Need your help in becoming a LPN (practical Nurse)

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HI There

I am trying to convince the powers that be that are presently helping me make a new career choice for myself that being a LPN is an excellent choice.

Let me explain...

I am presently off on disability and want to get back to work as soon as possible I am doing some upgrading to get me to college level. My english skills are fine as well as spelling but I am doing a little upgrading in math.

Concerning my disability..... I injured a muscle in my back that to this day gives me troubles but I have resigned myself to the fact that it will be with me the rest of my life. I have an excellent range of motion and do all the basic things in life myself except I get my son or others do heavy things like carry the couch downstairs for me bring the large heavy water jug from my car to my downstairs home (quite a distance).

In my opinion and also my 2 docters opinions this career would be a great choice for me as it keeps me on the go all day in various positions (walking bending sitting etc) but mostly on my feet walking. this is good for me, as my muscle starts to cause me problems when I sit for long periods or stand in one spot for a long periods.

They want me to study to be a 911 dispatcher, I disagree and as I said so do my Docters. This would require me to be at a station all day long in front of a computer typing and being in one position all day not good for my body.

I would absolutly love to become an LPN I love caring for people, and I love making someone sad feel better, I have a great deal of empathy. I like to let others know they need not be embarrassed about things concering their bodies because we are all imperrfect in one way or another and we are not alone. I have always treated people in the manner of which I would like to be treated if in the same situation. Also...I know being a LPN it would be rewarding to help others and also like many of you it would keep me very busy which is like medicine to my back.

Please let me know if you agree and also perhaps share a little knowledge in regards to the fact you never really sit all day or stand in one position all day and that the job requires many different posions and also about lifting ...that you are required to do some but are not asked to go overboard ( hold a patient perhaps by your self for long periods, lifting a patient into bed etc...) I believe if I am correct you have another nurses help and lifters to also help but also that these things are not repeated every five min. So I can present these opinions of yours to like I said " The powers that be"....lol

Thank you very much for taking the time to read this post and I hope you will reply as this info I need is needed yesterday so I can get approved (hopefully) to start in a LPN Career.

Thanks again

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Specializes in psych. rehab nursing, float pool.

Without knowing exactly how bad your back is, as it could be problem. I have copied the physical requirements as posted by my hospital system for LPN's.

General Requirements (has the ability to.)

Sit - Continually ( i.e. Daily)

Stand - Continually ( i.e. Daily)

Walk - Continually ( i.e. Daily)

Drive - Occasionally (i.e. Monthly)

Bend - Continually ( i.e. Daily)

Climb - Continually ( i.e. Daily)

Kneel - Continually ( i.e. Daily)

Crouch - Continually ( i.e. Daily)

Twist - Continually ( i.e. Daily)

Maintain Balance - Continually ( i.e. Daily)

Reach - Continually ( i.e. Daily)

Sensory Requirements (has ability for.)

Far Vision - Continually ( i.e. Daily)

Near Vision - Continually ( i.e. Daily)

Color Vision - Continually ( i.e. Daily)

Depth Perception - Continually ( i.e. Daily)

Seeing Fine Details - Continually ( i.e. Daily)

Hearing Norm Speech - Continually ( i.e. Daily)

Hearing Overhead Pages - Continually ( i.e. Daily)

Telephone use - Continually ( i.e. Daily)

Mental & Emotional Requirements (ability to.)

Cope with high level of stress - Continually ( i.e. Daily)

Make decisions under high pressure - Continually ( i.e. Daily)

Cope with anger/fear/hostility of others in a calm way - Continually ( i.e. Daily)

Manage altercations - Occasionally (i.e. Monthly)

Concentrate - Continually ( i.e. Daily)

Handle a high degree of flexibility - Continually ( i.e. Daily)

Handle multiple priorities in stressful situation - Continually ( i.e. Daily)

Demonstrate high degree of patience - Continually ( i.e. Daily)

Work in areas that are close and crowded - Continually ( i.e. Daily)

Hand Manipulation (ability with.)

Simple Grasping - Continually ( i.e. Daily)

Firm Grasping - Continually ( i.e. Daily)

Fine Manipulation - Continually ( i.e. Daily)

Use of Keyboards - Continually ( i.e. Daily)

Required Lifting (ability to lift.)

Up to 10 lbs - Continually ( i.e. Daily)

11 to 24 lbs - Frequently ( i.e. Weekly)

25 to 34 lbs - Occasionally (i.e. Monthly)

35 to 50 lbs - Occasionally (i.e. Monthly)

Pushing/Pulling (ability to push and pull.)

Up to 10 lbs - Frequently ( i.e. Weekly)

11 to 24 lbs - Frequently ( i.e. Weekly)

25 to 34 lbs - Frequently ( i.e. Weekly)

35 to 50 lbs - Frequently ( i.e. Weekly)

51 to 75 lbs - Frequently ( i.e. Weekly)

76 to 100 lbs - Frequently ( i.e. Weekly)

Over 100 lbs - Frequently ( i.e. Weekly)

Environmental (may be exposed to.)

Infectious Diseases - Continually ( i.e. Daily)

Chemical Agents - Occasionally (i.e. Monthly)

As to the lifting we do it numerous times a day. Not weekly.

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thank you for your reply i have seen these requirements somewhere before in my vast amount of research on this career.

re: need your help in becoming a lpn (practical nurse)

without knowing exactly how bad your back is, as it could be problem. i have copied the physical requirements as posted by my hospital system for lpn's.

general requirements (has the ability to.)

sit - continually ( i.e. daily) i can sit just not all day long or hours at a time (ex: a typist or secretary)

stand - continually ( i.e. daily)i can do this also just not in one spot all day long (ex: cashier,bank teller etc.)

walk - continually ( i.e. daily) excellent at this

drive - occasionally (i.e. monthly) i drive all the time and stop to walk about when needed

bend - continually ( i.e. daily)i can bend several times a day no problem but not repeatedly (ex: packing boxes all day bending 95% of the time.

climb - continually ( i.e. daily) i have no problems here but leary of heights like on top of a roof which i am sure is not a requirement...lol

kneel - continually ( i.e. daily)no problems (n/p)

crouch - continually ( i.e. daily)n/p

twist - continually ( i.e. daily)n/p

maintain balance - continually ( i.e. daily)n/p

reach - continually ( i.e. daily)n/p

sensory requirements (has ability for.)can do all in this section

far vision - continually ( i.e. daily)

near vision - continually ( i.e. daily)

color vision - continually ( i.e. daily)

depth perception - continually ( i.e. daily)

seeing fine details - continually ( i.e. daily)

hearing norm speech - continually ( i.e. daily)

hearing overhead pages - continually ( i.e. daily)

telephone use - continually ( i.e. daily)

mental & emotional requirements (ability to.) all of these as well

cope with high level of stress - continually ( i.e. daily)

make decisions under high pressure - continually ( i.e. daily)

cope with anger/fear/hostility of others in a calm way - continually ( i.e. daily)

manage altercations - occasionally (i.e. monthly)

concentrate - continually ( i.e. daily)

handle a high degree of flexibility - continually ( i.e. daily)my range of motion is very good

handle multiple priorities in stressful situation - continually ( i.e. daily)

demonstrate high degree of patience - continually ( i.e. daily)

work in areas that are close and crowded - continually ( i.e. daily)

hand manipulation (ability with.)all good

simple grasping - continually ( i.e. daily)

firm grasping - continually ( i.e. daily)

fine manipulation - continually ( i.e. daily)

use of keyboards - continually ( i.e. daily)

required lifting (ability to lift.)i have the ability to lift but not carry it around all day or repeatedly (ex: every 5 seconds like in assembly line enviroment

up to 10 lbs - continually ( i.e. daily)

11 to 24 lbs - frequently ( i.e. weekly)

25 to 34 lbs - occasionally (i.e. monthly)

35 to 50 lbs - occasionally (i.e. monthly)

pushing/pulling (ability to push and pull.) can push as well like a wheel chair just not eight hours straight

up to 10 lbs - frequently ( i.e. weekly)

11 to 24 lbs - frequently ( i.e. weekly)

25 to 34 lbs - frequently ( i.e. weekly)

35 to 50 lbs - frequently ( i.e. weekly)

51 to 75 lbs - frequently ( i.e. weekly)

76 to 100 lbs - frequently ( i.e. weekly)

over 100 lbs - frequently ( i.e. weekly)

environmental (may be exposed to.)

infectious diseases - continually ( i.e. daily)

chemical agents - occasionally (i.e. monthly)

as to the lifting we do it numerous times a day. not weekly.

again thanks for your response i hope mine will let others know my abilities

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LPNs dont have to work in hospitals either if there are doubts, actually its kind of hard for an lpn to get hospital work anyways. There are other options, such as long term care, where you typically would not be doing the lifting, an aide would, you would be walking much of the day doing treatments and passing meds. You could also work in a doctors office without expecting to do much lifting.

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LPNs dont have to work in hospitals either if there are doubts, actually its kind of hard for an lpn to get hospital work anyways. There are other options, such as long term care, where you typically would not be doing the lifting, an aide would, you would be walking much of the day doing treatments and passing meds. You could also work in a doctors office without expecting to do much lifting.

Depends...some of the nursing homes in this area do not require LPNs to do patient care. My facility does - especially if you work on the day shift. I did a patient assignment at least 2 days per week. Even at the others, you may be required to help lift or transfer. But I would agree that a doctors office might be a good fit. I was also thinking perhaps dialysis???

The problem is - will a LPN school allow you to attend if you cannot lift without restrictions. I would first check the schools and see what their physical requirements are.

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