What job should a new LPN graduate take?

[sweet_n_low]

Hi everyone,

I'm a LPN/LVN student from Texas. I am almost finished! (yay!) We graduate in may.

I'd like to ask a couple of you seasoned gals and guys for some advise.

What job do you consider best for a new LPN graduate?

I want to go on and get my RN so studying is going to take a large amount of my time. Most of my classmates are going to work at one of our local hospitals and they will work full time. The orientation lasts several months also. I am not sure I can handle working full time and school. My instructors make me feel like I'd be less of a nurse if I don't take a job on the floor to get that first year experience.

I have a job opportunity to do pediatric home care (under an agency) for chronically ill children. I'd love to do that, but I don't want to cut myself short in the experience department.

What's your 2 cents? Where did you work when you first graduated? Thanks in advance

[JRN1704]

Acute Care for experience vs. SNF for $$$

I rather take Acute anytime, take a less pay, and build that experience. Get your ACLS/PALS/IV Certification. Move up in the life of a NURSE.

[missjennmb]

I'm kind of clueless on the acronyms... what qualifies as acute care exactly? Also ACLS/PALS/SNF?

I'm in an LPN course at the moment, and never would have gone if I thought my only option would be old age homes, but it seems like there are next to zero jobs available here other than that. In the past few months I've only seen two that interested me... weekends at a private psych hospital and temp / part time through an agency at a hospital and in neither place do I even know if I had a chance, since there have only been those two available. Is it too much to ask for full time at somewhere that is not going to end up just being about making people comfortable while they wait to die? I dont mean any disrespect whatsoever. I just really want to help people feel better and I dont think I could just see people pass on all day every day. Sometimes maybe or as a learning step maybe, but its not what I want out of life, yk?

[JRN1704]

Usually experience is needed to get into Acute (Hospital) setting. Some Hospitals DO and DON'T use LVNs. Also, is word of mouth or when you get into your clinical settings in Acute Care, see if they hire on LVNs and get on a good note with them.

I see MOST LVNs that do Registry Nursing or Home Health, some Hospice. The DOOR is wide open for Nursing. It's like I was saying, I rather get paid less than get paid more for doing SNF.

Acute is if you want to branch onto other things.

ACLS/PALS is usually needed for ER/OR.

ER is pretty rare to see LVNs but possible to get into!

Remember, LVN have the GOLD CARE but RNs have the PLATNIUM!

ACLS = Advance Cardiac Life Support

PALS = Pediatric Advance Life Support

SNF = Skilled Nursing Facility

[JenRN03]

Pediatric home care is awesome!! i work 3rd shift and love it... i get to work 12 hour shifts for 2 different clients (3 shifts a week including a weekend).. i am in transition for the RN program and i also have 3 kids at home and a husband... after my clients are in bed i have the rest of the night as free time (exception is routine cleaning, disinfecting, repositioning, diaper changes ect.. ) lot of time to work on home work and study!!!! It works for me....

[akanini, MSN, RN]

I will be working for a union with a LTC facility. I would love to work in the hospital on a Med-Surg floor, but the union is paying for my education.

[peridotgirl]

I started 6 months ago at a state facility for the mentally challenged. We did some clinicals there and I must say that I never would have thought to go there or even known this place existed if we hadn't. I LOVE working there. The clients (residents) are wonderful people who I am very pleased to have gotten to know. Certainly, there are some challenging behaviors, but everyone is someone's favorite. I have learned a staggering amount of nursing working in the medically fragile areas. I am gaining in confidence and still soaking in knowledge like a sponge. The pay is better than I would have received in a nursing home and it is managed very well. (this facility is one of the best in the country). They have a scholarship program for schooling that can't be beat. Anyone can apply for it. I oriented for a month before I was 'cut loose' on the population and there were numerous classes to attend on policy and procedure.

Consider looking into different areas than just nursing homes. I've heard some horror stories about nursing homes...

Hello, JCsinging, to add on to what you said, I don't think that working in a LTC facility is a really good idea for a newly graduate LPN. I'm not fond of LTC either. To the OP, the reason I say this is because while working in a TLC facility is a good experience, you lose a lot of your clincial skills while working there. Plus, LTC is much slower, so if you prefer to work at a slower pace, then this might be a good option. The advanges of TLC facilities that some of them will hire you on the spot w/o a yr's experiecne.

I'm not an LPN as of yet, I have 6 months to go. I do plan to find work in a pediatrician's office or acute care. I don't know yet. But this is a my two cents and I welcome you to the nursing field and I wish you good good in whatever area of nursing you choose to do. :yeah::):nurse::nurse:

[tcowie]

I am having trouble finding ANY place that will hire a new grad with no experience. Even my previous employer whom I worked as an STNA for said 'no' to me because I don't have any experience an an LPN. I dont' know what to do!!!

[determined1]

In the same boat here. I decided to enter a RN program straight out of LPN school and now, 3 yrs later, I'm still working on my RN and still haven't gotten any experience at all.

I have a decision to make real soon. As I continue my studying, I want to get some experience. However, my passion is with maternity. I will not be happy anywhere else. Its not easy to come by a LPN position in maternity.

Now, I do have an opportunity to work at a SNF. So, I'm stuck with the dilemma.......work for some type of experience and be unhappy or not give up on what I want? I might as well just finish my RN then work. I just don't know. Once I start working, I will need to keep up with a job.

I am a single mom of 3. I've basically been home raising them and not that the job is done, but I'm in a position now that a may find a way to work. I'm only interested in working now to gain experience (LTC is not what I had in mind) not that I'm financially in desperate need.

I just don't know..............any opinions??

[hopefulwonderland]

does volunteer work count as hours of experience?

[newbie26]

First congrats! I would suggest working in a hospital. I just finished my first year as an LVN and the experience I have gained is unmeasurable. I'm from East Texas and the hospital i work at is very flexible toward LVN's moving toward their RN. I half to agree that home health care might be I bit hard to pull off just getting started however It is your decision. Good luck in whatever you decide=)