New LPN and no jobs available.

**SKM-NURSIEPOOH, BSN, RN** · May 23, 2004

when i began lpn school, surrounding hospital in both south jersey & philadelphia were hiring/recruiting ls...but by the time i graduated only ten short months later....they all either required one to two years experience or phasing out the ls all together. i can remember a lot of ls had their titles taken away from licensed practical nurse to med tech :angryfire ! let me preface now that in no way am i putting mt down....but i do find it hurtful to take a title away from folks who worked damn hard to obtained.

that being said....what i ended-up doing was enlist the us army reserve in order to 'get experience.' once i did my basic training & returned to my unit...i was promoted from specialist (s4) & commissioned as a non commissioned officer or sergeant (sgt)...and i did all of this as what the kids at that time called me ~ a grandma cuz i was 29 y/o single mom... :chuckle. after that i went back to the civilian sector & all sorts of doors opened. of course....with all of the 'war' & 'fighting' going on now...this probably wouldn't be an attractive option for you or your family...but it is something to consider. two of my fellow graduate nurses (from a bsn program) were just recently commissioned on pinning night as full-time officers....one went with the air force nurse corps & the other went with the navy nurse corps. even though i'm done with my army reserves obligation....i'm even considering getting commissioned in the air force nurse corps for flight nursing....but i want to first work in critical care & apply to crna school. the army is the only branch of the armed forces that recruit ls...& up to age 36. the rest will take ls & place them in techs positions. rns are taken by all armed forces up to the age of 48/49...but i believe you have to have your bsn in order to be commissioned for active duty status. i know rn-adn/aas are commissioned in the army reserves...i'm not sure about the other components though.

the thing i'm getting at is when i came back to the civilian sector....many places that had that 'one to two' years experience then waved those criteria & i was able to pick & chose were i wanted to work.

at any rate....do consider areas like sub-acute (this is the closest i'll do in terms of ltc cuz it does require a lot of med/surg skills), physicians' offices but do apply to the ones attached or affiliated with university hospitals (they tend to pay more), assistant living is also very nice (sort of in the ltc area but with a huge difference....stable & for the most part independent residents)...in fact....you can go really far in assistant living sector as a l. many ls here are working as supervisors & managers for assistant living facility...they work under one rn don who is responsible for the facility & is on call around the clock. you'll find more autonomy working in assistant living. and don't forget about dialysis centers (good place for ls).

whatever you do decide....good luck to you & congrats :balloons: on your accomplishment!

cheers!

moe

marymary · May 24, 2004

marymary,
It looks like that's exactly what I am forced to do. I don't have much of a choice. It seems some states are in desperate need of LPN's and some are severely limiting us, just like here where I am. I can't figure out for the life of me why this is so if there is such a nurse shortage. Thanks anyway.
ladybay

:rotfl: Hi,

I just wanted to add one more comment, I feel compelled. I learned alot about the nursing shortage among other things this past year. One thing that I found very disturbing; LPN's are not considered "nurses" by the nursing community. They are considered ancillary staff. That is why you will see them in separate unions when unions are present in facilities. Sometimes they will be in the same unions with CNA's, housekeeping, etc.... Amazing isn't it? So when the discussion is about the nursing shortage, they are talking about a shortage of RN's not LPN's. If they allowed LPN's back into the hospitals there would not be a "nursing " shortage. Go back to school and complete your education to give yourself more leverage. Good luck.

pickledpepperRN · May 24, 2004

In 1991 the United States Supreme Court designated eight bargaining units for acute care hospital employees.

I think it unfortunate and misguided that RNs were placed in a separate unit rather than a 'licensed nurse' unit. The fact that we must be in separate units separates nurses when we need to be united. Just my opinion along with many other RNs who value the work of our fellow nurses.

LVNs in California who attend the CNA CE classes become better educated regarding the legalities of scope of practice.

The CNA position is that the percentage of LVNs needs to remain the same as before the ratio law or 17% of licensed nurses working in acute care.

We did get laws passed for scholarships for students accepted into an RN program.

WE KNOW that many new grad RNs leave the profession in the first two years.

LVNs and CNAs have proven they are emotionally equipped to handle patient care. They are often the finest RNs.

ladybay · May 24, 2004

New grads leaving the profession in the first two years?! Good Lord! :eek: Makes me wonder what am I getting into. I've heard of stories about why nurses leave the profession like rude co-workers, doctors, patients and dangerous working conditions. Oh how I wish LPN's are more respected and taken seriously. I pray to somehow grow some thick skin and make a difference. My hats off to those nurses who hang in there!

pickledpepperRN · May 24, 2004

Sorry It is new grad RNs leaving so soon after 'reality shock'

Those who have been LVNs or CNAs stay.

Staffing is getting better so I think it high time we work for truly adequate staffing in long term care!

I don't regret my year as a CNS, 19 as an LVN, or 18 as an RN.

Nothing is better than hearing, "Thank you nurse"

Stick with it if you have the heart for the work.

By the way my experience was that my LVN program was much more difficult than the RN program i attended. So much to learn and experience in too little time.

marymary · May 24, 2004

In 1991 the United States Supreme Court designated eight bargaining units for acute care hospital employees.
I think it unfortunate and misguided that RNs were placed in a separate unit rather than a 'licensed nurse' unit. The fact that we must be in separate units separates nurses when we need to be united. Just my opinion along with many other RNs who value the work of our fellow nurses.
LVNs in California who attend the CNA CE classes become better educated regarding the legalities of scope of practice.
The CNA position is that the percentage of LVNs needs to remain the same as before the ratio law or 17% of licensed nurses working in acute care.
We did get laws passed for scholarships for students accepted into an RN program.
WE KNOW that many new grad RNs leave the profession in the first two years.
LVNs and CNAs have proven they are emotionally equipped to handle patient care. They are often the finest RNs.

I agree with you 1000%. The RN's that I have worked with, the ones that stand out in clinical skills were the ones that were previously LPN's. The ones that were CNA's stood out also but more so because of their perservance pushed them more because they knew that they wanted to be in the health care field; it was not something that they were guessing about in school. They knew what it was like to need someone to care, because they really cared. We all are in this together. But regardless of the job title, it is human nature for one person or group to try to appear above others.

marymary · May 24, 2004

Okay. It was only a suggestion. If the people in human resources aren't nurses, I wouldn't quite trust their expert opinion on what exactly a particular job entailed. It didn't occur to me that you didn't want the wound job because it was PRN. I still say wound care is more than just changing dressings. Research it a bit and I think you'll see that, but if it isn't what you want then it isn't what you want.
Good luck in finding your ideal position.
:balloons:

It is more than changing dressings. It can get to be quite involved. It is in the mix; Anatomy and Physiology, Microbiology...systems. It is a specialty, kinda like the IV team, only the selected few...

:nurse:

kjp74631 · May 29, 2004

Where I work has a skilled nursing unit that you would be able to apply skills that you learned in school, there are also subacute care centers in this area of LTC...Trust in your skills and good luck in your future

TexasPoodleMix · Jun 2, 2004

This is exactly my fear. Going thru 2 yrs of school and there being no jobs. That's exactly what happened to me when I graduated with my MA in Counseling... ALL the jobs required experience, etc. etc. The pickings were slim!!!

MyReign1 · Jun 2, 2004

I believe it has more to do with the facilities than the state. I live in Oklahoma City and every Sunday there are loads of openings for LPNs in the newspaper. I also noticed when I visited Tulsa that the want ads for RN was much slimmer than that of OKC. Good luck in your search!!!

C_raye · Jun 4, 2004

A lot of LPN's have posted on here about how no hospitals in their area are hiring LPN's...I live in Indianapolis, Indiana and the hospitals here are clammering for LPN's (as well as RN's) I work in a local hospital and almost everyweek there are several positions open for LPN's, mostly on Med/Surg. I wonder if it has anything to do with the fact that LPN's in this state seem to do a whole lot more then most other states...here in Indy we push IV meds, blood transfusions, assessments (except initial), start IV's, etc... Right now at work we are very short staffed, they are offering a $350 bonus check for picking up extra shifts they deam 'critical' shifts (usually weekends) and that is for the LPN's as well...I wonder if the nursing shortage is particularly bad here in Indiana or what??

I only wish, I'm a new grad and newly licensed living 100 miles north of Indianaplolis. I live in a rural area, but within a reasonable driving distance to South Bend or northwest Indiana, both major towns that have ads in the paper for all kinds of healthcare workers. I've been looking for a nursing job rather intensely for over a month now, but keep getting told at any facility whether it is a hospital, clinic or nursing home is that I need to have one year's experience. If I don't find anything by fall, I'm planning to just go back to school for my RN, hoping to eventually find a part time postion as an LPN until I finish school.

CHATSDALE · Jun 4, 2004

I Know How Frustrating It Must Be To Have Put That Time Into School And Now To Be Put In A Position Where Employment Is Difficult To Impossible To Obtain But Keep At It...it May Be To Your Advantage To Take The Wound Care Job Because It May Lead To Something Else If You Get To Know The Personnel In That Facility

Something Else Things Go In Cycles...at One Time All The Hospitals Were Going To Be 100% Rn And The Lpns Were Not Be Hired And There Was A Lot Of Talk Of Being Fazed Out...but They Found That They Didnot Have Enough Warm Bodies With Rn Licenses To Give The Care That The Pts Required.

Also At One Point They Only New Rns That Were Being Hired Were Ex-lpns But That Too Feel By The Wayside Keep Trying There Is A Future Out There