Catch-22

A year ago I was laid off from a company and decided it was time to go into nursing. I found enough money to get my LPN. For an entire year, I studied my butt off. I passed the NCLEX-PN on the first try with 85 questions this July. Now, I've been looking for work as an LPN.

I've never worked in healthcare before and even when I acquired my CNA, I never worked as one. I did apply to places to work as a CNA while I was still in school, but no one wanted to hire me because I didn't have CNA experience. So I decided in the last 2 months of school to continue to move forward and get my LPN and hope that more doors would be open to me.

Nope! I'm licensed now but in the same boat. I can't get hired because I don't have experience; but I need to get hired to get experience.

My goal is to work as an LPN then go back to school to work as an RN. The thought has crossed my mind to just go back to school and work on becoming an RN but I feel that would just bring me back to square one. Having a license but not having experience.

I'm working now in a position that is not a healthcare position and there is no opportunity to move into one I've been told at my place of employment.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.