New Grad LPN Blues

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Hello Everyone. I am a recent grad from an LPN program in Ohio. I have no previous medical background. I felt fortunate to have landed a job in two weeks of graduation. I applied to several places and they all wanted at least one year experience. No one else called. So I happily took the job offer. After a few days of orientation, I started feeling that this place was not where I should be starting. Not sure why. The facility is two years old and beautiful. The pace was so extremely fast that I felt I was setting myself up for failure with med pass. Not sure how much was shock to the real world of LPN's or how much from "word on the street" that they have too many staffing issues. (Those I were working w/ were great nurses but had been there only 3 months). I was making excellent money and now I am jobless again. I feel like I failed the transition from school-to-work. My questions are this: How much orientation should a new grad expect? How can you land a job if everyone wants experience? Is there much work for non-patient care? I loved taking care of patients and med pass...but that was such a small part of the workload. This normal?

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Hi LovinLife....I read your thread because I was curious as to what type of blues could a new LPN grad have. I guess they dont teach you everything in the nursing program. I haven't been fortunate enough to be excepted into the nursing program at my school yet. But, Im reapplying again in 2007. By reading your thread, I feel like I have new knowledge of what to expect or not to expect once I graduate from school. Im sorry my response isnt to give you suggestions on what you should do, but I hope that everything works out for you. Just hang in there! :)

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Specializes in Med-Surg.

I'm not as familiar with the LPN orientation in LTC. Ask you question here, if Suebird isn't along soon to move it there for you. Welcome to Allnurses. Good luck to you! https://allnurses.com/forums/f99/

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I always say go with your gut instinct.

Med pass and patient care is HUGE in LTC. You just have to take your time and go with it. There were days it took 2 hours to do the 0800 meds and by the time I finished that I was already late for the 0930 med pass.

Five days is the norm for anyone starting a new job in LTC here, experienced or new grad. I know it's evil but employers feel that if you graduated, you know what to do and that orientation is just to let you get the "feel" of their facility.

But having said that if it doesn't feel like the right place for you, you did the best thing in leaving on your own call.

Just tell future employers, that you didn't feel it was the right fit for you. You'd be surprized, employers hear the same grapevine that we do and they know that some places can't keep staff for trying.

Keep trying, you'll find the right fit for you.

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Specializes in LTC/Behavioral/ Hospice.

I'm sorry that things haven't worked out for you so far. Did you discuss your concerns with your employer? We are promised 6 12 hour shifts of orientation at my facility, but it has been stressed several times that if we need more time to orientate that we will get it. I hope that you can get the orientation you need at your next job. The good thing about Ohio is that there are nursing jobs everywhere! You'll have a job in no time. :)

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Actually, I moved this to the 1st Year in Nursing Forum. Tweety's suggestion of the LPN Forum is also good. You can browse that Forum for answers, also. You say you are out of a job; did you quit?

Suebird :p

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Long term care and hospitals are SO different. The hospital I work at gives 12 weeks orientation. The LTC facility I started working at promised me 7 days orientation per hall. Well, on my 3rd day, I got to work, found out I was going to be by myself w/ 55 residents just on my hall. I just graduated in May, hadn't even passed my boards yet, so I was there working as a grad PN. I have now found a better job...

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Thank you all for your comments. This employer was an acute care facility and my job was in the skilled unit. We were given 4 days of orientation. On my third day I started to panic because I had yet to see what those on my shift were doing. When I told them I was quitting, they did say that they could give me a few more days since I was a new grad. I would have 12-21 patients on skilled care by myself. It scared me out. I do regret quitting since I know in time things would have got better. But I watched seasoned nurses working at such a fast pace and still not getting off at their scheduled time, so I wondered if I would be able to hang. Now I'll never know. Nursing is tough for LPN's. Nursing homes are about the limit in my area. Hospitals (the few who use them) want at least a year's experience for an LPN position, as do most of the nursing homes.

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I totally feel your pain I am a new lpn grad I took my boards in july and landed a nursing home job full skilled care I recieved 8 days of training from a nurse that was packing a huge stage 4 pressure ulcer with a 4 x4 that fell on the floor oh my god I was not prepared for the other staff that I would have to work with who cut corners to get by. I now man the 3 to 11 shift with 40 residents 1 trained med. aide and 3 nursing assistants. I to am wondering what the heck I got myself into. I am in charge and I barely no what I am doing it is scary . I also want to get into the hospital.

God watch over all of us who want to be good nurses but are thrown to the wolves.

good luck I feel your pain

Aerin

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Hey, I had similar problems finding a job. I wanted to work in acute care, but was turned down b/c i didn't have 1-2yrs of any nursing experience. I applied to 3 differen't LTC and was ask to work at all 3. The place I picked gave me 7 days orientation for days and 3 for evenings. They said as I'm a new grad they wanted to make sure I felt comfortable there in what I was doing. It helped alot. WE are soo desperate now for people that they are getting 3 orientations top and the employer is wondering why they wont stay... Good luck, i'm sure you'll find another job soon!

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I experienced a situation similar to yours at a LTC facility. Med pass to an average of 30 patients. I couldn't see how anyone could possibly complete the med pass in the two hours alotted. During my 3-day orientation, they'd give me half their med passes to complete myself. Their reasoning was that way I'd learn more, true to a point.

Of course, after my 3-day orientation, on my own, it took me forever to finish my med pass and I was verbally warned that I needed to be faster. But how? How did anyone else finish? I had no idea. I asked if I could I get some help on that or to watch how someone completed a full med pass by themselves in a timely manner. They just said my 3-day orientation should have been enough.

I suspected that the reason no one would let me watch them is that they'd cut corners to finish somewhat on time. Hold the routine, non-vital meds til later... maybe never even give the multi-vitamins. Not do the charting until completing the med pass. Rarely checking the MAR. Lots of crushing of meds, mixing it into apple sauce and shoveling it down throats. I, too, looked at the experienced nurses rushing madly around to take care of basics and figured if that's the best it will be after I'm settled in then how in the world could I manage before then? If that's a normal, average day, what's a bad day like? That's not the kind of work environment I can thrive in.

I remember thinking I'd better quit before I made a mistake and they asked me to leave. But looking back, I doubt they would've fired me regardless. They would've threatened and warned - as they did even after just a few days - but they were desperate for help and apparently were willing to overlook certain practices as long as the records looked good. I did quit, though, because it seemed like I wouldn't learn how to be a good nurse there. Instead, I'd learn lousy practice habits.

Hopefully, you can find a better work environment for yourself. And if you end up back in a similar situation, maybe you can find a way to make it work for you. Best of luck!!

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