Does anyone know anything about the LPN profession?

[honeywolf7]

Thanks, damom.

 

[Cindy B]

My SIL was an LPN for about 20 years.

She went through a FREE county run course of study that was going on in conjunction with a Vocational College here in NJ.

She got a decent job in late 70's at a hospital. However, after being on the job for many years, seeing how the LPN duties were getting limited and limited, she then went back to school for her RN. She still does NOT have her BSN... but some employers like to see a nursing candidate have an RN/BSN/ or some type of Nursing Informatics coursework.


I actually looked into the school (hey for FREE I can't complain). I took the NET (Nursing Entrance Test ) and did not make the program.

I am glad I didn't get into the program in some ways. LPN's here don't make much money, same with CNA's. My mom for fun took a CNA course, and found out how little they made (here in the 8-10 hour range), she decided to stay where she was.

I am a secretary. I actually make more than a LPN/CNA would make around here.. Don't discount it, especially if you can find a place to employ you and pay for school. I work for a college, which means free school for me, my DH and MY KIDS!


RN's make decent money. MY SIL makes about $55K a year, but that includes a lot of OT, evening/holiday shift diferential. I'm not sure what her "true" base is.

She does work weekends, nights, holidays, and for a long time never saw her son... she was a single mom.

 

[DocRafiki]

Originally posted by honeywolf7
There are several programs here for CNA training. I could even get the CNA training, finish my degree in Psych while working as a CNA, and then see whether I wanted to be an LPN or whether I wanted to do something else (a Masters degree in some other field.) I am almost sure that I'm going to go ahead and do the CNA training.

AGAIN, HOW is getting a psych degree going to help you get a place to live and get your kids back?

 

[honeywolf7]

The CNA job helps me with that. Thom is going to have some time with the kids and when he has his nights with the kids, I'll take my classes (a couple of classes per semester.) I want a Psychology degree...that's for me and as long as it doesn't affect the children, then I have a right to do something for myself as well.

 

[Krisu]

Yes, you do have a right to do something for yourself but most Mom's have to put off doing things for themselves and put the kids first. I would love to go back to school for myself but it will have to wait til DS is out of private school

 

[danacara]

So wait. Are you going for the CNA now or the LPN? And how is it that you are getting certified with coursework in psych? I have lost track as the story has changed in each iteration.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I am sorry HW but I really do not understand your train of thought. You want to have a job to support your kids, at the same time you want to be a LPN or RN so instead of doing this you will substitute being a CNA while taking pyschology classes. Becoming a CNA takes a special person, I know I couldn't do it. It is very hard work.
I am sure you are still trying to figure these things out but to fly off a comment that "you have a right to do something for yourself" while asking for help on these boards is well...strange to me and very confusing.

 

[honeywolf7]

DocRafiki asked me why I was still going to get a degree in Psych...My answer is because I really do want one. I can decide after I get my degree whether I want to be an LPN or whether I want to do something else. Meanwhile, while I am getting my Psych degree, I can be working as a CNA (I can get that training in 8 weeks starting in January.) That way I can see whether I like the med. field or not.

 

[becka]

If you are going to continue taking undergrad courses you really should think about dropping the psych and take more courses in the math/science area that will help you in your profession as a CNA/LPN/RN.

I am sure that it has been mentioned before but the time to do things for yourself is after you are on stable ground financially and are in a good position to support your kids. Then, if you still have time and the resources, you can do things for yourself like take evening courses in psychology. You gave up the chance to friviously do things for yourself after you had kids.

 

[honeywolf7]

Becka, I wouldn't be paying for the classes though. I would get financial aid that would cover the cost as well as some living expenses. Psych majors here are required to take two science classes (I've already taken Chemistry, Biology, and Environmental Science.) I've also already taken several math classes and have to take Statistics.

 

[caitycaity]

just some friendly advice -- i would drop the psych for now. as i'm sure you probably know, in order to get a job in psych you really have to have at least a master's. i just don't see that as very practical right now, timewise (and maybe money-wise too). financial aid for grad programs is a lot different than financial aid for undergrad.

good luck with whatever you decide.

 

[becka]

Financial aid in the form of loans? Going further into debt is going to make getting on your feet financially even tougher. You are paying for the classes just that the payment is put off for a period of time. If this is all on scholarship then that is great but I still think it might be a wiser use of your time now to research the core requirement courses for the nursing programs you are interested in and make sure you get as many of them out of the way before you start nursing school. Courses like organic chemistry, anatomy, microbiology, etc. would really come in handy. You will probably even find that a few psych courses are recommended by the nursing programs.

 

[honeywolf7]

Becka, you know what....I could probably at least take them as electives (in place of things like African American Studies and Criminal Justice classes) since I have a great deal of room available in my schedule for electives right now. Some of the aid that I'm getting is from scholarships (actually a great deal of it) and some of it is from loans. Caitycaity, I wasn't even planning to get my Masters in Psych....I was planning to get it in either Social Work or Criminal Justice (but the Psych is pretty good preparation for either of those.) I know that financial aid is different for Grad students but there are still scholarships available (at least at my college) for Grad students.

 

[caitycaity]

"I know that financial aid is different for Grad students but there are still scholarships available (at least at my college) for Grad students."

i know scholarships are still available, but (at least at the colleges i am applying to for next fall) they are extremely extremely competitive b/c there are a lot fewer than the ones available to undergrads.

 

[becka]

I think this will be my last post to this thread because you are confusing me with what you say you want to do and what you are planning on doing. They seem to be very divergent paths.

If you are serious about nursing/health care I would suggest taking those classes as electives if you have the room in your schedule. Apparently your college has things structured differently that the colleges I am used to. I wanted to finish school in a timely manner so I didn't have much room for electives. I took my basic undergrad liberal arts classes and then classes for my major/minor and that didn't leave a lot of room for elective classes.

However, since you plan on getting a masters in criminal justice or sociology then I guess it probably will not make much difference. It does not sound like you are really serious about a profession in health care so it would be a waste of your time and your loan money to take a course in anatomy or microbiology.

People have tried to give you advice and guidance but you don't seem serious about taking that advice. You have a course planned out for you (psych/master degrees) and it seems that you really don't care if that is the best course for your kids only that it is the best course for you.

Good luck in whatever you decide.....

 

[honeywolf7]

Becka, as I said I want to get the Psych degree because then after I have it I can decide what I want to do as far as a career. Meanwhile, I can try out the healthcare profession by being a CNA (as Blondie and I think one other person suggested.) If I like it, then I would definitely go for the LPN/RN degree. I took most of my required classes/Psychology classes as quickly as I could after I started college so now I'm finishing up the credits that I need to get a degree (that's why I have plenty of space for electives.) I agree that a healthcare career may be the best thing for my kids, but at the same time I think it's important to experience it and make sure that I don't absolutely hate it before I completely commit myself to it (but I can still take those classes that you mentioned as electives while I finish my degree and that way I'd be better prepared for LPN or RN training afterwards if that's what I ended up choosing.)

 

[danacara]

HW: You are 26. It will be at least another three semesters before you graduate with the psych degree if you go FULL TIME. If you drop down to nights, it will be more like 5 or 6 semesters. Then you have this foggy plan to do either a masters in psych (another 2 years if you are (1) admitted and (2) fast tracked) or a LPN (2 years). In other words, you wouldn't make a dime more than a CNA (and I don't think CNAs make much beyond a living wage) until you're 30, MAYBE. Bobby will be 7. So you will be 30 with no home, no savings, liabilities out the ying-yang with the student loans, very limited custody, and maybe a boyfriend with whom you have a total of six kids currently. This is clearly not a prime situation. I urge you to rethink this whole thing adding time as a factor, plus the educational constraints that Caity has already been through with you.

 

[honeywolf7]

I DO NOT plan to get my Masters in Psych. As I said, it would be either Criminal Justice or Social Work, if that's what I did. I will graduate when I am 27 or 28 and would be 29 when I finished an LPN program. I would have more than limited custody of the children, also (no judge in his/her right mind would give custody of children to someone with untreated Bipolar Disorder (Thom) if I went to court and fought for custody.) I would also have child support coming in (and if he ever wanted to see his children again, I would make him pay it.) He'd be lucky if I didn't go for alimony considering all the things that he did during the marriage (some of which I do have proof of.)

 

[emmy]

And what about the kids while mommy decides what she wants??? None of your decisions seem to be coming from a mothers perspective!
You need to stop worrying about yourself so much and start giving these kids what they need!

 

[honeywolf7]

Yes, they are....otherwise, I wouldn't be deciding to go to school only part-time nor would I be working a somewhat menial job. I'd just live the life of a carefree college student, which isn't what I'm doing (or planning to do) at all. I don't think it would be a wise decision for me to go into a career not knowing whether I'd like it or hate it and end up hating it.