kranken_schwester

To the original poster: 22 is an adult. Nursing is difficult, but you're not a kid anymore!

I'll be at the Faxton St Luke's location in Utica. It's a bit of a drive for me, but my husband is from upstate NY so it's a trip I've made many times before. :)

Hi everyone, I know that anyone who is waiting to apply for/get their date for the CPNE is probably nervous enough as it is, but I wanted to add this little note. I became eligible for the CPNE in early May, and of course all those references to the long wait times (five to nine months, etc) had me thinking I would be testing sometime in the winter. My application docs were accepted on May 29, at which point I was lazily looking at the CPNE study guide here and there but focusing more on A&P since it was my only other requirement to complete. I didn't think I would even get my date for several more months, so I figured I'd focus on the CPNE later. Well, on July 11, about five *weeks* after applying, I got my date: September 5th, just about six weeks away and only three months from the time my application went through! I tell you this just so you won't do what I did and be laissez-faire about the CPNE since it's "five to nine months away". Of course, now I am kicking into high gear and A&P is going on the backburner. I work better under pressure anyway and will be glad to get this thing over with...but based on what Excelsior kept repeating at every turn, I thought I would have a lot more time to prepare! As a side note, I live in the Northeast, so I applied to the NPAC which I understand is speedier than the other RPACs. Good luck to everyone!

The class I took for my LPN was technically "Intro to A&P", so it didn't count.

I've heard that dehydration induces a kind of euphoria in dying patients and that it can be preferable to administering fluids.

If you have the narcotic keys, you're not supposed to leave the facility because you could theoretically be out making copies of the keys.

I called the MA BON today and they said the same thing...they currently accept Excelsior grads and have no plans to stop doing so. It would just be nice to have something in print...but I guess this will have to do for now.

I have been trying to find material online about the Massachusetts' BON and its attitude towards Excelsior. As far as I know MA is currently accepting Excelsior grads and has no plans to stop doing so, but I'd like to see something in print. Does anyone have any info about this?

My facility handles it with pay cuts, since the low census is becoming a chronic condition.

All nurses need to be able to assess their patients so they can provide the proper care--that's the bulk of what nursing is. LPNs absolutely assess their patients and give PRN medications.

First job as a new grad LPN: $23.50 during the week, $25 on weekends.

I have had my nipples pierced for about six years, as well as several other piercings, tattoos, and body mods. With a little common sense and hygiene, infections like this are not only preventable, but extremely rare. Please don't demonize an entire cultural practice that you don't like or understand because of one hysterical article.

I'd also recommend making sure you're placing the stethoscope at the right point on the patient's arm. Palpate first to feel the pulse, then place the stethoscope at that spot and hold it firmly in place. Also don't be afraid to ask the patient to hold still; the sounds of movements and rustling can really interfere with your ability to hear the beats.

Was it for an LPN program or a medical assisting program? They aren't the same thing. Usually, those TV ads are for MA programs...I've never seen one for a nursing program.

That's not really a fair statement. Some nurses never work night shift; some do and love it. If someone doesn't want to work night shift, that doesn't mean he or she shouldn't become a nurse...there's room enough for everyone.