Why are we in LPN school?

Ask yourself if you're in it to help out others or if you're really just doing it because of money? Nothing is "hard" if you're passionate towards a goal.

I asked myself that just now and I'm in it for the money and to help people.

I'm a LPN and I made 65,000 last year.

I'm a CNA now and though I love what I do I noticed myself beginning to hate going to work because I felt like I'm good enough to be a nurse so I should be. lpn will be a stepping stone for me however I'm 21 with no children the money will be pretty decent for me until I get where I want to be in nursing

The reason I say 35K is because Im from Alabama and our yearly salary reviews just came out and LPNs averaged 35K seems many are shocked at this 35K number í ½í¸‚

I'm working as hard as I am in school because I want to be a nurse. I want to help heal people and positively impact their lives, and I find nursing very interesting as well. I know I'm in the minority by a long shot, but I don't find nursing school to be all that hard. It's a lot of work, yes, but not that much harder than anything else.

Minimum wage in Alabama is $7.25 per google. Working 40 hours a week would not even net you 20,000 a year at that rate. Does that put the $35,000 in perspective? Plus with shift differentials and overtime, I bet it is possible to make more than that $35,000.

Honestly, I did it for a handful of reasons. Sure, 35K isn't a lot, but it's enough to take care of yourself. Not necessarily comfortably, but you can definitely survive off of it. I'm mostly doing it because for me, it's a stepping stone. Where I live, the ASN programs are so compacted that you've got anywhere from a 2-5 year waitlist, after you get everything done. Whereas if you get your LVN, which these schools are not as compacted, you can get direct entry as long as there's space available once you've completed the pre-reqs. This is mostly since you surpass a couple of beginning classes, after you prove yourself. On top of that, I want to start experiencing nursing. I'm in it for the money, sure, it's more than minimum wage. But more than that. I want to help people, and be able to get the experience to further my goals.

Just curious as to why we are torturing ourselves to make 35K a year? Why are you going through with this? Having trouble wondering why I am doing this it's so hard and for so little money.

$35,000 a year?

Yeah, if you live in the country and work in a hospital or doc office. Those places drag average wages down. Anyway, there's a top and a bottom on the wage scale. Pay for nurses vary based on location, specialty, years of exp, etc....

If you're a nurse and can't do better than $35,000/year, that's on you. Sorry.

Nurses, in general, need to broaden their horizons. You can't expect anything but low wages if you're only concept of nursing revolves around critical care...as an LVN. You're not going to earn much as a LVN in hospital based crit care.

You can't rot in the hospital, LTC or HH as a floor nurse and wonder why your career is stagnant.

Some people act as though they have to remain floor nurses or else. In truth, there's always opportunity to move up in LTC. Do you actually think that LVN MDS and LVN ADONs or Unit manager or UM/case managers earn $35000/year?

Some people won't do well. Sometimes, they don't have it in them to 'go for the goal'. Sometimes, they want to and can't because they've pigeon-holed themselves with a bunch of a kids and/or a mostly dependent husband. It is, what it is.

No, everyone isn't going to earn $60,000 year. Most won't. It's nothing to do with you.

My coworker couldn't believe how much I managed to take home and save every month. Actually, requested a breakdown. Yet, he has three children and a wife that hardly helps. Of course, his money is gobbled away as soon as it hits his account.

Of course, I fare better than those like him. I have no dependents, own my car, had no rent to pay at the time and I'm single.

Every year, I make it my mission to be better than I was the previous one. This means that, every year, I need to either learn a new skill or earn more money. Experience breeds experience. Each notch on the achievement bedpost is just a step closer to better opportunities in nursing world.

There is a shortage (just not for new nurses). Nurses should start acting like it. I'd never work for

Per an agency aide, there's a hospital around here (I forget the name) that gets away with paying CNAs 8.75/hr.

That's a real shame. The only way that CNAs can make decent money is by going 'agency', actually. One of the agency aides at the rehab facility in which I work earns $17hr. They pay LPNs over $26, he said. The agency is based out of Jacksonville. Starts with an 'a'. Can't recall the name, however.

I wrote it on my hand in passing and forgot to put it on paper before I washed my hands. LOL

... and I became an LVN because I wanted to be a nurse. I took a pay cut to do this. Now, I work for money and work is just a place that holds more check hostage. I'm going back to RN school because I want to be a nurse with more money. I want to be better compensated for the liability - responsibility - that I take on.

You'll all get it once you hit LTC/some psych facilities/Rehab, etc...and your RN coworkers earn $4 to $15 more for doing the same thing that you're doing. LOL

You question 'why LVN school'? You want an incentive to go to RN school? There's a big one. LOL