sunbeach73

Where I work if someone is acting out: biting, scratching, hitting, throwing urine, feces or other objects we ask for a psych eval, immediately call the doctor for something to calm them down and if that doesn't work we send them to the hospital to be admitted to the psych unit until the behaviors are under control.

There are other great LPN programs out there. Try Galen. More expensive but worth the money.

Oh....my bad. I guess I misread that part. I apologize.......Asking for how to solve the problem and asking for the actual answers are two different things.

Or maybe someone is just asking for help because they don't understand the problem???? There is no one person who knows answers to everything which is why we ask others for help. I think that finding a book on medication calculations would be a good idea. Or even search the web for online calculations.

I'd jump on that job!!!! My first nursing job 2 1/2 years ago I started out in the hospital making $12.50 per hour. That was like a slap in the face. I even had IV certification. I was taking a pay cut of $2.50 per hour. I did data entry prior to nursing. Now I'm in an ALF, don't make a whole lot more an hour, but right now I love my job.

40 residents by yourself????? Are you kidding? And my staff complains because I have 4 CNA's to less than 40 residents. They have no idea how lucky they are!

I received mine through an online course. You get 20 hours on CEU's. The cost is about $35. Go to westernschools.com, look up management and leadership and the course should pop up. The ALF I work at has this as a mandatory course for all our nurses. Hope this helps.

I just bought my daughter a laptop for Christmas from Overstock.com. They have laptops as cheap as $400 each. They are new computers that have been opened by a consumer and then sent back to the store "open box" merchandise. My daughters has one small mark on the outside on the top, but nothing else cosmetically wrong with it. Technically, it is a brand new computer with a small scratch. Works great....try that!

I left an okay paying desk job to work at a major hospital where I live. I took a pay cut of almost $2 per hour. My desk job I was able to have overtime when ever I felt the need for it for the clients sake. With my nursing job, not only did I take the pay cut, but god forbid should I get even 10 minutes overtime on a pay period at the hospital. That $2 an hour may not seem like much to some of you, but when you live pay check to pay check on the money I made at my desk job with overtime, then take a nursing job making the $2 less, no overtime and on top of it all having to now pay back the student loans, I am actually making even less money! Why did I leave my desk job and take a lower paying job? I took the low paying job in this hospital because no one else would hire me unless I had a years experience in the hospital....sad to say, but not even a nursing home would hire me. But you know, I can honestly say that I go home every night and feel completely satisfied with the work I have done. That smile that I get from someone that I had helped that day, the thank you from the patient that I had to spend an hour feeding because she couldn't do it herself. In the end I know I did something that made a difference in someone's day. Sure, it would be nice to have my wages measure up to the work I do, but all I can do is hope that one day this will all pay off in the years to come.

I wore a pair of black dress pants, a white long sleeved button up shirt with thin black pin stripes and some black 2 1/2 inch hills to my interview. I had a bubbly enthusiastic attitude. All the questions that I had for the interviewer was eventually covered. When they asked me what I was looking for in my nursing career I told them that I am looking for a Team effort. I told them I don't like to hear "that's not my patient". I want to see team work. I guess it worked, I am now working there! (By the way, the team work thing wasn't a lie, I really was looking for that and I got it!) Hope this helps.

Ok, I'll add mine. Where I live is in a big metro area in Florida. You have Tampa Bay, Clearwater and St. Petersburg. Orlando is only an hour away. I've seen adds for pay as much as $40 an hour some places. How true that actually is, I don't know. I'm an LPN. I know the Va over here pays well. For the most part weather is nice. Summers are hot, but you have to realize we are in the south. Schools are ok. If you don't like the regular schools you can put the kids in a "magnet" school. They offer different courses for kids and I guess get more one on one attention. (my kids go to public school and do great). There's always something to do here. Malls all over the place. The only issue that stings is the property tax is so high. The cost of living is up there too. During the winter we get alot of Canadian folks and northerners coming down to warm up. Always busy this time of year. Well, that's my piece......My family and myself love it here and I personally have no intentions of moving until I am forced too. :)

This is so awesome Lori!!! Congrats. Best wishes to you! I knew you could do it.

What part of Lori's post was not understood? She KNOWS what she did was wrong. It was a mistake of her taking the wrong medication when she was upset. Geeze.....

I got my license in May this year. I began actively looking for a nursing job first day of August. I just got my first job as a nurse and start in two weeks. I filled out so many applications and was about to give up. I have never worked in the nursing field before. I just started working 7 years ago because I was a stay at home mom. The job I am holding down and that I have had is doing data entry work. So depending on where you are, it can be VERY difficult to find a nursing job fresh out of school. Good luck!

My cousin had amniotic bands but her baby was born healthy as can be. The weirdest thing I seen on a newborn in clinicals was a polydactil baby. We were always taught to count the finger and toes and this time we counted six on each hand. I guess having more fingers is better than having a few missing.

Sue2006, I'm an LPN also. I got licensed in May this year, but just started actively looking for work first week of August. I was rejected time and time again even by LTC facilities because I don't have experience. I finally got an interview with a hospital here. Most nursing homes around here pay $19-23 per hour depending on the shift you work. I was expecting at least $15 an hour from this hospital. They said since I am a new LPN I will make $12.50 per hr.....(sucks). The only reason I have accepted this position in a hospital for this crappy pay is because I need the experience and have heard that hospital jobs are hard to come by for an LPN. I will just have to hold down my current job as a data entry clerk, working 20 hours per week to make up for the cut in pay. I make more money doing data entry than I will as a nurse. (so sad!) I'm just hoping that it will pay off in the end. The nursing position is 72 hours every two weeks. So not only am I taking a cut in pay, I'm losing 8 hours of pay every two weeks to boot. I'm just hoping I can hang in there. I don't start the nursing job until October. Good luck in your venture looking for work!

Those are some good questions and points. I spent 18 months in school for my LPN. Right before graduation they had us fill out our paper work to apply to take the boards. We were told then that they would do a background search on us. They didn't tell us that before we went to the school. So some of the students had DUI's and misdemeanor charges. The head person at the school had to then write a recommendation letter to the state regarding letting that person take boards and so on. I would make better sense to do the background checks before you entered school rather than making you spend all that tuition money and spend all those months of hell in school and then tell you. Anyway, if you don't pass you can take the test again. I believe it is 3 times. After the third time you have to take a refresher course. (I think) Hope this answered your question.

I'm guessing you are an RN? The pay they offered me as an LPN actually puts a sour taste in my mouth, but I was rejected everywhere else for a job and figured I may as well accept this position for the experience. I'll tough it out for a year and see how it goes. Good luck to you. Yes, you do make sense. I've got the same fear myself. I would like to get someone who is experienced as far as precepting goes. This way I don't start out with 5 patients two days in or the other way around, being that orientation is over and I don't have more than two patients!

Sailorwife22, I think I know what you mean by your husband not being able to handle the two kids. I never wanted to put responsibility on my other half as far as the kids went. I wanted to go to nursing school to further myself. So I looked as it as something I wanted for me and didn't want someone else to feel obligated to pick up where I was leaving off. True, your husband did help in the creation of your children but you may be like me and know that your husband may be really tired and short fused at the end of the day and not able to look after kids like they should be. Most every state offers childcare assistance depending on the amount of money you bring in monthly. I know from experience with a hubby in the Navy funds aren't that significant. Check with your local food stamp office. Most of the time those services are offered there. I say go after what you want....good luck!

Chiefy, where you are working sounds exactly like the floor I have been hired to work on. I don't start until Oct 9th. I have been very nervous about starting as I am a brand new nurse myself. This post actually gave me a bit of relief! Thanks for posting what was on my mind as well! I hope everything goes well for you.

My suggestion is for management to have an open door policy. I have heard many many stories about nurses being rude to one another. Maybe if Management had an open door policy regarding co-worker bullying and took some kind of action against it companies could retain employees. I know I for one will not work somewhere where I feel uncomfortable. I have friends that have quit there nursing jobs because they witnessed bullying. Also maybe the company buying lunch once a month is nice too. I am on a recognition committee at my current job. Once a month we hold a luncheon for everyone where the company pays for the meal and each one has a theme to it to make it fun. Prizes are awarded and those who have years in get recognized and a token of appreciation is awarded as well.

I am soooo freaking out reading this post! I am a new nurse (LPN) and I start my new job in a few weeks. I was told I get 4 weeks of orientation. I asked if I would be granted more time if I needed it, but was told that they have only had to extend orientation 3 other times in the last several years. I kind of got the feeling that they really didn't want to extend orientation either. I'm scared I'm going to be eaten alive at my first nursing job. This is just so harsh....are hospitals really like this? What a nightmare!

I second what RNLisa stated. I got the same exact question during my interview this week. "Give me an example of how you handled a conflict with a coworker." Then to follow up that question, "what did you learn from the experience?" "what do you like most about nursing?" "What do you like least about nursing?" Try not to go to far into detail. The less you say the better is what I have learned. I just landed my very first nursing job this week and start Oct. 10th. Remember to relax and try not to sound nervous. I wish you luck during your interview!

I dropped out of school when I was pregnant with my daughter. I always felt like I would never amount to anything and was even told by several people I would always be at home with my kids and never have a life. I was 28 when I finally got my GED. I cried so hard when the lady called me on the phone to tell me that I passed. Then at the age of 31 I decided I wanted to follow my childhood dream and be a nurse. I went the LPN route first. I graduated Feb 2006. I have 2 daughters with me and another 2 boys and a fiance and home to care for. I did it and you can too. Where you have a will, you will find a way to make your life complete and happy. Please follow your dreams and don't let anyone get in your way. You won't be taking away from your daughter. If anything, you will be giving her so much more. It's really something to think about. Go for it!

Our class pitched in about 5 bucks each and we got the instructor 2 tickets to the Bodies exibit.