New student with questions, please help!

SparkleShine · Sep 1, 2011

Hello everyone! I am very new to this site but very excited to join a community with people who are going though the same things as I am about to!
I am very excited to start this chapter in my life, but also very nervous as I have four small kids and hope I am able to juggle it all. I am very determined, driven and passionate about this, but it is still a bit overwhelming to think about.
I live in Southern California and am about to start LVN school. I do realize that it's a very competitive job market, but that is a gamble I am completely willing to take. I have faith that I can and will find something that works for me.
I do have a few questions I am hoping to get answers to. With all my research I can not seem to find a definite answer. So I am hoping for some help.
Firstly, I am really wanting to eventually get work in a substance abuse rehab/center. Or even a jail. Are these places that are known to hire LVNs?
My second question is regarding tattoos. What are most policies about visible tattoos? Will covering with a Band-Aid be okay?

Hi. I'm also new to this site and just wanted to say congrats on soon to be beginning LVN school and good luck to you. We have a lot in common, I too have young kids, FIVE to be exact, (two sets of twins, 5yr old B/G set, 8yr old G/G set and my oldest daughter whose 11yrs old. :eek: :heartbeat: )) so I know how your feeling about being able to successfully pull this off and finish school but i am determined. I live in northern California and I have my 1st meeting with the school I've chosen tomorrow, fingers crossed I will be beginning their next program start in November. :up:

As far as your questions, I'm no expert but I do know that the prison system does hire LVNs, I remember seeing ads in my local newspaper from the California Dept. of Corrections hiring LVNs, that was about 2 yrs ago but I'm sure you could check out the CDC website to see if they still are hiring them, I don't see why they wouldn't be.

As for the tattoo question I'm not sure but I am currently a medical assistant and when I went to school for that my best friend and I did the program together; I don't have any visible tattoos but she has some on her lower arms. Our school asked that all students with visible tattoos cover them up by wearing a white long sleeve shirt under their scrubs or wear a bandaid over them. I figure since its a similar setting, a professional medical environment maybe tattoos would need to be covered up in most medical programs but thats just an opinion and I could be very wrong. Did your school give you a rules/regulations manual that you could check? :confused:

Anyhow again congrats on school and good luck to you!

mstacyi · Sep 1, 2011

I am not sure about LVNs in state prison but I would assume they do, but maybe not as many as RNs. As far as tattoos goes, in nursing school any one with a tat must have it cover with a warp or wear long sleeves to cover it. We were told it need to be cover where it is not noticeable that we have a tattoo there.

Same as in my work place, a new hire was told she need to cover her tattoos with long sleeves, but since she work on other floors no one have their tats cover so she never cover hers and when her 90 days was up she was gone.

anyway, my point is once in nursing school treat it like a job as if your in your probationary period and you should stay under the radar.

BoondockSaint · Sep 1, 2011

hi. i'm also new to this site and just wanted to say congrats on soon to be beginning lvn school and good luck to you. we have a lot in common, i too have young kids, five to be exact, (two sets of twins, 5yr old b/g set, 8yr old g/g set and my oldest daughter whose 11yrs old.)) so i know how your feeling about being able to successfully pull this off and finish school but i am determined. i live in northern california and i have my 1st meeting with the school i've chosen tomorrow, fingers crossed i will be beginning their next program start in november.
as far as your questions, i'm no expert but i do know that the prison system does hire lvns, i remember seeing ads in my local newspaper from the california dept. of corrections hiring lvns, that was about 2 yrs ago but i'm sure you could check out the cdc website to see if they still are hiring them, i don't see why they wouldn't be.
as for the tattoo question i'm not sure but i am currently a medical assistant and when i went to school for that my best friend and i did the program together; i don't have any visible tattoos but she has some on her lower arms. our school asked that all students with visible tattoos cover them up by wearing a white long sleeve shirt under their scrubs or wear a bandaid over them. i figure since its a similar setting, a professional medical environment maybe tattoos would need to be covered up in most medical programs but thats just an opinion and i could be very wrong. did your school give you a rules/regulations manual that you could check?
anyhow again congrats on school and good luck to you!

hello and thank you for your reply. and wow, five kids...go you!! and two sets of twins? how cool. my babies are 2,4,5 and 7. so yes, i am right there with you in the struggle to be there for my kids and family and start a new career. it will be a hard few years, especially since i will have to rely a lot on my village to help me out (thank god, i live in a town with a lot of our family around..so together we are all going to make it work)

good luck on getting into your school in november, my school starts september 26th. i am so very excited.

how is the job market up there? it's not too great down here, but i am open to a lot so i am hoping it won't be too big of a challenge to get work. i am a little apprehensive with the economy the way it is and all, but i am also really hopeful. i figure it's a hard market out there for everyone, so why not have something i specialize in? couldn't hurt.

i am thinking i will have to use band-aids. i have a tattoo on the back of my neck, and also one on my hand. :rolleyes:

i so far have covered it with a band-aid at my school and nobody has said anything. i don't have a problem with conversing them up at all. i am just wondering if i will always have to.

well nice "meeting" you and good luck!!

BoondockSaint · Sep 1, 2011

I am not sure about LVNs in state prison but I would assume they do, but maybe not as many as RNs. As far as tattoos goes, in nursing school any one with a tat must have it cover with a warp or wear long sleeves to cover it. We were told it need to be cover where it is not noticeable that we have a tattoo there.
Same as in my work place, a new hire was told she need to cover her tattoos with long sleeves, but since she work on other floors no one have their tats cover so she never cover hers and when her 90 days was up she was gone.
anyway, my point is once in nursing school treat it like a job as if your in your probationary period and you should stay under the radar.

Thank you so much for your reply. I have no problems covering up my tatoos and am planning on doing so! I would never do anything to jeopardize what I have going on right now!

SparkleShine · Sep 1, 2011

hello and thank you for your reply. and wow, five kids...go you!! and two sets of twins? how cool. my babies are 2,4,5 and 7. so yes, i am right there with you in the struggle to be there for my kids and family and start a new career. it will be a hard few years, especially since i will have to rely a lot on my village to help me out (thank god, i live in a town with a lot of our family around..so together we are all going to make it work)
good luck on getting into your school in november, my school starts september 26th. i am so very excited.
how is the job market up there? it's not too great down here, but i am open to a lot so i am hoping it won't be too big of a challenge to get work. i am a little apprehensive with the economy the way it is and all, but i am also really hopeful. i figure it's a hard market out there for everyone, so why not have something i specialize in? couldn't hurt.
i am thinking i will have to use band-aids. i have a tattoo on the back of my neck, and also one on my hand.
i so far have covered it with a band-aid at my school and nobody has said anything. i don't have a problem with conversing them up at all. i am just wondering if i will always have to.
well nice "meeting" you and good luck!!

i've heard the job market here in the sf bay area isn't very good, especially for new grads but i'm not letting that stop me from going for my dream. as much as i'd hate to leave my mom & other family behind i am willing to relocate to another state for work. i have a couple connections in illinois and arkansas from my husband's family that work in snf and ltc so if nothing happens for me here in cali those would be the next places i'd look for work.

Christine2009 · Sep 2, 2011

The CDC is activly looking for LVN's! They came to my school and said that they are hiring like crazy...also the VA is also an option. You want to look for jobs with a G3 class which is their entry level position with no experience as a LVN.

I also live in Northern Cal and jobs are out there, you just have to look for them. I am in my 2nd term and the clinical site we go to are hiring grads from my school...best of luck to you in your journey...