Med surg LPN

Nurses LPN/LVN

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HI all, I am an LPN with no desire to be an rn, However, I would like to know if there are anyplaces I can go to get a refresher Med Surg course, just to have some more experience.

pagandeva2000, LPN

7,984 Posts

Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.
HI all, I am an LPN with no desire to be an rn, However, I would like to know if there are anyplaces I can go to get a refresher Med Surg course, just to have some more experience.

As you, I have no interest in becoming an RN. What state do you live in? Maybe you can ask your school where refresher courses are located in your area. I am a new LPN, but work in a clinic and a home care agency. I want refresher courses for some of the home cases right now. I heard of a course in Brooklyn, New York. I plan to call them as soon as my friend gives me the phone number. If you live in New York, I will share the information with you.

Specializes in ED, ICU/DOU/Tele, M/S, Gero/Psych.

You need a refresher course for med/surg? Your whole LVN/LPN experience in school was preparation enough to get you in the door and get you going. There's not a whole lot a refresher course can do for you. You have all the tools necessary other than just getting in there and getting your hands dirty. You shouldn't need any refresher for this, review of your LVN/LPN schoolwork is more than sufficient.

Specialties such as ICU, DOU, Tele, ER etc etc etc... yeah maybe an extension course to fill in what nursing school didn't, but med/surg? c'mon!!

Wayne.

Fiona59

8,343 Posts

The college that I went to offers refresher units on various skills.

If you've been in LTC for long periods of time your skill set really changes.

I would review all the notes from your class or just check the textbooks. The hospital that I am employed by gives inservices to all new hires (rn and pn in the same room) on IVACs, wound vacs, insulin procedures, etc). When you hit the floor you are given a skill assessment sheet, you know your weakness and you and your buddy nurse work on bringing you up to speed on them. Haven't inserted an eze-set, you'll put one in on everyone that needs on on your unit or do all the changes, haven't pulled a JP, guess who'll be pulling drains...

pagandeva2000, LPN

7,984 Posts

Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.
You need a refresher course for med/surg? Your whole LVN/LPN experience in school was preparation enough to get you in the door and get you going. There's not a whole lot a refresher course can do for you. You have all the tools necessary other than just getting in there and getting your hands dirty. You shouldn't need any refresher for this, review of your LVN/LPN schoolwork is more than sufficient.

Specialties such as ICU, DOU, Tele, ER etc etc etc... yeah maybe an extension course to fill in what nursing school didn't, but med/surg? c'mon!!

Wayne.

We are not quite sure how long the OP was out of school, or the level of confidence in themselves (or even the integrity of that particular nursing program...I say this because I know for a fact that mine was a very slippery slick one that did many things to lie and get students out of there that failed almost all of our exams). Maybe what he/she may want is to see something demonstrated again. I just received my license a few months ago, and was assigned to work in a clinic rather than med-surg, like I thought. I may need to see things done again for a moment, also (I am such a scary person...). Let's be gentle with the OP...we don't know the whole story.:nurse:

Specializes in ED, ICU/DOU/Tele, M/S, Gero/Psych.

Very true pagan, but my point was, that the LVN/LPN program is a preparation to be a med/surg nurse. Unless there are circumstances that she/he needed a refresher, there isn't a need for one. My posting wasn't meant to be mean or anything, it was meant as encouragement to get out there and start practicing as a nurse. If she/he's been through a program, they have all the tools necessary to be on a med/surg unit and start his/her nursing career. Most hospitals that hire new grads do understand that they are new grads, and that they don't have years of experience behind them, that there's going to be an adjustment period and they'll have to learn things on the job.

However, thanks for taking the rough edge off my post though pagan, as it wasn't meant the way it was taken...

Wayne.

pagandeva2000, LPN

7,984 Posts

Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.
Very true pagan, but my point was, that the LVN/LPN program is a preparation to be a med/surg nurse. Unless there are circumstances that she/he needed a refresher, there isn't a need for one. My posting wasn't meant to be mean or anything, it was meant as encouragement to get out there and start practicing as a nurse. If she/he's been through a program, they have all the tools necessary to be on a med/surg unit and start his/her nursing career. Most hospitals that hire new grads do understand that they are new grads, and that they don't have years of experience behind them, that there's going to be an adjustment period and they'll have to learn things on the job.

However, thanks for taking the rough edge off my post though pagan, as it wasn't meant the way it was taken...

Wayne.

((Wayne))

No big deal. I saw your point as well and I did not actually take it in a bad way. We do have the basic skills required, and all of the reading in the world will not take the place of actual hands on experience. The other side of it, from my perspective is that I had a unique experience...my job granted me a leave of absence with pay to become an LPN. Because they sponsored me, I owe them some time. Upon becoming a nurse, I see that they gave me a VERY crappy orientation. I NEVER had a consistant preceptor and because I worked there for a long time as an assistant, people automatically assumed that I knew more than I did. I must have seen at least 20 ways to administer an IV piggy back, for example. I was to be oriented to med-surg for 6 weeks and then return to my old clinic to work. Now, I LOVE the clinic, and I am learning a great deal as well as teaching a great deal...but basic skills such as administering a piggy back and doing tube feedings, I didn't get. Reading the texts sort of confuse me, I need to see demonstrations from a person that knows what they are doing.

Again, Wayne, I wasn't offended in the least. I've read enough of your posts to see that you don't display that sort of behavior...I was just offering another side, because I saw it from both aspects.

Specializes in ED, ICU/DOU/Tele, M/S, Gero/Psych.

Too true, fair enough. And they let you hang piggy's as a PN??? That's a first. I think you'll find there's alot of different ways to do just about everything. I've seen RN's that hang PB meds in such a way that the med is supposed to infuse over an hours time, and they've plugged into the port most distal from the pump and closest to the patient, then the med just runs in over a matter of minutes. I'm a VN and don't know that much about IV's, and I knew that was wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong. It's easy to tell when someone doesn't know what the heck they're doing... lol...

Wayne.

pagandeva2000, LPN

7,984 Posts

Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.
Too true, fair enough. And they let you hang piggy's as a PN??? That's a first. I think you'll find there's alot of different ways to do just about everything. I've seen RN's that hang PB meds in such a way that the med is supposed to infuse over an hours time, and they've plugged into the port most distal from the pump and closest to the patient, then the med just runs in over a matter of minutes. I'm a VN and don't know that much about IV's, and I knew that was wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong. It's easy to tell when someone doesn't know what the heck they're doing... lol...

Wayne.

Yes, we hang them, and even start lines. Starting a line is not the issue for me, really, because I was a phlebotomist before I became a nurse. I have also seem people run lines so quickly that within a blink, it is over. I would be afraid to do that with some of the meds, like vacomycin and that Red Man's Syndrome...which can happen if it is infused too quickly. But, as I said, I have seen so many things that nothing was consistent for me. I stopped arguing about it after a while, because I was only to be in med-surg for two months. I'm working in a clinic, now, so, the skill is not needed there. But, I work with private clients as well, and want to learn the skill enough to be comfortable with it, because then, I can get more cases.

Butterflybee

447 Posts

This is a VERY GOOD question and one i understand. I will be graduating school and a refresher sounds great. There is just so much material covered in a short period of time with no turning back. There are things i learned ..per textbook but no practice doing...such as inserting a catheter. I would love to see refresher courses in med-surg. Let me know if you hear anything and take care and stay encouraged.

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