Yannie021

thank you all so much for your input... i have, however, decided on ultrasound. it interests me more, i like the technical aspect of the work. as far as pay/opprotunities, from what i understand...ultrasound actually pays a bit more than nursing but isnt quite as demanded, yet positions are available. i am by no means, in either profession...my info only comes from statistical data and my countless hours of internet research. geographically speaking, southern california is supposed to pay more in ultrasound than in nursing... (please note the black wording there) either way, great pay or not...ultrasound is what i have decided on. thank youguys!!! ~~janel~~

Hi I am in southern california in san bernardino county (but moving to LA county after school) and am wondering what the average starting salary is for LVN?? In hospital setting, extended care, rehabilitation and nursing homes...basically all facilities, lol Please, any info would be GREAT, even on other areas in so cal... Janel PS What about RN? Those salaries would be helpful also...

Thanks for the info. Im in San Bernardino county now (Upland) but plan to move back to my hometown in LA county (San Dimas)... And thanks for the info on L&D/RN...that is what I had figured. How is the outlook for LVN in nursing home/rehab type of facilities? My mom had a brain anuerysm about 7 years ago and the nurse her worked to help rehabilitate her were awesome, thats also of iterest to me...It was physical therapy (which I know is diff) but she was in the hospital (USC) so she was also cared for by staff nurses too...just curious. thank you

hi all...i think i have decided to set my sighs on lvn/lpn instead of rn for now. i am starting as a cna (classes begin in september) and i will also be taking my pre-reqs for lvn at the same time, working as a cna and finishing my pre-reqs. i have 2 questions for california nurses 1) what5 is the starting salary for a licensed lvn in a hospital setting in so. cal? 2) what is the general scope of practice for lvn's here (hospital setting)? my 'dream' is l&d and i've been told numerous times to just 'go for the rn if you wanna do l&d' but i want to take it one step at a time...cna-lvn-rn. i am wondering if lvns can even work on that floor (i've heard no) and if so what duties are they limited to in comparision to a rn? thank you! any replies are greatly appreciated!! as much info as possible please...youguys are my only resource...

Thank you. I'm in Southern California... I was thinking of the RN also. I've got a few months to consider but wanted to make sure everything was in order... Thanks :) But if anyone has any more info/advice please....let me know

really? wow I thought there was a set standard of care for each designation. I was told RN's are allowed this-this-this scope of practice where LVN's are limited to this-this...know what I mean?

Hi I will be starting my pre-req's for nursing in October...I am not sure, however, which Nursing path to follow as registration for the major will be in spring. My dream is to work in labor and delivery/postpartum/well-baby nursery...one of those, most desirable being L&D. My question is: Are LVN's able to work L&D and if so, to what extent? I know RN's are and are able to perform all functions and duties but I heard LVN's are limited in what they can do. I've have also heard LVN's arent even allowed to work that floor, period. Is this true and if so, how much? I want to be able to work close with laboring moms and with new babies. Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated...Thank You!! Janel:balloons:

i'm not worried about the stress...my mom is...lol i think i'd do just fine either way to be honest...but yes...i was hoping as a rn to eventually land on l&d and if i did ultrasound i wanted to do general which i believe includes ob/gyn as opposed to echocardiography...i am a big, big fan of pregnancy, labor and delivery...

right, and that is what i assumed. i highly doubted it would be 'easy' or 'low-key'...lol i guess mainly...i hardly hear of ultrasound techs, you know? perhaps i am listening to the wrong information...it has been made very clear the nursing is in demand as there is a nursing shortage, however is ultrasound just as demanded?

hi, i am in a last minute funk, so to speak...i am scheduled to start school at a local community college to begin studies for my adn. i have always had a great interest in nursing but lately have started to dig into the idea of diagnostic ultrasound, looking up everything i could and finding that this too, is of great interest to me. my mom seems to think ultrasound would be a better fit for me, as i am generally quiet and shy. she seems to think ultrasound isnt as 'fast paced' as nursing and that it may be more 'calm' hence suiting my sometimes bashful behavior. she is not a nurse, or anything in the medical field so her ideas are simply opinion and assumption. but her words have caused me to second guess myself and my abilities (not nice on her part, in my opinion) anyway, my questions are now, if anyone knows... 1) what is the job outlook for ultrasound vs. nursing? are techs just as needed as rn? 2) is the nature of ultrasound really more 'calm' than rn? to an extent of noticable difference? i guess i want to make the best decision for me. i am 21 years old and have a 17 month old daughter so i am trying to pick what will benefit the both of us. from what i have looked up, both careers are supposed to pay roughly the same (?) and the associate degree is suitable for both also (?)...i guess i am mainly wondering if the job outlook for ultrasound is as promising as nursing and if the nature of the job is as fast paced as i assume nursing to be... i figure most of you work near/with ultrasound so perhaps may have an idea of the details pertaining to that particular job. any advice would be great, thank you so much! janel

I had an epidural with my daughter. I was 19 and in labor for 36 hours, finally pushing for 2 hours and ended up with a cesarean and a 9 pound baby... Yeah, I'd say go for it as long as you are informed about the risk involved. I wouldnt ever go without one should I have another baby. right before they had me push they turned off the epidural and by time they ran us in for the cesarean it had worn off completely, so for about 15 minutes I was in excrutiating pain. That tiny bit I felt was enough to have me order the dang thing the minute I see 2 pink lines again!

i just heard that nurses arent allowed to have 'nails' anymore when working with patients...i guess this includes acrylic nails and just nails that are longer than the tip of your finger. also, no nail polish unless it is clear or neutral colored. is this true? i am in california... ~~confused~~

hi everyone and thanks for your help/advice. here in california most of the community colleges offer rn programs without having to take general ed first. although some require certain math/science classes most actually will enroll you with an orientation required and they are on a first come-first serve basis. some ask you take a certain entrance type of exam and if you pass, it sort of overrides the need for other general ed courses. as for tuition, no it isnt free. i qualify for financial aid and loans and i suppose i qualify for more $ or extra terms because of my daughter but overall, it is not free 100%. thank you for answering my questions, especially on what degree i could sit for my registration with, as i wasnt sure and heard on several different websites that you had to have a bachelors now to even qualify for a rn position. i was shocked because i always thought rn started with an associates. i am not sure on one thing though: for those who have done either, would it be more practical to start off as a cna and work and then go to school part-time and take the extra year or two of schooling or just suck it up and go striaght through for the rn? i guess it all depends on my situation... also, for those who are single parents and worked and went to school...please tell me how you did it because it seems i've weighed every option and it doesnt seem realistic. i cant not work (although my mom thinks i can just live off student loans for 2 years ? i dont know if youre allowed to do that) but it seems going to school part-time would put me in there for 3-4 years! when it should only take 2...or just going to school full-time and being sort of broke for a while but know that it will all pay off shortly? go to school part-time and work part-time? where does my daughter go during the night if i have to work? (currently she goes to kindercare in the day while i work) but at night i've got nobody to watch her.... please tell me how you did it. i dont have help from family, financially or otherwise. my mom; but she suffered a brain anuerysm a few years ago so her help is limited to supervised play-time and short alone visits...i'm worried about her ability to care for her during the night (not hearing her, dropping her or hurting herself!) also, she's gone through so much and i dont think this is something she should take on. my mom works and drives and functions rather normal (she had to have her anuerysm coiled off and then required brain surgery to place a shunt, so we almost lost her twice as she suffered the worrisome vasal spasm after the initial surgery) but my moms memory isnt so well, her balance isnt too good and her sense of rational thinking seems to have deteriorated. thats pretty much the only person who could help but to a certain extent, so other than her ocassional babysitting moments, i'm alone. please feel free to e-mail me *****or im me on yahoo: yannie018 *****or on msn...my screen name is janel but i'm sure if you need an e-mail also? try *****i believe the hotmail one is the correct one actually. again, thank you so much!!!! ~~janel~~ please note email address shouldn't be in body of thext.

hi everyone..i am new on this site and have never posted before. i am 20 years old and wanting to begin my nursing career. it's something i've always wanted to do, that and ultrasound (i've been torn recently) i was informed once at the er (daughter had pneumonia) that i could go for my rn and then get a certificate in ultrasound to make myself more marketable and also expect higher pay. however, that certificate in ultrasound is the least of my worries because i dont even know where to start!!!! i have no idea what kind of school to go to (jc, university, trade school) i have no clue how long it takes (2-3 years for the associates ? 3-4 for bachelors) i dont know if you have to have an associates or bachelors to sit for the registration to become a rn... i'm a single mother and my daughter is 15 months old. already, i know it will be difficult for me but i want to provide the best life i can for her. nusing is something i feel is within me, it's a part of who i am to help and take of people and to have a job that i love and pays well would make me ecstatic and in turn, help me be the best possible mother i can be. right now i am working full-time as a recpetionist, abosultely nothing to do with healthcare. although i dont necessarily mind my job, i know it is not what i want and nursing continues to tug at me. i have no friends or famiy in this field and am stuck on where to start. i am so young and want to begin my journey now, why not? i feel that currently all i'm doing is wasting my time sitting in neutral. i live in southern california and because of my job and status (single mom) i dont really think there is a logical way for me to expect to go to school full-time and continue to work full-time. i cannot afford to work-part time and live on my own, it wont happen. i am considering moving out of state to go to school and return when i am done as i am a cali girl and love it here. i think that perhaps moving may give me a better chance (financially) to go to school and still provide a life for myself and my daughter as i dont have much help in the financial department. i'm most worried about how that will work out. if anyone can give me any advice or help guide me, i would really appreciate that. my e-mail is ***** thank you all so much!! janel:d please note email address shouldn't be in main body of post.