guislander

One thing the first few posters didn't mention, was respect. In the area I work in LPN's aren't respected the same way RNs are. I was an lpn in a hospital for 3 years before becoming an rn. I wasn't treated as a nurse by most people. I got paid as an lpn, but for the most part I did a tech's job and got a tech's respect. I think it depends on where you work too. When I was a CNA I worked at a nursing home. There I did even know the "nurses" were mostly lpns for 5-6 months. LPN is a nice thing to have while you are finishing school or if you need to work to get through school, but I don't think it should be the end goal. Andrea

I too feel your pain. I do however agree with previous posters. It's worth sticking out the full year. Even a bad work environment will teach you something. I dislike the hospital I'm at, but stick out a full year and I know even though it's been hard. I learned from the difficult environment. besides that way you aren't competing with new grads for a job. Also, think outside hospital/nursing home, when you do look. nursing is THE most fexible profession there is. Good luck.

I guess I would say, CNAs/PCTs spend much more time directly with the patients. Nurses do spend a lot of time on paperwork. also, nurses have the added responsiblity. But I would not go back even if I could. Nurses have a huge amount of variety to choose from. CNAs don't have very much. It's just ADLs whether in the hospital, nursing home or in a home care situation. It's up to you to decide what balance you can live with.

Do they make ANY exceptions at all? 2 years ago I had an allergic reaction to the flu shot, and was advised not to get it again. Last year I made a point of my husband and kids getting it. But a mandated shot...If there's no exceptions I don't know what I'd do.

I did when I first graduated. Lots of nurses at the hospital i worked at then did. I lost it once. (found it before the end of shift thankfully) but when I switched hospitals it became frowned upon. I'd say if people around do feel free if you want, but be careful not to lose it.

I can really empathize with you. I was a LPN in the float pool of a hospital for 3 years before I got my RN. It was only on 2 units out of the whole hospital that I got to "be a nurse" , ie give meds, do dressings, the rest of the time I worked like a cna, but at least got paid as a lpn. I actually introduced myself as their LPN/aide. Some pt knew the difference and would say no you're a nurse, the rest didn't care. It bugged my ALOT at first but after a while I decided I liked the nurse pay for cna work. My program was one that after the first years' courses you took the LPN exam after the second year the RN. so I never had a problem continuing. I did see others who worked in nursing homes and clinics had a lot more experience than I did. That being said, being an LPN is still something to be very proud of. There are shifts where I wish I could give all the responsiblity back. Hang in there. Maybe keep your eyes open for a LPN postion with more responsiblity. When I worked in a nursing home as a CNA I didn't even know which nurses were LPNs and which were RNs unitl I'd been there 6 months. They were treated the same. good luck.

"a nurse told you to continue giving a drink, to an aspirating pt??? that. is. criminal. that poor, poor pt. he must have really suffered. leslie " Yeah, I think so too. She really did suffer. I try now to look at it like a growth thing. what not to do..But guilt does bother me from time to time. Andrea

My very first death was as a CNA. I was BRAND new and didn't realize I had the right to refuse a task deligated me. Anyway, I had a RN tell my to give a 8oz glass or "power" drink to a pt. I gave her one spoonful and she aspirated it. I went back to the nurse and told her the pt was aspirating. I'll never forget the rn said, "I don't care. Get as much into her as possible." I went back and gave her half the glass before I couldn't stomach anymore. She died a few hours later. The pt was a train wreck with 5 stage 4 ulcers and would have died eventually, but I always feel guilty like i hastened her death. I have had several DNR deaths since becoming a RN. But the death that sticks in my mind as a nurse is the one I had that we coded. He was a young man (45) who was in for pneumonia, but had been basically unresponsive since an anersym 6 months before. He had been a DNR in the nursing home, butthe paperwork had not been done to make him a DNR in the hospital so he had to be coded. When I got a hold of the POA she said to KEEP coding him. after 20 minutes he passed anyway. That is my asolutely least favorite part of nursing, coding DNR pts.

I'd have to win the lottery first, so I would worry about the finical gamble in this economy, but I'd love to start a scrapbooking store with workroom in my hometown. We don't have a dedicated one anymore. Just hobby lobby and michaels.

I don't sign RN after my name on purpose. but I Often find myself signing my name, RN out habit. Usually I make some comment to the cashier or whoever, "Oh I didn't mean to sign like that." And to think I've only been a RN for a year.

8 to 1 is difficult, but doable. I work a tele unit where our official ratio is 6-8:1. I personally have had up to 10 on sencond shift. It's not nice, but has been a good experience. Make sure you get good at doing assessments and charting. Keep track of when meds are due. I write times down the side of my clipboard. And just keep moving. After a while you do adjust so now when I have only 6, I feel like I have tons of extra time. make sure you take notes for yourself so you can chart later. Good Luck.

I didn't say all. Obviously, I'm not Filipino. I said most. There are a couple of Indian nurse (from India), also. While The ones I work with specifically, are great nurses and have been here for at least ten years. One of the aides told me about two other aides who very recently went home (to the philippines) for two weeks and came back and claimed to have finished nursing school having not had any other nurses training here or there. I said I wasn't sure if it was true just because it was third hand information. I struggled for several months last summer looking for a RN job when I graduated. I would have to think of more American jobs being outsourced in this manner. Before you flame me for being biogated, I have no problems with non-white nurses. I think the ones I work with are great. Also I spent two years on a island so I know what being a minority feels like. When I was there I left a job because I was discriminated against because of race, but this economy is bad enough without giving away jobs.

I don't live in Ca but would be VERY worried about a hospital that fills it's needs in that manner. I work in IL and most of our nurses are phillipino. I have heard of two employees that were aides here, went to the phillipines for two weeks and came back as qualified RNs. I wouldn't want to be treated in a facility that had gotten all their nurses overseas. The nurses I work with, have been here for years and have worked as nurses for years, so they are safe nurses.I don't know if the two week thing is true, but I would hate to have spent 4 years in school for no reason.

It depends on the pt and the med and the reason they are getting the med. I remember having a young woman on our tele floor with cardiomyoapathy. the Drs WANTED her BP to be less than 90 SBP. In that case, yes I gave the meds. But If I feel this is a new thing or I don't feel comfortable I will call for parameters before giving a BP med. Sometimes the drs think I'm crazy or silly or whatever, but at least then I'm comfortable with the administration.

Nah, We just need to get our states to enact similar laws to CA.

I work a tele floor. currently. I personally have had up to 10 on 2nd shift. I regularly have 8 on nights. When I was oreinted I saw 2- 4 hours blocks where the RNs had 13 on 2nd shift. I came VERY close to quitting without ever finishing orientation. This hospital doesn't believe in ratios. I keep hoping IL will pass a law out lawing this practice. I think until they do the hospital will keep doing this. Also the aides on the floor regularly have 13-15 pt each on 2nd and 20 on nights.

Really can't you please write so I can read your orders. When daily looks like today, there is a problem. Also we have one dr. at our place that is horrible to everyone, just about every time. I wanted so badly to say to him, "If you would have signed the antibiotic reorder form I would have had to page you. If you are that conserned about your safety driving don't yell at me for 15 min in addition the the 15 min you were on hold because I was transferring a patient to the ICU." I can't wait until this dr. retires or passes away. (which is a distict possibly.)

Personally as a nurse I struggle with this. I work a tele unit and have plenty of pts who are full codes, but are ESRD/CHF/spetic. Also we have a policy that the state DNR form is not enough for a pt to be a DNR at our facility. The admitting Dr. has to write a seperate DNR order. Conscequently, we occasionally have pt who are DNRs, but for one reason or another the dr doesn't write the order and the pt ends up coding. I find it heartbreaking doing CPR on someone who should be a DNR and aren't. But One the other hand I struggle with standing by and doing nothing for a dying pt.I guess I have issues due to a personal experience with family member who was born with a condition not compatiable with life. She was made a DNR, but when she died the Nursing home she was in said they did all they could. I just hope they didn't mean the coded her. I think i believe there is a place for CPR and heroic measures, but personally I wouldn't want to be a full code if there was no quality of life. For me I would choose quality over quanity every time.

This thread kinda scares me. I feel like my critical thinking skills are sorely lacking. I've been on my own for four months and have been a RN for almost six months..I work on a tele unit and feel like I have a very formulaic type of nursing. New onset chest pain=nitro, EKG and call to Dr., INR 9=hold coumadin, potassium 5.5=hold K, things along that line. But I live in mortal fear one of my pts will go bad and I won't know what to do. Any advice???

I too an overwhelmed most of the time. I work a busy telemetry unit, which can't seem to stay fully staffed. We seem to be always short someone, which gives us up to 9 pts at times. Then if they can get another nurse halfway through, they shuffle pts so I give up 3 and get 3 or give up 3 and get 2. So I end up having to chart on 11 or 12 instead of 9. I'd usually just like to keep 9 then shuffle pts halfway through. I had a strange thing happen last week. It was just doing shift change and the day nurse I was replacing, was an experienced nurse, but floating from another floor. I had a pt suddenly start complaining of chest pain. So I followed protocol (gave nitro, got an EKG and called Dr to get cardiac markers and a cardiac consult). When the pt reported relief after 3 nitros, and the EKG was normal. I went back to the nurse's station and the day nurse said, "I'm glad you were here. I wouldn't have know what to do." Chest pains freak me out, so I was shocked she would say that. I didn't know what to think. I guess it's not just us newbies that are lost when out of our element. I know I won't stay on this unit, maybe even at this hospital past one year (which is in Aug.) I just hope I can stand to make it that long.

It sounds like it's bedside nursing you don't like. There are other types of nurses. Case manager's for instance make phone calls all day arranging different things. There are nurse researchers and many other types of nursing. I am a new grad too. and don't care for the job I'm doing. But I figure once I have a year's worth of experience I can find a job I like.

I can totally identify. I took the job I have because I was having trouble finding a job and felt it was the only choice. I too feel very overwhelmed. I came from a hospital (as an LPN) where the RN never had more than 5 patients. The hospital I'm in now I was told has a ratio of 6-8 pts, and I've seen as high as 13. The way my orientation has gone is just I take some pts, my preceptor takes some. I feel kinda out on my own with the pts I have. She's there for questions, but I not being shown or talked through anything. The worst part is I'm not even in a dept I like. I feel like I'm just stuck for a year. My preceptor says I'm doing just fine and she's tell me if I wasn't but I wonder. To make matters worse the last several days I've been finding errors from the nurse I replaced. I worte some of them up. But was told to let others slide. I don't like having to "clean up" after an experienced nurse who should know better.

Ican totally identify. I graduated in May. Passed boards on the 1st of July. I applied to most of the hospitals in SE WI with no luck. Finally I had to cross the boarder into IL, but I got hired in late Aug. Keep trying, calling places back. I drive 45 min, but IL pays better so it pays for the drive. Keep your chin up. One thing that was suggested to me was working in a nursing home. I did end up in a hospital, but every one has to find their niche.

Are you in Chicago proper or in the suburbs? I live in Racine, which isn't far from the border. I'd be willing to commute to waukegen, north chicago if the pay is that much higher. That's twice what I make. If it's chicago proper, that's harder. It'd be train commute that would at least an hour and a half, plus a pass that would be over hundred a month. That probalby makes it not worth it.

I am an LPN. I past my boards in september. That's the problem.