New LPN Can't Find Job

Nurses LPN/LVN

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Hi my name is Stephanie and I recently passed my NCLEX and now can't find a job anywhere. Everywhere I turn and look for work they require experience, experience which i don't have and on top of that my resume is not that great and neither was my school. Though I do have a Bachelor's Degree in Sociology. Can anyone direct me where to go online for resume help and job help for entry level work. Hard to find work in DC area.

Stephanie

Specializes in NRP within Labor and Delivery unit.

Yuck! I understand your frustration! You hear all the time "nurses are in high demand" but once you become a nurse you feel like saying "beggars can't be choosers!" I got hired right away at the hospital that I did my school clinical rounds at. That being said, it's a small, rural hospital that thrives on their LPNs...My hospital couldn't function without the LPNs. But at the same time, I feel like I'm the redheaded stepchild of nursing! I am employed in the Obstetrics department taking care of postpartum patients..I love it. However, because we're a small hospital and our OB census isn't always flourishing, they float me to all the other departments in the hospital. Some nights I'll start out on the Behavioral Health unit, then they'll pull me to Med Surg or I start in ICU and have to go back to OB (which is never a complaint when I go back to my home base, lol). It's very frustrating knowing that I just graduated and I'm ready and willing to learn but in my small hospital, there's not really much room to go up.

I am dying to relocate to Las Vegas. Not for the drinking or gambling or all that, but I lived there when I was a bit younger (and i did move there to drink and gamble) and I made some really great friends, and experienced some awesome nurses. Those experiences with those nurses finalized my decision to go to nursing school myself. They inspired me. I want nothing more than to move back out there to be with the amazing friends I've been missing for 2 years... and now that I've got my nursing license...it's like all signs say STOP! A year ago when I graduated, most positions I was applying for required 1 year of experience at least... now that I'm applying with nearly a year under my belt, they all require 2 years and some are now asking for at least 5 years... FIVE YEARS!! By then I can have my RN! I have OB experience (which means nothing as far as an LPN is concerned anywhere urban), and I've been a float nurse for the past 10 months cause I float all the time, yet that seems to not matter either. It's extremely frustrating to spend a year being told that nurses are in such high demand and everyone is gonna want you...to graduating and seeing the reality that they don't want you cause you're new.

So now that I'm done rambling...I would try searching for "teaching" hospitals.. it seems like those ones are the ones that are more willing to take on new grads...like the one I work at that I did my clinical work at. They understand you're new and need experience. I'm finding that many city hospitals have stopped taking LPN's all together... so next option is a doctor's office or SNF or home health... but home health wants you to have a year of experience at least.

As far as a resume goes, I've googled resume templates before and gone by those layouts. My school had an instructor that helped us put together our post nursing school resume/cover letter so I'll pass along the suggestions that were given to me:

1. Start with your name and title obviously, then a personal objective like "to find a LPN position that utilizes my skills and knowledge acquired in school in a professional clinical setting that that allows for professional experience and personal growth"

2. below the statement list your current license. I'm licensed in both Pennsylvania and Nevada, so I have those right at the top with the number and when it expires. Then list credits.. and anything, even if it was from a past job..like Employee of the Month, and CPR and Neonatal resuscitation certified. List the basic run down of clinical experience... if you inserted Foley Catheters or started IV's or initiated telemetry. List any awards you received.

3. List your past/present jobs and descriptions

4. End with education

That's all I can throw at ya I guess. I get a lot of compliments on how my resume is laid out, so I think just switching that stuff around for me (all my credits and license information was always last on my list, I used to start it out with the statement then go right into jobs) made my "Star" points more obvious...I find they don't so much read all of your past jobs, just see what you've done...so if you put all the great things you've accomplished right at the start, that's what gets noticed first. Hopefully this wasn't too much for you...I am a rambler, especially at night when I'm winding down from work! Go figure! Good luck!!! :)

Specializes in LTC.

indeed.com has lots of nursing positions posted, try that site first before careerbuilder or monster. Most schools have someone who came help with resumes, try calling your school.

Most nurses new or experianced are having trouble securing a job, but good luck in your search.

indeed.com has lots of nursing positions posted, try that site first before careerbuilder or monster. Most schools have someone who came help with resumes, try calling your school.

Most nurses new or experianced are having trouble securing a job, but good luck in your search.

Thanks for dropping indeed.com down; They do have a lot of nurse job postings

Specializes in NRP within Labor and Delivery unit.

ya I feel like I've applied for everything I meet qualifications for that are posted on indeed.com. It's so frustrating! You spend all this time in school and stuff hearing that nurses are in so high demand, yet... here you are... a nurse and... no job!

Specializes in LTC.
ya I feel like I've applied for everything I meet qualifications for that are posted on indeed.com. It's so frustrating! You spend all this time in school and stuff hearing that nurses are in so high demand, yet... here you are... a nurse and... no job!

Oh yeah tell me about it, on second thought dont cause I know exactly what your talking about. I apply for positions that I qualify for and nothing in four months of searching and applying everywhere I've had a total of one interview, and they told me that I would be coming back for a second interview within the next week, never heard anything from them, even tried to call a few times to find out what was going on, they didnt even pick up the phone or return my calls.

New nures will be in demand as soon as the more experianced nurses retire which isnt going to happen for a while because the economy is crap and prices for everything keep going up.

Specializes in NRP within Labor and Delivery unit.

Yup, exactly. I'm lucky I DO have a job here in Pennsylvania. My problem is I want to move back out west to Nevada, and that's where I'm getting held up... I'm thankful I have a job for sure, but it's frustrating trying to branch out and get nothing. :(

I am a new LPN graduate June 2010. I passed my board on August 23 and within 2 months I got calls for interviews. What I did was persistently go door to door submit my resumes at the front desk or at their nursing office. Literally I had 7 page back to back list of nursing homes with thier adresses in it. I also went to government places, clinics, doctor offices.Yes Craigslist helped me too. There are facilities willing to train new grads and nursing staffing agencies too. Dress professionally . I also had my physical exams, chest xrays, vaccinations, reference letters and a good resume ready. Good luck.

Great advice NewLPN20. So, when you say, "I also had my physical exams, chest xrays, vaccinations, reference letters and a good resume ready"... do you mean you gave all that documentation on the first visit, when you were just dropping off your resume? or, did you just leave your resume initially, but have the other items with you just in case you were able to actually speak with someone, who might actually ask for them? That's pretty personal info, and if it gets into the wrong hands.....

I would just suggest applying to the jobs even if they ask for some experience. Try craigslist, usually people that post there are more needy for nurses then and are more accepting of new nurses. I have an interview for a place i found on craigslist that wanted people ASAP, which i think is why they over looked that i dont have 2 yrs experience like they asked for =]

Hi Stephanie , i know what ur going through,...if you can send me a copy of ur resume u have I can take a look at it and help u clean it up a little.... I was too a new lpn and went to a crapy school ,,, but don't give up there is hope... I went to school in DC area. and was once in ur shoe looking..... I got help from nursing adviser from another school with my resume and landed 6 job offers....

Hi seasons,

I am also a new grad from Ohio. I might need you email address to help me clean up my resume for me. Someone also mentioned that to me . But as you said Don,t give up. I am frustrated already with experience as a must requirement. I hope you are still looking at this site daily. pls help

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