Is This What I Can Expect?

bluegeegoo2, LPN · Mar 20, 2008

No, it's not all meds. And the aides don't do any nursing, just ADL care and maybe get vitals on some residents. As nurses, we do all of the assessments, dressing changes, IM's, sub-q's, call the Dr., get orders, mountains of paperwork, medicare and alert charting, calling families, dealing with unhappy families/residents, did I mention the paperwork? All of that has to be completed in between the med passes. It makes for a...how should I put it? Interesting day. And, for the record, most facilities are way understaffed. I wouldn't know how to act if my facility was appropriately staffed. I think they'd have to call a code on me!

mysty · Mar 20, 2008

I am replying to your ad, yes LPN"s are only limited to handing out med's for Nursing homes. After all that school, what a waste? Try to get another job? Good Luck?

:redbeathe

eldragon · Mar 20, 2008

I'm an LPN, medication nurse at a SNF.

That's pretty much all I do, officially. Besides charting, vitals and and watching mealtime.

I hate it.

Afternoons are fine, but mornings are a nightmare - that 9 am pass.

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Mar 21, 2008

I am replying to your ad, yes LPN"s are only limited to handing out med's for Nursing homes. After all that school, what a waste? Try to get another job? Good Luck?
:redbeathe

You are sorely misinformed, since LPNs are not merely "pill pushers."

We work in LTC, rehab, clinics, doctors offices, prisons, jails, research, med/surg units, blood banks, home health, psychiatric nursing, agencies, developmental disabilities, day surgery, community health, public health, nurse management, education, and so much more.

kythe, LPN · Mar 21, 2008

No, it's not all meds. And the aides don't do any nursing, just ADL care and maybe get vitals on some residents. As nurses, we do all of the assessments, dressing changes, IM's, sub-q's, call the Dr., get orders, mountains of paperwork, medicare and alert charting, calling families, dealing with unhappy families/residents, did I mention the paperwork? All of that has to be completed in between the med passes. It makes for a...how should I put it? Interesting day. And, for the record, most facilities are way understaffed. I wouldn't know how to act if my facility was appropriately staffed. I think they'd have to call a code on me!

I agree with this, this was pretty much what I did on my first job, which was in an Alzheimer's unit. You forgot one thing though - damage control. We were chronically understaffed and falls occurred frequently. You learn quickly to assess people after falls since there isn't enough staff to actually prevent them.

If the patients need to be transferred to the hospital, you call 911, notify your supervisor, and get the patient and their paperwork ready while trying to reassure other patients, such as the one whose anxiety issues flared up with the excitement and who has positioned himself in your face, demanding his meds now since he believes his emotional problems are far more immediate than any issues your patient on the floor has. And don't forget the visitors who come in and expect you to drop everything and immediately reassure them. After the emergency of the week is over, there charting and about 10 redundant pieces of paperwork you are required to complete, and of course calling the family of the patient who fell and trying to come up with some explanation of the event that doesn't sound like negligence.

This is why I don't work there anymore. It wasn't just med pass, it was the most stressful and ethically compromising job I've had.