jommit52

17.25 per hour. plus .75 for midnight differential. .50 for weekend differential and 3.00 for covering for a call off weekend (2.00 or weekday). Location: Central Illinois...2 hours south of Chicago. New grad LPN

It took me about a month and a half to find a job (in IL). Just keep looking and stay positive! Everything will work out!

at assisted living facilities by me, in central IL, starting pay is 15.00. They supervise cna's. Nursing homes around 18

I just started my first LPN job about 2 weeks ago. There is nothing you can "prepare" for. I have wonderful, experienced co workers that are SO VERY helpful...you won't get that lucky sometimes. All I can tell you is to ASK ASK ASK. The hardest part of the job is to remember how to get on the computer, or which pharmacy to fax, or which doctor to call at what times of the day (the doctors that the residents have at this place are NUTS)...Its stuff like that that is hard. I trained 4 days on one cart, had one day alone, then will do that process again with all 5 carts until I get through them all. Everything is a "find out one the job" type thing. Most facilities have their own protocols on how they will do things. You will have tons of questions...and they are going to expect that. I get a lot of help from the residents...they tell me "hey, so and so Is starting to act goofy...you may want to watch her." You will do great...its a lot to take in though...but you will for sure learn sooo much. The HARDEST part is learning the names and faces!!! Good luck to you!!

I had the same problem as you did. I went on several interviews with no luck. Just apply everywhere. You might have to take a shift you dont want, or low pay...but if someone is willing to give you a chance then for sure take it! I just got hired at a LTC facility about 50 miles south of where I live. Its a bit of a drive, but thats okay. You might have to settle for something like that until you get your first year in. It was EXACTLY one month from the day I got licensed to the day I was offered the job.

I just landed a job in Illinois near champaign. As a new grad I was started off at 17.85. plus 1.00 for 2nd shift and .75 for nights. 2.00 extra per hour for weekends and 3.00 per extra for picking up an open shift or coming in for a call off.

My program was 3 semesters... first semester (16 weeks): first 8 weeks was "lab time" where she taught us skills and such...2nd 8 weeks was in LTC one day a week from 7am to 4:10 pm. 2nd semester (16 weeks): first 8 weeks in a LTC center from 6:30 am to 4:00pm I think...one day a week. 3rd semester (6 weeks) first 3 weeks LTC. second 3 weeks Hospital acute care. from 6:00am to 1:00 pm. We also did one day rotations in ER and Dialysis.

Well, I finally was offered a job!!! A LTC facility about an hour south of where I live. I can tell that its going to be a pretty good place to work too!!!

Yeah, Thats what I have been doing. I have been to every LTC facility within an hour from my house. Pretty much all of the doctors offices in my area. Someone will call me soon!!!!! I hope. :)

I studied like crazy for mine...question after question for about a month before the test. There was NOTHING on it that I remembered studying. My recommendation is that the day before the test just take the day off from everything to relax...I know relaxing is super hard at this point...but just chill...read a book, watch tv...whatever. Stay in your pj's all day... Whatever your favorite thing to do is....do that! lol It will help tremendously. My teacher told me to do this...and it sure did help. I was well rested the day of the test, and was able to take my time and concentrate! Good luck! You will kick butt!:redpinkhe:D:redpinkhe:D

HI!!! I have been trying to find my first job for a while now!!!!! Just trying to lift my spirits a little bit. Where or what was your first LPN job, where are you from, and how long did it take you to get it??? maybe your responses will give us "new grads" some hope!

...I totally decided to NOT meet the guy. Even though I am a new grad I am not THAT desperate for a job. I would rather stay at my "student worker" job at the college that pays minimum wage for now then to jeopardize the license that I worked so hard for. The right job will come along...just gotta be patient I guess. Thanks, for all of you input!!

1. what was your favorite class in nursing school and why? pharmacology!!! it was terribly hard and you will learn sooo much! and, the class went by so fast. 2. what was your worst class and what tools did you use to help you pass? our summer semester......it was ob and nero. i hate neuro....and i hate babies. make note cards!!!! and acronyms are a lifesaver. make sure you truly understand what your textbook is saying!!! dont just memorize. 3. how many hours per week did you study? pretty much every waking hour that i wasnt in class or working...i worked about 20 hours/week. 4. do you have any children and how was that like while being in nursing school?(i have a small child) nope, no kids....but sometimes, my boyfriend could probably count as one. every relationship will suffer a little bit. but, remember....the program will flyyyy by. everything will be back to normal before you know it. 5. what was your overall experience? tiring!!! you will be tired all the time. you will do great!!!! just don't get behind! keep up with your reading and it always helps to kiss *** to your teachers.

I am a brand new LPN and wouldnt have it any other way. I am 24, live on my own, and don't have too much money. I have known I wanted to be a nurse forever. Working in LTC as a CNA for 3 years really introduced me to what LPNs do...and I was pretty stoked to become one. So, I have been an LPN for 8 days now, looking for my first job, and currently taking my last prereq for the RN program. So, basically, I did the LPN because I just couldnt afford to give up all that time working my minimum wage job. I can make very decent money working as an LPN while gaining VALUABLE experience...so, when I finally become an RN a little later down the road, I will already be financially stable, have already established connections in my field, and have a couple years experience under my belt to help me get that awesome RN job! Good luck to you! You will do GREAT!

so, i am a new lpn and there are absolutely no jobs out where i live in illinois. so i was surfing the net and i found this brightstar company; a home health agency. seemed like an legit company. i decided to apply, but i was on my lunch break and only got through about half of the first page of the application. so, a few hours later some guy calls me and yaps and yaps about the company. the office is about an hour north of where i live and he was going on and on about how the company was wanting to expand to my area and that they were going to start looking for lpn's in the next couple weeks. this yapping in my ear went on for about 15 minutes. then he started to become a little creepy: asking me pretty personal questions about where i live and work and was asking me for all my teachers phone numbers so he could "network" with them so they could help him recruit new cnas, lpns, and rns. when then, he finally asked me if i was interested in an interview. i said "okay"...until he offered to drive an hour south of the office to meet me at a restaurant so we could "hook up". i'm sure when he said "hook up" he didn't mean anything wrong by it, but it sure was a tad creepy. he advised me to "finish the application online"...then he said he was going to print it out and bring it to our "meeting place" anyways, after that he kept going on and on about wanting to use my connections (because i work at the college out here) to recruit and sell products and such. i wasn't about to put my new license in jeopardy or the lives of patients working for this crazy dude.... after i got home from work, i came on here and researched the company and found some interesting threads. from what i understand, they don't provide too much "medical" care. i mean the nurses go in and do their assessment and thats about it. i just thought that i would share my story to help steer any of you who are thinking about working for this company away!!! anyone else have any odd experiences to share?