SharkLPN

We have the same issue in NE Ohio - there were only a handful of LPN programs in the area a dozen years ago; now private CC LPN courses are being offered all over the place. Two within 7 miles from my home, and I'm not in a highly populated area. We simply don't have the need for LPNs around here now, thanks to another cycle of "phase out the LPNs" in acute care and medical offices. There are only so many LTC facilities to go around. I have to wonder if these CCs are being completely honest about their graduates chances of getting a job as an LPN after graduation. Most LTC facilities still want at least a years experience before they'll consider hiring.

I worked in Peds LTC where most residents had mickeys. Frequently, you'd withdraw the water and it would be cloudy, but that was typically on mickeys that had been in place for the maximum 6 months. 4 days seems a bit too soon for cloudiness, though there might have been a microscopic hole in the button causing gastric fluid/meds/feeding to enter the ballon. I did have an instance where the fluid was brown, but the resident had iron supplements BID - and the ballon was stained black. It had been in place for awhile.

I'm also in NE Ohio - I've been an LPN for 10 years, and job opportunities here have really declined for us in the past 5 years. When I heard the hospital I used to work at tossed 70 LPNs out the door one morning in September without giving them the option of obtaining their RN degrees (most likely in another doomed attempt for Magnet status), my blood simultaneously boiled and froze. You did not waste your time or money in school, though. Don't give up; keep being persistent with potential employers. Don't discount or downplay your experiences as an STNA either. Prospective employers can take FOREVER to call you for interviews too. My old job at the hospital started as a nurse assistant position - and it took them a few months to call me about an opening. Keep being persistent. Apply for jobs you either don't think you have a snowballs chance in hell to get, or even the ones you really don't want (don't know why, but it always seems to be easier to find another job if you currently have one, so remember being somewhere you really don't like doesn't have to be forever). Stop in at the local LTC facilities in your area with a resume and cover letter, even if they aren't advertising. Try nationally known staffing agencies such as Maxim or Interim - I'd suggest as a new grad to take home health cases over LTC, because even with 6 years of hospital floor nursing experience with 7-8 high-acuity patients, my first few shifts in LTC with 30+ residents turned me to a blob of tears.

Same problem at my facility. It annoys me when one of the RNs on my shift shows up late for every shift, as it delays my report. I never ask the dayshifters to give me report ahead of the late RN, as it's not fair to them to make them go over the info twice. I understand the occasional lateless for traffic or weather (around 4 am the other night, the rain unexpectedly turned to ice and snow, so the dayshifters woke up to a nasty surprise), but every single day/night gets old fast. Interestingly enough, there has been a housewide crackdown on anyone not complying to policy stating that we cannot clock in more than 6 minutes before the beginning of shift. Nothing is said or done regarding those who habitually clock in late mind you. Way to punish those of us capable of getting to work promptly :icon_roll

Hmm... It's rather difficult to give SQ insulin or heparin/lovenox without a needle. Same goes for IM injections. Personally, I think vented Crocs ARE an infection control issue for that reason.

LOL! The same happened to my BF and I! Had us doubled over with laughter for a good 5 minutes. I used NuvaRing for about a year, and the only problem I had was ~ TMI alert! ~ a little more discharge than I was used to during non-menstrual times. My periods were lighter though, with less cramping, so it was a trade off I was happy to have. My hoo-haa must have been irritated a bit by the rings presence, but not enough to cause itching or pain. I just used pantiliners daily instead of using them only for tampon backup.

Nothing to add to the spot-on advice already given. My thoughts are with you. It's never easy to lose a friend so young, especially in such a sudden and tragic way. One way to work through it is to find a positive in this, and continue their memory. For instance, a fellow student at my high school was murdered; her family took her passion for running, and created a 5K charity run in her name to benefit a cause she supported. You might not do something on that large a scale, but even a small, personal effort can help. I lost my 'big sister' in a car accident; she was a nurse, had encouraged me to go into nursing too (I worked in veterinary medicine previously), and after her death, I eventually looked into it and found that she was right - nursing not only suited me, but continued her passion for helping others too. In that way, she lives on.

Bandage scissors. I've got a pair, and attatched a mini MagLite to one of the finger holes with the lanyard supplied with the flashlight. A nice duo that really doesn't seem to walk away from me, probably because they're together. Watch, now they'll get swiped by a resident doc next shift I work! My co-workers won't dare; having them together lends a bit of 'please give me back' pity to 'em.

I always get one, without fail, but think without a doubt it should be the indivdual choice of the HCW. Reminds me of the whole "lets vaccinate all medical workers against smallpox" hooey the CDC tried a few years back. Would have made more sense IMHO, to teach us how to administer the smallpox vaccine to the general public, since, if memory serves, the vaccine is still effective even if you receive it a few days after exposure to smallpox.

Oh thank goodness someone posted this to YouTube already! I was doubled over watching it on TV earlier! :roll

LPN in NE Ohio here. I'd go for an LPN, if nothing else, it will give you an edge to get into a bridge program to obtain your RN moreso than a high school grad hoping to meet and marry Dr McDreamy on Greys Anatomy. A few of my colleages have done the LPN-RN program and didn't have to wait. Something else to remember is potentially, the facility you're working at as an LPN will help with tuition to obtain your RN - understand that you might have to commit to them for a number of years in return though. As far as us being phased out of hospitals? Nope. I work at one, and we're always looking for more. Plenty of hospitals are happy to have us there as adjuncts to the RNs they have in place. LPN positions are tight (or non-existent) in high specialty areas such as ICU or ER, but if you do plan on getting your RN, please consider it experience towards your eventual goal. Good luck to you! :) ETA - Forgot to mention; Akron Childrens Hospital does hire LPNs if you are interested in pediatrics. :wink2:

HIPAA. If I answer the phone, and am told that you are so-and-so from X LTC, I cannot verify that you are who you state you are. Once my patient transfers back to you, chart copies will be sent back with your resident (and care management will have spoken to your DON) and then you can follow up on QI. For all I know, there are nasty family issues afoot with my patient, and a family member without POA is impersonating the LTC staff. When HIPAA first went into effect and was all over the news, we had a patient and their relatives try to get info out of us by any means. It was obvious they were looking to file a lawsuit, and since then, I don't give out any info to someone I haven't called. I'll be happy to call your facility back on the number I find in the phone book, but other than that? Nope.

Yeah, I'd instantly be calling off rich too. Probably keep the license current, just in case (it's only what? 24 hours of CEUs, and $70 every other year?) Beleive me, I wouldn't get bored without a job. And I doubt I'd miss it. Oh, Triage? Your camp for disabled kids is kinda how a local center for kids with profound disablities started back in the 50s. A nurse took in a friends child to ease the burden of caring for it. Now, it's grown to be one of the best centers in NE Ohio for kids with MR/DD. http://www.hattielarlham.org/

Count me among those who would prefer to be alive without my last name on my badge, than professional with it and risk being stalked/raped/etc. My professionalism shows not on a square of plastic on my scrubs, but in my actions and skill. There are only about a dozen people in this country with my last name, and finding my personal information is already too easy via Yahoo's People Search. Doctors go by their last names, but how many of them are looked at by the general public as willing sex objects? None. How many of my male patients have made inappropriate sexual comments to me? More than I can count. As far as a patient being able to read my last name on the charting, I doubt it. It's a scribble (so much of one that my manager once approached me with a reminder from the quality improvement comittee telling me my name had to be legible. Ummm... They figured out it was me in the end didn't they?). And my facility doesn't use any type of computerized charting, so that's that.

I'll only agree with your 'friend' in that my particular LPN program was 11 months, 8am-3:30pm, M-F (40 hours a week), with a week and a half off for the holidays; another week for spring break. You miss a day, you miss a lot. IIRC, we could only miss 5 days through the whole program or we were out. So yeah, that part is harder than the typical RN program. Do I think I'm better than an RN? Heck no. They have more knowledge of the 'why' of disease and illness; LPNs have more of the 'what to do'. Together, we make a dynamic team, able to learn anything not taught in school off one another.

We started using statlock for UTI prevention not too long ago and things seem to be going well with them staying on. Now, our confused LOLs still manage to get a hold of them and yank them out, balloon inflated, but ya can't blame the statlock for that! I'd not heard of securing a male pts foley to the abd though. Usually I ensure that there is enough slack between the member and statlock/tape/velcro tape holder thingies.

I've been on a M/S floor for over 5 years, and while there are days that I wonder why I didn't take all the offers given to me for other specialties, nothing beats the pace and learning experiences on M/S. Just last night, my seasoned co-workers and I learned from an ICU attending called to the floor for a problem that sometimes patients in sepsis will continue to drop their blood sugar, despite multiple amps of D50 being pushed. Made total sense once he told us, but it was the first time ever that 4 nurses with well over 20 years experience combined had heard of this. Try it. If you really don't like it, you have other options available. That's the beauty of nursing - you can do what suits you best. ETA - not to mention, you really hone your assessment skills.

I'll third the Neutrogena recommendation. Don't be turned off by the price and smallness of the tube, as you only need a dab. Otherwise, it gets too greasy feeling. My facility changed over to moisturized sanitizer gel, and moisturized foam soap, and I found that I have the opposite problem - they coat my hands with so much moisture that, while I don't get dry, cracked hands anymore, my hands have a slimy/waxy feeling after a few applications or washings. So now I use my own soap from home (Bath and Body Works Anti-Bacterial) or use the body wash we use on our patients.

Shouldn't be a problem, as most facilities are converting to being totally latex-free. Mine already is, but I have to confess that I miss the latex gloves - the small vinyl ones are still a bit too large on my hands. Still, I'd rather lose some dexterity than risk sending a patient into anaphylaxsis!

It can be rough to sit at night though. I did occasionally while working as an aide in nursing school (we use our own CNAs for sitters if one is needed). Some of our patients requiring a sitter will calm down and fall asleep for awhile, sometimes the whole night, are not busy fussing with their lines, and that's when you'll have the most trouble staying awake. Add being 'alone' with no one to talk to in a darkened room, no TV and really crappy magazines to read (or dry nursing textbooks) and it's no wonder some of our aides can't stay up. I usually relieve them for a few minutes each hour so they can stretch their legs, get some fresh air and coffee, and interact with someone. Now if the patient is awake, active and fussy all night, then falling asleep is a problem!

My facility has a No Tolerance policy for sleeping on the job, but our supervisors have a heart about it. You have to be caught sleeping during their rounds repeatedly before they tell you to pack your bags and don't return. I work 7p-7a, and yes, I have nodded off at the nurses station on occasion during slower nights, right next to my wide-awake and chatting co-workers. They've done it too - we understand that sometimes you're just dog tired and a 20 minute siesta will restore you (especially on those rare slow nights - a few hours of downtime really can make you more tired than a hectic, busy shift!). There are never pillows, blankies, and hiding in patient rooms or the break/locker rooms for us, and no one yet has taken advantage of the opportunity and made a habit of sleeping all the time. If we notice someone's eyes drooping, we let 'em doze for awhile, then nudge them awake after 30 minutes. We're human, and staying awake for 12+ hours all night can exhaust you sometimes. As for calling it patient abandonment? Even if I'm fast asleep, I'm right there, available in case of a crisis, and not outside every hour for 20 minutes on my neverending smoke break, out of hearing range from the paging system speakers, like some of my fellow employees. That to me is abandonment.

Agree with the support hose - I use them; it also helps my calves from cramping mid-shift. I've got Danskos now, and while I love them, they still can't beat my old Birkenstocks. I have a lot of heel pain with any shoe I wear, but the heel cup in the Birks made it disappear. Plus, the Birks were loose fitting (tight enough to run in during codes), so my feet could breathe during my 12 hours on.

I definitely let my machine pick up (I don't have caller ID),and the rare times I've answered and it was work, I fibbed and told them I'd had a few beers already; are you sure you want me to come in now? A few years ago when my grandpa died, I had to take time off work to go to his funeral (he lived about 4 hours away). I called my manager, director, and the staffing office on Sunday and told them I needed out-of-town bereavement leave; his funeral is Tuesday. Sure enough, I check my messages when I got home on Friday, and had three messages from the staffing office begging me to come in, one of which was on Tuesday. Uhh..... yeaaaaaaahright.

Do we work at the same place? :roll That sounds realllllly familiar!

OK, I'll admit to looking funny at a co-worker who tells me that the patients chest tube is at 20 'sont-tre-meters' suction... but I blow it off as tomayto/tomahto. But once they tell me a patient is in with COPD exasperation??????? I lose it. Are you sure it isn't exacerbation? Yeah, I'm weird.