is there any hope whatsoever???

[aeolus]

honestly, does anyone really hire new lvns?????????

i seem to have had very poor luck this past year in both san francisco and the los angeles area.

i got my license slightly over a year ago, and last year i was able to get a gig giving flu shots but nothing else. nothing. this year even the flu shot jobs i see all require at least a year of experience. its frustrating, to say the least...

hospitals, clinics, and home health agencies demand a year, at least, of experience. on the times where i've been able to talk frankly with them, they are usually like "i'd recommend starting out in a nursing home/ltc/snf/etc"

the nursing homes have not been exactly receptive. several completely different sources have told me (and it hasn't contradicted my own experience) that in these regions the nursing home situation is sort of a 'filipino mafia'-people who are hired speak tagalog and/or are relatives of other employees.

really, i don't know if it's worth even bothering. and when i see what appears to be nursing students in their white scrubs, i have increasingly had to suppress the urge to run up to them and scream "get out while you can!!!!!"

[LVN2RNMom, ASN, BSN, LVN]

I can totally relate what you are saying & the market is tough for most of us. I have been licensed for 4 months. I am working but most jobs I apply for tell me the same thing. I can't & won't give up though. Being a nurse is what I've always wanted to do and I honestly love it. So, I am on to working my booty off to look for the right nursing job for me. I know it's out there. I just have to be patient and keep my head up. So do you, if this is what you want. Try not to listen to others negativity. If you want to work for a LTC, then keep trying. Not all are run by filipinos & they are not all like that. Only the scared one's who feel threatened by you possibly taking their job away from them. Good luck to you & don't ever give up on what you want. It's your life & no one else's.

[MsHelloKitty,LVN]

I am starting to get really angry and frustrated....!! I have been licensed for five months and still do not have an LVN job!! I have applied pretty much everywhere within a two hour drive from where I live.

I don't have the option of relocating at this time, so I'm starting to look at other fields besides nursing, because I need a job. I mostly apply online because when I make phone calls, they all tell me to apply online.

Or if I go to apply in person, they take my application and state such and such a person will look it over and call me..blah blah blah blah blah....

In addition, I've signed up for flu shot companies but either they never have anything available at all or they are 250 + miles away from my home....I really don't know what to do...

I'm also trying to get my pre-reqs done for the RN but I can't seem to concentrate on my studies because I'm trying to find a job and worrying about money....

Just having a bad day today I guess and on a rant.... I'm usually fairly positive...but not today....!!

[Selene006, BSN, LPN]

After graduating from LPN school a few years ago, it took me about 3 months before I finally got hired to work at a nursing home. I resorted to combing through the phonebook and applying to nursing homes, health centers, and clinics everywhere! I was desperate to work because all of my bills were piling up! Don't be discouraged. I know the road ahead doesn't seem so appealing right now, but keep submitting your resumes and applying for jobs. Sometimes you get a response when you least expect it!

[4_Sq]

I feel for all of you that are skilled and yet haven't had the opportunity to work in your profession full time (As it should be)

Do you think that you would find opportunities in travel nursing at all.

I hope that all of you will soon gain in employment and I do think that this whole employment picture will turn around.. alot of the "boomers" have yet to retire!

Good Luck!:heartbeat:heartbeat:heartbeat

[notmanydaysoff]

Looking for a job is a job in itself. Suffice it to say that filling out applications and dropping off one-size-fits-all resumes is hardly enough. I started looking in earnest this past June. I will pass along some of my job-search tips.

I spent hours each day checking bookmarked job sites, craigslist, want ads, etc. I sent about 2 dozen customized resumes and cover letters - each tailored to the job description and needs of the practice. I changed the objective statement on every single resume to specifically fit the recipient. Regarding objective statements, some formats discourage their use, others encourage it. I decided to include one. The decision to use one is individual.

I used a functional skills format because I am coming from another industry. If you are not familiar w/what that means, check out resume styles and formats. Invest some time and energy into putting together a fantastic resume. Use action words that will have a dynamic impact. Have someone proof it for you. Look at it again and again to insure correct grammar, vocabulary, spelling, and formatting.

If you or anyone proofing it are not totally impressed with what you have written, then maybe you are not the person who should be composing it. It really helps to have a document in your computer that you can change at will.

Same goes for the cover letter. Whilst each and every cover letter was specific to the position applied for, I basically used the same verbiage in each one, changing the opening paragraph.

I do not want my application/resume to be lost in the sea of stuff that is sitting on someone's desk. To make mine stand out from the masses, I found out who the practice mgr was, and addressed letters specifically to that person.

The cover letter highlights but does not reiterate what I put in the resume. Why does this practice need me, want me, got to have me?

I did follow-ups and kept track of all resumes/applications that I sent out (dates, addresses, names, ph #, disposition, etc.).

The end result: I got 2 jobs immediately and am having to decide between a couple more. The job I really want is in the process of coming together.

[mary_lvn]

There are Flu Shot clinic positions available in California. They are available to LVN's with at least 1 year of experience in the San Diego, San Fran and Los Angeles areas.

[nicksavage]

Don't know about CA. but in Texas L.V.N.s are dying here is my post at indeed.com

Don't listen to anyone, listen to this. Yes they are doing away with lvns. Yes they have did this before but in DFW they are there. Yes you will always have a job, in crappy nursing home or a low paying Doctors office.

Here is the deal. To get magnet status they need all R.N.s they don't care about you, in fact they will let you go but still bring you in as a agency nurse. This way they can still say we don't hire L.V.N.s.

To go one step further some facilities in DFW have went all BSN's so the adn's are getting it now.

I wish there was some way we could sue or make the state do away with L.v.n.s and test us out for R.N. status.