I had very poor LVN/LPN training. Anyone else?

Published

Specializes in ER, PACU, Med-Surg, Hospice, LTC.

I ran into a woman who is taking the same LVN course that I took before I got my RN. So, I asked her a few questions.

Seems as though they are teaching the same old useless stuff. I say "useless" because I personally felt so unprepared and under-trained when I started my first LVN job in LTC.

Looking back, I can see how so much of my training was wasted on completely useless "skills". Not that the skills are not important, please don't get me wrong, but when I see the skills that I really should have been taught in order to function on the job in the real world, I would say that the College had their priorities messed up.

For example, we spent days on how to make beds and miter the sheets, how to read a Mercury thermometer :uhoh21:. How to brush a patients teeth and feed them. How to introduce ourselves, etc.....

Minimal time was spent on Pharmacology. No time was spent on how to start IVs or troubleshooting problems with IVs. No training on how to draw blood. We weren't even taught how to do a finger stick, draw up insulin and calibrate the monitors! We were assigned 1 patient for one week during clinicals. That didn't give me any idea how to adequately handle 30 patients when I started my first job. I also could have used some training on how to deal with difficult patients, bossy co-workers, intimidating doctors and controlling families. Maybe some role playing? So, when these situations actually happened, I wasn't standing there looking like an idiot with my jaw dropped open or taking something personally and getting upset. I know some people have a quick response to ANY situation, but I would say that most people in my class of 35 did not.

I felt so incompetent when I first started working. I actually felt that I could have just skipped my year of training and just started working. That is how little I actually learned in the program. I really feel that I could have had all my training on the job as a new LVN....would have saved me time wasted in class and the $$$$ for tuition.

I know there are some excellent LVN/LPN programs out there, but mine was definitely not one of them :madface:

I definitely envy those that had great instructors and thorough training!!!!

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

I, too, attended an LVN program in Southern California, more specifically in Van Nuys.

I must admit that the vast majority of my learning occurred on the job. My school simply prepared me on how to pass the NCLEX-PN on my first attempt. Otherwise, I have had to learn certain clinical skills, people skills, politics, and time management techniques on my own time.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

My clinicals were an absolute joke - and my program has that reputation. And it's still got a wait list.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.

You must have gone to my LPN school, or the director of mine and yours were half sisters, at least. I am still horrified of the pharmacology and nutrition course I took; I graduated knowing close to nothing about drugs...had to take a seminar on pharmacology to pass the boards. And, most of the time, we either had one patient or the instructor would only stay for about two hours at the site; or call and cancel clinicals (heck, that was a GOOD thing because I wasn't learning much, anyway). I spent a great deal of time studying, but what I find is that I am a good test taker, but am still struggling through application of knowledge a great deal. I think they should have just gave me a drug manual, a skills booklet and sent me on my way...really.

I really don't think that there is any training to deal with difficult patients,physicians and nasty co-workers. I suppose that if they really shared what was happening, most of us would have ran for the hills. I was well prepared for NCLEX, though, but no thanks to them...it was the studying that I did and really applying to the review courses, I think.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Brain injury,vent,peds ,geriatrics,home.

I cant say we had poor training.We had 6 months pharmacology.clinicals twice a week with geriatrics,pediatrics med surg,obstetrics,homecare.We had to observe three surgeries,witnessed a birth!WE gave injections,subQ,IM,intradermal, ,passed medications.Oral,nasally,rectally,ect.We had lecture and labs the other two and a half days.We had a lot of hands on.I felt our training fell together like a puzzle.I definetly recommend the LPN school I attended.Central School of Practical Nursing in Cleveland!Even coworkers state they thought our education was great!IV training was offered later which I did get certified.Im not sure if its required with the course now.I graduated a quite a few years ago.Any alumni Ive spoke with feels the same!Im sorry you had a bad experience with the LPN program.I feel fondly of mine!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

My LPN school was amazing... it was known that we were far better prepared to enter the workforce than grads from either of the BSN programs in town (both of which had been tossed from clinicals at the major hospital on more than one occasion). We were even taught things that only RNs were allowed to do at the time, because our instructors demanded we know how (in their eyes, we were going to be nurses dammit) and they had enough foresight to know LPN scope of practice would expand in the years to come. Before we graduated, we were expected to be able to be a team leader and take a full patient load. We never followed a staff nurse; our instructors watched our every move. They were wicked, but knew their stuff and they were more than fair. They didn't suffer fools very well, though :lol2:

Pharmacology? Whoowee. We learned that in every section, and God help the student who wasn't prepared to discuss their patients' medications--- not only the dosages and effects, but the whys as well. And if you ever listed 'N/V' as a side effect, you might as well have quit on the spot because they would tear you a new one lol. They taught us to use our common sense too. Unlike the RN student who tied a patient down, lit him a cigarette and placed in between his (TIED DOWN!) fingers... he was found by an EKG tech in flames. (one of the occasions the school lost its clinical privileges)

In my RN class, the other LPNs and I all felt we drew heavily on our experience as LPNs, and that the program actually taught us very little that wasn't covered in LPN school. When I passed my RN boards, I sent a letter of thanks to my LPN instructors. They were the bomb.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.
My LPN school was amazing... it was known that we were far better prepared to enter the workforce than grads from either of the BSN programs in town (both of which had been tossed from clinicals at the major hospital on more than one occasion). We were even taught things that only RNs were allowed to do at the time, because our instructors demanded we know how (in their eyes, we were going to be nurses dammit) and they had enough foresight to know LPN scope of practice would expand in the years to come. Before we graduated, we were expected to be able to be a team leader and take a full patient load. We never followed a staff nurse; our instructors watched our every move. They were wicked, but knew their stuff and they were more than fair. They didn't suffer fools very well, though :lol2:

Pharmacology? Whoowee. We learned that in every section, and God help the student who wasn't prepared to discuss their patients' medications--- not only the dosages and effects, but the whys as well. And if you ever listed 'N/V' as a side effect, you might as well have quit on the spot because they would tear you a new one lol. They taught us to use our common sense too. Unlike the RN student who tied a patient down, lit him a cigarette and placed in between his (TIED DOWN!) fingers... he was found by an EKG tech in flames. (one of the occasions the school lost its clinical privileges)

In my RN class, the other LPNs and I all felt we drew heavily on our experience as LPNs, and that the program actually taught us very little that wasn't covered in LPN school. When I passed my RN boards, I sent a letter of thanks to my LPN instructors. They were the bomb.

Hold up...the student lit a cigarette for a restrained patient and put it between his toes??? I would not think that a person needed nursing training to know that this is a no no...goodness!! I envy you immensely...:trout:

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.
I cant say we had poor training.We had 6 months pharmacology.clinicals twice a week with geriatrics,pediatrics med surg,obstetrics,homecare.We had to observe three surgeries,witnessed a birth!WE gave injections,subQ,IM,intradermal, ,passed medications.Oral,nasally,rectally,ect.We had lecture and labs the other two and a half days.We had a lot of hands on.I felt our training fell together like a puzzle.I definetly recommend the LPN school I attended.Central School of Practical Nursing in Cleveland!Even coworkers state they thought our education was great!IV training was offered later which I did get certified.Im not sure if its required with the course now.I graduated a quite a few years ago.Any alumni Ive spoke with feels the same!Im sorry you had a bad experience with the LPN program.I feel fondly of mine!

I envy you, too...:lol2:

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Hold up...the student lit a cigarette for a restrained patient and put it between his toes??? I would not think that a person needed nursing training to know that this is a no no...goodness!! I envy you immensely...:trout:

Toes? No... he put the patient in 4-points, tied down tight, then put the lit cigarette between his fingers. They were also kicked when a student gave po KCL elixir IV. And when they gave 60 units of regular insulin instead of 6... there's more, but I'm having a brainfart.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.
Toes? No... he put the patient in 4-points, tied down tight, then put the lit cigarette between his fingers. They were also kicked when a student gave po KCL elixir IV. And when they gave 60 units of regular insulin instead of 6... there's more, but I'm having a brainfart.

I guess that I was laughing so hard that I misread your post...sorry about that!

I suppose that was the last smoke before the electricution...?? Whatever happened to the patient? I KNOW that the student is NOT a nurse, now...

I worked briefly with a seasoned RN of 20+ years look at the MAR that said to use regular insulin, and she pulled out 70/30...when someone else corrected her, she said that she didn't know there was a difference. I shudder to think of all the patients she saw over the years.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
I guess that I was laughing so hard that I misread your post...sorry about that!

I suppose that was the last smoke before the electricution...?? Whatever happened to the patient? I KNOW that the student is NOT a nurse, now...

It was rumored they were kicked out of the program. I would imagine so. The patient did suffer burns. Not sure if they flew him to Shands or not. For most of the time I was in school, us and the ADN program students were the only ones allowed in the hospital lol.
Up Vote Up Vote ×

The cigarette story is nuts, funny, but the level of stupidity is insane.

Now that I hear what you went through ILMC I feel that my school has been great!

We have lecture (and other classes) twice a week and clinical twice a week and on the other day of the week we have non-nursing classes...like English, Sociology, a science etc. Our program is a college credit bearing program and we are taking our pre-reqs to transition to RN at the same time. It's been tough as heck but I think it's going to be so worth it. I see the LPNs that have graduated from vocational schools coming to my school now to take the pre-reqs in hopes that they can join next year for the RN portion and I am glad that I will have all of that out of the way.

We have had clinical rotations in geriatrics, peds, ob (got to take care of a laboring mom and see the lady partsl birth and then it was on to the OR to witness a C-sec) and med/surg...our CI has even managed to get us into the ER! We have been taught how to draw blood, start an IV, draw up insulin, trach care, PEG feeds as well as give meds via etc.

We have to come to clinical prepared to give meds, know what it's for..side effects etc. We give meds orally, by injection, and IV...the only thing we don't do is push IV meds with or w/o supervision. Our clinical instructors always show up, clinical is twice a week and if you miss two without a solid medical excuse or a death in the family you are outta there! Our clinical day typically lasts from 8am-2pm, we have pre-conference and we have to show up prepared and ready to hit the floor and we have post conference where we have to tell our CI what we did for the day.

A lot of my classmates are mad at how hard they push us they whine and complain that we are only going to be LPNs (which makes me mad).

Luckily, our director believes in LPNs and she is determined to make good nurses out of us whether we want to go on for RN or stay LPN.

I hated our program at first but now I am starting to see the method to their madness.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion