LVN Help Please

Nursing Students Pre-Nursing

Published

Alright, please read this before you answer. I've read the forums here. I know people say I should wait to take the class rather than study. No, that won't fly with me. Please help me out here in 2 questions.

1) What do I need to study for LVN? What in anatomy? How far in pharmacology? etc. I want to get such a good grasp on it in the year I still have to go rather than just get bombarded with everything in one year. I don't want to know what to study as prereqs or what I should know as pre-knowledge for LVN. I wanna know what the LVN people study.

2) For those here who are in LVN school or just graduated, what were the books you used? For some reason my college REFUSES to tell us what books are in the program.

Please let me know guys. I'm serious about studying the heck out of this stuff, and if I can at least study half of what is taught in LVN before I can go into LVN, stuff like anatomy and psychology (Which, let's be honest, won't hurt me if I know them going into LVN), then when in the program I can excel. PLEASE help me out here. Thanks.

As for my recent call out on the 'Good grasp on all the knowledge'...critical thinking IS NOT knowledge. It is critical THINING. knowledge is 1+1=2 but critical thinking is much more advanced. When I said. "I want to have a great grasp on all the knowledge so when I begin I can focus on the critical thinking." keep in mind i did say later 'I never said I wanted to grasp ALL the knowledge. I want to grasp the written knowledge.' let me just clarify and say I want to know the factual stuff so i can take the critical thinking more easy because ive been doing it for how long. what do i need to KNOW in terms of facts like what msrp or fungus is, bacteria...etc.etc..

Study what are ligaments cartilage, different bone fractures, the in's and outs of the heart, like the order in which the blood flows. Study fluid and electrolyte balances. Know your anatomical positions, (anterior, posterior) for and know your medical terminology. For pharm, know your metric conversions. How to go from grams to mg using dimensional analysis. Lbs to kg, etc. hope this helps some. We use a book called body structure and function by thibedaux. (Hope I spelled that right)[/quote']

I hate that book, we use it as well. There are so many errors in it! It tried saying both the bicuspid and tricuspid valve were on the left side.

It's a beautiful day to save lives.

Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.
it really escapes me why everyone is protecting me from prestudying this so I can help myself during LPN school. I'm not a rude personally naturally but really this is extremely frustrating. WHY is it so dangerous NOW for me to know what an apical pulse is? I'm not asking for the critical thinking park, but goodness me I want to study terms, anatomy, physiology, how to calculate, etc. I really really really don't understand why someone can't just pop up and be like 'okay as far as the hard facts such as a heart beat can be measured this way and here is where the brachial artery is..."..... I understand 100% WHY I am going to school for being an LPN in the critical thinking. But as far as the unchangable knowledge goes such as what is cancer, why do cells regenerate, etc....what...do....i...need...for..L...P..N...SCHOOL?![/quote']

^Because like I stated before, the information is MORE beneficial ONCE YOU START.

Instead of being two hairs short if being RUDE, WHY don't YOU get all that knowledge is best served once you get to class????

Like I STATED BEFORE, you can look on this site, as well as the book I suggested, THAT will be better suited to get you prepared for nursing school...WHY aren't YOU understanding, since you get critical thinking 100%, hmmm???

AGAIN, each nursing school curriculum is DIFFERENT...and if anything, per TOS, we usually can't even provide info for most content.

Like I said AGAIN (HOPEFULLY for the last time), look on this site, for study tips, content, etc...otherwise WAIT for you reading list. Good luck.

I think that learning to interact with people in a more patient way will do more for you than anything else you can do to prepare right now. Nursing is a people profession in which good communication is crucial.

Nurses and students here took time to try to help you, and you didn't seem to be able to see and be grateful for that investment (from others into you).

Aside from that, I'd maybe get my textbooks early and just read, read, read. No one here can give you an LPN school curriculum.

Look man. No one wanted to have our teeth kicked in by the amount of information we had to process, learn, and be able to apply in any given situation. You can read all of our nursing books- medical/surgical nursing, fundamentals of nursing, psychiatric nursing etc..- but until you're presented with a situation In which to apply this information it won't do you any good. In my opinion, the "basic" information that would benefit you now can be taught in a nursing assistant program or Emt program. The rest is knowledge you will not be able to hold onto until put into practice through clinicals and simulations. You mentioned the reason for wanting this information up front was so that you wouldn't get "hung up on one part and that be end" well if one little part in nursing school is the cause of failure then it's probably for the best.....I personally don't want an 80%(minimal grade in LPN school) nurse just the same as I don't want a 70% surgeon.....

Look man. No one wanted to have our teeth kicked in by the amount of information we had to process learn, and be able to apply in any given situation. You can read all of our nursing books- medical/surgical nursing, fundamentals of nursing, psychiatric nursing etc..- but until you're presented with a situation In which to apply this information it won't do you any good. In my opinion, the "basic" information that would benefit you now can be taught in a nursing assistant program or Emt program. The rest is knowledge you will not be able to hold onto until put into practice through clinicals and simulations. You mentioned the reason for wanting this information up front was so that you wouldn't get "hung up on one part and that be end" well if one little part in nursing school is the cause of failure then it's probably for the best.....I personally don't want an 80%(minimal grade in LPN school) nurse just the same as I don't want a 70% surgeon.....[/quote']

Wow! The minimum at my school is 70%!

That's surprising. My RN program ill finish in December is a 78 minimum

That's surprising. My RN program ill finish in December is a 78 minimum

The RN program here is minimum 75. In my LPN program ALOT can't meet the 70 minimum. :(

The RN program here is minimum 75. In my LPN program ALOT can't meet the 70 minimum. :(

That's terrifying.....

That's terrifying.....

Yeah. Even though the minimum is 70, it's NOT easy...from what my teachers said it used to be 75. Don't know why it got changed though.

Ladyfree28: "Instead of being two hairs short if being RUDE, WHY don't YOU get all that knowledge is best served once you get to class????" ............."WHY aren't YOU understanding, since you get critical thinking 100%, hmmm???"

And two short hairs of being rude, I believe I have answered that question over and over and over and over. I would like to get as much knowledge as I can NOW so that when I get to the LVN school I can have a basis to work with and since I have that great knowledge I can build on the things I wouldn't have gotten the first time around. Getting say an 85 in total if I didn't study, maybe a 95% if I did study the year before. As for critical thinking, I never said I get critical thinking 100%.

Wideopenheart: "I think that learning to interact with people in a more patient way will do more for you than anything else you can do to prepare right now....Nurses and students here took time to try to help you, and you didn't seem to be able to see and be grateful for that investment (from others into you)."

Wideopenheart...If I had a toe that was turning purple and came on here and asked, "what could I do about it?", what I am getting from these boards is essentially people telling me about asthma, cancer, hair growth, everything BUT what I am asking. I did not ask in essence "Would it be better to study now or just go to school?", rather I am asking "What can I study now" and everyone's answer is telling me about anything BESIDES what I asked. I had that one chap tell me in anatomy what to study. And I applauded him for that. But everyone else tells me about everything BUT what I am asking. I mean really, after a while it's like "how do I even tell them anymore, they seem to have a mind of their own". As for the nurses taking their time, I am not grateful, because if I were asking what is 1+1 they would be saying the color blue. Something totally irrelevant and so far from what I am asking that it actually amazes me and is quite surprising that actual nurses rather than help me by saying, "study in your free year until your LPN to get a grasp on some of the things how bones are formed, the equation for C to F, that Ml=CC are rather telling me, "Just sit there and waste a year and then go cram everything in one year at school" as though knowing the formula for C to F or what Ibuprofen is is going to be my absolute downfall in my career while taking the LVN course. What hogwash. I am not grateful at all for people trying to tell me to waste my own time.

Justanlpn: "You mentioned the reason for wanting this information up front was so that you wouldn't get "hung up on one part and that be end" well if one little part in nursing school is the cause of failure then it's probably for the best....."

So if I did study a year ahead of time and came to a situation that it was the week on the final and rather than review everything that was shakey in my head versus literally everything because I hadn't studied the previous year I would get a bad grade say for test anxiety purposes....I would rather have knowledge prior so when I get into school if there is anything that can snag me I can work through it rather than having to focus on that snag AND all my 5 other classes at once..you understand? I'd have more time for snags. If you are saying that if there is a snag I need to study hard for and that is a reason that you wouldn't want me to be a nurse...wow..just wow...and I quote you on, "well if one little part in nursing school is the cause of failure then it's probably for the best."

Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.

Again, OP...it seems you are stuck on the fact that you will like to disregard statements from experienced nurses like myself...SMH...Good luck to you...

I agree with another poster, you will benefit from using the aspects of being a nurse than anything else...including something called "active listening."-even if you are reading our words...

some of the posters on here are going through their programs now, while the rest have completed the programs and giving you a different "view" that you don't agree with...in nursing school, you may not agree, and be fixated in your view point, and based on your responses to the ones who are giving you SAGE advice, that you choose to disregard, make sure you plan to revise that for nursing school. You don't know who just gave you advice that you din't agree with who will be your instructor.

Again, it would behoove you to do that instead of fixation on toes, temps, ibuprofen, etc...as I stated before, utilize the stickies on here, etc related to studying....you still seem fixated on facts instead of PREPARING to study differently than you will ever will...the facts before NS will NOT make sense...there is a method in tackling nursing school that you are missing from experienced posters.

As for being "not grateful" know you CAN NOT CONTROL opinion, as much as we are letting you KNOW the REALITY of nursing school. Or give out information related to nursing school...TOS...

If you are so frustrated...Google what you need to know, since again, you are content in having a "knowledge fixation" You most likely have decided to chose not to accept the knowledge of experienced nurses as possibly, your future instructors of the nursing world. You never know who you will criss paths with to help you shape you in being a better nurse.

I'm done. Good luck.

+ Add a Comment