What kind of job can I get with an ADN but no license?

Nurses General Nursing

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In May of 2012, with a lot of hard work and student loan debt I graduated nursing school at 26 years of age. When I applied for boards my application was denied because I had an arrest record I wasn't aware of. When I was 18 I was wrongfully arrested and charges were dismissed. TWO YEARS after graduating, spending more money I didn't have on an attorney, my "record" was expunged and I was approved to take NCLEX. Since nursing school I have been working in bars and clubs to keep myself afloat. I have now failed the nclex three times. I'm 29 years old, a single mother to a 6 month old baby getting zero child support and practically homeless. We've been staying on family members couches and I've been selling all my belongings. I can't work in bars because of the mass amount of baby weight I put on. Of course, because of all this I am very depressed.

Where can a associate degreed non licensed nurse make a LIVEABLE wage?

Specializes in Care Coordination, MDS, med-surg, Peds.

I am a care coordinator/case manager I have an Associate degree, however, I do have 15 years in hospital and 8 years in LTC experience!

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would your college allow you to audit courses as a sort of refresher?

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Whatever you do, be sure you know if the BoN has a use-by date for your degree. You don't want to find yourself unable to sit the exam because your degree is too old.

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Usually they need a license and a bachelor's degree at a minimum for case management.

I second in person review/refresher

Not sure where the OP lives but we have many Case Managers and Utilization review jobs held by LPNs. Since it isn't direct patient care I would give it a shot and when/if licensure comes up stress that you are board eligible and say honestly that you need a steady job to pay for your NCLEX.

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I feel sorry for your situation but the above post from "SALLYRNRTT" is a great idea! My husband is a cardiologist/partner of a large multi-speciality medical practice. They have helped all types of people who work there get a foot in the door in the hospital when they graduated from a certain speciality,passed their boards etc...My advice to you though is which I don't think will be hard is when you do get a job in let's say a medical office,facility-go that extra mile everyday employee,let others in higher positions than you know YOU ARE TAKING THAT REVIEW COURSE,ask ?'s about higher things than just lunch-kidding to a point but have overheard this many times,take on extra responsibility so you can get that great reference when YOU FINALLY TAKE & PASS YOUR BOARDS-IMO I would start studying & look into getting a job in healthcare again like tomorrow if you are serious as you say you are-Good Luck!!

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Specializes in Pedi.
Not sure where the OP lives but we have many Case Managers and Utilization review jobs held by LPNs. Since it isn't direct patient care I would give it a shot and when/if licensure comes up stress that you are board eligible and say honestly that you need a steady job to pay for your NCLEX.

LPNs are licensed nurses, OP isn't. You can't be a Nurse Case Manager without a nursing license. It may not be "direct" patient care but it is still nursing and you cannot practice nursing without a license.

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Specializes in Complex pedi to LTC/SA & now a manager.
Not sure where the OP lives but we have many Case Managers and Utilization review jobs held by LPNs. Since it isn't direct patient care I would give it a shot and when/if licensure comes up stress that you are board eligible and say honestly that you need a steady job to pay for your NCLEX.

But an LPN is a licensed nurse. You can't be a nurse case manager or nurse UR without a nursing license. Generally you are not eligible without bedside clinical experience as a licensed nurse. The OP is not licensed as a nurse at this point.

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Not sure where the OP lives but we have many Case Managers and Utilization review jobs held by LPNs. Since it isn't direct patient care I would give it a shot and when/if licensure comes up stress that you are board eligible and say honestly that you need a steady job to pay for your NCLEX.

Case managers also need to have had nursing experience, and without a license she won't meet that qualification.

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I wasn't suggesting that LPN's aren't nurses I was one for 15 years. I was addressing the PP that stated she needed a Bachelor's degree to do CM/UR. You know, the post I quoted ? Moreover, the UR department at one of the insurance companies with headquarters in Tampa does on the job training for new grads so a situation isn't the same everywhere. It won't hurt to try. And the job descriptions don't say nurse cm nurse ur. They say UR/CM. The case manager at my husbands facility is a CNA with on the job training.

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Specializes in Critical Care and ED.

I used to be homeless so I know what you're going through. #1 you need to get money to feed your baby and keep you both off the streets. The most immediate way to do that is to get another bar job, regardless of your weight. That's just an excuse because you don't want to do it but you need to swallow your pride and do something for your baby. You can make great tips...put some away to save for an NCLEX book. Once you've earned a few bucks and are more stable, buy a bunch of NCLEX books used off the internet (older editions are just a few bucks). Answer as many practice questions as you can until they're coming out of your ears and you know them almost by heart. When I took my NCLEX I was still residing in another country and had never done a review or taken a class on US soil, and it had been 10 years since I passed my boards in my home country and it was nothing like the US system at all. I literally taught myself from books and I answered more than 10,000 practice questions in 3 months. I passed first time. Get a feel for the questions and use your gut instinct. Make it happen. Nothing is ever meant to be easy. Fight for every opportunity but do not just sit there and bemoan your situation. Use everything you have to overcome it and don't ever stop and sit on your laurels! I've never stopped fighting and now I'm in grad school. You can do it if you really want it.

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Specializes in Psych, Corrections, Med-Surg, Ambulatory.

I just thought of something else. Some people just have a hard time with multiple choice tests, no matter how well they know the material. Feeling stressed and desperate to pass can make you second-guess yourself - fatal on the NCLEX.

My MO was always to read the question, but not look at the answers. Does anything immediately pop into my head? Then look for that among the answers. If it's there, mark it and MOVE ON. Don't look back. (Of course, if your first thought isn't listed among the answers, then you still have to figure it out.) Do not go back and change answers unless you realize you made a definite error. Otherwise, go with your first response and do not second guess yourself.

I'm wishing you the best of luck. Keep us posted.

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Specializes in Registered Nurse.
You could probably work as a patient sitter but I would save the money and take a board refresher course and retry your boards. Good luck.

Great answer. I'll second that.

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