leamom2

Sometimes on my floor you can get someone to work a half shift for you. Might try that it allowed at your facility.

In our hospital the LPNs have to sometimes sit with Mental Health/confused pts. I was sitting one night with a Alz pt and she had a family member present. The family member requested the lights off, the door closed, and he took the recliner. So for 12 hrs I sat in a straight back chair in the dark, pt sleeping from the meds, and nothing to do but stare at the walls. I won't lie, I fell asleep twice only to do the jello-neck-head-bob and wake myself up. By far the worst night of work ever!!! My empathy to anybody who does this for a living.

I was a stay at home mom until my daughters went to grade school. Then I went to nursing school. The first year worked full time nights 12s. It was great to have the flexibility that nights gives. Give up a little sleep and do whatever you need to. Then as the kiddos got older I went part time in an attempt to be able to be at "everything". Now they are even older and more busy so I am taking a 7-3:30 M-F job. That is great thing about nursing the options are endless if you just look hard enough. Try getting that flexibility from a 9-5 job!!

Sorry I realize this post was a while ago, but our unit is going to something similiar. We are also a 32 bed floor and we are changing to 30 bed and a new approach. To treat our new joints as healthy patients. We are doing away with pain pumps and once a day rehab. Now we are doing scheduled oral pain meds with TID rehab. Everyone is up and dressed for breakfast in a central dining room. We started this with one doc and will be doing this with all total joints in Jan. We are also getting new rooms, etc. So how is this working for you? I am initially very excited about this. I think that it will improve the outcomes for pts. What have you found? Thanks.

I had to take a PBDS test for my first nursing job out of LPN school this past July. It was difficult but I had no clinical background other than school. There were scenarios where they give you some info and ask you to type what your actions would be. Just think through the pt history and symptoms and what you would suspect and what you would tell Dr. and ask for. this will help you. I think I probably over explained my reasoning but I did pass it on the first attempt. Some of my friends had to take it twice. They are looking for knowlegde of priority, procedure, and critical thinking. It is all type in no multiple choice. I was told it was graded by an actual nursing instructor. Just play off your experience and explain what you are thinking and it will go fine. Good Luck!

I live in MO, as an LPN we can insert n/g tubes. In fact we did this in our nursing school class to each other. Nothing like the first hand prospective on what it feels like.

In response to Ruby's member snake man. No doubt the offgoing nurse said he was alert and oriented. They always are in the daylight. Great story!!:rotfl:

I chose nursing because I love to be around people, I wanted to do something that was challenging but also helped others. I wanted a field where there is alot of opportunity and choices. I wanted job security. I wanted a career that if my husband got transfered I would be able to find a job no problem. I have all those things now. I also have a job where when I come home I am unbelievable tired and my mind turns for hours with the feeling that I forgot to chart something. I have worked every major holiday in the past year and missed numerous family functions, but I would have it no other way.I love it.

In my area of the country, Midwest, many universities have fast-track programs for people that already have a Bachelor's degree. It gets you straight to the nursing classes. I think that would be the way to go if you can find one in your area.

I chose to start with the LPN because I have a family and couldn't afford the two to four years an RN would have taken. I had one crazy year to get my LPN, but now I am working and building my skills and contemplating getting in to a LPN-RN bridge program. It was by far the best choice for me and my family.

I work 7p-730a on a Med-Surg floor in acute care facility I have anywhere from 5-7 pts with one tech that has 16 pts. I am an LPN. I have an RN partner who has 4-6 pts of their own and ultimate resposibility for mine also. This is in Missouri

the hospital where I work treats the LPNs great. We are all IV certified and take anywhere from 5-7 pts on nights. We can't no admit assessments or hang blood or do pushes, but we are allowed to take a lot of resposibility for our patients. I think that the system works well. The difference in pay is only about $6 per hour, but the RN do have a lot more resposibility as far as staffing, and ultimate judgement calls on anything dicey. A lot of a happy work environment is a good attitude and willingness to work together.