LVN instead of RN

Nurses General Nursing

Published

I was told today that I cannot continue in the RN program due to a second med error I had made. I was getting ready to graduate this May.

I'm very disappointed and sad needless to say.

However, since I have 3 semesters behind me, I can qualify for the LVN and take the test. So, I'm thinking all is not lost.

My question is: How beneficial is it for me to work as an LVN now? Does anyone know what kind of job opportunities are here in Northern California?

Thanks for your input

Specializes in Emergency.

Get your LVN, then bridge to an RN program. Nurses make mistakes everyday, just don't make the same ones over and over.

By the way, how were your grades in the classroom? During my ADN program, the students that were "average" or marginal were somehow always weaned out during clinicals. This was to increase the possibility of a high pass rate for the NCLEX.

Specializes in Rehab.

No. I don't think a student should really be able to make a mistake. When I was in clinicals, we started out with ONE patient. We were to know absolutely everything about that patient. We were to know every med, every time those meds were to be given. We were to know every tx. Everything. If you are about to graduate in a few weeks, then you absolutely should not be making a med error like not doing a BP for a med with parameters. That just should not happen.

My thought is, if you can't handle the pt load as a student, how will you handle the pt load as a full-fledged nurse?

I don't mean to sound harsh, I'm just trying to be honest.

Whaever you choose, I wish you all the best.

Crystal

I wonder if perhaps the original poster did not double check the medication with his/her instructor? Perhaps that is the reason why the punishment for 2 med errors resulting in no harm is so severe.

In my nursing class, we were never allowed to give medications without the instructor double checking us; however, just because this was the rule doesn't mean that everyone followed it. We had 2 students who both felt that they knew enough to give a drug without supervision. Even though they did not make any errors, they were still placed on probation and/or dismissed from the program.

Unfortunately, honesty was the worst policy (in your situation). If you would have kept your mouth shut regarding this med error, you would have been graduating in a few weeks.

However, everything happens for a reason.

I can't believe my eyes. Please tell me you don't mean to suggest that the OP should have been dishonest and not reported a med error she made. Because besides being completely unethical, it could have harmed the pt.

I really hope I misinterpreted this post.

Specializes in Float.

Integrity requires the reporting of the error. The bad thing is when self reporting is so heavily punished it could lead some to not be honest about a mistake made. Of course as was mentioned perhaps the real error was not including the instructor in checking off the meds first.

I hope in nursing practice self reporting an error doesn't come with such a heavy penalty but rather a chance to improve the person and the system where the error occured (ie in this case having an instructor approve meds could have prevented the error)

Specializes in ICU, PICC Nurse, Nursing Supervisor.

oh commuter no......

unfortunately, honesty was the worst policy (in your situation). if you would have kept your mouth shut regarding this med error, you would have been graduating in a few weeks.

however, everything happens for a reason.

Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
I can't believe my eyes. Please tell me you don't mean to suggest that the OP should have been dishonest and not reported a med error she made. Because besides being completely unethical, it could have harmed the pt.

I really hope I misinterpreted this post.

Let me clarify. :)

I think that these medication errors were unsafe and, even though they did not result in harm to the patients, they all should have been reported.

However, I was just conjuring up the point that the OP would be graduating in a few weeks if she had kept quiet about the med error. She would not have been kicked out of the RN program, and all of her time and effort would not have been wasted.

I still think the instructor might bear partial blame for possibly allowing students to pass medications without proper oversight.

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