Insuffecient work experience to bridge?

k_girl153 · Aug 11, 2012

Are you enrolled in the program? If so, I would just listen to what she had to say but continue on your path. Everyone will always have their opinion of who will succeed and who won't succeed. Just use it as motivation to do well.

I know the bridge program where I go to school requires at least a year experience in order to apply. So it's great that you are able to do it after getting your license in March.

Have you thought about applying for a PRN position at a SNF?

Good luck!

Kimynurse · Aug 11, 2012

I'm sorry what's SNF?

JustBeachyNurse, LPN · Aug 11, 2012

SNF--skilled nursing facility, some people refer to these as long term care. Generally a skilled nursing facility care is covered by Medicare and the goal is to ultimately discharge the patient, they may offer rehabilitation services also.

Kimynurse · Aug 11, 2012

Silly me.

I work at a LTC on a sub-acute rehab unit.

I know it is skilled nursing, just did'nt put it together.

tanna898 · Aug 11, 2012

I have not been accepted to any RN programs as of yet. It was an informative orientation about the program.

Has anyone bridged already that can share their experience and if their lack of SNF/LTC hurt them and made the program more difficult. Or vice versa.

My other option is to apply for a traditional RN program which will take twice as long( I would be starting from the beginning). I would prefer not to go this route as I am starting to get burned out on school and my husband is ready for me to be done.

I do have the opportunity to get an on call position at a SNF I am just worried that I won't have anytime for my family as i am working m-f and going to a community college finishing my prereqs for my bachelors degree. I am trying to spend as much time with them now before I start back to nursing school again.

I guess my basket is full of eggs and I'm not sure I can squeeze more in without some breaking.

CT Pixie, BSN, RN · Aug 11, 2012

For what its worth, I attend an LPN to RN bridge program with 12 other LPN's. Of those 12, 4 have ZERO experience in working as an LPN in any fashion (LTC/SNF or othewise) the ink is still literally wet on their license. Of the 8 remaining, there are 6 who work in other areas besides LTC (doc offices, clinics etc), that leaves me and one other. The other has been in LTC for 7 months and I have worked as an LPN in LTC/SNF since the day I got my license (4 years). We are ALL doing well in the program. And yes, those of us who have experience are more comfortable doing certain procedures etc than those who have never worked as an LPN. The two of us who work LTC/SNF have been exposed to a little more in terms of hands on procedures, meds etc than those who don't work SNF but once they are shown the procedure they pick it right up and are confident enough to jump right in. If I had to say which of the 3 groups is doing the worst...(and no one is really doing badly) I'd say the ones with no experience at all. Then again, those 'new' ones still have all that info from school fresh in their brains, they haven't developed any bad habits that a nurse with experience tends to do. I guess what I'm saying is, experience in a SNF over a clinic/school/office doesn't make you a better RN student.

I wouldn't start squeezing in any more eggs, you might just break some..you could break them all

tanna898 · Aug 11, 2012

Thank you CT pixie that makes me feel better. :) good luck with your program

forbidden2know · Aug 11, 2012

I have no idea what all these abbreviations stand for but I'M learning. :)

tanna898 · Aug 11, 2012

I have no idea what all these abbreviations stand for but I'M learning. :)

Welcome to your nursing journey. You will encounter new abbreviations every day especially if you choose to work in a hospital. Despite my years of experience I learn a new abbreviation nearly every day...and forget the last 2 I learned. Here is a link to a list on abbreviations. Many of them are not common so you will not need to know all of them by any means. http://www.translationdirectory.com/glossaries/glossary124.htm

Feel free to PM (private message) me if you have any questions on becoming a CNA.

demylenated, BSN, RN · Aug 11, 2012

We had all sorts of people that came to our bridge. We even had 3 that had not worked as LPNs yet. One had just graduated LPN in December and started the bridge program in August (don't ask, I have NO idea why she just didn't go through RN in the first place).

They told us sometimes experience can get in the way, because "real world" nursing is SO much different than "book nursing." It can be confusing getting back into the role.

Since the program still does clinicals, I can't see why it would matter. I was a nurse (LPN) for 13 years before returning. I can't say anything stuck out and helped me, I've done everything from SNF to acute to trauma to clinic. It DID make clinicals extremely boring for me since there was so much I could not do. The instructors finally put me to use and had me training other students.

Nici_StudentRN · Aug 11, 2012

Is that your only option as far as school? I know that there are several LPN to RN bridge programs in my city and not a single one that I went to speak with stated anything about what work experience they thought better for their program over others. The ones I went to simply took you if you were an LPN and passed the exam!