missDLPN

Hello, I just graduated as an LPN and all through nursing school I was afraid to lift pts by myself. I was always told I would have to ask for help..but nobody ever seemed to be around when I needed the help or when a pt absolutely couldn't hold it anymore! Can you relate? While i was doing clinicals in a nursing home, I saw nurses and stnas smaller than me transferring pts and wondered how in the world?? once I lifted a pt who looked frail and small enough, but boy she felt like she was 400 lbs dead weight!! She was shaking and very unstable, not to mention nervous about me being able to hold her up. I started to sweat and almost dropped her. everytime i asked for help, i got "i cant..ask for so and so"(who was nowhere to be found) or "cant you do it alone" or "i do it by myself" or "siiiigghhh"...i became less confident. Can someone please recommend a job where i wouldn't have to transfer patients as often? I love nursing but can't seem to get into a job as a new nurse unless its in a nursing home. I know there has to be someone out there who can help point me in a better direction. Thanks!!

Help! During the last 2 months of nursing school, I began to get sick. I began having blackouts, chronic dizziness, and heart palpitations. I vowed and fought to make it to graduation, passed the NCLEX on the first try, and had very high remarks from my professors. I was hiding my sickness for as long as I could. After I graduated, I got hired as an LPN right away, hoping the strange dizziness would eventually just go away. I chalked it up to being related to stress. Unfortunately, it persisted and worsened. On the first day of my new job, when I was assisting a patient out of the bed, I got very dizzy and almost dropped the patient. It scared me deeply that I could've hurt that patient. A nurse saw that I was pale and sweaty and said "make sure you are the nurse and not the patient before you come to work". I quit and decided to work on my health. Over the past two yrs, I have not been able to drive. I had recurrent bouts of pneumonia and more unexplained blackouts. After working with MANY cardiology drs, neurologists, internal specialists, and getting the run around and no answers for TWO yrs, I FINALLY found a Dr. that identified the problem, performed the 3 surgeries I needed, and now I feel almost normal again. I still have my LPN license, and I'd hate for it to go to waste, but I feel like I have forgotten the skills (IV, nursing plans, etc). In nursing school, I had practiced the skill on a mannequin 3 times and passed. There was never any on the job experience acquired during clinicals, as we were not allowed to perform any skills on real pts other than a couple rounds of med passing. The past two yrs, I have tried to keep up by studying disease processes but I know I will lack skills on the job. Since Im not in school anymore, and its been 2 yrs, im afraid nurses will look down on me or that I may lose my license for asking for help. What would you do in my situation? I was thinking about shadowing a red cross volunteer and watching them draw blood or shadowing someone at a nursing home, but Im afraid id lose my license admitting that I havent worked for 2 yrs as a nurse. Where or how can I start again? How would you approach or apply for shadowing another nurse? What types of jobs can I apply for that don't require complex skills? Which is easier to begin with (long term care, hospital, wound care, med nurse, clinic, home care, hospice, family Dr.)? Please answer honestly! I appreciate cold, critical blunt feedback also!