navydad51

Go to the local Bayada office and apply in person.....Good Luck!

I start with Bayada this week. Orientation on Wed. They already have a case for me. After 15 months with an ECF (Sub-acute, long-term) I am ready for one-on-one. Went into work last week and was assigned all of the patients on sub acute with an admission. That is crazy, worked to hard for my lisence. Great to hear you have had a good experience with Bayada!

I wrote myself up for a med error last night, but now that I have had the time to think about it, I may not have been the one who made the error. A new admission (I work for a sub-acute rehab) was to receive MS Contin, 15 mg. 1 tab PO q 12 hrs. It was written correctly in the MAR, however only plotted for 10PM (should have been 10 AM and 10 PM) I work the 3-11 shift, so, the patient did receive the dose on my shift. This went on for about 3 days. During report the day nurse pointed it out to me as though it was my fault because it was my admission, however I did not fill in the MAR, someone else did who was helping me that night (we had 5 admissions, crazy night) so I wrote the med error. As I thought about it, did I make the error? Technically no, I gave my dose, it was the morning nurse that missed the AM dose and should have notified the ADON on the error. I am not looking to escape responsibility here, I should have read the whole order just as much as anyone, but in actuality I gave the PM dose. A domino affects here, the one that plotted the med, to the morning nurse not reading it, to me. I feel as though the morning nurse was trying to pass the buck to me by pointing out the mistake instead of writing herself up for the error. Oh well, I did the right thing, notified the Doc, wrote the med error report, did my job. Thanks for any feedback on this!

70+ residents plus an admit? Did I hear that right? Give yourself a break on that one, WOW! Yes, do more homework on the next job, I would not have accepted the keys to that cart that day, no way. Not your fault at all. Where was the DON and ADON? They should have grabbed a cart and helped! And I think I have it bad. What a nightmare for you.

Being a new LPN, and working in LTC on the sub-acute wing, I would appreciate it if anyone could give me some sound advice on malpractice insurance. 1-Is it necessary? 2-Can I purchase on-line? 3-How much should I get? Thanks, appreciate it.....

I agree with Jules A. I just love it when folks ask me what I do for a living. I'M A NURSE! The greatest feeling in the world.

I agree with all. As far as that old question what is more difficult LPN or RN, both are just as hard. Both require a lot of dedication and sacrafice. Being an LPN now since Nov. 3rd, and working for 3 weeks, I can tell you that the real hard part is actually being a nurse. So it really never gets easy, and you never stop learning. But it is the most rewarding thing I have ever done in my life. I have many nurses in my family. My older brother ws an LPN for 20 years, then went on to get his RN. Did it in one year. But had NO LIFE in that one year. I guess you should be asking yourself what it is you really want. When you want something bad enough you will get it. Good luck to you on whatever you decide.

Keep searching! I graduated in Spetember, passed my boards Nov. 3rd. Had the same problem "experienced LPN's only".....I found a per deum position, then one day while searching the internet found a full time position in a LTC facility 3-11 on their sub-acute unit. So, instead of just filling out an application with my resume and leaving it for the DON to read, I went to the facility and asked to speak to the DON. She was in her office, and I "sold myself" and was hired! I start Monday. So, the only advise I can give to a fellow graduate is "sell yourself" try to get an appointment so that they see and hear what the new LPN has to say about themself and not just toss the application and resume aside becuase it says "no experience" Good Luck! You will find a job!

Best of luck to you! I was a Telecommunications Manager for a large Health Care System here in South Jersey. At 51 my position was eliminated. So I decided to do what I always wanted. I graduated in September. Took my boards on Nov. 3rd and I am starting my new career December 1st! I can't wait. The pay is less than what I used to make, but money does not matter to me anymore. I am going to be happy doing what I have always wanted for the first time in my life! Study hard! And congrats on the career change!

Hello all! I just found out I passed my NCLEX-PN! I took the test Monday November 3rd. Finished in 85 questions. Took me about an hour and a half. Man, when that screen shut off I thought I failed! I really didn't think the test challenged me! A lot of SATA and prioritizing, one lousy calculation question. Man, does it feel good to pass. Still pinching myself though, I am an LPN! OK, got to get back down to earth, get out those resumes and hit it! Good Luck to all, and thank you to all that answered my threads in the past. Gary

As a matter of fact, I think that is the problem (the school) I passed my HESI and officially graduated Oct. 3rd. I called today (a bit irate) and was told by the Dean that my transcripts where sent out last Wed. Last Wed? So that could be the problem. Since today is Columbus Day and a lot of offices are closed, I am going to call customer service Tuesday at Pearson Vue and find out what is going on. Thanks for the info!

I have done all of that! I sent in my Licensure for examination to the boards, a couple of days later I registered with pearson Vue, on 10/4, I received an email from pearson vue but no ATT number. Here it is 10/13 and I am still in limbo! I don't get it. The state has had my application since Sept. 24th, I registered with pearson vue on Oct. 4th and nothing. Should I call someone? (not the state, that just gets me full mail boxes and phones that ring off the hook) Thanks again!

You already have your test date without your fingerprinting done? How did that work? I thought you had to have an ATT number before you could test? And all the background check stuff done etc etc. Let me know. Thanks

As far as jobs, I have 2 offers to start as an LPN graduate, but I am going on a few more interviews, wherever I work as a grad, I would like to stay after I get my license. As far as studying, that is all I have been doing, went through all the Saunders and Lipincotts, (been using them since day one in school) I am now on Kaplans, and I use the HESI review book. Can't let my guard down for a second, who knows how long this will take me to get my test date! I know when I took that HESI exam there where questions I didn't have a clue what the answer was, just used test taking srtategies and good guesses Ha! Thanks for the reply!

WOW! And to think I still have not received my background check or fingerprinting yet? Whoa, maybe I should look for a CNA position in the mean time. And they wonder why the shortage of nurses? Thanks for the reply, glad at least to know I am not the only one. Have a Great Day! Gary

On October 3rd I passed my HESI (school's exit exam) the first time in the 96 percentile. Two weeks prior to taking my HESI I applied for my Licensure by Examination and background check and registered with Pearson VUE. The state (according to my registered receipt) received my application on Sept. 24th. I have been trying to get in touch with the state (New Jersey) for 3 days to find out the status of my application. All I get is a voice mail box that is not taking any messages because it is full. I also sent 2 emails, and nothing. My school says they sent my transcripts, so they should have everything they need. Also, the $200.00 check I sent to the state is still not cashed! Anyone ever have or is having the same problem? Am I rushing this? Does it take this long to get the ball roling? I am anxious to take my boards while my brain cells are still intact! Any help would be appreciated. Thanks! Gary

Just saw this prayer, thank you, taking my HESI next week. Will need this!

Well, hello all my "old" nursing student friends! Ha! (Only as old as we feel heh?) in my last term. 5 weeks to go. Getting ready for that horrible exit exam (The HESSI) still hanging onto a 3.53 GPA. Don't ask me how. Just a little advise to all of you just starting out. Start those NCLEX questions now! I am glad I did when I first started. Actually saw a lot of those very same questions on a few tests. Easier now to study. Doing the Kaplan's Qbank, has been helping a lot. And Saunders helped with the classes. Good Luck to you all! OK, back to the books. The "Old Man"

The difference between Private Schools and Vocational Schools are huge in price!

Agreed KSilty! We hade students in our class hanging on with 2.5 GPA's and now they are gone. While others where given "breaks" (for missing clinicals etc.) but their GPA's are much higher. But those with the 2.5 GPA's? Where great in the clinical setting, fantastic at the bedside and their test scores did not match their knowledge as far as I am concerned. I find that kind of ironic though. Is it not the NLN that puts the pressure on these schools to get that 100% pass rate?

I am really sorry you did not pass the NCLEX (in other words, you did not fail, you just did not pass a test) I can understand what you are going through, I am in my last term of LPN school right now, only 10 of us left from the original 27! As I look around the classroom, I can't believe that the others are gone. We all have high anxiety right now. Getting ready for that horrible HESSI exam. The thoughts of not passing that after going through all of this! I also have a 3.5+ GPA, but by no means feel as though I am ready for that NCLEX exam or the HESSI. But I try my best to stay positive. Everyone has there own favorite NCLEX PN review courses to study. I have been using Lippincotts, Saunders and now I just purchased Kaplans Qbank on line. Kaplan's to me so far has been the best in preparing me to answer some of the questions I am seeing in our CapStone class. I am learning that it is not "all" about knowing content, but knowing "how" to answer these questions, what they are looking for. We just took an assessment exam, 204 questions in 4 hours. Some of the questions as I was reading them I thought to myself, "I know the answer"!!!!! but when I looked at the options, WOW! it was not there! so I had to think in a different way, and look for the best possible answer, look at the question again, to see exactly what it was asking. Don't have the results from that yet, but man, was it difficult. I was only 3 out of the 10 in my class to finish the whole test. Don't know if that was bad or good! I am praying for you that you pass. Hang in there and please keep us all posted! Then God willing you can all pray for me!

Sorry so long to get back to you. In the beginning my EMS experience hindered me when it came to Nursing Diagnoses because as an EMT we where always doing medical diagnoses when charting for the ER or Pramedics. You can not think at all like an EMT in the clinical setting, it will certainly "mess you up" and your instrustor will tell you as it has been said to me, think like a nurse, not an EMT, 2 different worlds altogether. However, my assessment skills are better than most and I had a better understanding of the emergency meds the Paramedics used in the field. In short being an EMT helped in some cases but hurt in others. I would recommend though not telling your instructor that you where an EMT, they expext you to know more, I found that some nurses that never worked in ER's really think EMT's know more than we do, so more is expected of me. On the other hand some nursing instructors may have had problems with EMT's during their career and they will "hammer you" Just be a new nursing student, keep you ears open and your mouth shut, believe me, I learned that the hard way.

52 years old here, in my last term. Looking at graduation at the end of Sept. Never too old to start anything new!

Agreed! Ignore those types of comments. In the end, all that matters is you get your lisence. And I also agree with the fact that your learning experience is what you make of it. So keep studying hard, and as one of my favorite instrutors has always taught me, "Think out of the box" that goes with how you learn also. Always be one step ahead of everyone else. Good Luck!