overwhelmed!!!!! HELP PLEASE!!!!

pickledpepperRN · May 24, 2007

Gosh, you are so close.

I was there too once after many years as an LVN.

First think that your income will improve once you are an RN.

Your kids need you.

Maybe you can work less?

Earn more in long term care?

Clearly you are learning a lot in the hospital but how can your health and energy hold out?

I was able to work part time at night, scrimp, and use savings as a psychological cushion in case of real need.

I gave my kids every other weekend for fun. Sometimes when there was a lot of studying it was just Saturday. Let them help you.

How old are your kids?

Anyway perhaps just take microbiology for now. Then know you just have one tough year to a higher level of salary and pride in accomplishing becoming an RN.

At school just learn all you can for the sake of your future patients.

Well I'm sure others have great advice for you too.

Know you can do it. I think my LVN program was more difficult than the RN. It was really fun learning so much. The only down side was fatigue.

texas_lvn · May 24, 2007

thank you spacenurse!! Your words of encouragement are more valuable than gold!

I am learning so much from the hospital that I do not think I could ever learn in HH or LTC. They way it is here, I can not find a PRN status. I am a single mother with 2 kids. THeir dad is great to them, and pays support on time (as of now) but I still have to feed and cloth us.

I am going thru Excelsior College so i am able to study when I can, Just need some study tips from those who have taken this path. Thanks again!

NYSNOWBUNNY007 · May 24, 2007

Hey Texas_LVN..I was too in the same boat but I am going to be an LPN for a year in July..now i live in New York..I was originally licensed in Florida(boy how i miss it)..here in NY its hard for me to do HH..the options are rediculously limited..I decided to go the EC route myself..now i know tx is the same as fl as far as the scope of practice and the money for hh is great...i was doing hh in fl...excellent money...i wish i were there now...i beleive i will be moving back soon..simpy because the flexibility with hh is wonderful...i would be able to study and make a decent salary and spend time with my fiance and my son...i hate ny..even though i was born and raised here..it has not been the same since i left a few years ago..too much..so in my opinion i wouldn't kill myself...i would stick to hh if your agency is pretty steady with the cases..ant ltc i don't do..did it and was very disappointed with it...impossible the amount of work they want you to do as a nurse...i felt bad b/c i really couldn't give the care i really wanted to give...now ltc is more focused on "keeping" residents and thier money verses making them feel at home...too depressing..so hh i would full speed ahead and study a little bit during the week and a major chunk on weekend another thing too you can work make your money while u are taking ec exams, THEN when you are waiting for the CPNE about three months before you take it go work at a hospital to get the skills needed or to feel comfortable doing them, hoping you'd save from the money you have made from hh good luck!!...

texas_lvn · May 24, 2007

thanks Sue2006! Good luck on the move.

NYSNOWBUNNY007 · May 24, 2007

ph thanks i hope u read the thread agian!..lol...i "edited"...adding a lil more advice ...yeah i hope to move back by the end of the year...XoXo

Mudwoman · May 25, 2007

So, you have Micro and the 7 nursing concepts exams plus the CPNE to do. You can't even apply for the CPNE until you do all the nursing concepts exams, so make those the priority since it takes about 4-6 months once you apply to be able to take the CPNE. As you get closer to finishing, you can decide whether to take the Micro at a local college, or take it on line, or test out of it.

Personally, I thought that NC 1 and 2 were the easiest. I think because you have been out of school for less than 2 years, you will not have to take the NC2. Check on this. One less test if that is so. I thought NC 3 and 5 were the hardest. You can download the EC study guides for each of the tests for free off their site. Look at them and determine which ones look like they would take you the least amt of studying.

Set a realistic goal. I know that you want to do this as fast as possible, but with a family and your work schedule, you are not going to do this in a year. I qualified for the CPNE in August, got all the application stuff done and sent in Sept and got a test date in Mar of the following year. Got everything updated end of April and I just got my temp RN license yesterday. 9 months from the time I finished everything except the CPNE.

Plan on 40 hours of study time for each of the NC tests. You might have to divide your study time up into smaller amounts at any one time. Maybe you allow yourself 30 minutes after the kids are in bed and before you go to bed and maybe 2 hours of study time on your day off. You could do a test every 2-3 months.

If you can't wait 2-3 years to do this, then you have to think outside the box. A friend of mine let her kids go live with their dad for a year and she rented out her home and moved into a bedroom in someone's home in order to cut her living expenses to the bone so she could only work part time and get this done. After graduating, she moved back into her home and the kids came back to live with her. Just letting you see that you may have to think outside the box.

texas_lvn · May 29, 2007

wow. thanks for the advice. I am just sooooo fustrated at life right now. I just dont know which end is up, and I want to do this. I was hoping to do it in less than a year, but i see your point. thanks for telling me about the 40 hours per test. that sounds resonable. Do I need to but the books or do you think I can get away with notes and my LVN books?

texas_lvn · May 29, 2007

[quote weekend another thing too you can work make your money while u are taking ec exams, THEN when you are waiting for the CPNE about three months before you take it go work at a hospital to get the skills needed or to feel comfortable doing them, hoping you'd save from the money you have made from hh good luck!!...

THAT IS A GREAT IDEA!!!!!!!!!! thank you.

txangel67 · Jun 2, 2007

I am also a Texas LVN, I currently work in LTC, and have for about 15 yrs. I work in administration, ADON, but I get lots of skills practice I just let the other nurses know if they need an injection, IV started, or just a second opinion on an assessment then they call me. I am taking NC 6 next week which is my last NC test and I already had all my basics so all I will have left is the CPNE. I started last October and hope to finish in November of this year. I have lots of books and study guides. I don't know where in Texas you are but if you will email me I will see if we are close and you can use my books and notes. I was also a single mother at one time and know everyone can use the help.

texas_lvn · Jun 2, 2007

I will PM you txangel57. Thank you.

DvotedNurse · Jun 3, 2007

It is possible to complete this in a year, it's totally how you apply yourself. It's wonderful that you don't have to take many prereq's and only 6 NC exams!

I am an LPN for two years this Aug. I started in LTC Fulltime 3 12hr shifts/week. I went PRN ands then went to the hospital. I make exactly half of what I made at the LTC which really sucks. However, what I gain in knowledge is priceless, especially for the CPNE.

I enrolled last Aug with ECE , I began with needing 13 courses now I have 4 courses left.

Needless to say I went back to LTC fulltime and am basically working PRN at the hospital.

I paid for my exams in advance, they expire in Aug. So this in itself motivates me to complete it all within a timely manner.