CaPsychLVN

Thanks for the info.

How is it for Psych LVN's in Phoenix?

Check out College Hospital, Cerritos Ca. We hire new grads.

Do not always believe what you are told by other would be students. I start my LVN-to-RN bridge in three weeks at Cerritos College in So Calif. If I had listened to the want-to-be students I wouldn't have even tried to get in the program I'm about to start. According to the most vocal student there were many more hoops to jump through, instead I simply talked with a school counselor, applied, and got approved. Actually they had MANY more spots available than they had applicants - hard to believe but true. Remember to ask those who are paid to know. One other tip, don't always believe the first negative answer you get. If my friend had believed her first counselor she wouldn't be starting class with me in three weeks. Best of luck.

As you can tell by my moniker I am a LVN in Hospice. It depends on where you live, here in Calif. there are quite a few of us. The job I do is directly under an RN. That does not mean that she is with me all the time but rather I submit my actions to her and the doctor.

Up until this month I got .20 a mile, and we are in LA!!!! Now it is .35 a mile. Is it any wonder that our RN who drives a Suburban wants me to use my Honda Accord when we go places.

It's easy to say LVN's shouldn't even be taught, but I like many other LVNs I know, could not (for various reasons) complete an RN program. Yet, I, like most LVNs I know, do a valuable medical service. I find it interesting that as hospitals decrease the use of LVNs they are increasing the use of NPs and PAs. Why is it that as a society we can see the need for one type of "sub-specialty" and not another?

Yes, she has been a hospice nurse for eight years! And I agree with you completely.

I am a hospice LVN. Yesterday my supervising RN made a declaration that does not fit with my previous hospice experience and I was wondering how other hospices deal with this. She stated that ANYTIME I touch a patient I MUST wear gloves!! This is to include taking vitals, checking for edema. or giving comfort (YES, I specifcally asked about these scenarios). And I must remember all my observvations and write them (including vitals) after I have finished the patient exam and taken off my gloves. I then need to re-apply gloves if I need to touch the patient again. And, BTW, I'm NOT talking AIDS pts, but cancer pts mainly. To say that this feels de-humanizing is an understatement. I came from LTC where we would never have done this. I also was not taught this in school. Sure I glove when coming into contact with bodily fluids or wounds, but for taking B/P?!? So, what do my esteemed mentors of this list say? Have I been hospice nursing for 9 months dangerously? Should I have never touched the skin of those I am ministering to? Perhaps hospice is not what I envisioned.

I, too, have 50 patients in a SNF. I give out 262 meds in "2 hours" (really 3.5 if I don't have interruptions). Some of the meds are in cards and others (vitamins & aspirin/tylenol) are in bulk. I take B/P with a manual cuff on about 20 patients. I do finger sticks and insulin, charting, weekly charting, med re-ordering, phone calls, etc. I, too, as a fairly new nurse (May graduate) didn't realize that this was not normal. In fact my DON just criticized me for not knowing by face all 99 residents (2 halls, one which I work less). Perhaps, I'm not a bad nurse. I love some of my residents and it is so hard to be so torn between time with them and getting everything done. Any suggestions appreciated.