Anyone Hiring New Grads?

Hi everyone, I stumbled onto this blog by accident, but I'm glad I found it. I'm a new LVN grad & just passed my state boards the last week of Dec. I didn't have time to be put on a 2yr waiting list for an RN program from a traditional College, so I attended a private nursing school called DNI (Dallas Nursing Institute which I heard just got bought out by ATI and just started their RN/ADN program). I thought LVN school would be a breeze since I already have a BS degree, but boy was I wrong! DNI had a tough curriculum (only 9 out of the 62 made it), so they did a great job preparing me. I def have an appreciation for LVN's and what they have to go through. As far as the Dallas job market (which includes Collin County)it seems to be over saturated with LVN's, most of the clinics & nursing homes are fully staffed- I've been searching & interviewing for the last month and 1/2 and I can tell you, it's not as easy as I thought, there alot of PRN jobs out there- but 1x/wk doesn't cut it when you have bills. I graduated the top 4 in my class, but there are folks who barely passed or who had to take their Exit Exams 2x that have already gotten FT jobs since they live close to Arlington or on the Ft.Worth side, but it's a different climate on the Dallas side. Here's my experience: alot of the hospitals I did clinicals in 2009 have changed their policy and no longer hire LVN's for their 2010 policy. Even the LTAC in Plano that I use to work for before nursing school no longer bring LVN's on board according to their HR and I was counting on them to hire me right out of school, ironic they're the ones who said we need more people like you & encouraged me to go to school. Some of the existing LVN nurses I talked to at Plano Specialty said they're getting a deadline to complete their RN, and now most of the major hospitals are pressing some of my aunts who work as RN's to get their BSN, so I see the healthcare landscape changing. It's finally happening!

Is this a question or a statement???

I am a recent graduate of North Central Tx College Vocational Nursing Program. I graduated Aug.11,2011 and am scheduled to take boards on Sept.14,2011. I am having a hard time finding a job period. I live in Joshua which isn't to far from the metroplex. Do you have any suggestions?

I have had my LVN for 12 months now. I have submitted 300+ applications with maybe 6 interviews so far. There are NOOOOOO LVN jobs around. With this bad economy everyone is going back to get some type of quick vocational certificate or something. This leads to a "supply/demand" job market.

I'm having the same problem. I graduated in February of this year, was licensed at the end of July after all the paperwork submissions and waiting period to take my test. I have had 2 interviews and a lot of turn downs because I have no experience. So far I actually got 4 jobs...2 of those are through agencies which are still waiting for assignments for me (because I'm a new grad they are hard to come by), and one job is seasonal as part of a flu clinic (Mollen Immunizations) but I haven't got any hours, and the last job I recently interviewed for a school nurse assistant which I got a substitute position in case the LVN who was chosen calls in or can't make it. Haven't got any hours anywhere and have now been officially unemployed for almost two weeks with bills to pay. My fellow classmates have got lucky and most of them got jobs, one recommended doing internships because she did free work for a few days, 8 hour shifts and someone asked if there were any LVNs available, and BAM!...she was hired! It's tough...going to school for an LVN, paying school fees including books...to come to this! Argh! We must keep our heads up! Keep applying. I'm already over 50 applications. I've applied for the prisons in the area. I called the 800 HR number for the prisons and they told me they are hiring new grads in the central valley because no one usually wants to work out here and a classmate also just recently got an interview with no experience.

You need to think outside of the box. Also be sure to have a great resume. List all of the experience you had as a student nurse and where you worked as a student. Be sure to dress for success too. One of my students got a job 3 days after her license came in the mail.