MentalRn

I agree that people can be cruel in our field. I do not understand why some think there must be a pecking order of such. I was a CNA and then went on and got my LPN in which I practiced for many years prior to getting my RN. It did and still does upset me when I tell someone I am a nurse and then they reply which LPN or RN. I am the same nurse I was back then. Within RNs they argue over wether you are an ADN or BSN, seriously who cares. MY 20 year old daughter is in A BSN school now and while I love her and am glad she is going through the program it is scary to think that in 2 short years she will be let loose. No offense toward my child, its just that these days a BSN is everything regardless of your experience. I value experience and we should teach the new nurses coming up in our field to respect those with experience regardless of our titles. One of the best charge nurses I ever worked for was an LPN/EMT and I learned a great deal from her. You are right in that one should just consider the source and let it roll off.

I have worked on contract in Anchorage Alaska. I have worked at the Native hospital, Providence medical center and I did a contract on Ft. Rich military base. I had very good experiences. I would not however work in any of the remote areas. Stick to Anchorage, Fairbanks, Junea, Sitka, Homer, Seward. Stay out of the villages, outsiders are not always welcome. All of my family also live in Alaska, so I often choose an assignment up there. Take care and I hope this helps.

I think this argument is one that could be heard in many ERs across the nation. If you treat all people that come through the door the same you will never miss something you should have recognized. :)

You need to check with the Department of Corrections up there they frequently hire LPNs thoughout the state of Alaska including the fairbanks area and they pay quite well. Go online and search on the Alaska job bank and you will see several listings. You will not see as many long term care centers in Alaska like you do in the lower 48. There is also a new detox center in Fairbanks that may be hiring as well. Take care and good luck. Alaska is a fun place to live and work. :)

you go girl! It never mattered to me if my superior was RN or LPN. The one with the most experience takes the cake.

I started out in LTC and have no regrets. In fact I chose it over a hospital position when first out of school. I loved my time spent in LTC. I now work in med/surg tele. I do not feel that I was lacking in skills when I left LTC. I spent 8 years there. You will learn great assessment skills, as you will see end stage disease at its finest. You will learn to do ten things at the same time. For me going to med/surg was a break of sorts, now I have 5-7 patients with very similar needs. You will see wound vacs, IV's, central lines, peg tubes, ng tubes, caths both suprapubic and foley, trachs, and the list goes on and of course the nurse in LTC draws there own labs even if you happen to have 12 of your 30 patients due for labs that morning. As you can see a nurse in a skilled nursing LTC stays plenty busy. I might even add that for some new graduates it is way to overwelming. So please don't for a minute think it is less of an experience. If you can keep up, it will be very rewarding and time well spent.

Pack warm clothing. Also bring any kinds of foods you may want that are dried or canned. Be prepared for detox patients like you have never seen before. I am currently in Alaska and it is an awesome experience, just be prepared for the change.

Don't stress the LTC experience. You will learn plenty. I started my nursing career in LTC and I do not regret it. I worked for several years in LTC before going into med/surg. I did not feel lacking in my skills as a nurse.My transition to acute care went smooth. LTC nurses every day utilize many skills and they do this with a huge patient load. There are also some LTC travel contracts out there if you desire to travel in this field later. Hang in there, I remember thinking the same thing.

Well I for one think it is a good idea. Experienced LPNs should be able to petition the board. Some of the smartest well trained nurses are LPNs. Some of the dumbest, with zero clinical skills have been the BSN grads. I would rather work with nurses with good clinical skills any day.

I just say "nurse". I have worked as a CNA, LPN and Rn and we all do nursing, taking care of the sick.

Do you ever wonder why some people are drawn into the field of psychiatrics? I myself have only been in psych for about 7 months, previoulsy worked in med/surg, and ED. I thought it would make my career a little more well rounded and of course it pays nicely as it was a hard to fill position. Anyways, I wonder at times about some of the folks that I work with, one in particular, whom is highly educated, is always attempting or guessing what she thinks this person or that person dx will be, and 9 outa 10 she's ussally right. This lady is just a nurse like myself, but with a MSN, lately she comes to work saying well her one son she thinks has such and such disorder and her other son she thinks may have something else. Keep in mind these kids of hers are young like 8 and 10 years old. To me its like she looks and looks until she can find something wrong with people and well now they all must be medicated. The more I am around her I think she might be the one with the mental illness, as well as some others I work with. At times it seems hard to determine between my coworkers and the patients sad to say. I am not downing anyone with a mental illness, I just wonder what it is that draws folks to this field. When my contract is up I will go back to med/surg, and yes I will have learned plenty, just not quite what I was expecting. Everybody wants to be medicated these days, including the health care workers. I am sick of seeing the abuse of Adderall being used with are youth, and all the dx the psych docs label these youngsters with, these are dx they are often labeled with for life. Sad just very sad........................

I agree with the above post. I always have mixed the haldol w/the ativan, and given the benadryl by itself. When I'm not sure about mixing something I always call the pharmacy.

I worked full time as an LPN while in RN school. I worked night shifts. Many places manily LTC offer weekend baylor plans where you can work 2 shift doubles back to back on Sat and Sun and get paid 40 hours with benefits, this would free up your whole week and give great working experience. You just wouldn't have a life until after nursing school.

Try and not be so hard on yourself. We do all make mistakes. You certainly are not a bad nurse because of this. Your charge nurse and preceptor were GREEN at one time too, they just forget to mention it, they were not born with their nursing knowledge, this came after years of experience. Always remember how you felt this first year of nursing and that will make you a GREAT preceptor and charge nurse some day. Hang in there!

I think your honesty is refreshing. As a charge nurse I trust nurses like yourself because I know you will come to me when you have made a mistake, and we all make them. Lord knows I have made my fair share!

I was a CNA for several years, then a med assist CNA, then an LPN, and now RN of several years. It certainly has helped me a great deal, but most importantly I understand what it is like to fill the shoes of each of these proffessions, and they have my respect.

I have filled in as a CNA/PCT several times when they can't find someone to do the job, and I don't mind. It pays the same.

I think that #1 you should not be so hard on yourself. #2 you do not need more study, you need help with a possible anxiety disorder. Many people have a hard time in this area. I would seek the advice of a medical doctor and let him or her know what you have been through. I have a friend whom also failed 3 times and he sought out help before taking and passing the boards on the 4th try. Good Luck! You can do this you just need some TLC.

I am needing to leave a two year contract with the hospital I am currently with due to my husbands job relocating us. My problem is that I had accepted a sign on bonus to work at this hospital. I have only been here 8 months. Does anyone out there have any experiences with breaking a contract and how to go about this. I am aware that I will need to pay back a portion of the sign on bonus, but I am hoping not all at once. Please give advice. Thanks all.

I agree! There are several nurses that have left the floor. Sure we get paid well at times, but it is so hard to schedule in time for family and life in general. Where I work you need to think ahead a good 2 months in advance in order to get even a couple of days off, so they can put it into the schedule. We also have mandatory OT, so there are very few choices. I can see why so many people leave floor nursing.

Take heart! It will become easier for you. It isn't that the job is easy its just that you will become more familiar with being a nurse. I did the same thing as you. I worked for 8 years as a CNA before becoming an LPN and I remained in the same facility. Now I am an RN and I did work for 2 more years as an RN for this same facility that I once worked as CNA and LPN before moving on to acute care. It is very difficult to transition from CNA to nurse, the responsiblity you now have is overwelming at times. You will gain so much if you just stick with it. The knowledge I gained from my years in LTC have been so valuable to my becoming a good rounded nurse. You will do and see so much during your time as a nurse in LTC and this will prepare you for anything you may wish to do in the future.

Congratulations on passing the boards! It is good to remember that it is the person and not the initials behind there name that make the nurse. Whether you be RN or LPN. I started out as a CNA then LPN and now RN, and I do think this has given me a much better perspective of what each person does and how we should all work together. The majority of my nurse mentors have been LPNs. Keep your head up and be proud of your accomplishment.

I agree that is hard to find reliable help these days. The younger generation wants the weekends and holidays off so us older nurses end up covering those shifts most of the time. I have been at my place of work for quite some time and I still do not have the privlidge of taking weekends and holidays off. I have worked every weekend straight since July of last year with all the holidays, and yes i too have children and am becoming very tired of this. As soon as I think I am going to get a weekend off, someone calls in SICK. I have teenagers and they have part time jobs, I have been teaching them the importance of showing up to work on time and not using the I'm sick excuse for not showing up to work, I want them to understand that people are depending on them. My boss has compensated me well for my time and is a wonderful person. When some of those younger nurses are complaining about their small paychecks, I remaind them that it could be a lot larger if you would actually work more.

It is very expensive up here in Alaska! I am here working on contract and then will return to my home state of Idaho. It is not worth it to come up here for 25 - 30 hour job and then try to live of that income alone. to some this seems like good pay, but housing here is costly and groceries are also not cheap. You are much better of with a travel agency who will cover your expenses and pay you a better rate. Lots to consider when coming up here.

You most certainly will have lots of job opportunities! Providence Hospital's web site has a lot of information for new nurses, programs etc. Also North Star Behavioral hospital in Anchorage is always needing nurses, they also have a nice web page you can view. Always keep in mind that while an add may say that they PREFER you to have 1 year experience, many places will still consider new grads, in fact most do. Alaska is a great place to work. I am currently on contract up here and will be returning to my home state of Idaho soon. Good luck with the job hunting, and be sure and not sell yourselves short, inquire about those sign on bonuses because they are out there.