Going on 6 months since Licensure, still no LPN job.. depressed!!

U.S.A. Ohio

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Hello everyone, I am writing this because I am depressed, need advice and need to vent!! (Sorry it's looong) I graduated from a very well resepected LPN program in June 2009 and was the very first one in my class to take the NCLEX test which was in July 2009. I was super excited when I passed and went the very next day to apply to several nursing homes and area hospitals. I had so much hope for a better future becuase I struggled through school and even had to go on welfare for the last couple months of school sine It was nearly impossible to work with the hours of school and taking care of my 2 girls.

Now, almost six months later I have no job!!! I am spiralling into a black hole of depression and I feel terrible. I feel like I have wasted a year of my life that I can't get back!! I was working as a medical assistant at a Women's Health Clinic and making decent money before nursing school and I must say that I deeply regret giving that up for Nursing school.To make matters worse, I can't even go back there because I basically was given a choice between them and school and I chose school thinking that it was worth it. The company was unable to accomadate my school hours or save my job since we were already short staffed. So I educated myself right out of a decent job:crying2:.

I have had 2 interviews since July, the one I though for sure I was a shoe in because he told me all the orientation dates and I had worked there in the past as an STNA, He even said that all need was a year experience and hopefully they would be able to give me that year or more!! but then days turned into weeks and I never heard from him again, I tried calling and emailing him but never got one response!! The other one was along the same lines, I interviewed and then heard nothing. Since those interviews in July I have not gotten a single call about a nursing job. I recently went a reapplied to all the jobs that I went back in July and so far nothing. What makes me feel the worse is that there are some people who tested months after me that are working, not alot, but there are some it makes me doubt myself and wonder what I'm doing wrong. I feel a little better because I know of several people who I graduated with that haven't found work yet either. But this is really wearing on my mind and my heart, I deeply regret becoming an LPN, I had a job where I could take care of my girls and contribute to society and now I sit home daily while fiance goes to work and feel like a loser, I am not contributuing to our household and we still struggle to make ends meet.

I have literally tried everywhere, but there are only 14 nursing homes in this general area, I have tried almost all of them altough some are too hard to get to for me since I don't have a vehicle right now. I have applied to the local hospitals and even a few towns over that I could get to on the bus. I spend hours on the internest daily searching up jobs and I even was excited to find a few unadverstied leads, Like I found one at at Select Specialty Hospital when I just called to inquire, but she told me that I needed experience. I even tried home health and agency I was again told that I neede 1 year experience. I really have exhausted everything I can think of. I try to call and follow up but they tell me "Oh we'll call you if we're interested." or they say don't call or we'll discard your application.

Oh and get this, I have gotten at least 4-5 interviews for medical assiting jobs , I have 3 years experience, BUT-- I was turned away by each and every one of them, Because they tell me they are worried about me being an LPN and that I will leave once a nursing job become available. I tried to reassure these employers that I would not do that because at this point I have no reason to believe I'll have an opportunity,I also tell them that it benefits them that they get an LPN for an MAs wages, but they still didn't hire me!! So now I have an LPN resume and a Medical Assistant resume which I have deleted everything about my LPN education, but then that backfires because the employers wonder what I have been doing for the past year since I haven't worked since Jan 09, then I have to break down and tell them in nursing school!! Now I can't even get an MA job because I'm an LPN !!! I have never heard of being discriminated against for contiuning my education, it feels like a curse and I can't win for losing.

I am at a lost as to what to do!!

I have thought about relocation but that is easier said than done. Plus it cost money that I don't have. I have stared applying across ohio but I don't even know how I'd make to to an interview out of town should I get one. Since I have to stay home with the girls while my fiance works. Is anyone else in this situation or have any advice?? I have talked this over with my fiance and I told him that If I don't have anything by the time college would start back up in August, I would be going back to school full time, so that at least I can bring in some nice refund checks form college. But now I worry if I should go back for my RN.I really don't think it's any better for RNs out there!! I would hate to be back in this predicament again. I cannot stand not working, I have worked since I was 15!! It kills my spirit to be unemployed!!

Particularly when I thought I was doing something to improve my life!! I feel like a failure and a bad mother, all I did was cry during christmas this year beacuse I couldn't give my girls all I wanted!! I am afraid that If I get my RN I will have again wasted time and Money and I won't be able to find work, I am considering leaving nursing altogether, for something else in the health care field but more stable. I really feel like date line or 60 minutes need to do an expose on this so call booming nursing field and how it's a lie. Yet hospitals and nursing homes remain understaffed!! Please!! anyone have any advice or been in this circumstance?? I would really appreciate it!!

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I feel so bad for you Please apply at LTC I know no one likes to or do Home Health care I pray things get better for you

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thanks for you prayers, I have applied for almost every nursing home in this area.. still nothing. I even took a seasonal job at Macy's just to have something, but now that job is over and I'm no closer to a nursing job than I was before. It seems that noone wants to quit and when they do quit the nursing homes are piling the work on the reaminig nurses instead of hiring, I know a girl with 5 years experience as an LPN and it still tooke her 4 months to get a job once she left her other one so I feel no hope for me as a new grad!!:crying2:

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Hang in there. The economy has a been hit hard by the recession and even though nursing is a fantastic field, it can't help but be hurt as well. The economy will get better and the health care field will recover as well.

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What part of Ohio are you in? I've seen some job postings for LPNs recently and none mentioned needing a year experience. That said, at least in our area (Lorain County) jobs of any kind are harder to come by so for every job posting they're probably getting tons of applicants.

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All you can do is keep trying. About a week after applying, I'd call and let them know you are very interested in the position and would greatly appreciate an opportunity to sit down and discuss your qualifications.

Always ask for contact information for your interviewer and follow up with a short but polite thank you letter and always ask when you should expect to hear back one way or the other.

If it gets a few days past when you were supposed to hear, contact them again.

Put forth all your effort and be very very persistent. That is the key to landing a job. Keep your head high!!

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I graduated in Dec 2008. I think I was the last graduating class with hope of getting a job after graduation. It was still a struggle, and I ended up getting a job about an hour north of where I live. Since then, I've moved to the area, but I still go to school (for my RN) back where I'm from.

A classmate of mine waited to take her NCLEX until May of 2009. She was thinking she needed to study for the exam and was busy in her personal life, so chose to put it off a semester. It's amazing how one semester changed everything! She applied everywhere, still is applying. Right now, she's working at the facility where I am a nurse, but working as a resident care assistant. There's no nursing jobs where I work, but she was willing to take anything even remotely health-related just to have a job and for her resume! It's so sad how the job market is right now.

The good new is that just as fast as things changed for the worse, things can change for the better! I volunteered at hospice my last semester of LPN school and this was a topic much talked about in my interview. I highly recommend volunteering if you can't find something.

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I recently met a nurse who works as a waitress besides her nursing job. The only reason she has the nursing job is because it is with an employer that hires new grads (low pay). She told me she makes more money as a waitress and that is the job she depends on. Sorry circumstances. But you might want to consider waitressing in order to survive. Good luck to you.

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I just read an article about nursing that said 1 in 6 new grads find a job right out of school, the economy is bouncing back but it will take time. Just hold in there and don't be afraid to take want you can get, prn, part time, etc to get your foot in the door and gain experience, don't be picky, sometimes we find out that areas that we didn't think we would like turn out to be a perfect fit. God has a way of giving us what we need not necessary what we want, keep calling those places that you applied, keep your name in their mind, that way when something does come up and they are looking at their apps, they remember you.

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Thankfully I am 98% sure that I have finally found a job... It is at a Long term care facility full time, day shift 12 hour shifts!!!! The support they give their new grad LPNs is second to none in this area and I find out 100 percent tommorrow!! I am very excited, I will let you all know what happens tommorrow. Thanks for you replies!!

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Wishing you the best!

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Great, I am so happy for you. I said a little prayer for you.

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