What is a good LVN job to have while going to RN school?

[azngirllh]

I am an LVN wanting to get my RN. I am young, not married/don't have kids, and live with my parents and they pay the rent/bills, so money is not a huge issue but at the same time I want a lot of money (also, I need to pay off my LVN school loans.) I currently work 5 8s at a LTC/SNF, but my facility is not so great so I have been looking for a new job while wanting to go RN school.

I want to work 3 12s at an acute hospital, but the hospitals near me have very few positions and are difficult to get into for LVNs. Working 3 12s would give me time to go to school, and I also want to work for a higher acuity hospital. (I also want to work more hours in a day so that I work less days and have more days off. Working 8 hours already makes me feel like I've spent the whole day at work, working 4 more wouldn't hurt. I feel like I have no life with 5 8s.)

I hear home health is always hiring and has very flexible schedules, so it will work well with my school, too. But I feel that I will not learn a lot and my skills will decline, and that income is not so stable.

Is there a middle ground between these two? Higher acuity, being able to learn more on the job, decent pay, flexibility, and hours I want.

I also have my CNA (I've worked CNA part time at the same current facility while going to school for my LVN), but I am assuming that it is not a good idea to get a CNA job at a higher acuity hospital to get my foot in the door when I already have my LVN.

Any help and tips would be greatly appreciated!

[Nurse Beth, MSN]

If your area is a competitive one for hiring new grads, one of the best things you can do is get a job in the hospital of your choice now.

When it comes time to landing an RN job, preference will be given to inside hires. This whether you work as an LVN or CNA.