Licensed Practical Nurse
(Female, Age 48) from Martinsburg, PA
This is a REAL-LIFE job profile written by a Female aged 48 who works as a Licensed Practical Nurse in Martinsburg, PA. We have removed all names and personal information in order to protect privacy. This professional kindly spent a bit of their time to complete one of our job profile surveys so that prospective job seekers like you could read their insights. Please excuse any punctuation or grammatical errors in this profile.
At a Glance
Current Job
Basic data on your current job
| Job Title | Licensed Practical Nurse |
|---|---|
| Salary | $39,000 |
| Other Compensation | None Set |
| Hours/Week | 40 |
| Company Size | (not answered) |
| Location | Martinsburg, PA |
| Years Experience | 7 years |
Career Ratings
Opinions on your CAREER overall (i.e. not just your current job)
| Years in Career | 0 |
|---|---|
| Education | (not answered) |
| Income Rating | 0 / 10 |
| Interest Rating | 0 / 10 |
| Work-Life Rating | 0 / 10 |
| Fulfilment Rating | 0 / 10 |
Current job Q&A
Describe the type of organization you work for.
Commonwealth of Pa. Department of Veterans and Military Affairs.I work in a Veterans home in Pa. It has over 500 employees
Describe your job role and responsibilities.
Passing meds, treatments,charting, everything and everything, being a nurses aide when we are short stafed which is very often. I do what an RN doesn’t want to do and delegates to me
Please list an additional benefits (beyond compensation) that you receive.
healthcare and retirement
Do you feel you are under/over or well/fairly compensated at your current position?
about average
Does your job entail you working with others on a daily basis? Is this something you like/dislike about your job? Please explain.
I work under the direction of an RN and over certified nurses aides. I do not like being “between two worlds” There are more nurses aides than LPN’s and not as much power as an RN
Do you work collaboratively with supervisors/managers?
Do you work collaboratively with your co-workers?
Yes
Describe your work location (e.g., office, home, theatre, in the field) and what you like/dislike about working in it.
Veterans Home is where I work. I like caring for people, I dislike the wear and tear on my body and brain.
Please rate each of the following aspects of your current job on a scale of 1-10 (10 being the highest/best):
Income: 1
Benefits: 2
Hours: 3
Co-Workers: 5
Supervisors: 7
Job Title: 6
Level of Responsibility: 4
The Actual Work: 8
A day in the life of…
Please describe a typical workday for you in your current job:
| 5am to 6am | |
| 6am to 7am | |
| 7am to 8am | sign in at 6:45, go to report, gather supplies for glucometers insulins and treatments, do glucometers insulins and as many treatments as possible, help with residents as I can |
| 8am to 9am | Med pass, make sure residents eat if they will |
| 9am to 10am | Doctor, and orders that come with the Dr, paperwork, fax appointments, deal with OT and PT . Take 15 minute break, chart |
| 10am to 11am | continue with above |
| 11am to 12pm | 1/2 hr lunch, do glucometers and insulins gather supplies for med pass. |
| 12pm to 1pm | med pass and feed residents |
| 1pm to 2pm | treatments and charting, do the extra paperwork for the week when I find time |
| 2pm to 3pm | pray no emergency occurs and chart |
| 3pm to 4pm | leave at 3:15 |
| 4pm to 5pm | |
| 5pm to 6pm | |
| 6pm to 7pm | |
| 7pm to 8pm | |
| 8pm to 9pm | |
| 9pm to 10pm | |
| 10pm to 11pm | |
| 11pm to 12am |
Table of Contents
How you got your job
How did you get your current job?
applied through civil service in my state, a person can go to their sites civil service website.
What was the application process?
civil service application, civil service test then interview, I do not think an LPN has to take a test in my state anymore to work civil service.
Did you have to interview for your current job? If yes, what did the interview process entail?
It was a group interview, there was a supervisor, the director of nursing and the assistant director of nursing. It was not difficult.
If you can remember, what questions were you asked during the interview?
Mainly there where “what if” questions. What if a fellow employee was saying something confidential, hurting a resident etc.
Do you feel your employer properly prepared you for your job? Explain.
Yes. I was completely oriented by my nurse instructor where I work.
Was there training for your current position? If yes, what did it entail?
A career in a year is how they advertise for LPN classes. It is intensive, a person spends three days clinical and two days class a week, and they expect you to know what you are doing and in detail.
Do you feel your educational background prepared you for your job? Explain.
Yes, my classroom and clinical isntruction was more than adequate
If applicable, do you feel your internship experience helped you prepare for your job?
I had clinical, and that prepared me for “hand on”
If someone wanted to go about getting a job similar to yours, what would you recommend for him or her to do?
A person needs to attend and complete a course for practical nursing at a college or vocational technical school, then they need to take and pass the NCLEX
What skills do you think a person should have if they want to pursue a position like yours?
Science skills and people skills, not be afraid to touch and care for people. Must have organizational skills and the ability to multitask.
Do you feel that you need a certain level of education or training to be successful in your job?
yes, at least an LPN degree
What advice would you give to someone who was about to start work in your position/ line of work?
Make sure you check out RN programs first, if you decide on LPN then go for it but be realistic, you are going to do the work of an RN but not have the respect or the pay.
Long-term career plans
Is your current employment part of your overall career plan? Why or why not?
At present although I would like to move to a job with less stress but the same wages and benefits which is not easy to come by.
What are your current career goals?
Stay where I am at present and rethink as needed.
Is there anything else you would like to share about your career?
A “state” job does supply security, benfits and wages as well as retirement, but there is a price to pay, there is a lot of cut throat behavior by some employees due to fear of losing a job with benefits. There is overtime in nursing and working weekends, and your joints from lifting people can wear out.
Prior work history
Please list your most recent jobs prior to this current job:
| Title | Length | Salary | Description | |
| Prior Job 1 | LPN | 8 years | 17.20 an hour | supervising nurses aides, performing care, interacting with residents and families. |
| Prior Job 2 |
Educational background
Please list your educational background:
High School GPA:
| GPA | School | Degree | |
| College (Undergraduate) or Technical/Vocational |
85-90 percentile, was number two in my class. | Altoona Area Vocational Technical School | LPN |
| Graduate or Professional (Masters or Doctorate) |
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