Reaching Out!

[nenyart92]

Hello everyone !

First off, i'd like to introduce myself. I would also like to share to all of you my story. My name is Nick, and I am 25 years old. I am currently starting at the bottom of the ladder in California in the nursing program to become a LVN. After school, i'd like to work the field and break down my specialties and find out where I will ultimately fit in and excel the most in the medical field. Once I have had some experience, I will continue education for the BSN program. Once i'm finished with my BSN, i would like to become an ER nurse, or run my own floor/station. My goal is to become a NP, PA, or PCP. My dream is to run my own family practice with other fellow nurses and doctors.

The one experience that truly inspired me to work in the medical field occurred when i was a child. My brother had bilateral fractures to his left humerus, and right radius. A surgeon as a local hospital took the case, overstepped his boundaries, and my brother fell into malpractice. My brother had to be reassigned to an orthopedic specialist after his healing was finished with the previous local surgeon. He had suffered an entire adolescence of immobility and depression from missing all the opportunities to be a teenager. It was then I decided I will go into med school to become a doctor, study and practice to the best of my abilities. In this case, anyone who falls under my care will get the best care they can possibly get; and not suffer !

I am shouting out to the world and stumbled upon this wonderful discussion website! I have no contacts and would absolutely love to start building my own nursing community. I absolutely love the in depth science of anatomy, etiology, and pathophysiology of the human body. I'm sure there are many of you just like me that must understand "deeply" as to "why" a patient has elevated BUN/Creatinine, or "why" the sudden onset of respiratory distress, "how" compensatory mechanisms of the body work to maintain homeostasis, and everything on a molecular level. Thanks for reading ! Please feel free to comment, add, and introduce yourself below !

Thanks,

Nick

[Sour Lemon]

You sound confused, Nick ....but you're young enough that I suppose you have time to figure things out. Are you actually in an LVN program yet? If so, good. If not, there are some things you may want to consider before deciding to move forward.

[Okami_CCRN, BSN, RN]

Congratulations on finding a calling within the medical field. However, as Sour Lemon mentioned you sound a bit confused on your ultimate goal.

If you want to become a PA then stopping for an LVN/BSN degree is a waste of time and money. What you could achieve in 5-6 years has now increased to 8-10 years. If you want to be a primary care provider as in an MD/DO then do not stop in nursing. While the healthcare field is vast, not all degrees are transferable/relate-able. I wish you the best of luck on your journey, wherever it may take you.

[roser13, ASN, RN]

As has been said, you will soon learn that you must decide which path you want to take. If PA/MD, you must begin now to plan for an arduous competitive path.

If nursing is your goal, you must be prepared for a competitive entry field into a nursing program.

Head out of the clouds, reality check time. Which is it?

[nenyart92]

My initial goal was to be a doctor. i'm almost done with the LVN program. I've been told numerous times to just go for a NP considering the freedom of the practice itself. I also understand that being a PA is limited to its care unlike a NP. It has been a bit daunting for me. perhaps you could clarify ? anything helps ! I am most definitely still on the goal of running my own practice or "floor" in the hospital (for example). But you guys are right, there's no point in standing in front of a pool wondering if the water is going to be cold or hot. I might as well find out now and dive in so I won't regret it later. Thank you for your input !

[Okami_CCRN, BSN, RN]

Opening and maintaining a practice as an APN is largely dependent on the type of APN you are and what state you are licensed. Some states have many limitations on practice such as a mandatory physician collaboration contract and other stipulations. Your best option is to contact the board of nursing of the state you would like to practice and find out what their regulations are; or go online and look it up on their website.

In regards to managing a unit on a floor that largely depends on your experience as a nurse and whether or not you are cut out for it. Many hospitals are moving to hiring managers with masters degrees, particularly within the realm of nursing administration. Managing a floor is much more about numbers, budgets, and playing nice with the powers that be. You are still so young in your career that you may change your mind.

[nenyart92]

Opening and maintaining a practice as an APN is largely dependent on the type of APN you are and what state you are licensed. Some states have many limitations on practice such as a mandatory physician collaboration contract and other stipulations. Your best option is to contact the board of nursing of the state you would like to practice and find out what their regulations are; or go online and look it up on their website.

In regards to managing a unit on a floor that largely depends on your experience as a nurse and whether or not you are cut out for it. Many hospitals are moving to hiring managers with masters degrees, particularly within the realm of nursing administration. Managing a floor is much more about numbers, budgets, and playing nice with the powers that be. You are still so young in your career that you may change your mind.

I will most definitely do my research on APN. I'm kind of embarrassed, but I've never looked into APN .. I'm currently in California, and I've been told that state mandated requirements in CA/NY are the highest (as LVN/RN). Therefore, if we tested in CA/NY, we can work anywhere in the US. Please, correct me if i'm wrong. But thank you for taking the time to further explain this information. It helped a lot more than it seems. As of right now, I wish i could've immediately jumped into the RN-BSN before anything. I don't ever believe my time is wasted especially if i'm progressing vs. digressing. But it all seems a bit unclear for direction with nursing school (because there's so many to choose from). Most of what any school promotes is but an advertisement for enrollment and the almighty dollar. Again, thank you for clearing things up.

[roser13, ASN, RN]

I will most definitely do my research on APN. I'm kind of embarrassed, but I've never looked into APN .. I'm currently in California, and I've been told that state mandated requirements in CA/NY are the highest (as LVN/RN). Therefore, if we tested in CA/NY, we can work anywhere in the US. Please, correct me if i'm wrong. But thank you for taking the time to further explain this information. It helped a lot more than it seems. As of right now, I wish i could've immediately jumped into the RN-BSN before anything. I don't ever believe my time is wasted especially if i'm progressing vs. digressing. But it all seems a bit unclear for direction with nursing school (because there's so many to choose from). Most of what any school promotes is but an advertisement for enrollment and the almighty dollar. Again, thank you for clearing things up.

The NCLEX is a national test. California's testing for licensure is neither more nor less than any other state.

[Sour Lemon]

To add to what's already been said, your plan to "work the field and break down [your] specialties" may not be realistic after LVN school. LVNs have a very limited scope of practice in California, and it may be difficult for you to break into different specialties ...if you manage to find employment, at all. I know a few LVNs who've been working as unit clerks/tele monitors (long term) because they're unable to find nursing jobs. And the hospital I work at recently laid off their few LVNs with no notice, at all ...even though they'd been there for a very long time.

As an RN with a ASN, my own options are limited in this market. A BSN will likely to required for you to have the type of experience you're counting on. And even for BSNs, it's a very tough market for new grads. When I worked in Texas, there were lots of new grads from California working with me because they couldn't find employment in their home state. So, dream with your eyes open.

***You should not have the credential "LVN" by your name until you have actually earned it.

[Nurse SMS, MSN, RN]

Can you clarify what you mean by "run my own floor"? Do you mean be a manager of a hospital unit? You may wish to research further what that entails. Being a manager is very different from being a nurse practitioner or PA or MD...and is far from autonomous. Managers are probably answerable to more entities than most anyone else in the hospital. It is an administrative role, not a medical role, though an RN is required in order to understand all the factors at play.

You definitely sound confused and as if you need to do more research and clarify what it is you want to do. Do you want to manage people and give information on administrative and regulatory requirements and hold people accountable for that while being held accountable for your people? Do you want to treat people medically and make life and death decisions, such as prescribing medication and testing? Do you want to do surgery?

[nenyart92]

Can you clarify what you mean by "run my own floor"? Do you mean be a manager of a hospital unit? You may wish to research further what that entails. Being a manager is very different from being a nurse practitioner or PA or MD...and is far from autonomous. Managers are probably answerable to more entities than most anyone else in the hospital. It is an administrative role, not a medical role, though an RN is required in order to understand all the factors at play.

You definitely sound confused and as if you need to do more research and clarify what it is you want to do. Do you want to manage people and give information on administrative and regulatory requirements and hold people accountable for that while being held accountable for your people? Do you want to treat people medically and make life and death decisions, such as prescribing medication and testing? Do you want to do surgery?

I'd like to treat, diagnose, and adjust care according to the outcomes of patients, and be able to delegate tasks to RNs, LVNs, etc. What would you recommend I look into ?

[nellie272003]

If you want to run a floor, in my world that is called being a Patient Care Manager. Yes, they are paid well but you have to be a floor nurse first. If you want to be a PCM in any specialty unit , ie ICU, you have to certify in that specialty-meaning you have to go through all educational/ preceptorship courses first, write an exam etc. Not sure what an LVN is, but here were have RPNs (Registered Practical Nurses). No RPNs can become PCMs. They have to be a full Registered Nurse. Don't go the "quick way", go the most logical way. If that means more education/ more placements, etc, then so be it.

Maybe speak with a PCM to find out the details of their job-the pros and cons. You have a lot of time to figure this out but if you want to fully be a Registered Nurse, go into that type of a degree program. Also when you complete that program work in whatever area you want. So let's say you want to be a PCM in ICU, then go to medicine first, then transfer to ICU, then certify in ICU, then get your Masters, work in ICU for awhile, then apply. No one will hire a PCM fresh out of nursing school.

Administration/ PCM do not provide bed-side nursing, so if you want to continue on that path, then go for it!

If you want to do bed-side nursing, then don't go for it.

Talk to other nurses, see what they did and learn from their mistakes or the wrong path taken. If I knew what I know now, when I graduated nursing, I would be in a much different spot than now.

Lots to think about! You can do it!