What you wish you would have payed more attention to.

[student Missy]

FOR LPN"S

I'll be starting LPN school AUgust. I am currently certified Emergency Medical Technician (EMT-B) and if I had school to do over again, there are certain things I would have paid closer attention to then others. For instance, I would have given more attention to assesment and maybe less on terminology, had I known how important diagnostics would be RIGHT FROM THE BEGINNING and how unimportant "sounding" professional and using big words were. Of course you learn it all over time but there are things that you dont want to slack on at all in EMT school and I was curious........What things in LPN school do you wish you had focused more on, that would have made you more confident as a NEW LPN? Just looking for some tips here. Like maybe things that you need to be great at from the very beginning. Thanks for any posts!

[scallywags]

Hmmm, its too bad there are no posts yet, this one was so important to me. Perhaps if I clarified a little bit...I'm NOT looking for things that I can slack on, I'm looking for the things that I need to really focus on the most. I could even possibly get a jump start on some of these things before they are covered. I hear the pharmacology is pretty tough and needs alot of extra concentration. This is the areas of study: Areas of Study

• Anatomy and Physiology
  
• Nutrition and Diet Therapy
  
• Growth and Development
  
• Medical Nursing
  
• Surgical Nursing
  
• Pharmacology
  
• Obstetric Nursing
  
• Pediatric Nursing
  
• Geriatric Nursing

Hi Missy!

I am a LVN student, currently taking med/surg and pharmacology. Right now, I have an opinion on this related to what I am learning. I am noticing that everything we are learning falls back to anatomy & physiology. I am frequently pulling out these books, even though the class is finished, just so I can refresh myself on how things work at the cellular level.

Pharmacology is challenging. I would suggest the Mosby's Drug Guide. Even if you start to study the classifications, and focus on one classification each week or so, it will help you understand the meds better.

Maybe a simple project to do while you are preparing is to study electrolytes, particularly Sodium, Potassium, Chloride, Calcium and Magnesium. Research why the are important, signs and symptoms of deficit or excess, and so forth. This is coming up over and over again in my classes.

Good luck to you in your program :)

[student Missy]

To everyone who has posted: Thank you so very much! I am putting ALL of this information into my mental rolodex and trying to get a head start on A&P. I found a couple good sites, only problem was, I wasn't sure what exactly to be studying or how far in depth. I saw someone posted "at the cellular level." I'm the type of person that has to MASTER each chapter before I move on but maybe I can focus a little bit more on that now. Also, I see pharmacology keeps coming up. I would actually enjoy getting a head start on this too but the problem of which ones to study comes up again. Can anyone recommend a site? I don't want to bother studying the ones I won't need just yet. My Mother (an LPN) said study them ALL, but I figured there would be a specific list or something. It probably even varies by area but a web site could be useful. Anyways thank you all again for the posts so far, they have all been just the kind of information I wanted!

[volsfan]

On Mosby's Drug Site: http://www.mosbysdrugconsult.com/DrugConsult/Top_200/

It's the top 200 drugs prescribed in 2003. I couldn't find one from 2005, but if you do it would be better. Our instructors had us use this list and put all those drugs in it's classification. You will need to know all classifications though. I would concentrate on those drugs from the list. There might be others you touch on during your coursework to be added. But, those are the main ones to learn.

One study guide that save me for my NCLEX-LPN is called Exam Cram ISBN 078973267X. Chapter 2 has a section on simplifiying drugs! I was so mad when I found this book after taking all my coursework b/c that chapter would have really helped me. It made so much more sense to me after reading the chapter. Go ahead and get the book now and read this chapter.

To all those studying for NCLEX. I highly recommend this book. My friend and I both graduated top of our class. I studied from this book and she didn't study at all. We both passed the first time. However, she left the exam feeling she failed it miserably. I left knowing I passed and thinking it was EASY.

[GooeyRN, ADN, BSN, CNA, LPN, RN]

For me, I wish I would have spent more time learning normal doses for medications. I learned the names, uses, actions, SE, NI, etc, but not the doses. When it came time to pass meds, I never knew if I was giving a normal dose or not and had to look everything up. That wasn't specific to LPN school though. (I went through both an LPN and an RN program)

[fireeyes25]

Pharm, Pharm, Pharm!!!!