do any of you work in anything other than ltc as an LPN?

gettingupthere · Jun 25, 2007

I love Long Term Care and in no way consider myself "stuck there". I choose to be there. Our geriatric pts. have the same needs as younger ones, and deserve to have good nurses who care for them and do not feel "stuck".
I agree! I have always loved LTC. I did work in a Dr office one evening a week for about 9 years, the pay was so bad, I had to rush from my other job ( and give up OT) to get to his office to work for 4 hrs at $12/hr. I did enjoy the different interaction with the patients though.

Happy2CU · Jun 25, 2007

I have two jobs. I work full time as a dialysis nurse, then work per diem in LTC. The LTC per diem job pays waaaaaaaaay better than my dialysis job.

BigB · Jun 27, 2007

I have two jobs. I work full time as a dialysis nurse, then work per diem in LTC. The LTC per diem job pays waaaaaaaaay better than my dialysis job.

Dialysis pays very low in this area at $15 dollars an hour. I couldn't live on that kind of money but the fact that they only have 3 patients each must be nice. LTC seem to pay the most but you have to ask yourself why. Having worked in LTC, only to run full speed away as fast as I could after 3 months, I can tell you why LTC tends to pay more. First, they tend to be understaffed. They will hire anyone with a license becuse the turn-over rate is so high. The LTC LVN's are overworked. How does taking care of 40 - 50 residents sound to you? This is what CA LVN are up against in LTC. I have been there, done that...never again! I have seen 5 LVN's quit before they even finished their oreintation. Talk to some LVN's with 10 years of working LTC. You will find that many have worked at 8 or more facilities. Why is this? According to them, they work at a place until they get burnt out, then they find a new job. This is no way to live a life but it is true.

There are nursing homes in this area that constantly have help wanted ads in the paper for LVN's and CNA's. The reason why is stated above.

Happy2CU · Jun 27, 2007

You're right BigB. Dialysis pays low here too. I earn $9.00 more hourly at the per diem LTC job than I do the dialysis job. The LTC facility I work at is soooooo hectic, 30 patients, heavy treatment and med passes, I rarely if ever even take a break there. If I were to work 11-7 my patient load there would be 60 patients. I refuse to work that shift, not safe at all. The dialysis job is more relaxing, I love my patients, sure wish the salary was better though. I'm seriously thinking of going for my RN to have more employment options. I'm in a bit more rural part of Florida, LPN opportunity is somewhat limited here.

BigB · Jun 28, 2007

Dialysis nurses are under-paid thats for sure. The LTC unit I was on had the am nurse and pm nurse with 47 -48 pateints and the night shift nurse with about a 80 or so. It was crazy. I felt I would lose my license anyday. Getting the RN will of course open many many doors. More pay for less work....can't beat that. If I didn't currently make a comparable, and in some cases higher wage then RN's ***ducks*** I would be in RN school now to upgrade. Although, I will probably get my RN some day.

SurgicalLPN · Jul 5, 2007

I live in Georgia and I am a new nurse work on a surgical floor. Our hospital is very Lpn friendly our Lpn's work Medical, Surgical, Postpartum, Nursery, OR as Scrub nurses. We sometimes get pulled to ICU, and ER when they need extra nurses In ICU we usually take care of patients that will soon be sent back to the floor, and are not on vents. I know some hospitals are trying to get away from hiring Lpn's, Like my nursing instructor used to say "The pendulum swings one way but it will always swing back" so there will probably be more openings for LPN"S in Hospitals one day. with that said if you do not think LTC is something you want to do you might not need to apply for that particular kind of nursing since you might get burnt out and dread going to work each day. GOOD LUCK! :lol2: