What a great time to be an LPN

Nurses LPN/LVN

Published

I felt like writing something positive today!!

1. This poor patient today came into the Emergency room after avoiding her last three dialysis appointments. Her fistula was in her thigh with previous fistulas in both arms. She'd been stuck by 2 other nurses before I entered the room to attempt her IV.

BOO YAH!!! I spent maybe 1 minute looking and found a small, superficial vein right smack dap in the center of her shoulder. I made a bet with the RN who attempted last that I could get a 22G in it- betting it would be bigger than we both expected. uhm... heck yah!!! 22G R shoulder first attempt. tolerated well. Draws and infuses like a champ!

I literally just had another nurse come up and high five me for the awesome IV!

2. I was able to assist with my first central line placement today! Uh, totally cool!!!

3. I took patients as a primary my last 4 hours and recieved major kudos on my assessment.... ahem, "data collection" skills. My RN just followed behind and agreed with my data tacking it as her assessment!

4. I also have a new job interview for work during the weekday to staff several occ health clinics around town. Just me, a PA, and an MA baby! I hope a get that job to compliment my weekend option at the ER.

All day, I've been getting major props and it has felt so great to be an LPN today!

Kudos to us!

Specializes in Emergency Nursing.

When I started at the ER at the beginning of 2011, I had only successfully started an IV on 2 people. In Indiana, our license does not have specific restrictions on what we can or cannot do. It is left to the the employer to decide.

I oriented with medics, LPNs, and RNs. Each provided me with insight to getting a good stick. It took me about 15 months before I became really good and eventually became a "go to" nurse for IV starts.

Just last year, I started drawing arterial blood gases and found I'm really good at that too!

Several months ago I was administering Dilaudid and zofran (not at the same time) through a port and this patient was a retired RN. She questioned my ability to administer any kind of parenteral medication. I told her the hospital trains all licensed employees on IV / Port & other various central line administrations. As I thought about it, I went around and asked our ASN & BSN nurses if they spent moderate to extensive time learning how to administer IVP medication and associated skills in their respective programs. All said they learned how to administer the meds at hospital and unit orientation. So it always baffled me when people cite formal education level to administer IVP meds. It's really not that hard or scary. One BSN grad tried to push PO liquid Benadryl. Another BSN told multiple patients that zofran was an antibiotic. LOL. It's not your degree that matters; it's how much you pay attention that makes medication administration so serious.

So always practice within your scope and always do your best!!! Never stop trying to learn

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When I started at the ER at the beginning of 2011, I had only successfully started an IV on 2 people. In Indiana, our license does not have specific restrictions on what we can or cannot do. It is left to the the employer to decide.

I oriented with medics, LPNs, and RNs. Each provided me with insight to getting a good stick. It took me about 15 months before I became really good and eventually became a "go to" nurse for IV starts.

Just last year, I started drawing arterial blood gases and found I'm really good at that too!

Several months ago I was administering Dilaudid and zofran (not at the same time) through a port and this patient was a retired RN. She questioned my ability to administer any kind of parenteral medication. I told her the hospital trains all licensed employees on IV / Port & other various central line administrations. As I thought about it, I went around and asked our ASN & BSN nurses if they spent moderate to extensive time learning how to administer IVP medication and associated skills in their respective programs. All said they learned how to administer the meds at hospital and unit orientation. So it always baffled me when people cite formal education level to administer IVP meds. It's really not that hard or scary. One BSN grad tried to push PO liquid Benadryl. Another BSN told multiple patients that zofran was an antibiotic. LOL. It's not your degree that matters; it's how much you pay attention that makes medication administration so serious.

So always practice within your scope and always do your best!!! Never stop trying to learn

Def. awe-inspiring u sound like a really great nurse

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Specializes in 4.
When I started at the ER at the beginning of 2011, I had only successfully started an IV on 2 people. In Indiana, our license does not have specific restrictions on what we can or cannot do. It is left to the the employer to decide.

I oriented with medics, LPNs, and RNs. Each provided me with insight to getting a good stick. It took me about 15 months before I became really good and eventually became a "go to" nurse for IV starts.

Just last year, I started drawing arterial blood gases and found I'm really good at that too!

Several months ago I was administering Dilaudid and zofran (not at the same time) through a port and this patient was a retired RN. She questioned my ability to administer any kind of parenteral medication. I told her the hospital trains all licensed employees on IV / Port & other various central line administrations. As I thought about it, I went around and asked our ASN & BSN nurses if they spent moderate to extensive time learning how to administer IVP medication and associated skills in their respective programs. All said they learned how to administer the meds at hospital and unit orientation. So it always baffled me when people cite formal education level to administer IVP meds. It's really not that hard or scary. One BSN grad tried to push PO liquid Benadryl. Another BSN told multiple patients that zofran was an antibiotic. LOL. It's not your degree that matters; it's how much you pay attention that makes medication administration so serious.

So always practice within your scope and always do your best!!! Never stop trying to learn

THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!! For being honest, being positive & telling it like it is!!!! I have been doing IV for about 3 months & I can admit that I suck at it! I try my best & I can't wait to eventually become good at it. Most nurses tell me not to worry & that I too will eventually be good at it. I just push myself so hard & I really do try. The most important thing I have to keep reminding myself is that it is a skill set so with practice, I too will develop this skill. Thank you again!!

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Specializes in HIV, Psych, GI, Hepatology, Research.

So great to see a positive post. I'm glad you love being a nurse. :up:

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Ortho, Camp.

You go! Great LPNs have saved this RN's butt too many times to count.

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You rock! Thanks for sharing your success.

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Awesome post. Good to hear you're rockin it at your job. Best of luck with the possible position.

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Specializes in public health, women's health, reproductive health.

This is a wonderful post! Thank you so much for sharing!

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Great to hear I am putting my application in for the lpn program next week, nice to hear something positive about being an lpn.

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Im happy to see you positive atitude in your new position. See LPNs are trained to be great nurses, but as an LPN, one have to be strong and face the challenges. Regardless of what level of nursing we are, there are challenges we have to face. Patients will always question our skills and experience, most times it's just to see how confident we are in what we do. Again, "we practice medicine, we don't know medicine" but thats not to say we should be ignorant n act stupid. Once again, CONGRATS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :yes:

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