LPN/LVN Survey - Please Help, need for school

[einahpets84]

Please answer the following questions. I'm to interview an LPN that can not be a member of my family or at any of the facilities that I've been to on clinical. Okay, easier said than done. THANK YOU so much!!!

WHAT TYPE OF FACILITY DO YOU WORK FOR - LONG TERM CARE, CLINICAL SETTING, HOME CARE, ETC.?

WHAT IS THE JOB REALLY LIKE ON A DAY TO DAY BASIS?

WHAT ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT SKILLS AND EXPERIENCES THAT YOU NEED TO KNOW?

wHAT ARE THE SUPPORT SYSTEMS AVAILABLE AT THE JOB FOR A NEW GRAD, AS FAR AS ORIENTATION, PRECEPTORSHIP AND ADDITIONAL CLASSES?

DESCRIBE BRIEFLY THE SETTING YOU CHOSE, WHAT INTERESTED YOU MOST ABOUT THE JOB YOU'RE IN NOW?

WOULD THIS JOB BE SOMETHING A NEW GRAD LPN COULD DO?

WHAT WAS YOUR MOST CHALLENGING PART OF MAKING THE TRANSITION FROM STUDENT TO LPN ROLE?

ARE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS AVAILABLE THAT CAN ASSIST YOU IN DEVELOPING AND MAINTAINING SKILLS?

WHAT ARE THE STARTING SALARY, BENEFITS, SHIFT AVAILABILITY, PATIENT LOAD, USUAL STAFFING PATTERNS AND JOB TURNOVER AT YOUR FACILITY?

WHAT ARE THE JOB RESPONSIBILITIES FOR THE LPN? (PASING MEDS, CHARGE OF A TEAM, EVALUATE CNAs)?

the end! Again, thank you so much for taking time to look at my interview! I really, really appreciate it!!!!!

[nursetisha05]

1. I work in a LTC facility through a staffing agency.

2. It all depends on what shift or unit that I work on. Some units are too full and the job is overwhelming and stressfull. Other units are laid back and fun to work.

3. Time management.....hands down.

4. I've seen many new grads come and go during the last year alone...they get one week of orientation and then they are "thrown to the wolves". I've even seen a new LPN grad be given a position as a 3-11 supervisor. Dangerous. No additional classes are offered. No preceptors either. After one week a new grad is responsible for a whole unit.

5. I choose to work this job because there is absolutely nothing else in my area. I would never work as a staff employee for this facility. I'm currently looking into travel nursing because this facility is cutting back on agency staff and working their fulltime staff twice as hard.

6. I do not think that a new grad should work there. It is dangerous to their license and they are told to cut corners in order to get done with their work in 8 hours.

7. There are no educational programs available to LPNs.

8. Starting wages for staff are $14/hr, benefits include insurance and 1 week vacation after one year, patient load is 40 on day shift and 80 on night shift, nurses have no set schedule but say that they usually work 4 days one week and 6 days the next, and the turnover rate is very high -nurses usually last about 1-3 months before taking a job in another town.

9. The LPNs here are responsible for passing all meds, documenting on all patients, doing all wound treatments on their hall, supervising the CNAs on that unit, making rounds ever 2 hours, visual monitoring ever 15 to 30 minutes on several wandering patients, calling MDs, taking and noting off their own orders, notifying RPs and pharmacy, updating care plans, filing and investigating their own accident/ incident reports, and on 3 units the LPN has to get their own vital signs. It may not seem like a lot but its near impossible with 40 patients plus family members and it IS impossible with 80 patients.

There are many wonderful facilities out there but I just want new grads to be able to recognize the ones like this and stay away....it's not worth the risk.