Someone should warn people!!!

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I am a LPN, Florida licensed that is currently living in Indiana because I am trying to relocate to FL. I have family down there and we decided to try to move after I graduated. I CANNOT FIND A JOB!!! FL lists all these LPN jobs, nice and dandy.............until you graduate and apply and they tell you that 1 year experience is needed! WHAT???? How are LPN recent grads supposed to get experience?? The hospitals don't want you, "WE ONLY HIRE RN's" they say. Where are we supposed to go??? I am so darn angry right now I can scream. Well I did scream!!!! AAAHHHHHHH!!! I don't have anything against RN's but why do they not give LPN's the same chance they give RN's. Do they realize that LPN's

1)Take state boards just like RN's.

2) Pay the same $204 for the license, $15 for the CE, and $200 just to take the exam.

3) Study for the exam endlessly, take the exam, freak out, do the "trick" , feel such relief after passing!

Then just to find out the license is worthless!!!! WORTHLESS!!! I can seriously say screw nursing and mean it!!!!:angryfire

Felecia

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Specializes in CVICU.

The situation is pretty awfull in the Miami area too. Most of the people I graduated with dont have jobs. They even have BSNs. Your right, though, without experience its impossible to get hired. JAckson and Baptist havent even opened up jobs for new RN grads like they did every other year. So lots of BSN new grads are pretty screwed around here. Ive heard those hospitals might not even have new grad jobs for the rest of this year!!! Ouch!!!

I really didnt see that many LPNs at either JAckson or Baptist. I ran into a couple but thats it. Ive heard the nursing homes and stuff is where the LPNs dominate. But those places prolly arent even hiring. I think just picking up the yellow pages and calling every single nursing related biz in there is the only way for leads. It might take hours and hours or days of dedicated calling but you might get thru.

So ya, your not the only one screaming, the nursing market for new grads is horrendous right now...

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Hi there,

I know exactly how you are feeling! When i first graduated, nobody would hire me, especially the hospitals!!! I ended up working in a nursing home, and have been there ever since! I am almost finished with my RN and get this, they (meaning future employers) consider me a new RN and won't even consider my LPN years! Now does that WOMP or what? The ONLY thing that i cannot do as an LPN is push iv medications, otherwise, i am doing the same crap that the RN's do and i won't get credit for my experience!????? What is up with that!

Good-luck, you will find nursing homes, or doctors offices will be the only places to look as an LPN-it sucks but that is the nature of the beast.

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Well, my new employer won't pay me as an RN once I get the license until I work somewhere else as an RN for one year and it is next to impossible to get LPN/LVN work here also. But it is almost as impossible to get a job for a new RN. When a person opts for LPN/LVN instead of RN, they are adding to their employment difficulties. You have to be that much more persistent with an LPN license.

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That is just aweful!!!! I can cry reading these posts. I went into nursing to help people, now I realize I cannot even help myself!

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Specializes in COS-C, Risk Management.

It's not your license, it's your lack of experience. As previously stated, lots of new RNs aren't finding jobs, either. And experienced nurses are having a tough time, too. I'm piecing together three per-diem jobs right now myself. Keep trying. That's all anyone can do. Good luck.

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Wow!.. Hopefully things will turn soon.

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Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.
Well, my new employer won't pay me as an RN once I get the license until I work somewhere else as an RN for one year .

Is that some state board licensing issue because of the particular RN school you chose? ... or ... Is that simply a practice that your current LPN employer does with all LPN's who go back for the additional RN education?

If it is just a peculiarity of your employer ... is that common practice where you live? Do lots of employers do that to all new RN's?

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Specializes in family, internal, pediatric.

I live in the Jacksonville area. Many LPNs here work in nursing homes. You may want to try home health agencies or agency work to get started.

The market is bad for LPNs and RNs due to the economy. If you want to remain in nursing, start taking classes toward your RN degree. When the economy improves, there will be more jobs again and you will be more marketable as an RN.

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I was warned...by the school. When I was interested in nursing school ( in MD ) there were many folks who warned me that unless I wanted to work in a nursing home, that most places now a days use RN's. They even said "look in the paper". I decided it was worth the extra semester to get that RN over the LPN if only to open more doors. I'm grateful, b/c now I see it's true! In MD, Ca, and NC I have yet to work w/ an LPN. Unfortunately I think you are very limited now with either nursing homes or maybe home health. Perhaps try Craigslist...there's many opportunities for private home nurses if that's an interest for you. Perhaps (ugh) you could go back to school for the RN??

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Hi Felecia, I'll bet HCR Manor Care has SNF jobs for new grads in Florida....check it out!

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While home health agencies are an option, they too also want prior experience

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