PA licensed PN - out of practice for 6 yrs

[dmbrown84]

Hi Everyone,

I am an LPN with a current license, but haven't worked as a nurse in about 7 years. In this post will give an overview of my background & experiences that led me away from nursing, so if you want to skip my story & head straight to my questions, please skip down to section #10.

1) From 2002 - 2005, I was a full time student who didn't get into a BSN program & turned to practical nursing to fulfill my dream of becoming a nurse.

2) Attended a quality 13-month program from July 2006 - August 2007. Graduated, passed boards with flying colors in October '07 & found my first job at a LTCF in December '07.

3) 1st shift post orientation, I was on the locked dementia unit & the other nurse didn't show up for duty. Agency nurse never came. I spent the evening locked up (as the ONLY nurse on the unit) with about 25 demented residents trying to identify them to give meds, most of whom weren't wearing ID bands (nightmare!), and looking for CNAs who were hiding in resident rooms watching TV or on their phones. A few weeks later, I was on a unit that was half rehab, half LTC. I usually had the LTC hall as those patients weren't as involved. But on this particular night, the nurse I was working with told me that I had the rehab hall (I was so naive). There was a recent knee replacement who needed CPM, a machine I knew nothing about, and a morbidly obese resident with a wound that went from the knee up to the lower back who was on a wound vac (another device I knew nothing about). I was nervous, but up for the challenge - I'd get the help I needed, right? WRONG!

4) When asked to assist with the wound vac, the nurse I was working with said they couldn't do it cause the smell of the wound was nauseating. I called the weekend supervisor who said they could come down & help soon (whatever that meant). Time passed & the resident had a MAJOR bowel movement that seeped into the wound. The resident needed to be cleaned ASAP. STAT! I went to speak to the supervisor to remind them that I still needed help & that the wound was now covered in feces. Said they'd be down shortly.

5) I couldn't leave the resident like this. Oh, and to top it off, the resident's bed broke & was leaning to the side a little. A wonderful CNA volunteered to hold the resident to one side while I removed the wound vac & all its packing, cleaned the resident & the wound & applied clean dressing until SOMEONE could come down to show me how to operate the wound vac. Help never came during my shift. I quit in February '08, just 2 months after I had started. During this time, I re-enrolled at the university I was attending prior to leaving for LPN school & started taking classes full-time in January '08. I was working 4 days 3-11 EOW, which made going back to school pretty easy.

6) Next job was better, but always short-staffed & an hour away from home. I had applied to a job with the Community Living Center at the VA in November '07 & wasn't interviewed or offered the position until April '08. I started in May '08. Yup, 6 months!

7) Hands down, BEST JOB EVER! Such a great group of nurses & nurse manager. Always staffed with 2 RNs and 3 LPNs with maybe 3 -4 CNAs. Its been a while, so I might be off, but the point is, it wasn't just two LPNs & a few aids holding down the fort. I had the help & guidance that I needed as a new nurse & was able to get experience in areas I was interested in, like wound care (I often followed the wound nurse for a few cases during a shift, which was fabulous!). But then we started having staffing issues & I would be asked to stay for additional shifts when I thought I was going to leave & hit the club for a bit (I was 23 at the time). It was now August '08 and school would be starting back up at the end of the month. My class load was more intense & wouldn't accommodate a full-time work schedule. The VA didn't have part-time LPNs. I was tired of being a nurse, tired of being asked to work doubles, tired of the VA environment (loved the Vets though), so I resigned and became a non-working full-time student.

8) May 2010 - graduated with a BS in Public Health & found a job a month later at an Ivy League institution doing hospice & palliative care research. I've been there ever since, switched projects multiple times & have worked with amazing staff, faculty & patients. Benefits are EXCELLENT, even though I wish Clinical Research Coordinators were paid a little better in academia, but considering the benefits & free tuition, it balances out.

9) I'm now 29, childless, partner-less and want to really invest in myself in my 30's. I've toyed around with the idea of becoming a doctor, dentist, therapist, RN (oh no, don't want to relive those awful experiences), Health Informatics professional, Physician Assistant, and getting a masters in public health...

10) A research study nurse once told me that she tells anyone who doesn't know what to do with their lives, to go to nursing school because you can do anything with that degree. About 2 years later, I realize that she may be on to something. I enjoy being in healthcare, love working in research, but would like more patient interaction & the ability to travel. Nursing can check all of those boxes and then some. Wish I had realized this sooner, but better late than never.

My questions for you all are:

How do I get back into nursing?

I'm in an area where nursing is pretty advanced & LPNs are pretty much in nursing homes & home care. How do I complete the clinical hours for the NAPNES LPN Refresher Course?

Should I just forget about my LPN license, re-take my nursing school pre-reqs and apply to BSN programs?

Do I move to an area where LPNs are employed in acute settings?

Any words of wisdom are more than welcome.

Thank you :-)

- D.

[Sammy Mendez]

The Board of Nursing in your state should give you all the guidance that is required to meet your re-entry process. I would explore their options in transitioning back into nursing. Check with their Program Coordinator, and ask him/her what you need to get back into the field. Get next to a seasoned nurse, a mentor so to speak, someone you trust for guidance. Good luck to you, I'm sure you will find your way, even if it involves travel.