MNlpn

We keep our report as brief as possible. We include the following in our shift report. 1. Pain, 2. Transfers (how much assist pt needs) 3. ADL's, 4. Abnormal labs and VS, 5. Pt. teaching needs, 6. Bowel & Bladder issues, 7. Safety precautions (ie fall precautions) 8.Skin integrity issues. We don't pass on any unnecessary info such as the info on the kardexes or info the nurse can find in the computer. After the on coming shift listens to report they are to come find us if they have questions and to check for any updates.

At the hospital I work at here in Minneapolis, The orders have to be cosigned by either HUC + RN, or RN + RN or RN + LPN. LOL.......even then stuff still gets missed! Thats why on the night shift we do 24hr chart checks.

If its anything like my acute rehab.....buy yourself a good pair of RUNNING shoes!!

Years ago when I use to work LTC, there was an elderly woman there who I had known since I was a child. I would always fill her bird feeder that was outside of her window. She had insisted on giving me something for my troubles. (which was no trouble for me at all) I declined nicely. I was still living at home at the time and my mom came home from work. (My mother works at the town drug store, everyone knows everyone there.) Well, the residents daughter came in to the store and gave my mother a $15 check written out to me! The daughter insisted that that her mother wanted me to have it because " I had always treated her so well and did so much for her" and that not taking it would upset her . So I took the check, explained it to the DON, who agreed that I could accept it. I've never forgotten that residents kindness towards me.

I also work in a hospital setting. We get nominal extra pay ($1/hr I think) for precepting a new hire. Also, on our unit they will often try to staff up an extra nurse so that the preceptor can take less of a patient load and be able to devote more time orientating the new hire to all that we do and is expected of us.

I work at UMMC-Fairview (Riverside Campus). It's been my experience that all the nurses get great orientations at Fairview. It's been awhile since I was in orientation but 6 weeks sounds about right. And when you're done with orientation and you feel you need more in a certain area....just ask!!

$23/hr here!!! Not bad for a LowPaidNurse:monkeydance:

If it ain't broke DON'T fix it!!

I get holiday pay. Time and a half. And yes, I'm union.

When I come on shift, I get my report, check my e-mar for meds and proceed to care for the 6 - 8 patients that I'm assigned. There are either one or two RNs on shift with me. One of them is my "resource nurse" If I have any IV push meds, blood draws I have my resource nurse do it for me and I may do something for them if they need me to. I do all my own charting, 24 hr chart checks, co-sign orders with the RN etc. The RNs here know what to expect from the LPNs and know what we can and can not do. If the LPNs have questions or need to have certain things done by an RN, we just ask...it's all a team effort. I basically just do my own thing and if there is something I need an RN for, I find them.

I'd like to know if any Acute Rehab Units out there allow LPNs to do anything with IVs/PICC lines. At my facility, the LPNs are only allowed to access PIVs. We can hang abx, fluids, mg, K+, not blood products or IV push meds, can flush the line, d/c the PIV etc. However, it seems that alot of our patients come to us with PICC lines, central lines, or Port-a-caths. These, the hospital does not allow the LPNs to do anything with. With the exeption of monitoring anything that may be infusing, and we can change a bag of fluid if the previous one is done and they will be continuing them. We can't flush the lines, or do dressing changes, cap changes, or do the blood draws. At my previous job in LTC (also in MN) the LPNs were IV certified (as was I) and we did it all with the exception of say hanging blood or doing draws. Our hospital is unionized, the RNs have their union and the LPNs have theirs. I believe the RN union has alot to do with what us LPNs can do there. I have encountered RNs that get so in a tizzy when I have asked them to hang meds, do blood draws etc. I just wish we could get the hospital or who ever to give the LPNs a little more responsibility when it comes to PICC lines etc. I'm alright about letting the RNs do the blood draws, hang the blood etc. But I truly think it would help ease the burden of the RNs if the LPNs could at least flush the line, hang the meds and do the dressing and cap changes. I've done it before, and it doesn't take a brain surgeon. Many of the RNs on my unit say they never even had any training when it came to those types of lines. They all learned it from preceptors and hands on when starting their jobs. So anywho.....just want some feedback as to what other LPNs are doing out there in Acute Rehab land. Thanks Much

I work on an Acute Rehab Unit. We have a nurse manager. She is an RN, BSN, CCRN, CPAN blah blah blah. Her boss, who is the director of the unit, has no nursing background what so ever....her background is PT. Must be the wave of the future.

Who says she, is she?

There are only about 50 of us LPNs here at the hospital I work at in Minnesota. I did several years of LTC before hospital nursing. The pay rate at the LTC places stunk. I've been at the hospital 9 yrs now and make $21.03 plus shift differential. We are unionized so that helps with our pay scale! We are getting ready to negotiate a new contract this month, so hopefully they will meet our demands and we'll continue to increase in salary. Every little bit helps hehehe.

The U of M Medical Center-Fairview is seeking Magnet Status. They should find out by the end of the year I believe. Guess I'll find out if I still have a job or not then too!

Ive been an LPN for 14 yrs now. Started out in LTC at $9.00/hr. I moved to Minneapolis in '94 and my wage in LTC went to $11.00. I thought that was big bucks after coming from the sticks. Well, after three years at that LTC facility I still wasn't making even $12.00/hr. I quit there and went to work for a Minneapolis hospital and started out at $15/hr! Now, after 9 yrs of hospital nursing I'm making about $23/hr. Not so bad for a LowPaidNurse:lol2: Least I don't think it's so bad!

I hear ya!!! We are starting the switchover now too on our ARU. We have to chart all the patient assessment stuff in the computer. But, we still have to go to the chart to do our FIM scores on paper. It's very time consuming and some of the nurses on days/eves are SO busy with patient care, that charting just doesn't get done. And GOD FORBID, there should be NO overtime:nono: If you incur overtime its cuz you're not budgeting your time well.:angryfire Like management knows anything about what the nurses go through on the floor. Anyway, thats a whole nother story!

Our ARU has been open now for 18 months. The director is making it mandatory for the RNs to become rehab certified. This has caused a big upset with some of the RNs, especially the older ones who will be retiring in the not to distant future. Question is: Do other ARUs make it mandatory that you be or become a CRRN to work in an acute rehab setting? The staff kinda feel they are doing it for publicity purposes. Thanks for any feed back

It seems that when our patients are admitted their profession always seems to pop up in their social history, but again I suppose they offered that info somewhere along the way. One nurse on the floor always seems to be impressed by patients qualifications and finds it necessary to bring it up in report that they are/were a doctor, lawyer, professor, NURSE or whatever. I feel "big deal". Their professional status has no bearing on the care I provide for my patients. They all get treated equally, and receive excellent care from me no matter who they are!

Our hospital is union. So we get a pay raise every year. Our contract runs for 3 years. So when the contract expires, we negotiate for pay raises etc. IE: if they agree to a 12% raise, they divide it out over the 3yrs, so 4% each year. Might not be much, but every little bit helps

Doesn't John Stassel (sp) work with 20/20? OMG, he could interview ME anytime!!!!!!:heartbeat

I've always been leary of sign on bonuses. They tend to make me wonder what is wrong with the place if they gotta bribe ya with thousands of dollars to go to work for them! Always short staffed etc.... etc.....

Well, I don't think they refer to it as Murderapolis so much anymore! That nickname came about several years ago when it hit an altime high of like 93 murders in one year. Minneapolis is still a GREAT place to live. No matter what large urban city you live in, there will always be some amount of crime!

Yep, now that you mention it, I believe it was the N.H.! My goof

Actually the bars in Mpls and St. Paul close at 2:00 a.m. now. Least the ones I go to