So I am 2 weeks away from graduating my LPN program. I have worked as a CNA for the past year to make sure I have patient experience as well as I always heard it was easier to gain employment at a facility you already work. So I have have bust my tail for the past year with working and going to school. I have been counting down the days till I will no longer have to work as a CNA and can start working as a nurse.
Then today my DON calls me to tell me they don't have any LPN position available and asked me to continue working as a CNA for another 3 MONTHS!!!!
She told me they just hired in a bunch of new nurses and they need to get them trained and settled in first before they can offer me a position, but that I am first in line for the next opening! WTH!!
I have lived and breathed nursing for the past year and her telling me this is like a punch in the stomach! I told her that I will be fully licensed in about a month and would rather work as an LPN. She then told me that if I decide to leave to at least put in my 2 weeks. I didn't even know what to say to that! I've never had any performace, attendance, or peer issues so I am really confused about where this is coming from. I guess I will just have to start looking for employment somewhere else, but finding new grad LPN positions around here is really difficult.
Keep your job and act the loyal employee, and apply for other jobs. In three months you will either have a new job, or what you want at your current job. Don't burn your bridges, and look for new opportunities. Best of luck.
Specializes in Emergency Dept. Trauma. Pediatrics.
One of the first lessons about being a nurse is being flexible. You're angry and upset because a kink was thrown into your plans. Understandable. But vent and get up and brush yourself off. In the grand scheme of things it's a couple months from when you are going to be ready (if all that goes well and isn't delayed). They didn't tell you there isn't a spot for you. Just that it isn't immediately available. You have been working on this a long time. Is 2 months (from when you might he licensed) that big of a deal? By the time you graduate and take boards and apply for jobs and interview and wait for new employee orientation and stuff I bet it will be close to same time if not longer.
Thank you for your words of encouragement! Hopefully all will work out! Hopefully another LPN will jump ship and a position will open up before then.
what annoys me is the "at least give 2 weeks notice." Uh, as if you wouldn't?ON
My best friend in college had something similar happen. The DON said she wouldn't hire any new grads regardless of the fact she'd been working at her LTC since graduating from highschool. The other nurses and higher-ups got wind of it and said "are you nuts? hire her!" Almost 20 years later she still works there. The DON long gone...
Keep ur options open I hate to bring up the obvious let's just say everything goes as planned Lord willing u grad and pass boards 1st time and no one quits as u stated earlier job market is tight will u b offered full time position or work prn as they just hired the amount they needed so either way u need a plan and soon make sure u grad and pass boards the first time and then practice learning ur med on sight learn both brand and generic name and good time management skills because u go from 15 to 3e0 patients plus dealing with dr family and staff. And believe me some will not accept and be resentful of u and ur new role hold there tight and even if they give u prn as a nurse later take it to build u up for your new job as a new nurse state unless ft position as cna that way u can get all the training u need on ur resume God bless hope this helps
...I've had my license for over a year now and STILL can't find a job. And I've been working as a CNA for going on 4 years in November at the same hospital. Didn't do me any good as we use very few LVNs, and no other facilities seem to even care about experience unless it's LVN experience.
Count yourself lucky you only have to wait about 3 months.
I worked as a CNA2 for 7 months while I was a RN, working in the ED, same place I had worked at for 3 years during nursing school. When positions finally opened up I was told by the new manger, because my old manager had been demoted, that they had a new policy of not hiring new grads, but they did just hire a new grad who had 10 years EMT expereince.
So waiting 3 months, when your are not even liscensed yet, for a job that you know you will get, is not that bad
I've seen more than a few posts on this site about new grads (how long post graduation do you lose the "new" part of that anyway?) going more than 3 months without even an interview.
You, on the other hand, have not graduated yet but have a foot in the door. I would not look a gift horse in the mouth with regards to having said foot in the door. Don't sweat three months from now, focus on today. Show you have all the intangibles in place (good attendance, gets along with others) during your wait for a position to open up and put them in a position where it is impossible for them to want anyone else for that position when it does open up. It's VERY difficult to fire Superman.
How's the saying go "I'm going to make you an offer you can't refuse". Be sure they realize what they are missing out on if they never open up a position to you. By focusing on today, taking life's stresses in stride so that the best you shines through..............your message will get across. Now, on the other hand, if you get stressed about three months from now and hence start getting short tempered and gossipy and/or start calling off a lot or making errors.............well, then they most certainly won't be looking for ways to make you their next LPN.
I took me three months to get an appointment to take the boards after graduation and I applied before graduation. So hang in there. Your good attitude will count in the end. I too worked as a CNA and couldn't wait to stop! Remember that when you are an LPN and always appreciate your aides.
So I am 2 weeks away from graduating my LPN program. I have worked as a CNA for the past year to make sure I have patient experience as well as I always heard it was easier to gain employment at a facility you already work. So I have have bust my tail for the past year with working and going to school. I have been counting down the days till I will no longer have to work as a CNA and can start working as a nurse.
Then today my DON calls me to tell me they don't have any LPN position available and asked me to continue working as a CNA for another 3 MONTHS!!!!
She told me they just hired in a bunch of new nurses and they need to get them trained and settled in first before they can offer me a position, but that I am first in line for the next opening! WTH!!
I have lived and breathed nursing for the past year and her telling me this is like a punch in the stomach! I told her that I will be fully licensed in about a month and would rather work as an LPN. She then told me that if I decide to leave to at least put in my 2 weeks. I didn't even know what to say to that! I've never had any performace, attendance, or peer issues so I am really confused about where this is coming from. I guess I will just have to start looking for employment somewhere else, but finding new grad LPN positions around here is really difficult.
I would agree to the CNA agreement but continue to look for an LPN position elsewhere-it may take 3 months to find a position and by that time you will know if she will stick by her "you will be an LPN here after 3 months"
OK, I've seen numerous threads about RN's working as LPNs or even CNAs thanks to the tough job market. Most responses hammer on the fact that the RN will be held to the standard of the RN license no matter what actual job they are doing. Won't this be the case with the LPN working as a CNA in spite of never having yet worked as an LPN?
I may be over reaching or looking at an extreme possibility but it seems to me the OP had better be very careful or she could find herself in a real jam before the shine wears off.
Also, the fact that the DON responded to your concerns by telling you to give two weeks' notice sounds like she isn't very appreciative of the time you have put in there. She may also be saying that she does not want you there as a nurse without coming right out and saying it
or she could be saying that she doesn't want to hold the OP back from another position should one come up.
Reminding the OP to put in 2 weeks notice is just clarifying that this current discussion is not considered an official notice that the OP will leave if she finds an LPN position elsewher.e
OK, I've seen numerous threads about RN's working as LPNs or even CNAs thanks to the tough job market. Most responses hammer on the fact that the RN will be held to the standard of the RN license no matter what actual job they are doing. Won't this be the case with the LPN working as a CNA in spite of never having yet worked as an LPN?
I may be over reaching or looking at an extreme possibility but it seems to me the OP had better be very careful or she could find herself in a real jam before the shine wears off.
I thought about this as well. Say I get my license in a month but have to continue working as a CNA where I am. Isn't there a scope of practice issue there? I know a place I worked before that if an LPN got their RN if they didn't have an RN position for them they could not continue to work there as there was the scope of practice issue plus they would have to give them RN pay.
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nurse2033, MSN, RN
3 Articles; 2,133 Posts
Keep your job and act the loyal employee, and apply for other jobs. In three months you will either have a new job, or what you want at your current job. Don't burn your bridges, and look for new opportunities. Best of luck.