Unemployed and frustrated new LVN graduate! Please help! What am I doing wrong?

U.S.A. California

Published

I graduated from an accelerated LVN program in 2007. I took the NCLEX mid 2008 and passed the first time. But since then I have been looking for an LVN job and it seems nearly impossible! I mean everybody is always saying how nurses will always have job security and everything so it must be something I'm doing wrong! It seems that everybody wants experience these days which I do not have. I do have clinical experience but only about 3 months in total. I'm so frustrated because I know that I can do a good job and I'm so eager to be a nurse but it has been so long since I got my license and have yet to find a steady job! Any advice will help me. I look on CraigsList everyday, Monster, I've applied to Kaiser, St. Jude, multiple nursing homes in my area, I've sent so many resumes I can't even count! I used to just drive around dropping off resumes to different facilities in Orange County that I come across, (that's where I live) but nobody seems to be hiring. I'm so tired of searching everywhere but the qualifications is always "minimal 1-2 years paid experience" What is going on?! Please help! I've even gone to different facilities and asked them if I could do volunteer work (like an internship type) just so I can gain more experience..But they tell me that I need to be backed by a school and that I can do regular volunteer work ( like cutting paper or cleaning bathrooms) but not actual LVN work. I'm working as a food server right now full time and I just feel like everyday I'm wasting my time when I could be out there helping people, not serving them overpriced food:crying2:

Is it my resume? Am I not going about this the right way? I'm in need of any real advice.. I'm so discouraged and anxious.HELP!

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You should try looking outside orange county in the rural areas like Riverside, Corona, etc. Try to network with your old classmates. They should be able to look over your resume, give your referrals where they work, and other tips. Keep trying to volunteer. I'm not from OC so not really familiar, but I know Veterans Hospital doesn't require that school enrollment to volunteer. So try out VA in Long Beach.

Also ask your old school for help. I was out of school 2+ years but was still able to get a bit of advice from my career center counselor on who was hiring new students etc.

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Specializes in LTC, Psych, M/S.

I am in Wyoming - my hospital hired a RN from Los Angeles who said that he could not find any employment in CA so he posted his resume online and wyo is where he ended up.....however I don't see a huge nursing shortage even here anymore. They were saying rural areas is where the shortage was, or still is. It does sound like CA in general is just flooding the market with new graduates.

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Specializes in ER/ float.

I believe there never was a nursing shortage. It was fabricated by the schools and universities to bring in

students by the thousands. It worked, and now look at the big picture. I have experience and a BSN and cannot find work to save my butt. Sitting here in a rural area in wisconsin I have exhausted my resources and hear the local tech college is turning out new grads by the hundreds that don't know their stuff however are landing jobs due to what is now called networking. (thats who you know in nicer terms). This job market is the worst I have ever experienced in all the years I recall searching. I also feel the healthcare facilities are utilizing this market to their advantage, and wages and working conditions will be affected for us all. I only wish I knew a few years back what I know now. I would be $35000 in less debt and alot happier. Good luck and keep your chin up.

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Specializes in Emergency.

Have you thought about going back to school?

I know that isnt always easy money wise, but maybe you could get a loan and get into RN classes. That way you wouldnt be such an "old grad" and when you were looking for something you would be backed by a school.

I know it isnt the perfect solution, but I figured you could use any ideas at this point. I remember that feeling of despair and I would have done anything to stop it.

I wish you the best of luck. I'm in DC, but I hear from everyone that CA is a really packed market. (Even more so then the rest of the country)

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Specializes in Give me a new assignment each time:).

http://www.job.com/my.job/jobdisplay/page=jobview/pt=2/key=74330181/

http://www.miracleworkers.com/INTL/JobSeeker/Jobs/JobDetails.aspx?siteid=wmindeed&Job_DID=J3G81C6WGWXXJJPGFDS

American United Home Health in Studio City, CA, takes new grads all the time for home health.

Hollywood Community Hospital takes new grads. You have to be persistent, re-send a resume and application every week. Call HR at least once a week, to follow up. The reason is that, at many smaller hospital, the HR coordinator does so much work, and they don't always look at the resume so they simply let the staffing agency supply them with nurses. Vibra hopital in San Diego would consider you. But, I say workers in front of the Hospital, waving placards... saying "unfair..." something. They set me up for phone interviews but they never do the interview. They are getting on my nerves.

La Palma is a nice place too.

Here is another tip: you might wanna study EKG rythmn strip to take the monitor tech test at hospitals that have those positions. It's a good way to get your foot in the door. But, the pay is soooo low:(

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http://www.job.com/my.job/jobdisplay/page=jobview/pt=2/key=74330181/

http://www.miracleworkers.com/INTL/JobSeeker/Jobs/JobDetails.aspx?siteid=wmindeed&Job_DID=J3G81C6WGWXXJJPGFDS

American United Home Health in Studio City, CA, takes new grads all the time for home health.

Hollywood Community Hospital takes new grads. You have to be persistent, re-send a resume and application every week. Call HR at least once a week, to follow up. The reason is that, at many smaller hospital, the HR coordinator does so much work, and they don't always look at the resume so they simply let the staffing agency supply them with nurses. Vibra hopital in San Diego would consider you. But, I say workers in front of the Hospital, waving placards... saying "unfair..." something. They set me up for phone interviews but they never do the interview. They are getting on my nerves.

La Palma is a nice place too.

Here is another tip: you might wanna study EKG rythmn strip to take the monitor tech test at hospitals that have those positions. It's a good way to get your foot in the door. But, the pay is soooo low:(

Some great advice there. Thanks for the brightstar link. I didn't even know about them in San Diego.

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it's hard to find a job for everyone. try to make yourself kind of unique. once i was told that i should learn sign language or spanish etc. you could also get some certifacations. these things will make your resume stronger and make you more desirable next to other person.

Try prisons (very safe to work)

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Specializes in Psych, OB-GYN.

I had the same struggle, but not for near as long. I even had experience - 8 years military medic. I started adding certifications to my resume. ACLS, PALS & Cert in Pain assessment and management. I will be starting a 6wk medical spanish course in march. I hated my first job, but I've stuck it out 9 months to help look good on a resume and will be starting my 2nd nursing job on Monday - in a field I WANT to work in.

And FWIW, I sent out over 100 apps/resumes and had TWO interviews. The new job was #3!

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Specializes in School LVN, Peds HH.

I went to LVN school in Orange County, and got my first job there as well in 2008. However, it was home health, and the company screwed me over... That job lasted a whole 6 weeks before I left.

Since then, the only other LVN job I've found has been home health in Sacramento. Options in CA are very very limited here. I wish the school I attended had told me the real facts instead of all the lies the admissions rep sold.

You can try Maxim, but they usually require 1 year of experience. Maybe try a small home health based company. Look more out towards the Inland Empire too. Try for anything. When you send or drop off your resume, add a cover letter stating that you're a fast learner and hard worker, and are willing to do what it takes to gain employment with their company.

Good luck!!

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Specializes in Give me a new assignment each time:).

Avoid maxim!!!. They are bad people. Search for threads on this this site about them. I hate them. Bad experience. They have a class action lawsuit against them by nurses for unpaid wages.

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drop the L and change the V to an R. a lot of plaves are now looking to hire RN's and the lvn position is gradualy being phased out. espesialy since there was a huge influx of rn's when they anounced a shortage. nursing homes are probly the best bet as an lvn

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