I know there are a lot of wonderful, competent LPN's out there and each of you just blow my mind!
I am an LPN student and we are just wrapping up our 1st qtr of clinicals in a LTC facility. We've spent a total of 70 hrs at the facility and have passed meds every class on 2 residents plus done blood glucose checks, tube feedings etc. My grades so far are good but I feel so incompetent. I make some type of error every class. It ranges from almost pullling the wrong med (either I or my instructor has caught it - thank goodness) to placing a breathing treatment in a nebulizer and forgetting to tighten the cap. I know there are many opportunites for things to go wrong, and this is my 1st experience in the medical field, but I think maybe I don't have what it takes to not hurt anyone and protect my license. Afterall, I know realistically I will be working with 20+ residents daily and I can't even get it right with 2!
LTC is really where I want to be, I love working with the residents, but does it sound like maybe I'm not cut out for this?
Thanks again for everyone's positive comments. I'm finally in a financial position where I can leave my current job (non-health related) and do some STNA work until I graduate. That should really help - I applied at a nearby facility who is currently hiring so I should be making the change soon. Hooray!!
first of all you need to try and calm yourself when your getting ready to pull a med, do a tx., etc. really focus on the order, not on maybe making a mistake. it was a long time ago, but i can remember being tewrrified of the instructor breathing down my neck, then i was actually doing the procedure. just relax. they won,t kick you out or deny your lic. due to a small mistake. i went through school with a classmate that gave heparin to the wrong pt. and she graduated with flying colors. she was at the top of the class in the classroom, but a pure mess in clinicals. she just had no common sense and thats what it takes.
i'm sorry to disagree with you. they will kick ya out if ya make too many mistakes... that is what happened to me.. got nervous soo many a time and my insructor was there. i kept thinking " i better not make a mistake" and i did. i had never given the pt the wrong meds, but i have accidently spilled a few. of course, that in itself is a med error. so, i had failed for the day in clinicals... try to learn not to make mistakes.. it could kick ya out of the program. :crying2: best of luck to you.
first of all you need to try and calm yourself when your getting ready to pull a med, do a tx., etc. really focus on the order, not on maybe making a mistake. it was a long time ago, but i can remember being tewrrified of the instructor breathing down my neck, then i was actually doing the procedure. just relax. they won,t kick you out or deny your lic. due to a small mistake. i went through school with a classmate that gave heparin to the wrong pt. and she graduated with flying colors. she was at the top of the class in the classroom, but a pure mess in clinicals. she just had no common sense and thats what it takes.[/quote
i am going to disagree with you too mystic~
i think it just really depends on what kind of individual you get as an instructor!! most of the adn instructors ive associated with have been overly controling, with very little, if any patience for there students!!
and, very little if any degree of patience for a learning curve in the clinical arena!
"they will kick you out in a 0.1 second heart :redbeathebeat with out batting an eye!" trust & believe it!! unfortunatly ive seen it and experienced it.
maybe you had a better experience??
but the majority of my peers have told me similar storys to the latter.
just be realistic to the fact that.... when it comes to what you think is fair,
:crying2: best of luck to you. 
turtle rain
32 Posts
Thanks again for everyone's positive comments. I'm finally in a financial position where I can leave my current job (non-health related) and do some STNA work until I graduate. That should really help - I applied at a nearby facility who is currently hiring so I should be making the change soon. Hooray!!