Can Anybody share your experiences as a LPN in your 1st job?

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Hello Everybody,

I would like hear some advices from all of you in your very first job as a LPN. As I will start my 1st job as a LPN in LTC, therefore i would like to get some ideas what to expect as a new grad LPN. It can be overwhelm right? I just think about it , it already make me feel so overwhelm already. I hope you can give me some tips to survive my first job.

Thank you so much. And I really appreciate for all the comments.

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Alright, I was on orientation at a LTC facility... then one day I walked in and I was on the floor all by my lonesome. No heads up or anything. 23 residents, Did my first check to make sure everyone was alive and made sure that the TF, caths, floor mats ,call lights and everything else was in place. Got report, narc check. Then hit the floor running, like the great race....the first day went smoothly, no new orders & nobody fell. Next day.... 6 new ordes, call the DR. residents PEG came out, vomiting, call xray... Boy was I sweating, coumadin labs resluts.. call Dr. bla, bla bla. Anyway, you start with the first room and keep passing the meds hopefully nobody interrupts you. Its my third day and once you know the residents and the phone number for everyone you need to reach (I called the lab they asked me my phone number I said , "just a minute let me find out".) It will get easier, make sure you drink a lot of water cause I never take my 2 15min. breaks, no time. Never Chart before you pass your meds, make sure they swallow, say ahhh. I had a reesident cheek her crushed meds with jelly and as soon as I walked away, she dribbled it all out down the front of her gown. If a cna can do it, delegate. Everyone is helpful and encouraging, ask and ye shall receive. You will be great, good luck

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Thank you for your advice. I am just so nervous right now cos I have been graduated since May 2011, and now I just got the job. and I feel like i am losing most of my knowledge right now. I don't wanna be the nurse that they call dump or anything like that. I heard some nurses have been bullied, and which is scared me so bad. allI wanna do is to be prepare and be good. Hope I am survive this.

and thank you so much

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A LTC was my first LPN job as well, luckily I worked there for a few year as a CNA and med. tech. I have a million stories, but my best advise is please don't think you are not a good enough/ smart enough nurse for the job. Starting out is hard you are scared to death of making mistakes. The one thing that saved me my first year as a charge nurse was when another LPN went to the director of Nursing and told her that She had no idea how I made it through nursing school because I had no clue what I was doing. My DON then told her "nursing in 10% school and 90% experiance", and that If I sat for the same NCLEX as every other licenced nurse than I am just as qualified as the next. She was right, because every day i learn somthing new, find better ways to organize my time, and become more comfortable within my own scope of practice. Never be scared to ask for help, never think somthing Is a dumb question. Last piece of advise, as much as you hate calling the doctor, If you think you should, just do it. Calling a MD at 3am and getting yelled at can NOT take away your nursing licence! :)

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My first job out of nursing school was as a scrub nurse in the OR. I also rounded for the surgeon I worked for. LOVED this job. The neurosurgeon I worked for was taking a sebatical after the birth of her first child and she helped me get a scrub nurse job at a local hospital and I worked there scrubbing ENT/Plastic Surgery/Urology and Ophthalmology and LOVED it as well.

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Thank you everybody for the advices. I no a lot of new nurses have been bullied and i'm afraid i'm gonna be want of them since i more the kind of person who don't really like to speak up. Can you tell me what is your routine in order to get your job done on time? I understand that yr routine might not fit my routine, but i just want to get some idea so i can prepare myself.

Anyway I also wanna be a scrub nurse as well cos you got to see the surgery going on in OR room. After i got my RN will try to find the job like that. totally awesome!

thank you again!

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My very first job (the day after i found out that i passed my boards) I started at a LTC facility and everything was going well. The nurse I was with was very helpful and I learned alot. My second day, however, I heard the door alarm sound and I looked over to see 3 state officials walking into the facility--it was time for their annual survey. I was mortified! the nurse I was training with "got sick" and had to leave, and I was thrown to the wolves on my second day as a nurse. I went home and cried. Ever since then, I have very confident when it came time for the state survey. It made me learn alot.

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Specializes in HIV, Psych, GI, Hepatology, Research.

My first LPN position is where I currently work. I was licensed early 11/2011. I couldn't find a job as a LPN until the end of 01/2012. I was hired at a large specialist facility doing phone nursing and back office work triaging patients. I assit with procedures and do some IV treatments here as well as IM and SQ injections. I don't feel that I am keeping up with most of the skills that I learned in school but there are perks working in a specialty field. The group of specialists are all great so that makes it alot better. There is a large staff here as well which makes the center run more smoothly. I know there are other things that I want to do and experience but for now I am content. It's less hectic, even though it does have it's moments. I can actually take an hour lunch break on most days. Usually the food is free as well which helps. I do get to see patients on a regular basis and get to know them. There are so many things to do as a nurse that I can't help but feel like there are so many things to explore and I might be missing out.

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wow, everyone's stories and advice really helps, I am a new LPN that had graduated over a year ago. so I feel like I'm relearning everything. I've had a few orientation shifts, and I am so stressed out. and I really feel like the transition from school to on the job was a huge jump. it has been hectic relearning everything, and I am nervous to start my first official day on my own. It seems like as soon as i'm confident with one thing there's another thing that i have no experience with. I used to hate asking questions, and speaking up, but now I have no problem with it, because i know it's the only way i'll survive. I'm getting better with my med pass, but i'm still on the slow side. and I really haven't done a enough dressings to say i know what to do every time. i'm trying to take it day by day, but i will admit this has been one of the most overwhelming challenges i'v ever experienced. i'v heard that the first year is always the hardest, I just hope I can keep up, things will seem easier with time.

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Specializes in A little bit of this and that.

I worked on-call in-home hospice, continuous care. First patient I had died in the first 30 minutes. The man had pancreatic cancer, was a geriatric patient. I get to the home, get report, other nurse leaves.. I check the patient and he had a BM. So I'm turning him to clean him, he vomits, then yells, and just dies. The family is there panicking, button mashing on the PCA, and I was there thinking what the hell did I get myself into..

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Specializes in Hospice / Ambulatory Clinic.

My first shift was like watching paint dry. Sure there was some skill involved but compared to training in the hospital it was a let down. But it was full time and low stress. Just do whatever you can get just to get a years experience under your belt. After 10 months I was able to move onto the registry I'm at now who has allowed me to sample a little bit of this and that.

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