DizzyLizard

Over time I have become severely allergic latex but have still been able to work as an LPN. Most of my assignments are in latex free facilities or facilities that are 99% latex free. Co-workers have always been respectful of the allergy and do their best to keep it away from me. I keep my Epi and benedryl on me just in case and I also wear long sleeve scrub jackets as an added precaution. It's outside of work that I have the biggest fear. It can be done....she just needs to be careful. Good luck!

No advice being given...just my situation. I have had migraines for years but over the last year or so it was out of control. After a full work up there isn't a known cause. It was so bad it got to the point I was popping relpax every other day and in the ER at least one every couple of weeks because of the pain related syncope. If I got a migraine at work I was done for the day. I tried a few different prophlactic meds before I discovered Verapamil. I just need to watch my blood pressure (don't need it to drop too low). I've actually been migraine free 3 mos now. See your doctor about the migraines. He/She can be a great help and resource. Wishing you the best!

I took out state insurance so I could go back to rn school. I've noticed a huge diff in the quality of care I receive. I work part time(no bene) and go to school full time. People seem to think that those of us using state insurance are poor and dumb. It drives me crazy. There are alot of intelligent people who may have been laid off or aren't offered insurance through their employer. For me, state insurance co-pays are 3x cheaper than private insurance. So why not keep the best deal?

I know Colorado State University Pueblo has a Paramedic to RN (BSN) bridge....that's what most medics do here because it's quicker. I don't know if they do anything on line though.

In our area you can sit for the CNA test after you've completed your RN fundamentals class (basics of nursing). Our CNA courses are usually 3 days a week for 4 weeks. Your school should be able to help you. Good luck!

In my area the hosp req EMT-B. You also need a PEPP class, BLS and Phlebotomy. The more training you have the better off you are. Hosp in other towns want EMT-B or CNA but will usually take the EMT over the CNA

In our state CNAs can't d/c foleys or IVs. I worked as a CNA for 3 years in a med surg long term acute care. My night wld start with baths, foley and or peri care and bed changes that still needed to be done. However, per our protocol no baths after 10pm unless pt requested. I'd get vital signs, turn pts per the specified order, help patients to the bathroom, daily wghts in the morning with am vitals at 5, charting, if patients have tele boxes I usually change batteries and tele pads if needed, stocking rooms with gloves, rapid finger sticks, help who ever needs it, I & Os, etc. Just the basic CNA stuff. My floor was always hopping and it took a little bit of time to adjust because I was new at it but it can be done. Good Luck to you!

If I had a dtr, No way! But, what about her getting her CNA and working in a hosp enviro to get her feet wet so to speak to help her decide if it's really what she wants to do?

Thanks for the info! I'm not sure what part of Valdosta or Savannah I'd move to. I'm weighing a lot of options right now, including moving to Florida and not Georgia (family). I'm looking at legal nursing or something with the ME ofc if I get into forensics. I'd be happy working in a busy ER or some aspect of emergency nursing. Thanks again!:)

When I worked as an EMT years agoI was exposed to an HIV + pt and fortunately nothing has come of it (I was cut and bleeding while fighting with the combative guy) I was told the chances are low but I still get tested once a year just to make sure. I don't want to take chances!

Okay, couldn't resist. I was working as a CNA and was in a semi-private room emptying trash cans when I heard the conversation. "a" bed was talking to her family about her near death experience and phrased it as "knocking on deaths door" The confused lil lady in "b" bed blurted out, as long as death doesn't answer it's all good and your still here! :rotfl:

I'm curious about what the job market is like in Georgia? I'm seriously looking at moving to Valdosta or Savannah when I've completed my BSN. My areas of interest are emergency medicine and forensics. Any info would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

Canoehead - we live in the rocky mountain region on the eastern plains. Yeah, roads weren't plowed. It was ugly. The entire state was declared a disaster area but it still took a while. First, the snowplows kept breaking down so what few there were, weren't enough for mother nature. The other huge problem was that people were abandoning their vehicles in the middle of the road (interstate, hwy, and otherwise). The ems units had to dig through the snow, find the cars, and remove them from the road before plowing. Once the plows got through they didn't know where to put all the snow and had to wait for front end loaders to transport it elsewhere. The other problem was the dispute of who's responsibility it was to plow. County, city, or private (homeowner assoc). I say who cares! Plow the roads so we can get on with our lives!

I live in a snow area and am usually able to make it in to work but I refuse to sacrafice my well being and safety for my job. It's not worth it. I also won't ask someone to sacrifice their well being just to get me to work. We have had an unusually bad winter and I've already called off 5 times since December. In the span of about 4 weeks we got approx 7 ft of snow. County roads are at the end of the list to be plowed so it took 2 -3 weeks for anything to start happening. With the high winds, bitter cold temps and snow we were buried for 2-3 weeks before we got any help. There was no contact with the outside world. My family was much more important at that time because we were literally having to figure out how to survive. I made it clear to my manager where I stand on the issue and she's been ok with it and knows I'll be there if I can.

I haven't experienced burnout as a LPN (I just started) but I did experience it when I worked as an EMT. Over the course of two weeks or so we had a lot of "bad" calls" that left me shaken. One call in particular haunted me. Every time I closed my eyes I relived the situation, I didn't eat, I didn't sleep, I was anxious, I started calling off, I stopped leaving the house, etc. After 4 weeks of misery I started working with a CISD counselor (critical incident stress debriefing) for about 6 weeks and took some time off of work to re-group. I made a lot of changes in my life and learned how to effectively manage my stress and the crazy world of EMS. I was skeptical but counseling was the best thing that came out of the situation. I'll keep you my thoughts and prayers. Good luck! :paw:

Where I used to work all CNAs and RNs had to wear the trackers. It has pro's and cons. The system where I was at was to record and log who was where and for how long, how long it took to answer call lights and who answered it. It also recorded how many trips to the bathroom one made, how many times you went to the breakroom and for how long. There was absolutely no privacy what so ever. I couldn't even take a break in peace unless I left the floor because I would be constantly interupted...and I was a CNA at that time! The trackers we had were supposed to have a staff emerg button on it.....never worked. It only quietly alarmed at the computer so if you weren't at the RN station you didn't know someone was in trouble. Instead of tending to the pt themselves they would look on the computer to see what room I was in and then interrupt me to say so and so needed something. I didn't like it personally. It's no ones business how many times I go to the bathroom in a shift or how often I walk into the breakroom or leave the floor. A lot of us had to go to the breakroom to scrounge for cups, straws, etc. b/c we were never stocked and we constantly had to leave the floor for other supplies because again, we are never stocked. I just didn't like it.....

When I started out as a CNA I thought I was always the slow one. Other shifts constantly complained about me and I was frequently in the DONs office for one thing or another. I too made sure the residents were always clean and dry and hair was looking nice, glasses were cleaned, earrings on, clothes matched etc. I finally lost my cool one day about the whining and had a long discussion with the DON. Long story short, I asked the DON if I could follow one of the two aides to see how and why they do things so quickly and efficiently. All I can say is wow, how did they get away with what they were doing for so long. The aides were severely reprimanded and eventually left. So, you may not be "slow" after all. Don't take shortcuts, keep doing what your doing. Speed will come in time. Once you find your rhythm it'll be much easier.

I had both CNA and EMT before I started nursing school. The CNA was more valuable because it gave me experience with bed baths, ambulating, feeding, foley care, etc. etc. All skills you need as a LPN / nurse. As an EMT I did none of that. The EMT part of my job did allow me to fine tune my assessment skills and taught me how to talk to patients and difuse hot situations. Good luck! They are both valuable. I would say no on the phlebetomy. When I got my IV cert we learned about the basic phlebetomy stuff.

I don't have dm but have reactive hypoglcyemia. I've worked the night shift for about 5 years. Ive always talked to my manager about my situation and they have been supportive and understanding. There was alot of trial and error in the beginning to find out what worked to keep me balanced. It took about 2 mos work with my docs and dietician. Now, When I work I set the alarm on my watch to remind me its time to eat and I make sure I drink plenty of water. My co-workers are generally supportive and helpful about the situation. For me it's doable. It can be tough at times, but I manage. I wish you the best. Good luck!

To answer Freedom42s question, yes vicks vapo rub can be used to mask odors. Some people have other things they use like peppermint oil. When I worked as an EMT I always had it in my pocket and used it at least once a night for the first year or so. I've worked in healthcare so long odors don't really bother me anymore....except GI bleeds. That, I'll never get over! Find a system that works and you'll be fine!

:smackingfAlmost forgot, you can also look at agency work. They are always looking and it would allow you to scout out what's avail and of interest.

COS is mixed with work. There are two primary hospitals in town with both of them opening up new hospitals in the near future. Memorial Hospital was trying to phase out LPNs but I don't know if that actually went through. I believe some of their outpt centers use LPNS. I don't know about Penrose hospital. Who knows what the new hospital will involve with employement. There is a LTAC hospital that employees LPNs. Lets see, there's a rehab hospital that also utilizes LPNs. Of course, a good majority of SNFs employee LPNs as well as doc ofcs. Depending on where you live in the Springs the commute to a town south of COS called Pueblo is maybe 40 min. or so. I'm sorry but I don't know what employement opportunities are avail there. North of COS is Denver. The commute can be as little as 50 min. There are a couple of hospitals on the southern outskirts that employee LPNS. If you work in Denver but live in COS there is something called the FREX bus. It is a shuttle bus that takes you from COS to Denver for a small fee. I did it for years and loved it because I didn't have to drive, especially in the winter. Here are some websites that might help you with the job search. SpringsJobs.com : The Gazette lists the jobs based on the local COS paper. Find Local Jobs & Employment Listings - FlipDog Job Search, www.monster.com, Colorado Springs Area job search and jobs posting. Find a high quality employee. Find the perfect job., and Colorado Springs jobs - Colorado jobs - Denver jobs - Aurora jobs - Lakewood jobs - Fort Collins jobs - Arvada jobs - Pueblo jobs - Westminster jobs - Boulder jobs - Thornton jobs - Greeley jobs Good luck!

A trick a nurse gave me is that pure vinegar will take out the seriously matted hair tangles. It worked for my pt, BUT, make sure the patient doesn't have any respiratory issues or sensitivities b/c you'll stink up the place with its strong odor. After washing the patients hair with vinegar I thoroughly rinsed it and then washed it like one normally would. After a good brushing I didn't have to cut her hair as originally thought. :nuke:

I was in an MVA years ago and experienced both awesome and horrible care. Some nurses went out of their way to help me in any way I needed and others, well....what can I say. They would throw a fit everytime I asked for help to be re-postioned, pain meds didn't come when asked (maybe after the millioneth rqst), I needed help with cutting food (didn't happen until the food was cold & they wldn't reheat it if asked), etc. etc. Unfortunately, there is good and bad care no matter where you go. I've taken all my experiences and hope I don't let the profession jade me.....then it's time to leave the profession.

The facility I used to work at had a low UTI rate because the patients who had foleys regularly received proper foley and peri care. If the pt needs a foley, the pt should get the foley....especially if urine is going to saturate dressings or the person is at very high risk for skin breakdown.