Advice on getting a head start?

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Hi! My name is Tina and I just found this great forum this morning. I am currently working at home as a Medical Transcriptionist. I recently got promoted and am now editing voice recognition dictations, which essentially just means that the computer types the report and I edit it. Anyway, I've been an MT for almost five years now and now that my kids are all going to be in school and with all the changes in the MT business I have decided to finally go to LPN school. I've been thinking about it for a very long time now and I know its going to be extremely hard. I'm wondering if there is anything that I can do to get a head start. I won't even be able to test to see if I qualify for the class until March of 2006 and then if I get in, the class does not start until July of 2006. Everyone that I talk to keeps telling me that I will be fine, that I already have a head start because of my MT background, but I don't feel that. I feel like I really have not learned much over the past five years. Yes, I know what bid, prn, qhs, gerd, etc, etc, etc, means, but that does not mean that I will be a good student. I would really like to spend these next few months studying and getting ahead in my LPN studies.

I'm also scared to death. I'm scared that I won't even pass the pre-admissions test. Does anyone know what this test is like? Can you give me an idea of what all it entails? I'm also scared that if I am actually lucky enough to get into the class what if I have trouble remembering everything, or what if I do fine on written studies but crash on the clinicals or vice versa?? I'm scared to death of failing and having to take the class all over again. Everyone that I talk to says "oh, you'll do great. You already have medical terminology experience. You'll pass without a hitch!!" Well, what are they going to say if I fail. Are they going to look at me like I'm stupid??

Anyway, the point of this post was to introduce myself and to get some advice. Do you think it would be a good idea for me to review papers that my friend who is currently in the LPN course has? Would that help me or hurt me? Either way, thank you for taking the time to read this and please don't think I'm crazy, I just have a lot of stuff running through my mind right now and I'm very excited about possibly starting the second part of my life! T

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Where are you from?Schools have different pre-admission test but don't worry most of the test are easy,Basic math,english and reading.I took mine last week to a diff. school because I wanted to transfer overthere at the beginning I thought it was going to be hard.Then I took the test and I was surprised that it was very very basic english and math, Capitalization etc etc.Well that's it don't worry you'll do good.

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

Most LPN/LVN pre-admissions tests consist of basic reading, writing, composition, and arithmetic. If you know how to read, write, and do math at about an eighth grade level, you should be able to pass the pre-admissions test very easily. These tests, in my opinion, are simply intended to weed out the two-thirds of American adults who possess reading, writing, and math skills that are below the eighth grade level.

If you wish to obtain a head start throughout these next few months, my suggestion is to study the basic human anatomy and physiology of the human body. Anatomy and physiology is the foundation of many LPN/LVN courses.

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Tina I am in the SAME EXACT boat as you are. My pre-admission test is this coming Tuesday and I am little tense about it. I just turned 28 and am wanting to get out of the IT business and do something that matters in my life.

I have been using the following link that has practice tests as such we will see on the up coming test. I hope it serves you as well as it has me. I'ts free and has no login. It asks for you name but you dont have to give it.

http://www.testprepreview.com/tabe_practice.htm

Good luck to you and I will be sitting there right next to ya!

Matt

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Thank you all for your great replies. I really appreciate them. Matt, I'll definitely check out that link. I'm also looking for a book that is called "Review Guide for Lpn/Lvn Pre-Entrance Exam". I posted a request for this book on my local Freecycle.com boards and I'm hoping someone there will have one that their done with and will want to pass on. I figure I have at least a few months just to review so that I will feel better about it. I'm actually taking my GED test in Dec and should pass with no problem (I passed the practice test in the high percentage range) and then in Jan they begin testing for the nursing class of 2006/2007. They told me I can take it anywhere from Jan to March but March will be the last test available.

Thanks again!

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

There's no point in purchasing materials to prepare for the LPN/LVN pre-entrance exam; after all, you'll have no problems passing the test if you know how to read and write at or above an eighth grade level and do math at a fifth grade level. You'll just be wasting your cash. :)

Here was my situation last year. I had been out of high school for approximately five years with no preparation for the TABE examination whatsoever. I hadn't really been in school since my high school graduation in 1999 because I had entered the workforce immediately, so I worried that my skills were quite 'rusty' from being unused. I passed without any preparation or making any purchases. You can buy the books on how to pass the LPN school pre-entrance exam, though I think it's a bit unnecessary. Good luck to those who have upcoming pre-entrance exams!

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Oh no, I won't be buying anything. Freecycle.com is a yahoo message group where you can choose your area and people on the board post stuff they want to give away and you can also ask for something that someone might want to give away, so I'm hoping someone will just have the book and will want to donate it to me. There was a reply to my request saying she had a NET testing guide which is what she used last year for her preparation and I'm probably going to get that. I'll probably do fine but considering that I have to pay for this test I want to make sure I'm going to pass. I'm not the best in math either and I haven't been in school since I took my course for MT.

Thanks! T

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