How does one ensure job security in this field?

I fear that at some point LPN's may be pushed completely out of the nursing picture. There is a nursing shortage but it depends on where you live and what kind of nursing you want to do. Some nursing areas are harder to fill than others. Med surg positions are harder to fill than positions in the ICU or the ED. In any area that you want to work in, you need to do what ever extra education that you can do to make yourself more marketable. For example, if you know that you want to work in the ED, then go ahead and get your BLS and you might want to get your EMT certification as well.

You are going to have to do well in your clinicals and I should tell you that if you can get a part time job in a hospital doing anything while you are in nursing school it will be to your advantage. I worked part time as a CNA while in nursing school and slid right into a job at that facility after graduation. I did not have to interview anywhere. Had a job waiting for me.

You may have to be willing to move. Don't look on Craig's list or Monster. Go to the web and search for hospitals in certain cities where you think you might want to live and go to those hospital web sites and see what type of positions they have open. As as RN you will be able to find a job, you just may have to spend some time doing what you don't want to do to get to where you finally want to be.

I knew I always wanted to work in the largest county trauma center I could find close to me but they did not hire new grads. So I did one year of med surg, two years of critical care and then went over and got myself a job at the trauma center where I finally became the director. It takes time, but you can do it if you want to bad enough. Good Luck.