Demand for licensed vocational nurses (LVNs), who are called “licensed practical nurses” (LPNs) in every state except for California and Texas, is expected to grow over the next decade. You’ll find a wide variety of new grad LVN jobs in long-term care, hospice, acute care, home care, and other healthcare settings. LVNs (and LPNs) serve as support staff for registered nurses (RNs), nurse practitioners (NPs), and physicians, but have a broader scope of practice than that of certified nursing assistants (CNAs).
LVNs often continue their education and training to become RNs. Whatever your career goals, we’ll help you get a better understanding of how to find the right fit as you begin your LVN journey.
LVN New Grad Jobs: Choosing the Right Fit
Nursing professionals are needed around the clock, depending on the type of facility, which means there’s a wide variety of shifts and work options available. LVNs can choose from full-time, part-time, contract, temporary, per diem, and remote opportunities.
If you’re just getting started, you might not yet have a specific focus in mind. Still, reading up on your options and determining what interests you the most will help you focus on jobs that might be a good fit. Your options include (but aren’t limited to):
Resume and Cover Letter for New Grad LVN Jobs
The first impression you make with a prospective employer will be your resume and cover letter, which ideally sum up your education, training, and skills in a succinct manner. Keep in mind that employers often use software to scan resumes as a preliminary pre-screening step, which means you’ll want to carefully study the job description and use as many of the key terms (such as “detail-oriented”) as you can on your resume.
Everyone has to start somewhere, so — as a new grad — don’t worry about not having work experience as an LVN on your resume. However, it means you’ll need to be a little more creative and think of ways to stand out from the crowd. Highlight any specialized LVN certifications you’ve received, such as gerontology or hospice and palliative care. Work experience not related to healthcare can also help highlight your work ethic, ability to handle responsibilities, communication skills, and familiarity working within a team environment.
Other items you should consider for your LVN resume include:
- Awards and honors. These might include scholarships, honor society memberships, academic recognition, or other accolades.
- Volunteer work. Work done to better the community always looks good on a resume and will show hiring managers that you have integrity.
- Extra-curricular activities. Having diverse interests suggests the ability to handle multiple tasks (while knowing how to unwind after work).
You’ll also want to make sure your cover letters (and resumes) are specific to each position, instead of submitting a generic application for every job opening. Hiring managers can tell whether you’ve done your research on the facility, and are much more likely to hire someone who truly wants to be a part of their team. Remember, you’re trying to make more of a human connection through your cover letter.
New Grad LVN Jobs: The Interview
Even if you’ve interviewed for jobs in the past, it’s understandable to be a little nervous going into your first LVN job interview. The interviewer knows you’re new to the profession and should take that into consideration. Your best approach is to prepare in advance, preferably by researching commonly asked LVN interview questions and thinking about how you might answer them (but without scripting your answers too much). Do you have questions for the interviewer? If so, this is your chance to ask.
Salary Range for New LVNs
If you’re just starting out, you should expect your pay to be on the lower end of the pay range. The national average salary for LVNs/LPNs (and LVNs) is $67,050 annually, or $32.24 per hour, but it really depends on the region, facility, years of experience, and other factors. These states have some of the highest average salaries for LVNs/LPNs:
Search New Grad LVN Jobs and Find Your Fit
You’ve worked hard to prepare for your new calling as an LVN, with a resume and cover letter to show for it. Need some good job leads? You can kick-start your LVN career by searching Credenza’s industry-leading job board.
