Head to Toe Assessments - 3rd week

Nursing Students LPN/LVN Students

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My third week of LPN school...head to toe assessments. All I can say is "wow!" these things are detailed and takes at least 30 minutes and that does not include the time it takes to do the vital signs before starting the assessment. Our instructors advised that we will have to perform on all of our pts in clinicals, which starts in March. For now, we are practicing on each other and will have check offs next week. I have an anatomy test and Nursing Funds test the end of this week, so will practice more on assessments this weekend. Whew! only 3 weeks and school is no joke. I literally study btwn 3-4 hours a night on weekdays after school, and some on Sat and Sundays too and I was prev enrolled in an A.S. degree program for paralegal for almost 2 yrs and never did I study like this and managed to pull good grades (A and B's). But the nursing program is vastly different and required understanding of everything. The head to toe assessment is just that, knowing how to assess the body from the head to toe and everything in btwn. Wish me luck.

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I know the feeling. I'm in my second week of LPN school and the amount of material is overwhelming. I also have to study at least 2-3 hours a day to keep up. I don't think that I worked this hard while getting a B.S. degree!!!

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Yep. I'm thankful to be exempt from the A&P portion of the class, that's 13 less tests. I will still have 39 tests and tons of quizzes...in about 15 weeks!!

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I know that LVN school is tougher than getting my BS. not that the material is that much more difficult, but the time that I have to study the voluminous amout of information just isn't enough.

we have at least one quiz, sometimes 2 everyday, as well as a test on the previous day's chapter. I'm putting in 4-6+ hrs a day right now.

it's supposed to ease up once we get thru A&P, which will be in another week or so.

phew...survived my first month of NS. only 10 more to go!

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Specializes in Geriatrics.

we learned head to toe assessments but never got checked off on them!

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Specializes in telemetry/med surg.

right there with ya girl, we are starting our third week, and have already had 3 major exams, and have done skill checkoffs for handwashing, gloving, transferring patients, and today we were blessed with CARE PLANS and learned head to toe assessments. I was about stressed to the max today at the end of the day. Those care plans are HARD!

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Specializes in Pediatrics, OB/GYN, ER, Geriatrics.

Wait until 2nd semester...I thought first semester was bad, but OMG....2nd semester is all pathophysiology!!! Now on our head to toe assesments, we have to give the reason why the pt is presenting with the problem...

We just started back yesterday (from a 5 week semester break) and have 150 pages to read in our Pharmacology book, 100 pages in Med-Surg, need to do a 10 page care plan implementing the nursing process for a pt with COPD AND have a test on Monday on what we covered yesterday in lecture! :bugeyes:

I was up until 1 am last night, been studying all day today and feel like I have yet to even touch the surface of my homework! :crying2:

Best of luck to you all!

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I just graduated LPN school in December 2009....I feel your pain. There is a lot of studying coming out of the gate in school and it feels like everything is thrown at you at once. I PROMISE you, it gets easier. During A&P I made up so many note cards and studied for hours every night. Once you get thru A&P, and start into clinical, the bookwork becomes less. I'd like to give you a headsup about careplans but if you were given a good guide book for that, you will make it. Head to toe assessments become like a reflex for you after a bit. Hang in there. It was the longest year of my life but I made it and so will you.:)

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