Wind_Dancer

Each state has it's own standards. You may get a score on a test that is too low for the state you are living in to get your license but be high enough in a neighboring state. It's been a couple of decades since I took state boards but that's the way it was then and when I retired in 1998 from FT hospital nursing, it was still the same. I have no idea how they are grading these days. When a friend and I took it, they were actually giving the scores, but I believe it's changed since then to simply a PASS or FAIL which makes me wonder how the states figure out what your score is in order to know if it's below or above a their minimum score. I think in most, if not all, states, if you score a 350 on the tests, you could be licensed in most/all states--it was considered a safe score although not a real impressive one when you were trying to ace out your friends.

I think it's pretty common, as one already said here. While ideally it would be wonderful if each student in a class could do each procedure once, but that doesn't always happen. There may not be enough patients that need a catheter. There are many, many procedures that you won't do in school but will learn how to do on the job. The best thing to do when you get a job is to admit you've not done a certain procedure before but you have watched (do that as often as possible) and studied (that too) and want to learn. Never attempt to do a procedure by yourself if you are not experienced at it. Ask your charge nurse or supervisor to go with you to assist or be a guide for you when the time comes. At the hospital where I worked for years, doing the more common procedures was part of a new hire probation. One had to do a procedure three times satisfactorily with a supervisor or charge nurse then it was signed off and you were free to do one on your own. Let me give you a tip....you can do hundreds of these things but that doesn't mean you will always be successful. Despite what the textbooks say, you will eventually run into an oddball patients like I did a couple of times. One had a double urethra (eeny meeny miney mo?) and one's meatus was so low it was practically inside her lady parts. We frequently worked in pairs anyway...one to hold the flashlight and one to do the procedure. Trust me. You will need that flashlight many times...even in the middle of the day.:imbar

It would depend on what capacity you are working in and what your facility or institution will support you in. For example, if you are working as an LPN, and LPNs are not allowed to draw blood in your facility (and don't forget that you want to go by your P & P....something in writing), then you can't draw blood, certified or not. If you were working in a capacity as a phlebotomist, you also can't act as an LPN in most situations. Assuming your facility does back you in writing, then you are okay, but if not, don't do it. It's not generally a procedure that's covered under the LPN Nurse Practice Act unless it has been changed recently. But again, that's up to your facility. Many hospitals actually require their RNs to draw blood or at least know how, but not LPNs. It's important to have it in writing, such as in your Policies & Procedures so you will be covered legally by your facility and its attorney(s) should something happen to the patient (not necessarily caused by you either). If it's not, don't do it. If it's not and someone gives you a verbal order to draw blood because they know you are a certified phlebotomist, still don't do it. You would be stepping beyond your duties as an LPN if your hospital or facility doesn't support it.