jasnxs84

I actually got hired as a new grad 6 months ago in dialysis. They are always looking to hire and they train. A lot of my classmates got into LTC right after graduation. Good luck to you!!

I didn't know lpn's can be scrub techs. Yea dialysis is not fun only because of the super long hours and it does not feel like I am using my nursing skills as much as I would like. I really am not into long term care for just different reasons. I did 2 clinical rotations through ltc and just knew it was not for me. I'm definitely trying to explore my options but people want experience which I dont but 5 months of experience as a lpn/LVN.

I totally agree! Why make it seem like I have no healthcare experience whatsoever and I was one of the most senior Medical Assistants in my facility. It is very frustrating and I dont understand why they are likr that with LVN/LPN because I know that new graduate RN's are sought after a lot and a lot of them have no experience in the medical field.

I realize now that I really love being in the clinical setting. I have tried to apply anywhere else and everyone wants more experience. I'm definitely not giving up my license yet haha. I worked way too hard for it, just a little discouraged and ready to go back to school for my RN which is just another set of challenges in itself.

I graduated LVN school in December of '18 and obtained my state license end of January '19 and it took me 2 and half months to find a job. I have previous clinical experience as a Medical Assistant for 13 years, but a lot of LVN jobs wanted experience as a LVN so I ended up in dialysis. So I cannot say I absolutely hate my job, but it definitely is not what I expected. I am doing what a dialysis technician does but I can pass medications and perform catheter care and use the catheters to give the patients their treatment. I work 16 to 17 hours 3 days a week so I am tired. I was just wondering has any LVN's had their first jobs out of school make you feel like you should not have gone to LVN school? I tried to get into RN school and did not make it in so I went the route of LVN, but I feel like I am just a glorified Medical Assistant. Shoot as a Medical Assistant I felt I was able to do more than I do now as a LVN. I guess I just thought that getting a job as a LVN would be easier than it was and that I would at least be able to be in a setting where I use my nursing skills that I learned in school. I mean LVN school was not easy! I gave up a lot to to school and went through a lot in that one year and I feel like I should have just stayed a Medical Assistant. I found more opportunities as a Medical Assistant than I have being a LVN. Maybe I am just a little discouraged that being a LVN is not exactly what I thought it was going to be. I have been looking for another job for a few months already and still nothing has come up. Just feel discouraged and tired and wondering if anyone else had those feelings at the beginning of their LVN career too?

I recently graduated in December '18 and got my license in January of '19 and it took me 2 and a half months to find a job in dialysis as a LVN. It is crazy busy and crazy long hours, but they did train me and pay is about 23 and hour. Hope all worked out for you.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS: 1. Provide for daily care of students with critical medical needs in the school setting. 2. Substitute for nurse as needed at each school. 3. Maintain a working knowledge of each designated student and his/her current condition and required care. 4. Report to Director of Health Services for monthly assignments and necessary adjustments to schedule. 5. Train staff on special procedures under the direction of Director or Health Services. 6. Maintain training records. 7. Perform such duties as maintaining a stable airway for student, feeding, toileting and caring for all other activities of daily living (ADL). 8. Provide emergency care for the ill and injured, using first aid procedures and obtaining necessary assistance in cases of serious trauma and/or illness. 9. Assist the Registered Nurse with referrals and follow-up for identified health problems as necessary to attain optimum health for each student. 10.Assist the Registered Nurse to maintain accurate and complete health records on each student including immunization records, health history, screening results, referral and follow-up information. 11.Assist the Registered Nurse in adhering to the Texas immunization law by securing records on each student and maintaining up to date health cards and computerized records. 12.Advise the Registered Nurse of any communicable diseases (excluding and re-admission); so that the Registered Nurse can notify the health department of all reportable diseases. 13.Dispense medication according to state law and district policy as delegated by the Registered Nurse. 14.Communicate any family health needs or concerns to the supervising Registered Nurse. 15.Actively support the philosophy of the school district and the total school program. 16.Cooperate effectively with all student service departments, faculty and parents to meet the needs of students. 17.Continue to pursue educational studies to maintain an optimal level of performance. 18.Communicate with the supervising Registered Nurse any concerns related to child abuse and drug abuse cases. 19.Maintain current skills in Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) as required by the American Heart Association. 20.Attend monthly health services staff meetings and other meetings required of staff members in school assigned. 21.Ride the school bus and provide care for the student when being transported.

I understand how you feel but I work in dialysis and not in ltc or anything like that. Dialysis is a beast! You are on your own responsible for putting on your 4 patients, monitoring them during treatment, and taking them off treatment. All that doesn't sound like much, but when you have 3 sets of 4 patients at a time and time restraints on you and working 16 to 17 hours a day is a lot! I am definitely stressed and totally understand how you feel just in a different kind of business. I would say look for something else, but to me unless you are in a clinical setting being a LPN/LVN is a lot of work and not a lot of support from your superior nurses. I have other friends that are LVN's and they went into LTC and they didn't have much support or even training to make them feel comfortable with what they are doing. I really hope it gets better for you!

I worked in a Family Medicine clinic for 10 plus years, but as a medical assistant and when I look at the description of LVN/LPN in a medical clinic it is the same stuff I did as a Medical Assistant. My best advice is ask questions, that is how you learn a lot! I always ask questions and people may get upset about it but remember you have a license to protect and you worked hard for it. A usual day consisted of taking vitals, giving injections/immunizations, answering phones, refilling medications or making sure the rx were correct and sending them to the dr to get approved, getting prior authorizations on medications or medical procedures like MRI's and CT scans, stocking exam rooms, running in house tests like rapid strep or flu tests, performing urinalysis, assisting in pap smears, assisting in small procedures like cysts and mole removals, sterilizing instruments we used in clinic, scheduling follow up appointments, processing referrals, performing EKG's and spirometery tests, and phone triage.

So I graduated in December of '18 and I got my license at the end of January of this year and it took me 3 months to find a job as a LPN in dialysis and I have been trying to find another job since I start back in March with no such luck. Seems like people want you to have experience as a LPN to hire you. Hope you find the job that is right for you, because it is tough out here.