I find it very interesting the number of people here and politicians who say that healthcare should be left up to the individual states. I find that interesting because I live in one of the few states that has tried this.
You like Canada's system, but they leave it up to the provinces to decide HC management. Many of our states have more people in one state than the whole population of Canada, yet we should have one system? Notwithstanding the fact that the Canadian government is no longer prosecuting fee-for-service doctors who have opened their own clinics since the government can no longer take care of people in a timely matter for many of the services. You also pay for HC based on income. I work with two CRNA's from Canada and they came to this country (years ago) for better job opportunities. They believe that many of Canada's policies have created some very dependent citizens who do not need to work because of so many entitlements. I think our country has a bigger problem with entitlement mentality than even places in Europe and if we start giving and giving, no one will be there to make the money to pay for the services.
VanLpn wrote, "Me too. It baffles me that people wouldn't want a universal healthcare system. This discussion has also highlighted to me how individualistic the U.S as a whole is with an "every man for himself" kind of philosophy. I am very grateful that Canadians want everyone to have equal access to health care and for no one to go bankrupt over an illness. It's not a perfect system to be sure but I'm glad to have it."
Van, some of us down south do not want universal healthcare because we think that there is a better way to provide care. We do provide healthcare for our poor and unimployed, but we do not do it very well, which is why we are so concerned about our system. You mention that your country's healthcare system is not perfect. Well, neither is ours, which is why so many of us are following this thread. We want the best healthcare system possible, but it is hard to know what that will look like, and, while we agree about wanting everyone cared for, we disagree on how best to do this because we see the problem from different points of view.
As for being individualistic, you are right, individual liberty, responsibility, and effort are traditional U.S. values; which makes us different from other countries. However, I have to comment on your interpretation of individualism as meaning, "every man for himself." Not true. We do tend to be more independant than people in some other places, and we are proud of that, but we also feel strong bonds to our neighbors, communitties, and country. Our sence of communitty includes the duty to help others within those communities, which we do, as I am sure Canadians also do.
I am glad that you are proud of your wonderful country. You have good reason to be proud that you are a Canadian. Our two countries are different. We see many things differently, but people who see things differently can still respect each other, and even be friends. I certainly feel nothing but friendship and respect for our Canadian neighbors. I hope that you do too, but in any case, we send our best wishes to you and your countrymen.
I am not sure what you mean as my point was that Mississippi is the poorest state in the Union. I read something recently that said obesity has had a huge impact on their economy. They are 3rd in the nation. However, I'm sure it is comforting to Mississippians to know that this is not their fault and they are wasting their infinite resources. Economy of Mississippi statistics - StateMaster.com
Thank you so much. It is my hope that soon this will be shared by all Americans.
It is hard for me to feel sorry for the poor man who sits on his mountain of gold.
If we have universal healthcare then the citizens of your, mine, and every other state will not have the right nor privilege to decide the healthcare that suits each of our needs the best. Thats the thing, the healthcare needs of Mississippi are vastly different from the healthcare needs of Arizona, as they are different from California.
Why can we not allow the citizens of those states to decide what it most appropriate for them?
Even though you are viewed as a "new grad" many places take your previous LVN history into account. In my ICU new grad glass, 3 of the 15 of us were prior LVNs...2 others had been EMTs prior. They actually stated they liked to hire people with previous medical experience. I let my LVN license lapse when I got my RN, never regretted it. It did not make a difference in pay, but it did make a difference in getting a job.
Thank you to our Canadian friends for coming here and offering your opinions on healthcare and assisting in our debate, even though as they say where I'm from, you don't have a dog in that hunt. Please know that not all Americans feel the same. About half agree with you and have fought hard for this for a long time.
Those who oppose Universal Healthcare would like to inflate their numbers and use statements like, "most Americans", but like most every political issue, this country is divided right down the middle. If you add to the supporters' column those that may not like the ACA, but know that we must have reform, it becomes less than half for those who oppose reform of any type. We struggle to get so many problems solved in this country because of the sharp division.
I find it very interesting the number of people here and politicians who say that healthcare should be left up to the individual states. I find that interesting because I live in one of the few states that has tried this. The conservatives here in my state and others across the country have whined and complained that it is a terrible system and does not work. Many, in fact, hold up my state's healthcare system as an example of how terrible Obamacare will be. That's kind of funny in a sad ridiculous sort of way. Once again, is it because those who say this live in wealthier states? Should Mississippi be left on it's own to provide healthcare for those who live there? Hmmmm....Have you even been to Mississippi? I lived there for 8 years. I think not.
Because the economic problems of Mississippi has nothing to do with the decisions of those who live in Mississippi. Its not like they do not have ample natural resources, access to one of the most important waterways in the United States, oil and natural gas, and access to the ocean.
I sure do wish Arizona had half the resources that Mississippi has. But alas, the problems of Mississippi are due to everything and everyone besides Mississippians.
I am happy the citizens of your state have the right and privilege to decide the healthcare system that works best your state, for your population, and for your beliefs.
The fact that you are mature, with life experiences, AND nursing experience will be an asset for many employers. Part of the reason why some employers are reluctant to hire new grad RNs is related to the fact that those who are young and lack maturity (before I get flamed, yes, there are many mature 20 somethings) need to be taught how to adapt to the professional workplace, in addition to nursing 101. You already learned this long ago. Good luck!
I began my nursing career as an LPN also. After three years of doing RN duties, I decided I needed to return to school. You should be able to find a job. Your experience as an LVN should help you out tremendously. You should be able to find a job without too much difficulty. Good luck!
They already have the knowledge + experience. Give them 1-3 weeks to familiarize themselves with NCLEX-style questioning and I'm pretty sure that the vast majority of these experienced/veteran nurses could pass NCLEX.
Just like the vast majority of grad nurses pass NCLEX.
NCLEX is hard? >shrug<
Like all standardized national/state exams, there's a degree of difficulty. Yeah.
I'm not 'super smart'. I'm a woman of avg intelligence, I'm sure.
Yet, I'd say that NCLEX is just plain overhyped.
Come January I will have been a licensed nurse for 25-years. In January of 1988 I graduated as a Vocational Nurse and in 1996 I graduated with my Nursing A.S. degree. At the time of my second graudation the RN job market was slow and I contemplated keeping my LVN license active, just in case. I took a leap and let my LVN lapse just two months after I graduated my RN program while waiting for my NCLEX results. I have never regretted it.
Depending if you are staying with the same employer or seeking a new employer there may be some differences in opportunities.
As an LVN I worked in Long-Term Care.... as an IP RN I was working as a interim Director of Nursing for my long-time employer.... Never have I had a nursing, case management, or teaching job that discounted my nursing time just because I was an LVN for eight years.
A friend also went through similar timelines for education in advancing from her LVN to her RN... during a slow hire phase....she had more difficulty than I did because she wanted to break into another specialty...going from LTC to Clinic Nursing....it took her about five months and eventually she became an Occupational Health Nurse.
My advice.... forget your LVN license as your credentials for new jobs, highlight your "Nursing Experience" on your resume, and make sure to look at any job description / duty statement you are applying for to tune into their key words for desirable qualifications and make your application and resume reflect their terminology.... Most experienced nurses hiring other nurses understand that an experienced LVN to RN nurse has a skill set and understanding of unit flow and processes that a new grad RN nurse would not fully learn for a good year.... You are valuable.
Realize your there for testing, and not total patient care like you do everyday. Know your neumonics for each of their skills, that is what your tested on with the patient. practice the friday night skill stations the way they want it done. Most of the anxiety is because you don't know what to expect, not because you can't do it. If you can go to a prep class,do it just to get the feel of the test, and helpful hints,. I went to clinical prep exam with Lynn Fredrick, it helped with the skills, but more importantly it helped to know what to expect. If you can't just get the study tapes, and watch them a lot. The book for the exam can be overwhelming. Good Luck!
Took my first exam May 14, 2007, and completed my CPNE June 15, 2008. One year, one month, and one day. And that was with a wait for the CPNE from application in November 2007 to testing in June 2008! Granted, I wanted time to study for the CPNE and complete two CLEPs and Micro, so I didn't list my "ready" date until May 31 ... that was part of the delay in getting my CPNE date. I also wanted only one site that was within 6 hours of driving of my house, so that made it take a little longer, too. But this can be done pretty quickly with the nose to the grindstone!
"I believe that you are correct- Healthcare is a need. I also believe it is a human right. I believe for too long now in this country it has been a privilege and therein lies the problem."
I could make a case that "healthcare" is not a need, but that is a discussion for another thread and another place. As for it being a human right, it is not. You have a right to your life and your property, but not to the lives of other's and their property, which includes their goods and services. Healthcare is a service. You are not entitled to someone else providing you their service for free. This would essentially be slavery. I think we can all agree that slavery is wrong.
Additionally, as I've said before, healthcare in the US is not exclusively reserved as a privilege for the rich. Any hospital that accepts federal funds must treat you regardless of your ability to pay. This is one of the biggest myths being permeated today. That you can't get care if you are poor. In all actuality, you get better care if you are poor because the government, through the theft of others, will foot the bill. Health care is expensive. I don't go to work everyday for free, and neither do any of my co-workers. This is something I think the proponents of the ACA seem to ignore or are completely hypocritical on.
They love to champion the rights of the "poor" whom I've also pointed out before aren't even truly poor, they have cell phones, internet, food, shelter, etc. etc. Try not having water safe to drink or knowing where your next meal will come from, that's poor.
Yet these very same people go to work everyday and make a decent wage, but I never see them at the local churches volunteering for free community meals. I never see them at the food bank handing out free food. They're not at the community health fairs either, donating their time, knowledge, and experience. They're not giving a portion of their paycheck every week to the United Way. It seems they're only generous and real champions of the poor when someone else pays for it!
Despite having well over 1/2 of my income being stolen in taxes, I still donate to charity, volunteer, and contribute selflessly to the "greater good." Maybe if we didn't force people to "pay if forward" they would do it on their own, and MUCH more effectively. Let's not forget it wasn't that long ago that almost all hospitals and nursing homes were run by charity. No one ever got turned away and we had the highest standard of care in the world. It seems to me that the direction we are going with government managed care is not the right one.
I have had several jobs over the last 5 years (causual and part time jobs in addition to my regular full time job). In 18 years of nursing in 4 sates and a number of hospitals I have never had a hospital check my credit report. I never heard of a hospital doing so. That said I am sure there are some out there doing so but you would know in advance.
I wouldn't worry about it.
Length of time for completion is so dependent on the person and on how many courses they have to take. I only had the nursing courses and physiology to take but I still took 2 years. For some reason I had a year break between too tests ! I studied a lot though and had all a's. I wanted to learn as much as I could , not just do the minimum to pass.
VanLpn wrote, "Me too. It baffles me that people wouldn't want a universal healthcare system. This discussion has also highlighted to me how individualistic the U.S as a whole is with an "every man for himself" kind of philosophy. I am very grateful that Canadians want everyone to have equal access to health care and for no one to go bankrupt over an illness. It's not a perfect system to be sure but I'm glad to have it."
Van, some of us down south do not want universal healthcare because we think that there is a better way to provide care. We do provide healthcare for our poor and unimployed, but we do not do it very well, which is why we are so concerned about our system. You mention that your country's healthcare system is not perfect. Well, neither is ours, which is why so many of us are following this thread. We want the best healthcare system possible, but it is hard to know what that will look like, and, while we agree about wanting everyone cared for, we disagree on how best to do this because we see the problem from different points of view.
As for being individualistic, you are right, individual liberty, responsibility, and effort are traditional U.S. values; which makes us different from other countries. However, I have to comment on your interpretation of individualism as meaning, "every man for himself." Not true. We do tend to be more independant than people in some other places, and we are proud of that, but we also feel strong bonds to our neighbors, communitties, and country. Our sence of communitty includes the duty to help others within those communities, which we do, as I am sure Canadians also do.
I am glad that you are proud of your wonderful country. You have good reason to be proud that you are a Canadian. Our two countries are different. We see many things differently, but people who see things differently can still respect each other, and even be friends. I certainly feel nothing but friendship and respect for our Canadian neighbors. I hope that you do too, but in any case, we send our best wishes to you and your countrymen.
It is hard for me to feel sorry for the poor man who sits on his mountain of gold.
If we have universal healthcare then the citizens of your, mine, and every other state will not have the right nor privilege to decide the healthcare that suits each of our needs the best. Thats the thing, the healthcare needs of Mississippi are vastly different from the healthcare needs of Arizona, as they are different from California.
Why can we not allow the citizens of those states to decide what it most appropriate for them?
Even though you are viewed as a "new grad" many places take your previous LVN history into account. In my ICU new grad glass, 3 of the 15 of us were prior LVNs...2 others had been EMTs prior. They actually stated they liked to hire people with previous medical experience. I let my LVN license lapse when I got my RN, never regretted it. It did not make a difference in pay, but it did make a difference in getting a job.
Because the economic problems of Mississippi has nothing to do with the decisions of those who live in Mississippi. Its not like they do not have ample natural resources, access to one of the most important waterways in the United States, oil and natural gas, and access to the ocean.
I sure do wish Arizona had half the resources that Mississippi has. But alas, the problems of Mississippi are due to everything and everyone besides Mississippians.
I am happy the citizens of your state have the right and privilege to decide the healthcare system that works best your state, for your population, and for your beliefs.
The fact that you are mature, with life experiences, AND nursing experience will be an asset for many employers. Part of the reason why some employers are reluctant to hire new grad RNs is related to the fact that those who are young and lack maturity (before I get flamed, yes, there are many mature 20 somethings) need to be taught how to adapt to the professional workplace, in addition to nursing 101. You already learned this long ago. Good luck!
I began my nursing career as an LPN also. After three years of doing RN duties, I decided I needed to return to school. You should be able to find a job. Your experience as an LVN should help you out tremendously. You should be able to find a job without too much difficulty. Good luck!
They already have the knowledge + experience. Give them 1-3 weeks to familiarize themselves with NCLEX-style questioning and I'm pretty sure that the vast majority of these experienced/veteran nurses could pass NCLEX.
Just like the vast majority of grad nurses pass NCLEX.
NCLEX is hard? >shrug<
Like all standardized national/state exams, there's a degree of difficulty. Yeah.
I'm not 'super smart'. I'm a woman of avg intelligence, I'm sure.
Yet, I'd say that NCLEX is just plain overhyped.
Holy crap I am pretty sure my brain is 30 years past NCLEX patterns.
Hello New - Old Grad,
Come January I will have been a licensed nurse for 25-years. In January of 1988 I graduated as a Vocational Nurse and in 1996 I graduated with my Nursing A.S. degree. At the time of my second graudation the RN job market was slow and I contemplated keeping my LVN license active, just in case. I took a leap and let my LVN lapse just two months after I graduated my RN program while waiting for my NCLEX results. I have never regretted it.
Depending if you are staying with the same employer or seeking a new employer there may be some differences in opportunities.
As an LVN I worked in Long-Term Care.... as an IP RN I was working as a interim Director of Nursing for my long-time employer.... Never have I had a nursing, case management, or teaching job that discounted my nursing time just because I was an LVN for eight years.
A friend also went through similar timelines for education in advancing from her LVN to her RN... during a slow hire phase....she had more difficulty than I did because she wanted to break into another specialty...going from LTC to Clinic Nursing....it took her about five months and eventually she became an Occupational Health Nurse.
My advice.... forget your LVN license as your credentials for new jobs, highlight your "Nursing Experience" on your resume, and make sure to look at any job description / duty statement you are applying for to tune into their key words for desirable qualifications and make your application and resume reflect their terminology.... Most experienced nurses hiring other nurses understand that an experienced LVN to RN nurse has a skill set and understanding of unit flow and processes that a new grad RN nurse would not fully learn for a good year.... You are valuable.
Best of luck! It is definitely worth it!
Carol from California
Realize your there for testing, and not total patient care like you do everyday. Know your neumonics for each of their skills, that is what your tested on with the patient. practice the friday night skill stations the way they want it done. Most of the anxiety is because you don't know what to expect, not because you can't do it. If you can go to a prep class,do it just to get the feel of the test, and helpful hints,. I went to clinical prep exam with Lynn Fredrick, it helped with the skills, but more importantly it helped to know what to expect. If you can't just get the study tapes, and watch them a lot. The book for the exam can be overwhelming. Good Luck!
Took my first exam May 14, 2007, and completed my CPNE June 15, 2008. One year, one month, and one day.
And that was with a wait for the CPNE from application in November 2007 to testing in June 2008! Granted, I wanted time to study for the CPNE and complete two CLEPs and Micro, so I didn't list my "ready" date until May 31 ... that was part of the delay in getting my CPNE date. I also wanted only one site that was within 6 hours of driving of my house, so that made it take a little longer, too. But this can be done pretty quickly with the nose to the grindstone!
"I believe that you are correct- Healthcare is a need. I also believe it is a human right. I believe for too long now in this country it has been a privilege and therein lies the problem."
I could make a case that "healthcare" is not a need, but that is a discussion for another thread and another place. As for it being a human right, it is not. You have a right to your life and your property, but not to the lives of other's and their property, which includes their goods and services. Healthcare is a service. You are not entitled to someone else providing you their service for free. This would essentially be slavery. I think we can all agree that slavery is wrong.
Additionally, as I've said before, healthcare in the US is not exclusively reserved as a privilege for the rich. Any hospital that accepts federal funds must treat you regardless of your ability to pay. This is one of the biggest myths being permeated today. That you can't get care if you are poor. In all actuality, you get better care if you are poor because the government, through the theft of others, will foot the bill. Health care is expensive. I don't go to work everyday for free, and neither do any of my co-workers. This is something I think the proponents of the ACA seem to ignore or are completely hypocritical on.
They love to champion the rights of the "poor" whom I've also pointed out before aren't even truly poor, they have cell phones, internet, food, shelter, etc. etc. Try not having water safe to drink or knowing where your next meal will come from, that's poor.
Yet these very same people go to work everyday and make a decent wage, but I never see them at the local churches volunteering for free community meals. I never see them at the food bank handing out free food. They're not at the community health fairs either, donating their time, knowledge, and experience. They're not giving a portion of their paycheck every week to the United Way. It seems they're only generous and real champions of the poor when someone else pays for it!
Despite having well over 1/2 of my income being stolen in taxes, I still donate to charity, volunteer, and contribute selflessly to the "greater good." Maybe if we didn't force people to "pay if forward" they would do it on their own, and MUCH more effectively. Let's not forget it wasn't that long ago that almost all hospitals and nursing homes were run by charity. No one ever got turned away and we had the highest standard of care in the world. It seems to me that the direction we are going with government managed care is not the right one.
I have had several jobs over the last 5 years (causual and part time jobs in addition to my regular full time job). In 18 years of nursing in 4 sates and a number of hospitals I have never had a hospital check my credit report. I never heard of a hospital doing so. That said I am sure there are some out there doing so but you would know in advance.
I wouldn't worry about it.
Length of time for completion is so dependent on the person and on how many courses they have to take. I only had the nursing courses and physiology to take but I still took 2 years. For some reason I had a year break between too tests ! I studied a lot though and had all a's. I wanted to learn as much as I could , not just do the minimum to pass.
Good luck !