NE_WI

Hello, I'm a new LPN and I need some advice. I accepted my first nursing position in LTC and now 6 weeks later I have been dismissed. I was told that I wasn't "catching on fast enough and they doubted if I ever would". I don't feel that six weeks is much of a training period for a new LPN grad, especially when I was to be assigned to NOC shift on my own, in a 68 bed facility(with no separate nurse for the dementia/Alzheimer's patients). There are also other circumstances that went along with this basic premise. I believe I may have made a serious error in choosing LTC as a first assignment (the load is tremendous, the pace is not conducive to learning-God knows the other nurses don't have the time, and the facility's "training" pretty much consisted of other nurses having me help them get their work done). Lest any of you get the impression that I am a pampered prima donna expecting an air-cushioned ride through my nursing career I want to let you all know that I am 50 years old, have been employed all of my life and have never been fired from any job I have ever had until last week. I would very much appreciate being able to converse privately with someone with experience in the nursing profession who may be able to help me back on course. Needless to say, I was demoralized by this person's comments on my potential abilities, but after having spent the weekend in retrospect my only desire is to continue better than I began. Thanks to all who may have time to respond.

This is for you ladies who are having the time of your lives in the community college nursing program down there in Green Bay. :-( It's exactly the same story up north here at Nicolet community college in Rhinelander. I was on their waiting list for almost two years, during which time I completed A & P, Chemistry, etc. I have been placed on the Dean's List there in two out of three semesters. Like all of you, I have been the epitome of enthusiasm, diligence, and self-sacrifice in pursuing my degree. Upon entering third semester, it was immediately evident that we were dealing with a different breed of instructor. The semester began with 26 students, including 6 returning LPNs working for their RN degree. Within six weeks the class size was down to NINE STUDENTS and ALL of the returning LPNs were gone, too. (one of whom had 6-7 years experience!) Even though I made all of those cuts, here's what happened to me.....82 year old mom in Colorado having lumbar fusion. Asked for, and received, approval to return to school one week late to assist in her care and adjustment at home following surgery. The only thing I missed was IV start. I failed the competency the first time around because I contaminated the end of the tubing, EVEN THOUGH I SAID IN A REAL SITUATION I WOULD HAVE RETRIEVED NEW, STERILE TUBING IN ORDER TO PROCEED. (This is the way we were instructed to conduct ourselves during 1st and 2nd semester due to non-availability of new/shortness of used supplies) Well, I was given a week in which to study, practice, and re-test. Upon embarking on the second skill test, the instructor (same one who whittled the incoming class of 26 down to 9) informed me that if I HAD to talk the thing through I needed to hurry it up because she had a class to teach at 8:30. (Like I didn't know, I was IN the class) At that point I SHOULD haveput everything down and insisted on a different appointment time, I didn't. I SHOULD have gone to a different instructor, I didn't. Sooo, here I am, out of third semester. Took my LPN exam in Madison, passed on 85 questions, the minimum. Am I stupid? No. Am I a moron incapable of learning? No. Am I naive? YES. Have I learned some hard lessons about nursing programs and human nature? YES. Will all of this stop me from gaining my RN degree? NO!!! Will I be reapplying to this (supposed) institution of higher learning? Not if I can help it, but there may be no choice due to logistics. It is the only institution within commuting distance (an hour drive each way). Ladies, we did the same things you all did. Got together, studied harder, persevered more diligently. After being dismissed we began to wonder whether or not the Dean was interested in, or concerned about, the attrition rate within his nursing program. He was not. When we spoke with him, after receiving no satisfaction through the chain of command (3 of us, one still IN the program at that time), the only questions he had for us was how many classes we had failed, had trouble in, what our cummulative GPAs were, etc. In retrospect, I should have expected nothing more. I believe, truly, at this point in time that this program at this college has a hidden agenda for third semester nursing students. (1) Third semester students numbers are down-sized as much as possible to make it easier for the clinical instructor and (2) I believe that there is a push to crank out LPNs for use in nursing homes. If I am wrong in these things, I ask to be forgiven, I just can't think of any other reason(s) why this would be allowed to go on with impunity. ESPECIALLY when it ONLY involves ONE INSTRUCTOR. I also want to apoligize for all the yelling, even at this late date, I am still angry at not being able to effect a change, for myself and for those who will follow me. I thank you for sharing your thoughts here and hope mine have not proven to be too long-winded. Your messages hit a familiar note with me and once I got going I couldn't stop.