How long did it take to get your first LPN job?

Nurses LPN/LVN

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Just wondering how frustrated I should be at this point? Is it normal to not get any bite at all after one or two months?

Specializes in geriatrics, IV, Nurse management.

Less than 3 weeks... I was hired the week after my examination. I emailed every retirement home/LTC/ Hosp/etc with my resume and cover letter. I got 2 bites. It might not be the field I'm the most interested in, but it pays my nursing debt until I find something else or change into a speciality.

Specializes in Psychiatric- Detox and ECT.

Immediately but I also worked for the company and was promoted as soon as I got my license. My actual first job I had to interview for was 2 weeks after being licensed, also within the same company just on a different unit.

Same here. It took me three weeks and I ended up somewhere with a not so great reputation. I have to say that now that I'm not there anymore and have a different place to compare it to ... it was a very good learning experience for me. If they were located closer to my house I may not have left. Second thought maybe I would have... hard hard job there.

Apply to everything and even go apply in person. Believe it or not some facilities do not have web sites or on line applications.

Good luck, keep at it!

Specializes in Med-Surg/urology.

Finally can update this..it took me 2 months to finally get my first LPN job. Starting next week at a detention center :)

Specializes in Hospice Care, Med/Surg.

My first job was at a detention center. Do not let them throw you to the wolves. Its a crazy place and can be very unorganized. If you need help stand your ground and ask for it. I only had 1 day of orientation. I saw the handwriting on the wall when I read those MARs. Good luck and let us know how it goes....

Specializes in Med-Surg/urology.
My first job was at a detention center. Do not let them throw you to the wolves. Its a crazy place and can be very unorganized. If you need help stand your ground and ask for it. I only had 1 day of orientation. I saw the handwriting on the wall when I read those MARs. Good luck and let us know how it goes....

How long did you end up staying there?

Specializes in Hospice Care, Med/Surg.

I gave it the ole college try...3 weeks. I stayed around hoping it would get better...it never did. Lol. The one here has a very high turn over rate, however, you may get there and like it.

Specializes in Med-Surg/urology.
I gave it the ole college try...3 weeks. I stayed around hoping it would get better...it never did. Lol. The one here has a very high turn over rate, however, you may get there and like it.

I pray it works out lol b/c I've had interviews with an LTC facility & an ALF and they don't want new grads. And don't get me started about home health agencies lol. I've got another year in nursing school to complete before I'll have my BSN, so it would be nice to get some experience along the way :)

Specializes in Hospice Care, Med/Surg.

I am working at a LTC facility on the weekends and I do private duty through the week. They are both pretty decent jobs. I hope you like it.

Specializes in Long Term Care, Dementia, Neuro-Psychiat.

I was lucky enough to have been working in LTC for four years as a CNA so my facility just orientated me as a nurse without having to be sorted through the HR filter. I do feel that they saw I already knew the residents, most of the nursing practices, facility policies, etc as an aide that it was a nobrainer to hire me as a nurse over someone that never stepped foot into the facility.

However, as a tip maybe consider putting applications into nearby smaller towns where the pay might not be as great as the city. Its a job and it will give you experience so you can be more competitive someday in the big town against new grads... This is my two cents.

Eric

Im not sure that is normal but I guess it depends on the area you are working in. If you are submitting a resume when you apply, try doing some revisions to it. I think that is where a lot of people fall behind in any field. A resume that doesn't catch the readers attention within the first few sentences usually gets tossed to the side. My mother is a career counselor and says you would be surprised the difference a good resume can make for people with little to no experience in their field. If you're not submitting a resume at all, then you definitely need to! Even if your only work experience is waiting tables or working at a retail store, it is still experience.

I just passed my boards last week (Graduated in May, got my ATT a few weeks later and tested) and I have two interviews this week.

Start 'cold-calling' places in town...drop off a resume whether you know they are hiring or not. Ask to speak to the human resource/office manager. Tell them your name and that you are interested in working there and wanted to leave a resume should they have any positions open up that you would fit. It's a little daunting to just walk into a place and do that but hey it may get you a job!

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