Find Out Why A Good LPN Salary Does Not Necessarily Equate With Job Fulfillment
Are you working as a licensed practical nurse LPN? Are you satisfied with your LPN salary? Of course, the primary consideration would be how long you've been at the job to be able to say the pay is satisfactory. Where you work and the state where you practice also have a bearing on your salary. The longer your experience as LPN the better you can answer if salary equals fulfillment.
Here's the thing: as LPN you can practically do most of what a registered nurse can handle. Besides RNs directly supervise you or if not them, a physician does. The LPNs and the certified nursing assistants, which are all under the RNs, end up taking the brunt of the work but not getting the pay. The disparity is largely due to formal education and the law that seems, according to LPNs, to favor the RNs rather than nursing assistants or aides.
Comparing LPN salaries between states
The national median LPN salary is $34,000, and the range is between $32,000 and $40,000. In 2009, the average entry level salary for practical nurses is $18 an hour, which is $5 less than what RNs make when they start their careers. But the story is a little different when you check out salaries for the profession around the country.
Massachusetts and Connecticut offer the highest average LPN salaries per hour at $22.80 and $22.58, respectively. On the lowest end is the state of West Virginia with an hourly rate of $12.93. There are nine states that pay on the $15 level, ranging from $15.05 (Maine) to $15.89 (Indiana). Nine states also give their LPNs an average rate in the $16 level. These include Arizona, Illinois, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas and Wisconsin. LPNs in PA, closedly followed by IL, earn the most with $16.91 and $16.90, respectively.
The $19 level states are few: Delaware, Florida, Maryland and New Jersey. NJ has the highest rate at $19.98. Only the District of Columbia and Rhode Island also offered on the $20 level, with an LPN salary of $21.85 and $20.21, respectively. Most of the southern states are in the level of $13 and $14; Mississippi is at the lowest end with $13.01 and Georgia, at $14.91 offers the highest rate. The numbers don't say it all
Over time and with enough experience, your LPN salary will increase. But continuing education through accredited LPN schools is necessary and a willingness to add to your skills is a must. What many experienced LPNs will tell you is that you can only grow and earn so much with an LPN training, even when you put in all the years of hard work. Besides, many nursing assistants still feel they are underpaid, compared to nurses, for the work they do, many of which fall under the dirty jobs.
So, the challenge is to keep proving you can do so much more than what your LPN training provided. That may mean learning new skills and getting certified for them (i.e. phlebotomy, IV and ACLS) or taking specialized LPN classes (geriatrics, medications, wound care, Alzheimers), as well as getting hands-on training or experience for them.
The more well-rounded your medical education, the more options you have in terms of employment. Because the truth is, with experience, the proper attitude and expertise, you can work in different facilities at the same time, on a scheduled basis. This will mean a better salary because you can do more things, and still be flexible enough to pursue other interests that will keep you from stagnating in the job.
And most of the time, LPNs with a lot of value added skills and education are the ones that have more fulfillment beyond the pay. They even get hired for nursing positions simply because of what they can offer. Practical nursing can be a stepping stone for more advanced medical careers., but if you love to learn and challenge yourself you can find just as much satisfaction remaining in the job while earning a comfortable LPN salary or going for the LPN certification exam.
