FYI- Trying to find work in a hospital

[treeloc]

Hello fellow California LVNs,

I spoke to a nursing recruiter from the major hospital in my area which is Corona. As I have written before, I am having an awful time looking for hospital work. I was informed that most hospitals are not hiring new or experienced LVNs any more. She stated that the situations is : the RNs have way too much work and the LVN scope of practice doesn't allow for them to help the Rn in the areas she/he needs. So they retain the LVNs they have and push them to go back to school to get their RN licenses. That was very informative to me and I hope it helps other LVNs in this county to understand why we can't get jobs. I really feel that if that's the case here, it's going to be the case in alot of hospitals across California. I also don't think it's fair that these LVN schools don't inform incoming students that this is what they're up against. Mind you, some SNFs want that 1 yr. of acute care also but some don't. Home health is another area we LVNs can get into but for myself, sitting with 1 patient all day isn't my idea of REAL nursing unless it's a case where your patient is on all kinds of machines that require constant attention, that's when real skills come into play. I guess it boils down to what kind of nursing you want to do. I've always wanted to be in a hospital. Nursing schools should inform prospective student to what the deal is. Tell them that acute care is not really an option anymore unless they definitely are going on to RN.

I don't want to be a downer but I just want to let my fellow LVNs in this similar situation, know that it's not us, it's just the way the cookie is crumbling now. My advice is go staight for your RN and that way you know you're covered! Hope this has been informative. BEWARE of those hospitals that do take LVNs, unless you know they still are accredited, otherwise, you'll be working in a hospital that has a BAD rep. I almost got into a situation like that. Just before I was to go through a registry to work in a hospital, I found out it had just failed JACHO.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

Nursing schools should inform prospective student to what the deal is. Tell them that acute care is not really an option anymore unless they definitely are going on to RN.

I attended a southern California LVN program, but I also did the research on local job market conditions before making my decision and pursuing this path. Although I agree that the schools in the area really should inform prospective students that they might not end up in a hospital setting after graduation, I also feel that the prospective student should do some independent research before making any decisions.

In other words, the student should assume some personal responsibility for finding out about future job prospects in his/her area. All it takes is looking online at the employment ads, calling hospital HR departments to see if they hire LVNs, chatting with current LVNs to see if they have any feedback, and so on. After I did some research, I enrolled in the LVN program fully knowing I'd probably be unable to land an acute care position in southern CA.

Don't trust a school to disclose everything to you.

[pagandeva2000, LPN]

Also, I want to add that not all hospitals that hire or retain LPNs have lost Joint Commission accreditation. In fact, I think that Joint Commission accreditation is a joke. If they really dug hard enough, they would find a great deal of systematic problems that have nothing to do with LPNs or even nursing, for that matter. Their palms are greased, and there is political backing that helps some of these facilities escape from failing JCHAO.

In addition, I would have signed up at that registry to to see for myself and most importantly, to gain experience. If I saw danger waiting in the wings, I would cut out and never return. But, the experience may be invaluable. Many times, hospitals fail Joint Commission, but they are usually offered a chance to redeem themselves by reviewing and making changes on the recommendations given within a certain timeframe. Again, most of these problems are systemic, not always the employees themselves. I work in a hospital that I feel should not pass, either, however, I am gaining as much experience as I can so that I can go elsewhere in case they do decide to rid themselves of my LPN presence. No matter how you slice it, anywhere else you go will want experience. At this time, I can say that I have home care, clinic and med-surg experience (just within my two years of having my LPN license) that cannot be taken away from me. My resume will be broader and I do believe it will open a door somewhere if necessary.