid to start working.... i am afraid i'll just be thrown in and being a new nurse there's a lot of stuff i haven't gotten to practice (foleys are a big one!) and i know in nursing home you're often given 25ish pts. i know the nursing home will give me more experience but it's daunting to me!

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I'm not a nurse-but I'd go for the 2nd one. It's closer to home and when you start back to school you won't have to work and go to school in the same day--just one or the other.

Good Luck!! And congrats on passing the NCLEX!

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Specializes in Assisted Living, Med-Surg/CVA specialty.

By the way... do people actually read resumes? I sent resumes to these two places a day before I got phone calls from them. And BOTH asked me if I had my LPN license already.

It says I passed the NCLEX-PN in January in one spot and another spot, I provide my license #, exp., etc!

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Specializes in SICU.

Go for job #2. The first place sounds like it's got some problems.

Good luck!

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Specializes in Rehab.

Ditto.

I'm going with door number 2 please.

Here's my opinion. When I was brand new out of school, 1)I had a hard time supervsing myself, let alone a bunch of CNAs. 2) I didn't know a lot of the meds and their effects especially on the geriatric population. So, let's say that you have Ms. Jones on X number of antihypertensives, 20 cathartics, throw some zocor, dilantin, cardizem, etc in there and suddenly becomes symptomatic to whatever, you may not know how to respond the best because maybe you don't know all of her meds real well because you don't pass meds that much. I think it would be really difficult to supervise CNAs, keep your cool while you probably feel just as helpless as the aide.

Get your feet wet first. Then move into those other rolls. BTW, the 2nd job probably pays better anyway. I have found that to be true in my area anyway.

Best wishes deciding what you want to do.

~Crystal

p.s. there will ALWAYS be shifts to pick up. ESPECIALLY in the summer.

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Specializes in Hospital Education Coordinator.

Door #2. If you get in over your head with #1 you would have additional stress on top of school and you do not need that.

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Job #2. If the manager tells you about problems that sound deep rooted like that during an interview, it is a warning. The problems sound like too much for a new LPN.

Job #1 is closer anyway.

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Specializes in Assisted Living, Med-Surg/CVA specialty.
Job #2. If the manager tells you about problems that sound deep rooted like that during an interview, it is a warning. The problems sound like too much for a new LPN.
I thought it was weird when I was on the phone with her she mentioned the time and asked if I was still interested. Then told me the pay rate, asked if I was still interested... and then even mentioned those problems.

I thought it was weird that she continually asked me if I was interested in the position. Heck, when she told me it was $17/hour... to someone who's been making $8.50 or less the past 5-6 years, that sounds like a heck of a lot. lol

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Specializes in Assisted Living, Med-Surg/CVA specialty.

thanks, everyone.

I had my interviews today and a couple things have changed.

Job #1 -- Assisted Living -- Full time 2:30-11pm. Only need to work every other weekend (I'm used to working every weekend for the past 5 years unless I requested off, so thats kind of a treat for me!). $17.00/hour. The "problems" I was alerted about... I was told there were a few "problem" employees who liked to talk back and they have been relieved of their positions, so they're hoping everything will be OK now.

Job #2 -- Nursing Home. I was told it was $18.00/hour + $2-$3 differential if working on weekends and/or at 3-11 shift. However, the shift have changed from 7am-3pm Fri, Sat, Sun to 3pm-11pm Fri and 7am-3pm Sunday. I can still be per diem during the week, but I've been guaranteed less hours than I expected as of yesterday and would really like/need to be full time during the summer.

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Specializes in Assisted Living, Med-Surg/CVA specialty.

And Job #1 has 2 resident kitties. :loveya:

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