LVNs: Your duties?

[shannonFNP, BSN, MSN, RN]

Hello! I am an RN student and will be finishing up some additional clinical hours that will make me eligible to take the LVN boards in August while I continue my RN education for another two semesters. I have always worked in a hospital as a CNA and a nurse tech. Currently I am working as a nurse tech in the ER, and I'm sure I will continue to work in the ER after my RN graduation. I am considering working as an LVN in a nursing home which is a WHOLE new world to me. Pay for LVNs in the hospital is extremely low considering they share much of the same duties as an RN. So I would like to try LTC not only for the $10 difference in wages, but also because I think it would make me well rounded and help me improve my time management. I was wondering, what exactly is the LVN role in the nursing home? If you have time to share your shift hour by hour, that would be great! Thanks!

[bluegeegoo2, LPN]

0700: Get report, check skin books, tx books, the calander to see

who's to be LOA for the day.

0800: I am fortunate enough to have med aides, so I start tx's while

the med aides give meds, but I assess for and give breathing

tx's.

0900: Still working on tx's and doing assessments.

1000: Finish (hopefully) tx's and go to lunch at 1030.

1100: Begin calling/faxing MD's for new orders, or order changes, and

start charting.

1200: More of the above. Cover blood sugars.

1300: There always seems to be a skin issue that appears now, so

begin paperwork/family notification/MD call.

1400: Interestingly, around 1450 is when MD's like to call/fax new

orders in, so away I go with those.

1500: Go home? Yeah. Right.

The above is by no means how it goes, that is a very rough estimate of the day. While it sounds manageable on paper, in reality I hit the floor running and don't stop until I'm in the parking lot on my way home. Nothing in LTC "goes as planned", at least not for me. I think LTC would be a fabulous arena to learn time management. Oh, FYI, Friday's and Monday's are...well...just don't plan to be anywhere directly after your scheduled time off. I hope that helps some, though reading back at what I wrote, I have somehow not put across how hectic it really is. Imagine juggling, while on a unicycle, on a high-wire, in the dark. That's how some days feel. Overwhelming. To get through, I tell myself, "They have to let me go sometime today."