options

[Mrbobcat]

I need some input guys. I got my LPN license about 4 months ago and finally got a job a few weeks ago. Well, it did'nt work out. I got trained in orientation for 5 days and thought I was ready to go on my own, except for maybe some of the records, orders, ect. They called me in for another day (I was supposed to get 7 days of orientation) and said they feel I need some more training, but they can't afford to since their budget is shot. I did make a couple minor errors and said a couple wrong responses to the nurse who was training me (although she has no compassion and has been in nursing for 34 years). They decided to keep me on as PRN (as needed), but thats a misnomer as they told me to work somewhere else for a month or 2 and then decide if I want to go back or maybe they will have some money in a few weeks and keep calling back. I've had half a dozen interviews and only 2 offers. The other one said they would let me know, but I'm still waiting. I think my problem is I appear unmotivated as I am very quiet and laid-back. Thats just how I am. I work at a factory part-time right now. I was working PT, went to FT, back to PT for this job, so I think I pissed them off and don't want to ask to go back to FT right away and hopefully can find something in the health care field. Problem is I've applied at about all the local places. Every place wants experience, but how can you get it if no one will hire you?
Even if I went back to the factory FT, I would still be about $300 short a month working 40 hours. They are working a lot of OT right now and I would probly be about $100 over a month with that, but you can't count on it. Plus my student loans are gonna start next month and thats going to be like a large car payment. I don't know what to do. If I did'nt have a large credit card debt I would probly be ok. This is my third degree (CAD, Accounting) and I'm afraid my ex may be right (another degree with nothing to show for it). I'm feeling sort of depressed right now after losing her a couple months ago, hurting my shoulder, bills keep adding up, house needs repairs, ect.
Anyway here is some options I came up with: 1. Look for a job nationwide (though I have no money to travel), so maybe in a nearby large city likeToledo, Lima, or Columbus. 2. Join the army in healthcare related field, although not sure if they would take me with my shoulder and had asthma, but last episode was over 30 years ago and I'm pushing the upper age limit. 3. Sell the house and move in with my sister if she would let me. She's moving right now, but its not a good time of year to sell, plus the house needs a lot of work to get anything decent out of it. 4. Get a job driving a truck or bar tending or something, although I don't like the idea of long-haul driving as I have a couple cats to care for. 5. Follow my ex-brother in-laws lead and just end it all. I know not a good idea. I don't think I could do it and don't want to go "down below", but it has crossed my mind...
There has to be a reason for living. I just want my gf back, a decent job, pay my bills, maybe a new car in a few years. Is that too much to ask? I can't see wasting my life in the factory and don't think my shoulders can take it anyway as the one doctor thinks I have some kind of inflammatory disease, but I can't afford to get tests to find out. Any advice, anything?

[aikurushii]

The army thing works.. Tell the recruiter about the asthma.. sometimes they let it go depending on how bad it is. My friend has asthma and got in.

Besides, if you already have a degree, you can be an officer if you meet the age requirement.

How long would it take from LPN to RN? RNs are usually more in demand esp. if you got BSN.

If you have a degree on accounting, why don't you work as that while trying to find a job as a nurse?

[Mrbobcat]

First off, I only have an associates in accounting and graduated back in 2003. I never had one interview. I thought my ex-brother in-law, who was a CPA, would help me out getting started, but like I said he passed on. I think its been too long for that and it was really hard except for the basic bookkeeping stuff. I think you have to work a year as an LPN before you can go back for the RN, at least at my local school. Then it takes about another year to get through, if you pass, as I barely got through the LPN. But my local school is known to be the hardest in the state, maybe I could look at going somewhere else. I also thought about the LPN to BSN route as I already have some classes that may transfer as I took some RN prereqs. But I already have about maxed out what you can borrow, maybe I could borrow some more if I go for a bachelors, but then again I don't want to borrow any more as I am really gonna struggle to pay off what I already have. I'm also not sure what kind of job you can get with a BSN as an LPN. Maybe in a hospital? I also was under the false assumption that most places help repay your loans and found out very few do. A few hospitals may, but its very hard to get in without experience. Most want a year and most of my classmates are starting out in nursing homes and I can't even get in there. The army idea is kind of a last resort. I'm not sure if I could make it through basic training. I'll be 38 in a couple months and although in pretty decent shape (as long as my shoulder keeps improving), I never have been good at running or cardio. I also read that they may only pay your loans if you have a bachelors degree (at least for the national guard). They do say there is a possibility of a large bonus and not sure what the army pays. I think I was researching the reserve though. You would probably need another job if you were to do that, but it might help you get in some where though. I'm also not to keen on going over to Iraq. I'm sure it would'nt be as dangerous as being on the field, but you would still be close by. Theres probably no chance of staying over here is there?
BTW, law enforcement has always intrigued me. I was thinking of testing for police officer once or maybe state patrol. But then again, I probably don't have the demeanor for it as I very rarely speak up unless absolutely necessary and am more of a follower than a leader. I think maybe a detective or parole officer or something similar would be cool. But thats probably a pipe dream also as I don't want to go back to school again...

[fitme]

sorry but that is way too long for me to read atm but are you still with that nurse? LOL

[aikurushii]

If you get a BSN, you can pretty much go anywhere you want. Nurse is one of the most in demand jobs in the world... I think the Air Force pay 20k sign up bonus for health care but I think you need a BSN.

Have you tried applying at the state prison.. They usually always have a job there for everyone. Cook, dental/medical asst., dentist, nurses, etc. You can also try to be a correctional officers. You said it's something that interests you.

Also, it's always good to do community service at health care facility. Hospitals usually wanna see 60-120 hours of volunteer work.

May I ask you why did you want to be a nurse? Is it because they pay good or you've always wanted to be one? To be successful at something you gotta be interested at it. So pick one thing.. nurse, cad, or acct. then get a bachelor's..

[Mrbobcat]

My first interview after getting my license was at the local jail. It was only part-time, but I thought I was going to get it. She said she would let me know either way, but she never called. I'm wondering if its my interview thats holding me back or something in my reference checks? For my professional references I would think my present employer would give me a good word, but I was fired from the last Cad job, but that was almost 10 years ago. The other position in between was about 7 years at a pizza place. I'm not sure what kind of reference they would give me as I did have some issues there (as it was not what I wanted to be doing), but I did end up quitting and not getting fired. For my personal references, I really don't have many, but have been using my preceptor (who I only knew a few weeks), and some former co-workers. I wonder if I should use some of my classmates or my ex? I think the state prison is about an hour away, but not sure if they are hiring. I'll have to do some research and look for classified in the area or something...
As for why I wanted to become a nurse. To be honest I thought the pay would be decent, there seemed to be all kinds of ads for nurses in the paper, my sister thought I'd be good at it, but the main reason is I thought it would be fairly easy to land a position (especially being male) and once you got some experience, it would be very stable and you could always find work somewhere. I guess I was wrong. I think I would like to work in urgent care, doctors office, jail or hospital, but don't think I'd like the nursing home. I was willing to do it for awhile, but nobody seems to want to hire me. I wonder if it would do any good to call places back that never called me back after interviews or said they were looking for someone with some experience? BTW, a classmate got a job at a place that told me they were looking for some experience, yet he only had some aid experience, but he is a talker (BSer) and I'm not.

[ambientdeath]

Originally Posted by Mrbobcat

My first interview after getting my license was at the local jail. It was only part-time, but I thought I was going to get it. She said she would let me know either way, but she never called. I'm wondering if its my interview thats holding me back or something in my reference checks? For my professional references I would think my present employer would give me a good word, but I was fired from the last Cad job, but that was almost 10 years ago. The other position in between was about 7 years at a pizza place. I'm not sure what kind of reference they would give me as I did have some issues there (as it was not what I wanted to be doing), but I did end up quitting and not getting fired. For my personal references, I really don't have many, but have been using my preceptor (who I only knew a few weeks), and some former co-workers. I wonder if I should use some of my classmates or my ex? I think the state prison is about an hour away, but not sure if they are hiring. I'll have to do some research and look for classified in the area or something...
As for why I wanted to become a nurse. To be honest I thought the pay would be decent, there seemed to be all kinds of ads for nurses in the paper, my sister thought I'd be good at it, but the main reason is I thought it would be fairly easy to land a position (especially being male) and once you got some experience, it would be very stable and you could always find work somewhere. I guess I was wrong. I think I would like to work in urgent care, doctors office, jail or hospital, but don't think I'd like the nursing home. I was willing to do it for awhile, but nobody seems to want to hire me. I wonder if it would do any good to call places back that never called me back after interviews or said they were looking for someone with some experience? BTW, a classmate got a job at a place that told me they were looking for some experience, yet he only had some aid experience, but he is a talker (BSer) and I'm not.

You have to be confident and believe in yourself. Tell yourself you can do it. It's sorta like working out, if you tell yourself you'll never to be able to lift a certain weight, your body will believe you and you won't lift it. I used to get really nervous to when it came to job interviews and I butchered my first ones but after that I realized where I was going wrong and really focused on it really hard for a week and then tried more interviews. You don't have to act like a totally different person, but just change up a few things. You can practice interviews with a close friend as well.

The goal is to be confident, but NOT cocky/arrogant. Keep trying and dont be hard on yourself, you can do it man! Best of luck to you and tell yourself things will only improve from this day onward!

[Mrbobcat]

Thanks for the advice. I guess the problem is I don't really know if I want to do this (nursing) and that may be coming through in my interviews. I don't want to work in a nursing home, but I more or less have to to get some experience. I guess my my question now is do I go back to places that either told me they filled the position already or did'nt hear from them or go to new places to apply. The dilemma is most new places are at least a half hour drive away and there are not that many left.
The one place I should go back to is right down the street. I did clinicals there and had an interview a couple months ago. At the time I was'nt too eager to get in there as the pay was'nt the greatest and FT was only 32 hours. She said she would contact me in a couple days and if she did'nt, I could call her. Well, I never did call as I was hoping to find a "better" offer. Thinking back, I should have called. Now I don't know if I should since they are not advertising for help. Think I should call them back and a few other places and see if they have part-time openings? It would probably be good to start that way to get your foot in the door. I'm not sure what to say though why I waited so long. Also if I have another interview, what to say why I have'nt got an LPN job yet in the 5 months I've been out of school. I know I should'nt say I've been looking for the "perfect" job or that nobody would hire me.
A classmate suggested I say I took a break for awhile after passing the boards and not mention I worked at the one place for a couple weeks. Sound reasonable?