Nursing school, kinda rethinking...

So I'm about 5 months into nursing school, (to be an LPN) I have about 19 months left, and I'm doing decent, my grades are pretty good, between high B's and high C's, and I've just started clinical, but after going to clinical a few times, coming home with aching feet and back and realizing LPN's in PA only make around 30k-35k a year, I'm thinking is it really worth it.. I'm not saying in anyway at all that I wanna quit school, but is there any LPN's on here that have even felt this way and how do you like your job now? and did you/do you plan to become an RN?

thats why i think anyone who wants to be a nurse should be a CNA first. its not all its cracked up to be. you can just keep going to school to be an RN but nursing is a difficult dirty job.

<blockquote><b>Quoting 3 Pumpkins:</b>" thats why i think anyone who wants to be a nurse should be a CNA first. its not all its cracked up to be. you can just keep going to school to be an RN but nursing is a difficult dirty job."</blockquote>



I agree.

Quoting 3 Pumpkins:" thats why i think anyone who wants to be a nurse should be a CNA first. its not all its cracked up to be. you can just keep going to school to be an RN but nursing is a difficult dirty job."

I am a CNA, but I feel that nurses do WAY more and the pay should be higher...that's the only thing I think is really bothering me.

<blockquote><b>Quoting ♥supermommy:</b>" I am a CNA, but I feel that nurses do WAY more and the pay should be higher...that's the only thing I think is really bothering me."</blockquote>


If you don't think you are going to be happy doing it then I would look into something else. Being a nurse is a job you need to enjoy IMO. It is a lot of work for not a lot of money. Most people don't become nurses to get rich they do it because they enjoy what they do.

I'm a CNA and I feel the same way. It sucks to work so hard for such crap pay, but I still plan on becoming an RN, and then hopefully a NP.

Quoting ♥supermommy:" I am a CNA, but I feel that nurses do WAY more and the pay should be higher...that's the only thing I think is really bothering me."

then you should go straight for RN thats where the money is at. and if you are surprised about your feet hurting and its only clinicals then you obviously havent been a CNA long at all. CNAs work a lot harder than nurses but nurses have their share of difficulty too. when i worked at the hospital nurses rarely got their breaks and would work well over 12 hours to get their charting done. dont give up keep at it but if you already arent liking it you should have stayed working as a CNA longer to make up your mind

Quoting 3 Pumpkins:" then you should go straight for RN thats where the money is at. and if you are surprised about your ... [snip!] ... dont give up keep at it but if you already arent liking it you should have stayed working as a CNA longer to make up your mind"

I like it and I like helping people, I'm just ASKING if there is other nurses who feel the same way

I studied to be a CNA while I was in high school to just see what I thought of nursing and I plan on taking classes for the LPN so I can bridge to RN. I agree it's no fun but I like nursing so I personally want to do the LPN so I can bridge to the RN in a year. I can get my RN in 3 years instead of 4 if I do it like that.

I graduate LPN school in 4 weeks and it sucks right now. mostly I think my school sucks. But I do plan on bridging to RN so I can specialize in the field I want. making $20/hr (here) is better than the $8/hr I was making before

Quoting ♥ Crabigail's Mom:" I graduate LPN school in 4 weeks and it sucks right now. mostly I think my school sucks. But I do plan ... [snip!] ... on bridging to RN so I can specialize in the field I want. making $20/hr (here) is better than the $8/hr I was making before"

def! but still seems like it should be more.. Ahh, oh well I guess. It's what I want to do and if I'm not content with my salary as an LPN I will go on to be an RN sooner rather than later.

And I know nurses feet hurt, but they are getting paid.. I'm paying to go to clinical.. and I think it's just right now, we just started clinical and we aren't getting to do much on level but help the CNA's out and when an opportunity for a skill arises we get to do it, so we are basically glorified CNA's right now for free, after working all day, it's frustrating.

Quoting ♥supermommy:" And I know nurses feet hurt, but they are getting paid.. I'm paying to go to clinical.. and I think it's ... [snip!] ... skill arises we get to do it, so we are basically glorified CNA's right now for free, after working all day, it's frustrating."

hell yes... LPN school turns you into a glorified CNA. my classmates and I have a joke that we won't be able to save you but we can give you an awesome bath, lol. seeing as how we graduate in 4 weeks, I'm hoping we get to do some skills really soon because it's really pissing us off. =(

double post

It is a lot of work and needs to be something that you enjoy. I personally, LOVE my job. I don't work in a hospital or nursing home setting (it wasn't for me) I actually work for a homecare company. I put in a good 50 hours per week but get little breaks between driving from home to home. I've formed a lot of great relationships with clients so half of the time it feels like I'm just visiting friends all day and helping them out with things. I do have bad days full of cranky, impossible to please people but 90 percent of my nights are good ones. I work 1-11pm.