LPN to
Hello, I am not really sure about what I need to say so here I go. For the past three years, I have been working to become a nurse. I just finished a LPN program in Aug. of last year, and I have been working at a hospital. I really thought this is what I wanted to do with my life, but I really HATE my job. I hate everything about it to tell the truth. Now I am really thinking about going back to school for business, I have always been good with numbers and I am a people person. I would really like to get into sales or maybe even banking. So my question is, how do I start to make this big change? I have applied for jobs with places like Alltel and AT&T but nothing has happen yet. Any suggestions???????
Hi, I saw your post and I was wondering if you wouldn't mind telling me about nursing school. Is it fairly competetitive? And what realistic salaries are in the real world. I am really confused and I am looking to change careers as well. Hello, I understand your frustration in the medical field. However, you must not throw away that LPN so easily after so much work you've spent working for it. Sometimes, as a nurse, you get the 'unappreciative feeling' or 'overwhelmed at so much to do, with so little resources,' however, when you do look back and see how many lives you've touched, I think the feeling good about yourself will come. Ask yourself, what was that first drew you into that field to become an LPN? If your answer is because of the initial lucrative offer of being a nurse made you decide on that career path, then I am sorry to inform you that many of the nurses and healthcare personnel that I've encounter quit because of this goal. Now I'm not saying that making money shouldn't be a goal, but it should not be the one to dictate on your career. Now, ask yourself, what do you like to do? What are your strong points? Again, why did you initially go for the nursing degree? There are other points I could guide you in, but these are the questions which you must honestly answer before anything could progress any further. Good luck to you!
I am sorry you are so unhappy! Before giving up your LPN, try transfering the skills you have acquired to another area of healthcare. You said you liked business, maybe you could apply in the finance department of a hospital working on nursing budgets. What about working in a clinic or looking into an administrative job in a long term care facility? Or, just try a new environment, maybe where you are currently working isn't a good "fit". Lastly, try signing on the nursing message boards as there are others out there that are going through the same thing as you and may be able to help! http://monster.prospero.com/n/pfx/forum.aspx?nav=messages&webtag=mstnursing Good luck! KTW Health Careers Mentor
I've been an LPN for 18 years. Yes,it does get frustrating at times.Perhaps you need to change to nursing home or hospice.Consider the various other options to work.Many hospitals consider LPNs more or less 'nurses's aides' with added responsibities.I worked in a hospital for a year & didn't like it because of that reason.Some RNs even consider LPNs not 'real' nurses.MOST tho don't.Change the work setting before making a final decision.Good luck!
How about a Pharmaceutical Sales career?
I work in long term care and also love numbers, business and people so I parlayed my experience into a career that combines both. I am a nursing home administrator which combines the business aspect with the taking care of people philosophy. Might be worth a look into.
Hi there, I'm actually planning a career as a physician so I've done a lot of work in the healthcare field and in case you haven't already been exposed to it, nursing is actually one of the most versatile degrees out there. You say that you're currently working in a hospital and that you're unhappy. Maybe hospitals aren't for you. They're not for everyone, which is why plenty of physicians go into private practice. That's a good place to start; you could see if there are private practices in need of nursing staff. There might be fewer openings because it's a smaller setting but it might be a better environment for you and worth the effort in searching. I have a friend who isn't too thrilled about working as a hospital RN but plans to continue her education further to get a LPN degree and start a private practice for herself! Nurse practitioners can set up successful private practices, which patients sometimes prefer because they offer a more patient-focused approach to medicine than busy doctors who see patients for at most 15 minutes per visit. You could even partner up with a physician or other nurse practitioners and open up a group practice. Or you could go in an entirely different direction. So many clinical trial investigators are looking for individuals with nursing degrees! Your responsibilities can vary from monitoring patients participating in clinical trials to just working on the administrative end of setting up clinical trials, ensuring patient safety, etc. Just search for any big clinical trial company like Pfizer or GE or basically any company that produces some kind of pharmaceutical or medical device. Nurses can provide in-depth medical knowledge in a practical and patient-focused perspective that these companies really want and need. If you've ever seen pharmaceutical reps come out to your hospital, see if you can quietly pull one aside and ask if they have need for any RNs. In today's day and age, there are all kinds of jobs out there. I recently learned of research consulting firms. Working for a research consulting firm, you would basically just conduct internet research on the most cutting-edge technology/techniques and put investors in touch with the leaders of the medical field. You basically act as a consulting liaison and nothing else. There are no patients to deal with. As a nurse, you may have additional knowledge on how best to approach physicians and get them to open up to you and work with your research consulting firm and open up to the possibility of speaking with investors. As a nurse, you probably have great knowledge on what hospitals are using and aren't using, which will give you an edge as a consultant. There are really amazing job opportunities out there and you may not even need an additional degree to get there. I mean, if you really want another degree, by all means go for it. But if finances, resources, and time are issues for you, consider exploring alternative post-nursing degree paths. What you find may surprise you. Good luck! This is great advice! Let's continue the dialogue on the health careers and/or nursing message boards! Go to industry insights/health care careers, or industry insights/nursing careers.
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