Who pays your salary?

[adam56]

I am thinking of taking LPN classes in a year or two... I've been a graphic designer / web coder for about 7 years but there's really no steady work in this area much anymore.

If for example you work as an LPN at a nursing home - who pays you? The home? The state?

Also - what is the standard pay for LPN? I've read in my state (Connecticut) it is $50,000 / year and that this state pays the highest salary in the country for nursing.

I've also read though that it's only $27,000 / year? If it's that low then I sure as hell won't be going into Nursing.

[diane227, LPN, RN]

You will be paid by what ever organization that you work for. If the facility is owned privately, then you are paid by that company. If it is a state run facility, you will be paid by the state. Now, remember in health care that funding comes from all types of sources. When I worked at the county hospital, we received funding from county tax dollars, Medicare, Medicaid, private insurance and self pay patients. But my pay check came from the county. I now work for the state but my position is funded by both state and federal money. My check comes from the state but the money to fund my position for the most part comes from the federal government.

As a new nurse, right out of school, you can expect to make less than others and this is especially true if you are going to LPN school. LPN's don't make as much as RN's and it is becoming more and more difficult to find a job as an LPN unless you want to do long term care. You might make 50K/ year as an LPN but you will be working a lot of overtime to do it.

[blueheaven]

My Uncle Sam pays me

[sunnycalifRN]

I feel that perhaps we should stop shaming people who do this job for the money. Nothing is wrong with seeking stability and security through a job in the nursing field. Virtually nobody shows up to the workplace for free.

Nursing is the only profession that pays close attention the motivations of its members. Are you doing doing this for the money? Are you a nurse because you truly like people? Are you a nurse because you're a caring person?

Let's look at a few of the other educated professions in society. No one is examining the ulterior motives of the physician, lawyer, stock broker, professor, engineer, computer scientist, historian, consultant, physical therapist, banker, urban planner, businessman, accountant, or pharmacist. Other members of their professions aren't hassling them about having selected their respective career fields for the love of the job or other altruistic reasons. Their colleagues are not interfering and asking, "Is this a higher calling from God?"

Another nurse's personal reasons for entering this profession are absolutely none of my business. We, as nurses and student nurses, should take a lesson from other professions and stop belittling each other over wanting the most competitive pay for this job. I do not work for free, and I want to be paid competitively for the services that I render.

Excellent post! I couldn't agree more.

[TylerDurdenRN]

I agree with The Commuter.

This is my Career, it pays the bills, I do it for the paycheck, I wouldn't do it for free, if I won the lottery I'd quit. That doesn't mean I don't care about the patients, it doesn't make me evil, and it doesn't mean I am not passionate about my job. I am a caring individual throughout my every daily life no matter the situation, as are the majority of people I know. outside of nursing. But I've bills to pay, school was not free, also the car, rent, ect....

All these, "you shouldn't do it for the money" people need to kinda get a clue. If its not for the money, then do it on your off days for free while you work another job for the money. If its a passion or some calling, that shouldn't seem like a ludicrous remark I just made.

I work in a university hospital, the paycheck is signed by the president of the university. So the University pays my salary.