What was your first LPN job? Was it difficult to find after grad?

lpnin03 · Sep 27, 2004

I was offered a job on the med/surg floor at the hospital in my area about a month before I graduated. I took 1 month off after graduation before I started to work there. I started out at $12.70/hr and after about 9 or 10 months went up to $13.17/hr. Last Friday I was offered a job at a county jail starting out at $20.10/hr! I plan on giving my notice first thing Monday morning and should start this new job in about two weeks!!

Pretty much everyone that was in my graduating class had jobs lined up before we graduated. There were a few that were still looking after graduation but for the most part no one had any problems finding a job.

Jenn

NurseFeelGood · Sep 27, 2004

I've read other people's posts on here saying that some facilities in their area will let new grad LPN's work before they get thier liscence. Does anybody that lives in the Birmingham area know any facilities that does this? I don't graduate until next August and I would like to have a job lined up for me after graduation. Any input would be of help.

I live in Gadsden, AL which is very close and I worked with temps before I passed boards at a LTC facility here. I had several friends who did the same at various LTC facilities in the area. I'd say you should have no trouble at all. Of course pay will be less that it will be once you pass your boards. Good luck and God bless.

mhull · Sep 27, 2004

My first LPN job and current one is the same. I work in the ER at a local hospital. It was not hard to get a job there, actually they asked me if I wanted to stay. I worked there for 2 years as a unit clerk while in school.

jannecdote · Sep 27, 2004

When I started out of LPN school, I got a job working med/surg. The pay really sucked, but I was able to float to other areas as needed and learned a lot. I started out making $7.09 base pay, but because I got so much experience working all over the hospital, I was able to work in Rehab, post-partum, ER, ICU, stepdown, etc., as an agency nurse later on making excellent money--up to $25/hr.

Because I'm older now, I finally understand where the nurses I used to work with when I started out as an LPN were coming from--they didn't like floating to other areas or working agency. I work Rehab at an extended care facility now and I like it, don't want to go to any new places and deal with all that agency mess that comes with it, and it's nice to have a job where you know what to expect and enjoy the people you work with.

For new LPN's, I think it's wise to take advantage of any offered courses through your place of employment, such as basic dysrhythmias, ACLS, IV therapy, etc. The more you learn, the more you earn.:)

RN_2007 · Sep 27, 2004

I live in Gadsden, AL which is very close and I worked with temps before I passed boards at a LTC facility here. I had several friends who did the same at various LTC facilities in the area. I'd say you should have no trouble at all. Of course pay will be less that it will be once you pass your boards. Good luck and God bless.

Thank you very much. I'll keep that in mind.

HAPPYNPROUD · Sep 27, 2004

My first LPN job was on a psych floor that I worked on while attending LPN school. I was paid only $11/hr. I ran into a psychiatrist that I had worked for previously as a transcriptionist and he hired me to work as his behavioral health research nurse. Although it was a lateral move as far as pay was concerned, I was able to get the experience (and the added note on my resume) as a Clinical Research Coordinator (after passing the certification exam). That allowed me to ask for more money when I did decide to leave. Another perk was that I got to travel a lot with that position at the expense of all the pharmaceutical companies who were starting all of the new psychotropic medications. It was a great job to have.

Good Luck with your career!!!

JVanRN · Sep 27, 2004

i worked in a prison.. then a telemery unit....it was either that or ltc...or med surg

NurseRatchett · Sep 27, 2004

I live in Cali, where most hospitals want you to have 1 yr. of experience before they'll even look at you. The only facilites willing to hire new grads are LTC, and I had had enough of that while being a CNA and going to school. Too emotionally draining for such little pay. :nono:

First job as an LVN was a home health case. My hours were 6 am to 2 pm and he was easy as pie. I was usuaully done with him at 10 am, which left me lots of time to read and lolly gag around. Hadn't received my license in the mail yet, but I made $16.00 an hour. Thought I was hot #$%@ if you know what I mean... :)

The only draw back was his family, namely his daughter who used to "borrow" some of his sleeping pills. Oh, and they used to drug him up at night when they had no nursing coverage. There were many mornings where I arrived and he slept through the whole shift. :stone It's not fun having a semi comatose patient when you're a brand new grad!

tiona · Sep 30, 2004

Hi,

I graduated last December. My first job was in LTC, I learned a lot there and even filled in for the supervisor on several occasions. I was there 4 months when I decided to apply for a job as correctional nurse at my local county jail. Whoa! Correctional nursing is a cross between the ER and a psych facility. Never a dull moment and a TON of responsibility. I work 12 hour days, $21 per hour for the first 8 hours and time-and-a-half for the final 4. Good pay, good benefits and fantastic experience, especially in terms of assessment skills. The full moon made for an especially crazy day yesterday!

Good luck to all. T

mattsmom81 · Sep 30, 2004

My first job as a LPN was working for an agency doing a long term private duty case in the home fulltime. I had my apps in at both the local hospitals at the time, and when a LPN position came available I accepted that (altho I hated to leave my patient... I surprised myself by getting attached...and visited her socially following my employment)

Sometimes we have to get creative until that ideal job comes along. It reinforced my preference for acute care to do some homecare; it also helped me to appreciate what home care nurses must deal with. In my case it was rich, entitled folks who wanted the home care nurse to function as maid, servant, housekeeper, beautician, etc and I had to learn where to draw a professional line.

So...all experience is good from a learning perspective. :)

Midwest4me · Oct 7, 2004

"The starting pay for new LPN's around here ranges from $10.40 - $12.80/hr. What do LPN's in your state start at? I might be tempted to move!!"

Hey LPNAlmost: You might want to move to Oregon!:) Pay here is $16-19/hr, though I think last I checked one of the doctors offices might be as low as $10/hr (but then I've been an LPN for 19 yrs and have a BS in Psychology too).

I started out in a LTC on the coast in Oregon at $7/hr 19 yrs ago as a GPN; when I got the LPN they gave me a 25 cent/hr raise(big deal)--I've gone up and down the pay scale--done most of my work in LTC except for 5 years in hemodialysis where my pay ranged from $18-19.10/hr. Most of the hospitals out here don't hire LPNs as far as I know--seems they'd rather go with RNs and CNAs.

ije24 · Oct 8, 2004

I started out at a SNF/longterm facility at $22/hr with $1 shift diff for eve and $2 for nights. Not bad at all considering I got that job 3 weeks after I passed boards and 2 months after graduation. I'm happy with it so far.Will be going back for my RN next fall.