LVN experience, RN jobs

[SashaO]

I want to move to SF after RN school, but after reading some of the posts I'm a bit discouraged about finding a job as an RN with only LVN experience. Do LVN-RNs have an easier time finding employment? Is our experience useful to hospitals or do they prefer RN experience?

[caliotter3]

Strange I was just thinking about this a couple of hours ago. My plan is to get hired as an LVN and hopefully I can move into an RN position after I get the license. I think that will be the only way to do it after I just looked at another ad that specified two years of RN experience. If I were you I would attempt to get a job before moving to SF. There are new grads who can not find work in that general area up to two years after school. You want to have a job before you use up all of your savings only to come up short and have to move anyway. Good luck.

[Faeriewand, ASN, RN]

Quest where are you coming from? I think caliotter gave some good advice. I"ve had this on my mind a lot too. I am an LVN but I work on a med/surg floor so I was thinking that is good experience comparable to RN med/surg work. I'm going to use it for sure on my resume. Good luck! :)

[NickiLaughs, ADN, BSN, RN]

I graduated from an LVN to RN program in the bay area. Many of the LVNs in my class had approx 10 years experience, mostly in hospitals, Med- surg or ER. Only 3 or so of my class of 30 have jobs. LVN experience is not really considered when they are looking at RNs. Most of the RNs that they are interested in have RN experience for several years in an acute setting.

I would highly recommend remaining where you are at if there are jobs there, and working there til you have adequate experience. And I definitely don't recommend moving there until you have obtained a job.

Good luck!