I FEEL LIKE I'VE MADE AN ABSOLUTE MISTAKE BECOMING AN LVN! I regret doing this!

U.S.A. California

Published

Hello and thank you for taking the time out and reading. I have reached my breaking point and am fed up. I am a new LVN grad in Los Angeles and CANNOT find a job. This is the absolute worst. I spent one year in HELL going through VN school and even more hell taking my boards. Needless to say, me passing my boards was the worst thing that could have ever happened to me. I came into the world of nursing thinking that there was a "shortage" of nurses. Boy was I wrong. NOBODY WILL HIRE ME, a new grad. I earned my license in June and we are now in September and have not gotten ONE call back, even for an interview. I've submitted tons and tons and TONS of applications(walk-in, fax, mail, over the internet). Ive submitted over 100 applications and nobody wants me. I am beginning to believe this was a big mistake. My loan payment it kicking me in the rear because I have no job. I've tried to submit everywhere such as SNF, long term care, rehab, acute care, psych, home health, assisted living and more. My husband and I fight all of the time because I nobody wants to hire me. I have tried to tweak my resume a million times and it is next to perfect. Still, employers will not give me a chance. Have I made a mistake? STress is truly killing me. I have only been able to get about 3 hours of sleep each night because I am constantly looking for a job. Where did I go wrong? Possibly this career. :mad:

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Maybe you should go back to school and become an RN. Atleast you wouldn't have to start paying back your loans since you are back in school. This economy is kicking everyone in the butt. My husband has been laid off twice from 2 different companies. It is stressful. I hope you find something soon!

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Try convalescence. Majority of my friend who are LVN works in convalescence. In the hospital they prefer RN.

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Specializes in Flu clinics, Med/Surg, Acute Care.

It is the same for new grad RNs. Don't give up! Explain to your husband that there is No shortage of nursing now. Even experienced nurses are struggling. Have you tried seasonal or agency work. My two seasonal flu shot jobs I got lead to me finally getting a call back from a hospital. They want experience, but its so hard to find people willing to give you a chance. Don't give up just yet!:)

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Specializes in Psych.

I feel your pain. I am a BSN who graduated 13 months ago and I still don't have a job. It's not YOU. Listen what happened to me earlier today.

I applied for a job advertised at and salaried as ENTRY-LEVEL. I called HR and said how very much I wanted to work there and asked if I could schedule an interview for that position. She told me she had just gotten back the names of those they wanted to interview. After about a minute on hold she came back and told me that unfortunately, my name wasn't on the list. I knew my resume for this PARTICULAR position would be rather strong compared with other new grads with no experience so I asked if she could tell me if there were some particular qualification they were looking for that I was missing. She nicely explained that they had just received a number of very highly qualified applicants for the position...people with 3 or more years of experience. When I re-clarified that it was ENTRY-LEVEL...she said, yes it IS...but if they can fill it with experienced folks, then they want to.

So...today I learned that not only am I competing for a job against an abundant supply of new grad RNs, but also an apparent boatload of experienced folks who for one reason or another, are in the position of having to apply for a job that pays an entry-level salary.

I'm done. Tomorrow I'm tucking the nursing degree in my back pocket until the pendulum (hopefully) swings the other way and the demand once again exceeds the supply...which could take a few years. But since now I absolutely MUST stat bringing in an income, I'm going to begin applying for any and every non-nursing job for which I might be even remotely qualified and/or interested.

Despite the way it played out, I don't entirely regret having gone down this path. At least I won't always wonder what would have happened had I tried.

Good luck to you, OP, as you continue on with your job search.

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Maybe you should try a new location. Perhaps the area you are looking in is over-saturated. I am an LPN working in a rehab and we just hired a new grad RN. Normally, not only would we not hire a new grad RN who knows nothing (and I mean nothing) but they wouldn't want to start working at a rehab anyway, because they need hospital experience.

If it makes you feel any better, once you get a nursing job, you will most likely spend the first few years wondering why you are a nurse, because it's hard in the beginning, before you know yourself as a nurse.

Hang in there. Look on Craiglist. Call agency. Go to LTC centers and SIT in the office and wait to see the director. That's what I did. And I was hired at the first job I applied at - on the spot. Been there ever since - almost 3 years now.

Hang in there.

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Specializes in LTC Family Practice.

You didn't say where you are located, if you are mobile, try looking in more rural areas or as the other poster stated less saturated areas.

It's not you, it's the economy, everyone is hurting, try talking with your bank about your student loans and what your situation is, they might be willing to work with you.

Good luck

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Are you following up on each of those applications?

Submit some resumes to places that are not currently looking, eventually they will be, and you may get a foot in the door that way.

You may also need to think about working outside of your typical area, depending on how high unemployment is in your area.

You haven't made a mistake in getting your degree, times are tough right now for everyone, hang in there a door may be opening up for you any day now!

In the meantime, count the many blessings you currently have in your life.

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I just moved back to Texas after being in California for 7 years. You're right there are no jobs there for LVN's. There are not even as many jobs in Texas for LVN's that there was before I moved to Ca. But here is my suggestion..if you just need to work and you don't mind working in a prison try the registries over there. Mediscan in woodland hills just sent me an email the other day saying they need a ton of nurses for the prisons. I don't know what they pay anymore but I used to make $27/hour working at the prisons through them. There is also supplemental healthcare, Solvere, All health..just to mention a few. Not sure how they are with hiring new grads but you can try. Also you can try home health..like private duty. Hope this helps..and btw I never recommend anyone going to LVN school anymore..we are nothing more than CNA's anymore and it sucks. I am headed back to school myself but I am considering other fields in healthcare as well. Good luck! :nurse:

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Just to make you feel better, I got my license this summer and so far no job. I decided to take a break after the first year of school because it was just getting ridiculous and the hands on training in the clinicals was far from preparing you for the real world. Anyway, if you can, try to move. I am in AZ and I guess the situation here is similar to CA.

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Im so sorry to hear that. How can your husband be upset with you? Doesnt he know this country is facing record unemployment? Its not just nursing, but many professions now that cannot find work. A relative of mine has a Masters in engineering and cannot find work for almost 2 years now.

You didnt make a mistake, how could you have known when you started school that this would happen?

CA is particularly bad place to find work right now, have you considered moving? I know its a bad question, people ask me the same thing and Im in MI> the worst place to look for work.

I am just starting LPN school (fingers crossed) this coming up year and worry too, but what is the alternative? If I dont go to school, then I wont have anything. At least you have some education and job skills and are qualified to seek out employment , dont give up hope.

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Specializes in Med-Surg/DOU/Ortho/Onc/Rehab/ER/.

I am in the L.A. area too...maybe you can apply to CNA jobs so you get some experience (outside of school)? I mean I know its putting you at the bottom of the barrel and you going to have to go through watching all the other LVN's actually use their education while you cant yet, but maybe positions will open up and you can get promoted? I don't know if that will work but its worth a shot...the economy just plain ol'stinks

I am doing a CNA class now so I can become a CNA while in LVN schools so after I get my license @ least ill have some hospital experience outside of school

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