Frustrated with LPN school

RN34TX · Sep 8, 2005

Other people in my class have CNA's and are not having any trouble at all. This is all stuff they have seen before, but I have done none of it. If a CNA would have helped I wish they would have told me that before I applied. I feel lost overwhelmed, tired, and like I'm shot down before I start. I get very tired of having to fail my first attempts at the skills because I have not had practice time or the opportunity to ask questions, and then I have a retest hanging over my head.
As I speak, my oldest has just come in here and informed me that she has to have help with her algebra homework. There is a younger girl in my class who keep preaching to me that these skills tests are so easy and she's "worried" about my ability to get through the tougher ones if I'm having so much trouble catching on now. It hurt, thought I tried not to let it show.
Sorry to whine and vent. I think these are legit issues, though. Who wants to be tested on something they haven't even done yet??
Cara

That's not a fair statement from the "younger" girl in your class.

I was pulled off my 16 week ICU internship after only 8 weeks (I'm sure it had a lot more to do with staffing shortage than my wonderful nursing skills) but the rest of my fellow new grads had to stay the full 16 weeks since they weren't "catching on" as well as I was.

My manager would rub it in their faces about how they still needed so much orientation and why couldn't they catch on as quickly as I was.

None of these new RN's had even worked as CNA's prior to starting in ICU and I had been a CNA for two years and an LPN/LVN for 6, almost 7 years.

I would remind her of this whenever she was feeling like making the other new grads feel like crap and she would say "Yes but you worked in Med/Surg and ICU is totally different."

Well that may be true but these new grads were still struggling with things that I'd been doing for years like getting better at starting IV's, inserting NG tubes, meds, ventilators, etc. while I had more time to concentrate on the ICU specific stuff.

They were trying to get comfortable and proficient with all of the nursing skills at the same time so it wasn't fair to say that we were all on a level playing field.

Similar situations occured for me in LPN school because I had worked as a CNA for a year while waiting to start LPN school. Non-CNA students struggled with basic CNA skills not because they were incapable, they just didn't have the day to day experience and practice of patient care.

They eventually caught up to speed as did my ICU RN co-workers and so will you!

Being a CNA prior to LPN school can definitely give you an advantage but it's certainly not necessary. You can't possibly be the only non-CNA in your class.

You're already in LPN school so you can't go back and change it now, you just need to keep moving forward.

I'm sure that this younger girl in your class struggled with the same things back when she was in CNA training, it's just that you only see her as an experienced CNA today, you didn't know her back when she was struggling and she may have forgotten herself that at one time it was all new to her too.

Many nurses jumped into a licensed position without being CNA's first and most eventually do just fine.

You will catch on!

Hoosiernurse, ADN, RN · Sep 8, 2005

You're already in LPN school so you can't go back and change it now, you just need to keep moving forward.
I'm sure that this younger girl in your class struggled with the same things back when she was in CNA training, it's just that you only see her as an experienced CNA today, you didn't know her back when she was struggling and she may have forgotten herself that at one time it was all new to her too.
Many nurses jumped into a licensed position without being CNA's first and most eventually do just fine.
You will catch on!

Thank you so much for the faith. I know, I should let the girl's statements roll off my back. If I wasn't feeling so upset about my lack of ability to get ready for these tests, I don't think her comments would have affected me so much.

There is another lady I spoke to who feels the same way I do. She was in real estate before she came to the program, and last week she had failed her bedmaking attempt. She was near tears and ready to just give up. I kept encouraging her, telling her I really do know how she feels. She feels just as snowed under as I do...with no time to practice the skills before we are told we're being tested. She suggested I say something to the staff, but I feel I will just be seen as a whiner if I do. They aren't going to restructure a whole program just because someone takes longer to learn skills and has to keep retaking them. I do think I will speak in confidence to one of the instructors that I like the best. Maybe she can suggest something.

I can't salvage the test tomorrow...but my bed bath is coming up next week and I am going in on my day off of classes to work in the only open lab they have all week. I'm NOT going to fail that one! Unfortunately, they are going to demonstrate another skill or two next week. If they don't test for it at the end of next week I will have the weekend to work at home and my Monday off of classes to practice again.

Maybe I can turn this thing around, eh?? There's always hope.

Thanks...

Cara

Fiona59 · Sep 9, 2005

The first semester is always the worst.

But guess what, after fighting with all those flat sheets and corners, we went on clinical. Turns out our health authority has FITTED sheets for the darn mattress.....

Ignore missy. There are always a few that try and intimidate the life experienced, older students.

Hoosiernurse, ADN, RN · Sep 9, 2005

The first semester is always the worst.
But guess what, after fighting with all those flat sheets and corners, we went on clinical. Turns out our health authority has FITTED sheets for the darn mattress.....
Ignore missy. There are always a few that try and intimidate the life experienced, older students.

HEHHEH! You're right. I will conquer this and come out on the other side. I had heard that many facilities have fitted sheets and this is an exercise in needless torture. Tomorrow is Friday, and whether I pass or fail I'm going to come out of another week having survived nursing school. If I don't do well, I'll just do it again. But I really hope I surprise myself and do it well.

Cara

NorthernRose · Sep 9, 2005

Can I suggest you ask one of those girls who have been CNA's for help? When I was in school, we tried to team up with those who had never been in health care or atleast offer help to them. If possible, ask the instructor if you can stay over/come in early to practice a bit. Remember, even us old CNA's were where you are now-never made a bed with flat sheets!!, never transferred anyone, never even thought about cleaning someones dentures!! (ick) Oh and just relax!! You'll be doing clinicals soon and in no time you'll be whipping those beds together without even a thought!!

Chris806 · Sep 9, 2005

I passed my bedmaking skills finally, on the second try. We were shown moving and positioning a patient on Wed., and after the demo we had perhaps 20 minutes left in class to practice. I didn't get to do much of anything but be rolled around a bit by some fellow students. Thursday, today, I spent some of the time doing my retest for bedmaking and then had time enough to participate in ONE log rolling. That was it. Now I find out that tomorrow we are being tested on moving and positioning a patient.
You know. I don't mind strict rules. I don't mind having to work hard and practice, practice, practice. What I do mind is being shown something once, having almost no time to do the practicing, and then being told I'm being tested. I feel like a failure before I begin! How can I be tested on something I haven't even done completely, let alone had any instructor feedback as to whether I'm actually doing it right or not! I feel like I'm just being tossed in, and so many younger girls who don't have families to deal with are just walking in and passing these skills tests like they are nothing. I feel like I can do all of these things and do them well, but I am not even familiar with them yet.
How is this a true test of what sort of nurse I'll be? I'm so confused, as I sit here reading in my book about logrolling and positioning and trying like heck to remember what it looked like. Did the arm go there? I'm not sure...am I really using my hips to pull rather than my arms or is my technique all goofed up? Who knows, I've never had an instructor tell me!
Other people in my class have CNA's and are not having any trouble at all. This is all stuff they have seen before, but I have done none of it. If a CNA would have helped I wish they would have told me that before I applied. I feel lost overwhelmed, tired, and like I'm shot down before I start. I get very tired of having to fail my first attempts at the skills because I have not had practice time or the opportunity to ask questions, and then I have a retest hanging over my head.
As I speak, my oldest has just come in here and informed me that she has to have help with her algebra homework. There is a younger girl in my class who keep preaching to me that these skills tests are so easy and she's "worried" about my ability to get through the tougher ones if I'm having so much trouble catching on now. It hurt, thought I tried not to let it show.
So I'm prepared to walk in tomorrow, be called, and then do a hundred things wrong because I don't really know what I'm doing and haven't had enough practice. I'll probably put pillows in the wrong places, forget to put them where they go, have the bed in the wrong position, put the arms in the wrong spot. You name it, I can see it coming, because I don't know any better. It makes me angry, because I think I'd make a damn fine nurse...
Are they just trying to see if I lose my mind, or is it that I'm 36 and have a family to take care of and am dead tired that prevents me from doing as well as those seeminly carefree 19-22 year olds in my class? I dunno. I just don't know what to think. I'm not giving up, but I'm so worn out from having to spend entire weekends thinking about a retest.
Sorry to whine and vent. I think these are legit issues, though. Who wants to be tested on something they haven't even done yet??
Cara

Cara, there seems to be alot of us in the same boat, but I can say this, what these 18 and 22 year olds do well now may bite them in the but later. I look at it like this. We are give all of these procedures.. those (in my class) who have been working as CNA'a may know the 'just of things' but like life I am sure that they do not alsway follow the rules. Because of this reason I am glad that I am learning this step by step.. it prevents bad habits... the body mechanics of moving the patient is important, but it is just one step in the larger scheme of things, sooo,, what I am saying is keep plugging at it.. it is overwhelming but soon you will be able to see why,,, then everything makes sense. YOU can Do it......

chris

following_faith · Sep 9, 2005

And to add to the above poster-those girls may think this is a breeze but what about when they actually have to go beyond it and start taking the actual nursing courses. You will all be back to a level field b/c even if they have been exposed, they haven't actually done it! So tell her to cool it-who is to say that she is going to be able to handle it when you get to the harder stuff!

Think of it this way...at least us adults with children will not faint, puke or be horrified at our OB rotations! :rotfl: Let's see them handle that! "Are you telling me THAT came out of THERE?"

You can do it! Don't worry about them, just work on getting what you need to get you through. I think asking if you can come in early or stay later is a great idea! It will show that you are serious about trying to get this stuff!

Hang in there. Maybe see if you can't sit down with your family and work out some sort of schedule to balance everyone's needs.

Please let us know how it goes and don't give up! It will be over before you know it!

Ambier · Sep 9, 2005

I remember my first few days of LPN classes. :uhoh3: I was almost in the same boat as you, except that I had just finished with my CNA class the week before. I agree with the previous suggestion of asking some of the younger girls :angryfire for help. That's what our class did, we teamed up. As the year goes on, you'll find yourself being put on a more even playing field. It does get better, I promise. Just think of it this way, once you've passed a skill you'll never have to be tested on it again!! :balloons: Our teacher told us that having to retest was NOT a big thing. Most people will have to retest on one thing or another. Just wait until the younger girls have to try and do a catheter or an NG Tube. Good luck with the school year!!!

Amber :chuckle

chunnice · Sep 9, 2005

Oh Cara,

Just reading your post brings shiver's to my spine! I have an instant flash back to ten years ago when I was 31 and in my LPN program and had two boys 4 and 2.

I was forever feeling inept. I remember the younger students in the begining labs were getting everything so fast and I seemed to struggle. I had been a home health aid before but that was so different from those that worked in nursing facility. I was also tired trying to juggle family and School.

I just want to say though that your life experience will pay off later. Those same younger students had trouble later on. So hang in there.

I do think if you can ask if it is possible to stay after perhaps with someone else that would like to practice. This helped me.

All I can say is stay tough and focused. I compare the LPN Program to boot camp. I felt like the instructors were more interested in trying to make me cry than anything else. What I know now is that they were just preparing us for a very tough career. The stess in school is nothing like the stress that nurses face everyday...What I have found is that they prepared me so well.

If you can survive this program you can survive anything and that feeling is worth it's weight in gold!

Hook up with some students that you can relate with. That helps so much. We would meet every friday at the pub down from school and cry into our glass of beer..each convinced we were never going to make it! You know what? We all made it! The support we gave each other was what helped.

Continue to post here too! Go ahead and vent!

Remember that saying.."That which does not destroy me, makes me stronger!

I have just started for my RN...Here I go again! This time instead of chasing toddler's ,I'm chasing teenagers. I am also doing this through distance learning and working too. But, you know what? I survived LPN Training! I can do anything!

Hugs and support

Laura :wink2:

Anjewels · Sep 9, 2005

I can totally relate to the bed-making thing. That's what I had the most trouble with in LVN school. Do NOT let it get you down! It DOES NOT mean that you won't be a good nurse. Bed-making skills are important, so I'm not going to try to downplay them, but they are not the most important thing.

I don't think I had the body mechanics down right while doing my labs, so my back would be killing me! Not to mention the instructors started timing us and my clinical instructor at that time was a male ex-army drill sargeant (seriously!) and he expected to be able to bounce a quarter off the sheets!

I was a nervous wreck! I remember going into the bathroom and just sobbing because I thought there was NO WAY I was going to make it thru LVN school. Other students had no problem, it was like second nature to them! What was wrong with me???? But, I was determined. I went home the night before lab skills check-off on bedmaking, and I stripped my bed down. Then I practiced making that bed over and over again! I used family members to practice making an occupied bed. The next day I went in there, and even though my bed making skills weren't the best of the bunch, I passed.

And you know what? I learned that it wasn't THE most important in the grand scheme of things! Yes, the others could make their beds with their eyes closed with one arm tied behind their back - BUT I aced Pharmacology while those same people barely eeked by! Do what you need to do to pass the skill, but from here on out, find your strong points and focus on those.

......and repeat to yourself " I AM a Good Nurse!"!

Good Luck!

PS. Edited to say: You are going to find too, that when you get in the actual hospital setting, it won't be the same as it is in school labs. Each hospital has their own technique for bed making. Heck, some of them even have special sheets that are Waaay different than the ones you are using in labs. Also, when you get to the hospital you most likely won't be making a bed by yourself. You will be teamed up with another student or perhaps a hospital employee. Don't sweat the small stuff!

Curious0599 · Sep 9, 2005

Thank you so much for the faith. I know, I should let the girl's statements roll off my back. If I wasn't feeling so upset about my lack of ability to get ready for these tests, I don't think her comments would have affected me so much.
There is another lady I spoke to who feels the same way I do. She was in real estate before she came to the program, and last week she had failed her bedmaking attempt. She was near tears and ready to just give up. I kept encouraging her, telling her I really do know how she feels. She feels just as snowed under as I do...with no time to practice the skills before we are told we're being tested. She suggested I say something to the staff, but I feel I will just be seen as a whiner if I do. They aren't going to restructure a whole program just because someone takes longer to learn skills and has to keep retaking them. I do think I will speak in confidence to one of the instructors that I like the best. Maybe she can suggest something.
I can't salvage the test tomorrow...but my bed bath is coming up next week and I am going in on my day off of classes to work in the only open lab they have all week. I'm NOT going to fail that one! Unfortunately, they are going to demonstrate another skill or two next week. If they don't test for it at the end of next week I will have the weekend to work at home and my Monday off of classes to practice again.
Maybe I can turn this thing around, eh?? There's always hope.
Thanks...
Cara

Where are you taking LPN classes???