New LPN graduate...need job leads Dallas area.

EricTAMUCC-BSN, BSN, RN · Aug 23, 2005

There's the different systems like Parkland and Baylor that probably have clinics and satelite units for less acute patients. There's John Peter Smith, which is one of the CRNA training hospitals. Dont know much about the longterm facilities.

Anyone out there know of hospitals or LTC facilities that hire recent graduates w/license and with decent pay $14 or more. In the Dallas/Fort Worth area.

RN34TX · Aug 24, 2005

You need to set your sights a little higher than $14/hour. Even a new grad in Dallas can get more than that. I'd say to look for at least $16/hour but you probably could find higher, it's just that some of the better paying places can be the bottom of the barrel places to work.

I worked as an LVN in Dallas from 2000-2003 and here's what I know:

1. Stay away from Parkland and Baylor if you expect to make a decent wage but are good for the experience. They both pay poorly but people are willing to work there for less money to get their name and experience on their resumes. When I got my RN Parkland actually offered me less than what I was already making elsewhere as an LVN.

2. St. Paul, but I think it may now all be considered UT Southwestern pays LVN's well and it overall has a good reputation to get good experience. Also very LVN friendly and allows a wide scope of practice such as doing your own IV pushes, etc.

3. If your looking for money more than good experience, the long term acute care facilities in Dallas such as HealthSouth, Select, LifeCare, and Kindred almost always pay LVN's better than any of the acute care hospitals often with shift diffs and bonuses that the acute hospitals cannot match. I worked at one of them for a couple of years and it was an awful place to work with a reign of terror administration but no acute hospital could match their pay and shift diffs. Good money, horrid working conditions.

Never worked at any nursing homes there so I don't know what they pay or what they are like.

txspadequeenRN, BSN, RN · Aug 24, 2005

I work in Ft Worth and can tell you that if you are more interestd in pay than experience then JPS is not for you. I was offered a senior LVN position that paid a whopping $13/hr. But if you want to see things that you may never see again in nursing and are looking for some great experience JPS is for you. I went to the nursing school there and there is nothing like training at a county hospital. I work in LTC now and make over $21/hr, but I have been there 4 years. I personally dont think you will find decent wages at the hospitals unless you are a RN. That is the reason I went to LTC. I do know that Healthsouth ,Vencor(Kindred) and Lifecare (rehab) hospitals start out at around 18-20/hr. I have worked at all of these and loved every minuite of it... However, I am used to working LTC and putting up with alot of crap so it was a normal eviroment for me. Look around , do some calling you will find a great job in no time.. GOOD LUCK....:)

VetTechingWasEasier · Dec 9, 2007

Well, looks like it's a trade off. Do you want some nice easy cash, or job experience worth having? And about poor working conditions:...I think working conditions are not related to what you have to DO, so much as who you have to do it with. My experience is, ...if you go for the big money kick-back job, you'll end up with coworkers with a "I'm just here for the paycheck" attitude, which can be worse for you career wise than any drill-sergant type boss you'd get in a low paying acute care setting.

Unless you've got a dire need for big money right away...I'd recommend, go get galvanized. Take the low pay and get knocked around for a couple years. It's a rite of passage I think all medical proffesionals should go through, but in the end, you'll have the experience and self-confidence to have a job of real responsibility (and god forbid a fat paycheck) down the road.

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Dec 9, 2007

This thread is well over 2 years old. Since 2 years has elapsed, I can safely conjecture that the original poster long ago arrived at a career decision that he/she was able to live with.

Well, looks like it's a trade off. Do you want some nice easy cash, or job experience worth having? And about poor working conditions:...I think working conditions are not related to what you have to DO, so much as who you have to do it with. My experience is, ...if you go for the big money kick-back job, you'll end up with coworkers with a "I'm just here for the paycheck" attitude, which can be worse for you career wise than any drill-sergant type boss you'd get in a low paying acute care setting.
Unless you've got a dire need for big money right away...I'd recommend, go get galvanized. Take the low pay and get knocked around for a couple years. It's a rite of passage I think all medical proffesionals should go through, but in the end, you'll have the experience and self-confidence to have a job of real responsibility (and god forbid a fat paycheck) down the road.