Please help!! Starting 1st lpn job as a temp and very nervous

Published

:eek:So I am a new grad with no nursing experience. I have been looking for a job for 4 months now and still no job. I have to keep a roof over me and my daughters head so I have to take the job for right now. So I am now going through a temp to try and get experience. I do not get any orientation, so I was hoping if someone could tell me as exactly what is expected and what do you do as a lpn when you 1st walk in the door until you leave. I will be doing long term care by the way. Any help????

Up Vote Up Vote ×

LTC... that means a lot of patients! if you are not organized now you will have to be to survive there! Learning the residents will be the hardest part!!! If you always go into a room with a smile on your face you will be well liked by most of the residents!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Peds/outpatient FP,derm,allergy/private duty.

It's so tough out there for new grads!! I'm sure you must be freaking out about this. I would strongly suggest you post this in the LTC -Geriatrics Forum.

Geriatric Nurses and LTC Nursing - Nursing for Nurses

I've been reading a lot of posts from new grads in LTCs who are swamped by their jobs even with orientation.

Normally, the LPN would be responsible for a med pass, which are often a huge number of patients, with accuchecks for insulin and NG tubes. With no orientation, they will expect you to hit the ground running, with no experience, no orientation, and no knowledge of who is who on your unit, no knowledge of where things are kept and how and where you chart your meds.

They may hire you in the "charge nurse" role, you'll be on the phone, delegating CNA tasks, getting orders, and a bunch of documentation tasks.

So, it comes down to this question, and I admit it is a hard one, but protecting your license must be your first concern.

If you decide to go ahead with it, you need to find out what will be expected of you, in detail, from the agency or the LTC.

I hope you get some more advice than mine, but do you think you could pass meds on 30 patients you don't know from beans in 2 hours? If you are distracted? If your patient refuses his meds or is confused?

Wish you the best, whatever you decide! :)

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.

I understand your need to take a job, but to be a new grad and not have orientation is not safe. It is irresponsible of the agency to put you in that position, and it's a pretty safe bet the facility won't be too happy, either. You should request some orientation time, even if it's just a couple of shifts.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Home Care.

I'm a new LPN also. I would never accept a job in LTC or anywhere else without orientation.

I've just completed 4 12 hour shifts of orientation at an LTC, I'm working 7a to 7p on Sat and Sun. Thankfully, I've been orienting with a great LPN and we've worked together with the same residents throughout the 4 shifts so far. But I still haven't learned all the paperwork, there's just not enough time in a 12 hour shift on the weekend.

I'm getting to know the residents who will be assigned to me when I come off orientation, I'll have 12 rooms so that means 24 patients.

The DON, ADON, supervisors and my preceptor have all told me not to go off orientation until I am completely ready. I'll be going in for a couple of hours this week just to sit with the ADON and go through paperwork such as admissions and transfers. There is a lot of paperwork to learn and it all must be done correctly.

I figure one more weekend of orientation and I'll be ready to be on my own.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Peds/outpatient FP,derm,allergy/private duty.

It's nice to see a facility like that, itsmejuli. It appears that not all LTCs are willing to throw new nurses to the wolves after all!!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

WOW, yea I am freaking out. With what everyone has said I think I will turn down the temp agency. It is just so hard and complicated. I am still looking for jobs and everyone wants experience. I got to start somewhere. Thanks everyone for your input. Even though I am in a tough finacial situation, it's not worth losing everything I worked for....

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Peds/outpatient FP,derm,allergy/private duty.

You might look into Private Duty home care in your area. We have a new grad LPN working with us, she is doing fine. It won't count as the kind of experience most hospitals and probably LTCs are looking for, but hey, ya gotta eat and have a roof over your head!! :)

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Home Care.

Are you doing any kind of networking to meet nurses who are working?

That's how I got my job. I sit beside 3 LPNs in my statistics class, 2 of them work at the facility I now work at.

Talk to your former classmates and take a pre-req course for RN on campus.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in oncology.

yea, as a gn I wouldnt take a job without an orientation. I mean, if you have no experience, how are you going to know what to do? thats weird that they wouldnt provide you orientation. thats like telling an artist to instead of painting a pic of this scenery, your going to perform a hysterectomy right now.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I wouldn't do it either. If I were you I'd try to get a job at a long term care facility and stick it out for a good year or two. After that, then you might want to try agency work. But without experience, I wouldn't recommend it.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Thanks everyone for your input. I DID NOT take the position and I eventually did find the perfect LTC job with 11 days of orientation. I am so excited, and also happy that I followed my instinct and everyones advice. :)

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion