New LPN and no jobs available.

SharkLPN · May 12, 2004

Yikes! I'm in Ohio, and at my facility, I perform assessments, med pass (excluding IV), etc on 6-7 pts, always under the wing of an RN, but I'm never co-signed or rechecked, unless I've been floated to another unit and the RN is not comfortable letting a 'stranger' assess their pts (and I'm NOT offended if they do this. quite the opposite - it tells me they give a damn about that pt, and don't just take my word for it that every pt is OK). I've never heard otherwise, but I'll check the states opinion on my LPN assessment just in case. Most of my work buddies are RNs, and I'd hate for them to take a fall over me.

Another acute care hospital in town trains LPNs on IV therapy (insertion, meds, etc), but mine won't. So far, I'm content to not have the additional headache and responsibility, but it's probably a matter of time before I'll be doing it as well.

Its a shame that in a nursing crisis, too many bright lights in this field are dimmed over pedigree. I'm not saying I'm better than an RN, no. But my RNs always appreciate the safety net of an extra set of competent eyes watching over the pts. And until you have enough competent RNs available to safely staff a unit, what other choice is there but RN/LPN teams?

Ladybay, stick with your search. Even if you don't initially start where you want to, the opportunity really is there. I'd actually love a wound care job (though not prn - too many bills and no guarantee of hours!), but I've stuck myself in med for the experience and would, funny enough, miss some of the weirder aspects of working a gen med floor.

tiona · May 12, 2004

The same thing is happening in my area. Sacramento CA hospitals aren't hiring LVN's. And, like you they were actively recruiting us in 1st semester. I'm currently working in LTC. I hope the tides change because the few hospitals which do hire us require at least 1 year acute experience and the 1100 hours of clinical that I had at school doesn't count. I'm managing LTC ok, but it is more work than is humanly possible!

ladybay · May 12, 2004

I didn't realize that some hospitals in California aren't hiring LPN's too. I thought it was just a phase only in my neck of the woods. I wonder if this is happening nationwide or just in certain states? Only time will tell when and if the nursing shortage would get to the code blue point to where hospitals would have to either reinstate LPN's, continue using agency nurses or recruit foreign nurses. :rolleyes: We'll see.

ladybay

reyna · May 13, 2004

i've found out that in salem, oregon there's only 1 hospital in the area and that they don't hire lvns/lpns...lvn there are all in skilled/nursing facilities...

lehua · May 14, 2004

lvn's are greatly needed from what ive seen at the few clinical sites ive been to. the trend (if the rn's & lvn's are correct at the clinicals), is to remove cna's from the payroll and broaden lvn work to inlude cna care. so no job where you live or overworked to death over here. good luck and keep your chin up!

Hellllllo Nurse, BSN, RN · May 14, 2004

....... I want to utilize my skills like assessments, injections, meds, nursing dx, IV monitors, tube feedings, blood draws and IV's, utilizing a stethoscope, becoming familiar with various medical situations, you know nurse stuff.........
ladybay

You can do all of these things and more in a sub-acute/rehab unit in a LTC facility.

Sheri257 · May 14, 2004

I didn't realize that some hospitals in California aren't hiring LPN's too. I thought it was just a phase only in my neck of the woods. I wonder if this is happening nationwide or just in certain states?

In California, it probably has more to do with the new RN ratio law. They're cutting back on support positions to free up more money to hire more RNs and meet the new ratio requirements. Just FYI.

:coollook:

KacyLynnRN · May 22, 2004

A lot of LPN's have posted on here about how no hospitals in their area are hiring LPN's...I live in Indianapolis, Indiana and the hospitals here are clammering for LPN's (as well as RN's) I work in a local hospital and almost everyweek there are several positions open for LPN's, mostly on Med/Surg. I wonder if it has anything to do with the fact that LPN's in this state seem to do a whole lot more then most other states...here in Indy we push IV meds, blood transfusions, assessments (except initial), start IV's, etc... Right now at work we are very short staffed, they are offering a $350 bonus check for picking up extra shifts they deam 'critical' shifts (usually weekends) and that is for the LPN's as well...I wonder if the nursing shortage is particularly bad here in Indiana or what??

RN-PA, RN · May 22, 2004

I work in a local hospital and almost everyweek there are several positions open for LPN's, mostly on Med/Surg. I wonder if it has anything to do with the fact that LPN's in this state seem to do a whole lot more then most other states...here in Indy we push IV meds, blood transfusions, assessments (except initial), start IV's, etc...

I work with a lot of LPN's on our med-surg unit and called our nurse educator the end of last week to ask her if LPN's could take patients with morphine drips. We were told that they could not take a patient with endstage cancer who was on a Dilaudid drip a while back. It seems ridiculous to me. The patient I had to take last week, rather than an LPN, was a DNR/comfort-care patient who died two days after initiating the morphine drip. Why couldn't an LPN have taken that patient? The RN has to titrate the narcotic drips which is fine with me, as we do for IV heparin drips, but LPN's are allowed to take patients on IV heparin. So as it stands now, LPN's at our hospital cannot: hang blood, take verbal orders or sign off orders, do admissions, hang TPN, take patients with PCA or continuous epidural, give IV push meds, or start IV's. I haven't heard from our nurse educator yet, but I plan to ask administration these questions if the educator or my unit's nursing director can't give me a good reason why our LPN's can do so little, unless it's related to PA's scope of nursing practice and policies for LPN's.

Is this just Pennsylvania's or my hospital's ridiculous rules?

I'm off to do a search about PA's regulations for LPN's....

marymary · May 22, 2004

I live in Tulsa and just received my license 2 weeks ago. The hospitals around here are not hiring LPNs but they were when I started school. I'm a nurse tech at my hospital and human resources wants to move towards an all RN staff, thanks to Wellsprings coming in and revamping hospital policies. :angryfire I even make more money (with shift diff) than a new grad LPN at my hospital. I want to leave my job sooo bad. The only hospital that did have a position was for a prn wound care nurse. I find it sad to resort to changing dressings after all I've learned in school. Where is a newbie to get some hospital experience? I even contacted various places like home health, hospices, dialysis and agency, nothing. Agencies require 6-12 months med-surg experience. I'd hate to lose those hard earned nursing skills by going to a nursing home. Before I can even think of RN school, I need to start working as a nurse, get some skills and make decent money first. I want to utilize some critical nursing skills like med-surg but if no one gives me a chance, what can I do? I can't move out of state with a house and husband (who has a couple of surgeries pending). its frustrating.
ladybay

:rotfl: Hi

I have been a LPN for ten years. When I graduated in 1994 I had the same scenerio and I was content until I got frustated with the limitations and went back to school. Apply for employment elsewhere; nursing homes, doctors' offices, assistive living and prisions. It may not be what you want but you will gain other experience;medication knowledge, treatments, communication skills...etc. After one year or six months of working go back to school and work toward the RN. The rest will follow. Remember always..when one door closes another one opens...

P.S. I graduate on May 27 with honors. NCLEX next month. You can do it too!

ladybay · May 22, 2004

marymary,

It looks like that's exactly what I am forced to do. I don't have much of a choice. It seems some states are in desperate need of LPN's and some are severely limiting us, just like here where I am. I can't figure out for the life of me why this is so if there is such a nurse shortage. Thanks anyway.

ladybay

cna on her way · May 22, 2004

I didn't realize that some hospitals in California aren't hiring LPN's too. I thought it was just a phase only in my neck of the woods. I wonder if this is happening nationwide or just in certain states? Only time will tell when and if the nursing shortage would get to the code blue point to where hospitals would have to either reinstate LPN's, continue using agency nurses or recruit foreign nurses. We'll see.
ladybay

I actually think it pertains to the hospitals more than the states. Several hospitals in NC aren't utilizing LPNs anymore but there are a handful that will. It is up to the administration and the budget restraints I am sure. Just a note on wound care nursing, I worked in the Burn unit as a CNA2 for over a year and it was a wonderful job. You learn alot more than you expect when you deal with wounds. Theres so many different treatments and techniques. I saw Stephens Johnsons syndrome, Nephratitis facyitis (however it is spelled its the flesh eating disease that begins with a boil and tunnels under the skin), and all types of burns as well as chronic decubitis ulcers that were huge. It can be very rewarding. But its all up to preference. Maybe at this point even a position your not impressed with could be a blessing since it gets your foot in the door should another one come open in the hospital. I wish you the best of luck, just don't give up.