swee2000

Hi, everyone! I'm wondering if I can get some opinions on what's worked best for those who have taken the NCLEX exam already. I have heard from a couple people who took the Kaplan review course & found it a little extreme & unneccessary. The...

I am curious if any current or recent students(RN or LPN) were told by their instructors that you did not have to aspirate for blood when giving IM injections, with or w/o using Z-track. Here's why I ask: while at work today, a student(doing his cli...

Not at my hospital....or at least not on my unit(Med/Surg). In fact, hiring LPNs has become my manager's new "fad". :wink2:

If I were you, I'd consult your student handbook and see what it says about students on prescription meds & in the clinical setting. Also, I don't know if this is necessary, but maybe ask the prescribing doctor to write a letter to your instructo...

Here are my hospital's isolation policies using the original poster's situations: 1)Suspected &/or positive for C-diff: patient placed in Contact Isolation, which requires the wearing of isolation gown & gloves whenever in patient's room. St...

All I have to say is "Thank God for caller ID & voicemail"!!! Seriously, in my first year at the hospital and particularly during the winter season when we were constantly on "Emergency Bed Status" & short-staffed, I picked up LOTS & LOTS...

Finding myself in it every now & then!!

Thank you for your response. Honestly, until I found allnurses.com, I don't think I had ever heard of Excelsior, let alone looked into it. Is it accepted by every state board of nursing? How does it impact job opportunities? One day, I would love t...

Something similar to the OP's scenario also occurred during the last week of my 2nd semester in the LPN program. Our normal clinical instructor had to abruptly take a leave of absence(the last week) due to a family emergency. Taking her place, was th...

I just received my ATT today. I would like to take the NCLEX asap, but I do not feel comfortably ready to take it tomorrow, for example. Here's my dilemma: Next week I am completely free, other than needing to figure out childcare for my daughter. Th...

Here are the start/end times for 8hr & 12hr shifts at my hospital: Days: 0700-1530 or 0700-1930 PMs: 1500-2330 or 1900-0730 Nocs: 2315-0715(they don't "technically" get a 1/2hr break) 12hr shifts: 0700-1930 or 1900-0730

Yes, I actually fit your description to a "T". I originally started at a 4-yr university in Fall/1997, taking under-graduate classes while awaiting my turn on the "student waiting list". Then, in 1999 and due to personal reasons, I dropped out until...

Annie: I've been an LPN since 2006, also, and currently work at Waukesha Memorial(I've actually been there for 4 years).

What part of WI are you in? I'm in Waukesha County, just outside of Milwaukee.

Here are some more traits of a good preceptee: *Have confidence in yourself & show it *Be prepared, on time, & reliable *Always show a willingness to learn *Take initiative/be assertive *Ask questions if unsure of something and don't do anyth...

WitchyRN: Regarding my comments, they referred to new, graduate nurses being hired to work on the Med/Surg unit ONLY. I have no clue what the other specialized units in my hospital(like OR) do with new nurses that have absolutely no experience. But ...

Well put!!

While this doesn't apply to everyone, here is a real example of why it may be beneficial for some, if not all, students to work as CNAs(or other patient-care positions) before &/or during school. Last summer, my manager hired an inexperienced, ne...

I beg to differ. Not all technical schools rely on just the "wait-list" system. At the technical school I attended, CNA training was(and still is) a requirement of the LPN or RN nursing programs AND had to be completed before a student could be accep...

Me too!!!

Does your facility &/or unit use bed alarms/checks? If so, are they set-up and plugged-in correctly? Does your unit utilize sitters to stay with the patients? At my hospital, we do not need a doctor's order to apply a bed check or to have a sitt...

JJJoy: You are correct & I apologize to you & the OP for my mistake.

This is an awesome post(in my opinion)! :-)

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I apologize if this sounds mean or snotty, but the original poster needs to lose the "Being a CNA is just about butt-wiping" attitude, or he/she will be in for a rude-awakening come nursing school/clinical time and when they step into the "real world...