Pandora6212

Good afternoon! Just looking for some advice or suggestions. I've worked as a LPN for many years in intake for home care. It is a non hands on job and a desk job. I worked this job straight out of nursing school as it was literally over the 50th job I applied for and I took what I could get. Anyway, fast forward many years and I'm still at the same job. We have gone remote due to the pandemic. Also, I still technically have no hands on experience in the nursing world. They are filtering out LPNs slowly from my department. There were 5 of us a few months ago and now it's down to 3. It's not really a matter of "if", it's a matter of "when". To top off my lack of hands on experience I've been followed by a cardiologist for a few years due to constant and sometimes debilitating tachycardia. I finally had my tilt table test and have been diagnosed with POTS (adrenergic). I have no idea what to start researching for my next position. I have no clinical experience which makes me ineligible for even most desk jobs as a nurse. I cannot do a standing or physical job as I just don't have the energy and risk the high possibility of passing out. Has anyone had to leave nursing due to a disability type situation? If so, what did you do after for work? Did you go back to school or switch positions? Maybe, due to the pandemic, it's easier right now to get a full-time with benefits position at home that pays well? Any similar stories or suggestions greatly appreciated. ? Feeling a little lost!

After I got my LPN license I put out close to 200 applications over a 6 month period. I was getting pretty desperate and even applying for non-nursing medical positions. I finally landed a job as an intake nurse for a home care agency. It's a good job for the most part and I have been there for 3 years. I know that I got lucky getting this position because they are almost never offered to new grads. Note: I do NO hands on care. My dilemma: I have been starting to consider going elsewhere. However, I went right into office nursing out of school and I never have had a clinical job. So, I have absolutely no clinical experience. At this point it has been so long since I did hands on care I'm not even sure I would want to do that anymore. Browsing through job postings, every single one, whether hands on or not, requires some sort of clinical experience. I feel like I may need to leave nursing and just get a job in the medical field that requires some medical knowledge. I don't feel like I have a lot of options. This is probably my fault for not continuing to pursue a hands on job after graduating but I had bills to pay so I took what I could get and then got comfortable in this position as time went on. So, my question is basically...is it possible for me to get another office/insurance/research type nursing position somewhere else? Would they consider my experience in intake as enough of a background to excel in other areas of nursing even though I've never worked directly with patients? I know this is pretty confusing. Just feeling a little lost in life right now. Thanks in advance for any suggestions you can offer!

I recently received my LPN license. I applied for over 100 jobs for about 6 months. I did receive a few interviews for nursing homes and doctor's offices but was turned down due to "no experience ". I finally was offered a Intake Nurse position. Of course I jumped at the opportunity and have been working there over a year. My dilemma is, although I like the job for now, I fear for the future. Some days I really miss the hands on (from school). Other times, I feel lucky I don't have to deal with the stress of it. And even if I did want to, I feel like at this point no one would consider me anyway. Also, most non clinical jobs require clinical experience. I'm afraid I kind of burned my bridges doing office nursing right off the bat. It seems kind of unheard of for a nurse to skip the clinical experience and go right to office nursing. Basically, my question is..how difficult will it be for me to, at some point down the line, get another job in nursing? I'm wondering but doubting anyone has had a similar experience. I'm thinking it's going to be rough no matter which direction I take and I've been beating myself up a lot lately about it..

I got the job. :) They called me a few hours after the interview to offer me the position! It is a lot to take in but I feel like I'm getting there slowly. I have no experience as a nurse other than all those clinical rotations during school so it will probably take me a long time to get where the other nurses are. It's a challenge, but I'm up for it. Thanks so much for following up!

Hello all! I am a newly licensed LPN on the hunt for a job for about 4 1/2 months now. I finally landed an interview on Friday with a home care company for a LPN position in their managed care/intake department. I am extremely excited about the potential of obtaining this position. I don't know how else to put it besides..I really really really want it. They know I am a new LPN with no experience and the job is an administrative type role, which I have experience in. I am wondering what types of questions they will throw my way? Situational questions? Or more along the lines of "tell me what you did in previous work roles". I know it is impossible to know what they will ask but what are some questions you were asked? Also, I am wondering if the salary for office nursing is lower than a hands on nurse? I don't want to overshoot when they ask but sometimes I end up skunking myself by shooting too low. I live in Connecticut if that helps any. I just really want to nail this. Any info would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance!

Thank you for your advice. I have done a ton of walk ins but most of the time the second they hear I am a new grad I can see the disappointment and reluctance in their voices and I haven't gotten a call back yet from any. New Jersey is at least a 2.5+ hour drive for me and that is only the Northern most part so I don't think that would be possible for me. At this time I cannot relocate seeing as how I live with my parents and haven't the finances to do so. I'm sort of in a catch 22. I thank you for the advice and I will keep trying but may just need to start looking elsewhere at the same time. =\

I have had my license for 3 months and have been looking for jobs since and even before. I have applied to 100+ but I live in CT, a very small state, and there aren't a lot of LPN postings on a daily basis. I have gone to interviews, job fairs, walk ins, called back places I applied, but to no avail. I even had a family friend set me up with the DON at a LTC facility and that still didn't even pan out for me. I have been super flexible with my schedule and even said I could work weekends and still..nada. However, I know this isn't very long in terms of how long it usually takes someone to land a job. To get to the point, I am unable to remain unemployed any longer. I have so many student loans to pay as well as car bills and so forth. I have to get a full time job and I really need health insurance too. So, I want to start looking outside of my current search area. Since I am not having much luck with a hands on LPN job I have started applying to a few LPN desk jobs but even these are very hard to find and insurance companies in CT only use RNs so that's out of the question. My question to you is, are there any jobs that I can take to stay relevant in the medical field? I know I will probably lose my chance of ever getting a hands on care job if I give up now but I don't have the option to wait any longer as I am in a financial hole. I have no choice but to expand my job search. I want to stay in the medical field, but I just feel so bummed and discouraged having to work as something like a medical receptionist. Not that there is anything wrong at all with that, please don't get me wrong, it's just that I really enjoyed hands on nursing and will be sad to see myself doing something else. Any suggestions on where to apply? Or any jobs that may be kind of out there for LPNs but still requires some nursing knowledge? Thanks in advance... :)

Thanks to those above who offered helpful advice. I have contacted the BON for further clarification.

When he finally returned my call this morning he said he'd be sending me compensation in the mail. So, we'll see if this actually happens...

Well, update... I called the doctor again yesterday morning and left a message asking about the job even though I already knew the answer. He finally returned my call this morning and said he was swamped at work and that's why it took him so long to get back to me. I'm pretty sure he never would have if I had not pestered him. He was friendly but told me that his nurse thought it would take too long to train me and they needed someone more quickly. I asked how she could have known that in the 2.5 hours I was only shadowing and did add that she left me alone the last hour. He completely changed the subject and said I was a very nice girl and carried myself very well but that he thought I would do better at a practice where they had more time/people available to train me. He really avoided my questions and I still have no idea why the nurse didn't like me. However, I was polite and thanked him for his call. I actually feel relieved now having not been offered the job. What a miserable experience it probably would have been!

Oh, okay. Thanks guys! I was getting worried because I read this on a different allnurses post: "Definitely check with your own state Board of Nursing. How "close" the supervision of the RN has to be varies. I have worked in states (like CT) where an LPN cannot work anywhere except in a client home without an RN in the building. I have worked in other states (like MA) where an LPN can work in non-hospital settings as long as an RN is immediately available by phone. In all states there must be some type of RN supervsion for the LPN/LVN." I can always ask the doctor about it if I do end up getting hired just in case. Thanks. :)

Yes, but aren't LPNs only supposed to take direct orders from RNs or APRNs? And the APRNs and RNs take the orders from MDs? If something were to go wrong and they saw that a LPN was taking orders from a MD with no RN/APRN on site/call wouldn't that be very bad?

I have not been hired but I had an interview and I know for a fact that the doctor is checking my references. :) The job is at an allergy clinic. It is only a one doctor practice and he only has one nurse (LPN), who is cutting back her hours to retire. I am really excited about the position because everything about it is really what I was looking for! However, I remember during nursing school one of my instructors saying that in Connecticut a LPN has to work under a RN or APRN. They cannot work directly under a doctor. Is this true? I was reading the scope of practice for a LPN in CT and it seems that she may be correct but those documents are quite confusing to interpret sometimes. It seems to read that a RN or APRN needs to be either at the office or available on call at all times for a LPN. But again, I am not positive, so this is why I am asking for some input. I am a new graduate and don't want to make any newbie mistakes. Anyone know what the rules are? Thanks in advance!

Thanks for your words of encouragement. :) I called the doctor and left a message because I want to know what the nurse said about me. I doubt they'll call back but it was worth a shot. I'm moving on and applying to other places. I'm thinking the same about dodging a bullet.

I am going to follow up if he doesn't get back to me by today or tomorrow. I want to know what their exact reasoning is for rescinding the job offer. I just was asking for advice or similar situations in the meantime to lift my spirits.