does anyone have a very general idea of what an LPN does on the everage day?

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But does anyone have a very general idea of what an LPN does on the everage day?Ill start my school in NC and we are eventually moving to WV

if it varies just too much...thats ok...thanks!!!

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

Moved to the LPN/LVN Corner for more responses. Good luck to you!

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Specializes in LTC, Dementia/Alzheimer's.

It depends where you work..

I work at a LTC facility as a Charge Nurse. Generally, I pass meds, do treatments, assess patients, chart, do paperwork, direct CNA's/CMT's.. Those are my very basic duties that MUST be done daily, but every day is different & I usually have to do much much more than that. Like deal with falls, new orders, admits, discharges, plunge toilets, fix TV's, help feed, clean people up, talk to families, talk to doctors, set up appointments, set up transportation, mediate peers, etc..

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I work at a LTC facility in a dementia/psych unit. I pass meds, do TX's, assess pt's, labs, call docs, organize & manage STNA's, & do TONS of paperwork!!! If I have a fall (god forbid!), a quarterly, an admit, or a resident who needs sent out to ER, my night can go straight to HE double hockey sticks!!! I love my job tho! Very rewarding!

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Specializes in Cardiac Care.

All of the above is the life of an LPN in LTC... but remember that those things all are done for about 20-30 residents at the same time!

Of course they hire LPN's in a doctor's office too. I can only imagine it being much easier!

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Is that what you think? With all due respect for how difficult I'm sure your job is, I dare you to do mine for one night while following my company protocol!! We have nurses being fired daily for not or not being capable of doing so.

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I will be starting nursing school in the spring. Before I pay for school, I would like to know what a lpn does. Your answer's can be as long as you want, I really want to be informed. What exactly do you lpns do in a nursing home, home care, or doctors office? Im pretty positive I wont be working at a hospital. Please give me examples of morning and evening shift. Thank you!!!

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Specializes in Homecare, Public Health.

Pass meds, order meds, treatments, call MDs to update on patient status, obtain new orders, transcribe orders, troubleshooting equipment, lab values, feeding, changing, showering, toileting, admissions, ROCs, transfers, supervise & patient assignments as well as orient CNAs to patients, update family members, make appointments and the paperwork! plus all the small things squeezed in!

I do all this while trying to smile and look compassionate.

LTC/SNF- 30-32 patients, Rehab- 14 patients and VNA one at a time(not always a good thing when a patient takes a lot longer than expected and my next patient is 20 minutes away with good traffic)

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thats all true, but its not all bad for everyone. If youre getting into it for the right reasons, youre good to go. You have to have a drive for nursing, and love people.

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I agree... its hard work, but if you love to work with people, you'll do great!

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Specializes in cardiology.

What job do you do?

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Specializes in OR scrub/circulator, hospice crisis care.
All of the above is the life of an LPN in LTC... but remember that those things all are done for about 20-30 residents at the same time!

Of course they hire LPN's in a doctor's office too. I can only imagine it being much easier!

Being an LPN in the MD office where I work is NOT easier.

The GP doc I work with sees 40 patients a day, and there are two of us nurses. We take their vitals and complaints and refill requests, enter everything into the computer chart (older MD won't touch it), field 20-30 phone calls each, daily- everything from "Should I come in or go to the ER?" to med refills to requests for FMLA paperwork. Plus set whatever referrals the office visits generate, handle walk-in flu shots, immunizations, and paperwork requests. Plus call back anyone with abnormal lab results and rx changes needed. Plus process all incoming/outgoing correspondence for the MD from hospital visit updates, consult reports, outside lab/imaging studies. In a typical day, I handle 50 to 70 patient charts in one capacity or another.

I hate it and I shouldn't have left the OR.

I'm considering LTC and home care... but it seems like the grass is always greener until you're standing on it.

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