Moving to Dallas Texas as a new LPN/LVN

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I graduate this may as a LPN and i am planning on moving to the Dallas forth worth area in Texas. I currently live in Michigan and know nothing about nursing in that area. I was wondering about good places to work there and what wages generally run around. I also want to continue my education there and good advice on schools would be very helpful. I am open to even doing online programs. I am very excited about this move and any advice at all would be great!

Thanks, Chelsey

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Specializes in OB/GYN, Emergency.

My hospital does not utilize LVNs in the hospital or clinics, but overall the Dallas area has a pretty good job market for nurses. There are definitely long term care opportunities for LVNs if that's something you're interested in. There are also opportunities in jail health. Wages for LVNs seem to range from low teens to low twenties per hour depending on your experience.

As far as nursing programs go, I don't personally know of any LVN to RN transition programs, but there are some top notch BSN programs nearby if that's something you're interested in pursuing (i.e. Texas Women's University and UT Arlington).

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Specializes in Occupational Medicine, Orthopedics.

Chelseymarie: 1) congrats on becoming an LPN, and 2) i hope your future job is just what the dr ordered.

I have visited San Antonio once and LOVED the area, especially the riverwalk! Good luck to you...

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Specializes in Medical Surgical Orthopedic.

Try posting in the Texas forum if you don't get any good answers here. I wish I could help you, but I'm in a different area and don't know much about the job market in Dallas.

Texas Nurses - Nursing for Nurses

And welcome to Texas! ...may be a bit early, I know :)

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

I'm going to be the voice of dissent here and state that the LVN job market in the D/FW area is not what it used to be.

I first moved here as a new grad LVN in late 2005 and virtually had my pick of jobs. Due to the economic downturn, the employment market has taken a turn for the worse. Many people in the area are enrolling in LVN programs due to the presumed job security, but this is creating a market that is entirely too saturated with too many nurses and not enough jobs.

I know of recent LVN grads who had passed NCLEX and were fully licensed, but resorted to working at the local convenience store or gas station for a few months because they could not land a job right after graduation.

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Thanks for all the replies! We are also considering Houston. Does anybody know about the job market for LVNs there?

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
Thanks for all the replies! We are also considering Houston. Does anybody know about the job market for LVNs there?
The LVN job market is slumping in Houston, Dallas, Austin, and just about every big city in Texas because many out-of-state nurses have relocated to the major metro areas over the past couple of years. In addition, these cities have numerous schools of nursing that churn new grads into the local job markets every few months. Your chances are significantly better in the smaller cities and towns (Abilene, Eagle Pass, Midland, Odessa, Lubbock, Tyler, Longview, etc.).
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Thank you ill look into those cities! We would rather live in a smaller city anyway!

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