txsugarlvn

That's a shame you can't make it to San Marcos. I live just outside San Antonio but went to school in San Marcos (SWT!). Since you don't speak English, your services would be of use in Texas because of the large population of Spanish speaking people. I'm not sure how much of a need there is for fluent Spanish speakers in San Marcos but it is close to Seguin which would increase the need. The greatest need is closer down to the border and in the valley. Laredo, Uvalde, Brownsville and the surrounding areas. South Padre Island is very close to the border as well and you have access to the beach all year long. I guess it depends on what you are looking for. Why did you choose San Marcos? It's a great town but it's small and your job options would more than likely be out of town, say Austin, Seguin, New Braunfels or even San Antonio. Just curious... Maybe once you sell your house or the year is up, you can come and check Texas out for yourself. Yes, we get humid but in no way are we as humid as Florida or Louisianna. We are a great state. You'd like it here.

I took my boards for my LVN license back in 1995 and I was required to give my fingerprints when I went to test. So was everyone else that was testing at the same time. I think the state is requiring fingerprints because of the issues that have come up regarding patient safety and care. There have been stories of patient's dying at the hands of the nurse and the nurse working under a false license so someone else gets the blame until the truth comes out about who the nurse actually is, etc. My husband agrees with the "big brother" situation that you all talk about. I do not. But where do you draw the line? I mean, where do you say "That's enough info". For each instance, an example for and against it can be brought up to defend each side. I agree with the fingerprinting of nurses. The lives of patients are in our hands (both LVN's and RN's) every day. As for the dialysis techs, I agree with the original poster. They shouldn't be allowed to administer ANYTHING via IV or meds in general. They aren't trained for it. I've worked dialysis and it was a 2 week training course for all involved (RN's LVN's and Techs) and techs are allowed to administer heparin via iv (which they draw up themselves) and normal saline as they deem fit when the patient seems to need it or to flush the lines. Craziness!

WOW! I just heard a story on NPR about the nursing shortage in California. The reporter stated that California has passed a law that requires all hospitals to have one RN on duty for every 6 patients, no exceptions. So, hospitals are scrambling to try to hire additional nurses. California, the reporter said, is the state with the worst nursing shortage in the US and is already having a hard enough time finding nurses without the new law going into place. Apparently, the hospitals have to be staffed by January 1, 2004. They talked to an agency who is doing business in California and is trying to recruit RN's from all over the place. They cover from the state line of Oregon all the way down California to Tijuana. (sp?) Anyway, the stunning part to me was the pay scale they are using! They are paying $55/hr for RN's. If you work 12 hour shifts, you get $65/hr. If you work holidays/evenings/weekends, they are paying $90/hour! They also talked to a few hospital administrators and the like who each explained what they are doing to attract and retain nurses. Some are offering moving expenses, apartments with free cable free utilities and fully furnished, vehicles for the nurses to use free of charge and huge sign on bonuses starting from $7K and up. I know there is a downside to nursing and this post is not about that or even asking for any responses related to the downside etc etc. Please, save the flaming for someone else. I was just amazed at the $$$$ and the lengths employers in California are going to. Man, I knew I should have listened to my mom when she said to finish RN school. :chuckle

The questions aren't dumb at all! It's great you are making an effort to educate yourself and find out more about charting. In all the facilities I have worked (nursing home, dialysis, hospital, etc) we have charted in black ink only. Back long ago, many many years, charting was done in a different color for each shift. This changed because of legal problems. When xeroxing the patient's chart, red and green don't show up very well and neither does blue ink. So, the standard was changed to black ink only. I don't know about other states. I'm in Texas. Or even about other cities in Texas but from understanding, black is the standard for San Antonio. What to chart? This depends on the facility as to how in depth they want you to go. I've had some say I charted too much and it put the facility "at risk". The facility will always protect itself so be sure YOU protect your own behind. Don't write a book but chart pertinent info and be precise. For instance, if you check on a resident (or patient) and they are asleep, don't just write "patient sleeping". You have to be more precise. One facility I worked at said to write it more like this: "1630 Resident appears to be sleeping. Eyes closed. Breathing even and steady." The same for charting their intake at meals. Don't just write "Ate well" or "Ate poorly". Some places have a chart with percentages and examples of how to determine those so you can chart more precisely the amount the patient or resident ate. (25%, 50%, etc) The only time we used colors, was with highlighters. Each shift was assigned a specific color (pink, green and blue) and the times for the treatments would be highlighted as well as the medications. It helped as a quick reference when flipping through the treatment books to be sure you caught everything to be done on your shift. Check out Western Schools. They have a CEU course that is all about charting. You could also do a web search to find sites and info dedicated to this very topic that could show you different types of charting and what should and should not be included. Even samples of each. For your own record, document everything. Buy a small notebook or tablet where you can write your own experiences and observations along with dates and times to have your own record at home. This is invaluable should any discrepancies occur or you get called into court to testify, etc. Just my opinion.

At one of my employers, they would post a list. Each nurse for the unit would write their choice in order of 1st, 2nd, 3rd and the DON would then assign the holidays. If you got Christmas one year, you couldn't have it the next year unless someone was willing to trade with your for New Year's Eve or Thanksgiving. We tried to be very fair. What we tried to do was talk to each other and work out which one we wanted most so we could write it out as we preferred it. The DON loved it because we all tried to be diplomatic about it. I don't have children (yet) but I used to resent those who used the children as an excuse for leaving early,coming late, getting every weekend off, not working holidays. I can understand emergencies or special events or the like. The thing is, with nursing, you don't really get to pick and choose unless you work agency or per diem. Whether you have children or not shouldn't matter. I hope that when I finally do have children, I keep in mind not to use my children as an excuse for not wanting to work Christmas Day or the weekend. I'll just say "because I don't want to!" LOL....:) On a side note, I had planned on moving back into nursing full time but I told my husband "not until after the holidays!" because I know as a newbie in a facility, I will get to work the holidays whole those with seniority take them off. Only fair! So, since I want my holidays (and where I work...insurance company) I get all of them including the day after each one, I'll wait it out. LOL!

Rustyhammer, I think it's wonderful that the NM BON recognizes the abilities of the LVN and don't just see us an "assistant" to the RN. I'm not devaluing an RN's knowledge but it's time the States recognize that LVN's can be trained to perform more than perfunctory duties or work as a clerical assistant with the extra fun of administering medications. Hurrah! Forgive my cynicysm....it comes with years of experience. :) Thanks for the written proof from the NM LVN scope of practice guidelines. Oh yes, and for those who still question, please be sure to note in the guidelines that an LVN must be trained and certified to perform the duties and is also under the supervision/direction of an RN. This really frees up the RN to perform many of the duties they otherwise don't have time for which, in my humble opinion, increases the quality of care.

i recommend taking the job if you can handle the hours along with going to school. At our area training hospital, one of the best in the country, the PCT's are taught not only basic skills but also to draw blood (they get certified to be used in a pinch), assessment skills, some have even learned how to cath patients and alot more. True some it goes beyond the scope of their job description but they are taught by the staff nurses so they can assist if necessary although they are never allowed to do it alone. The experience and training is invaluable and you will truly reap the benefits as you go through nursing school and afterwards. Many nurses graduate without knowing much of this stuff and have to learn on the job. I wish you much luck!

I worked at Select Specialty through a local nursing agency. I loved it there. The nurses were so great. The nurse to patient ratio was low. None of the nurses I talked to had complaints. The patients there were not sick enough to stay in a regular hospital setting but still required more acute care than is available in a nursing home, rehab facility, etc. They were not candidates for SNF either. It's a special category because the patients don't really fit a specific group or LOC. I enjoyed it. One day I worked there just happened to be St. Patrick's Day and the DON as well as the Charge Nurse and the CEO were all there making a breakfast for the staff. All green of course but quite good. :) The Select Specialty here in San Antonio is located within the Baptist Hospital but has an entirely separate Board of Directors, CEO, DON, staff, etc. I don't know about OT or the exact pay scale. My pay was through agency so it's not a realistic quote of what regular staff gets paid.

Western Schools has a CEU course available to teach documentation skills. Always chart thoroughly. It's the best protection you have in case of litigation or questions regarding your care or the patient's treatment. Read your facility guidelines for documentation to be sure you are within the boundaries they have established. If you have any questions, ask your charge nurse or preceptor for clarification. If in doubt, write it down anyway to be sure. It's better to have more info than necessary than not enough and leaving it open to interpretation.

No joke Brett. Maybe that's why during your first semester in nursing school (at least at my school during the LVN program) they taught us to change beds, bathe patients, clean them up, feed them, and how to relate and talk to them. It was quite an eye opener, to say the least. But you know, it's part of the healthcare profession no matter what level you are at. And it makes me feel really good to see a patient who is clean, fed, and content because I know I played a part in making them feel good.

Wow...I knew it was happening in other places. I have worked in several nursing homes, assisted living facilities, hospitals and also in a dialysis clinic. Most places had CNA's but some did not as they were not required there. I always made an effort to do whatever I could to help out and that included bathing a patient, feeding, cleaning up a patient and checking rooms to be sure they were all neat, clean and the call lights were in reach. Yes, I ran all night. Between charge nurse duties, charting, making necessary calls, checking on patients, and helping out cna's I was a mess by the time I would get home. But, the patients were cared for and that's all that mattered. Sure I got resentful sometimes but I kept it to myself unless we had a staff meeting with just nurses and administration where I felt "safe" enough to express my thoughts. Why? Because, in my experience, the cna's were tolerated due to the fact that there were never enough cna's. Send someone home? not unless you wanted to explain to your fellow nurses and the administration why you don't have anywhere near enough coverage now. Never failed that administration was more worried about keeping the cna's happy because they didn't want to lose them no matter how lousy they were. Of course, this happened in some instances with nurses as well. Especially when we were due for our annual inspection. It's crummy yes but it happens. Many CNA's will respond to requests made respectfully and reasonably. They will also treat you with respect. You have to work together or the job won't get done. If they are really bad, document it, notify administration (from the building adminstrator to the DON) and let them know in no uncertain terms that if the aide doesn't go, you will. If they choose the aide, find another job and be sure to have a letter placed in your file (that you wrote) explaining exactly why you left. Keep a copy. It's tough I know but until we have a change of attitude across the board, nothing will change. All we can do is keep our heads high, stay positive, and make sure the patients get the best care possible because they are the reason we all have jobs.

Hi! From reading your post I gather you are still learning to work the sewing machine so you aren't making scrubs per say as of yet. So, along those lines, start by getting your resale license from your state comptroller's office. Then you can start checking out and buying from wholesale scrub manufacturers (do a search on the web). Request catalogs, create member accounts on the sites so you can buy from them, and choose a name for your business. You don't need a name to get your resale license to begin with. It can be under your own personal name. Next, create a catchy flyer that you can either hand out or mail out to the local offices/hospitals/clinics/etc. You can also give some to friends who work in these places to hand out. Laundromats and grocery store "community boards" are a great way to advertise also in a small town. This way it gets their attention and let's them know you are around. Offer several different ways to contact you (email, cell phone, business line, fax machine for example). On the flyer, list what you are offering, your starting prices, and whatever else you feel is pertinent. Now, you will start getting calls and responses to your flyer. So you need to decide ahead of time how you want to proceed. Will you be a "catalog" order type of business to start? You can show samples of what you are selling (bought from the wholesaler) and then order directly when the client places an order with you. OR you can buy a certain type of scrub or a few different styles and colors in various sizes to take with you when you get responses from people wanting to see what you have to offer. Take your catalog and tell them that you can order anything from it and how long it will take. Be sure the catalog has no prices listed or has YOUR retail prices printed/written there for the buyer to see. The wholesale price is your business only. Don't let those get out. Also, be sure the catalog has no reference to where it's from. You can always stick a label with your info on the back. It will take a little work to get it started and you will make mistakes and change your layout on your marketing stuff and maybe even your business name. BUT, it can be done. Scrubs are a hot ticket item so I'm sure you'll do well. Eventually you can start marketing your homemade scrubs along with the manufactured items. Possibly even expand to monogramming? I hope this info helps! I wish you the best. Keep us posted on how you do. :)

nightngale...thanks for the info. I checked out the other posts and noticed LoisJean's posts. She seems to be very successful and happy in her business AND is an LPN. Great inspiration! Would be nice to see other posting from LPN's as well. Most of what I read was written by RN's. Perhaps I missed something? This is a good forum. I'll keep reading....:)

Hello all! Just wondering if there are any LVN's or LPN's in business for themselves and what type of businesses they are doing. I keep reading post after post from RN's (and that's wonderful) but would love to read some from fellow LVN's that talk about their businesses, how they got started, are they financially secure, would they recommend starting a business, and any other advice or suggestions. I have a silver jewelry business on the side which is growing nicely. I like the business and it allows me to have a little fun while learning the ins and out of retail etc. I don't make enough to live off of it but I make enough to cover incidentals. I am working on growing it and building a website. Already have the business cards. I am interested in starting another business that would incoporate my nursing skills but don't have a real direction yet. So reading about others would really spur the brainstorming and get me fired up to get on the track already. I look forward to hearing from you LVN's and LPN's. Share away!! :)

Angelbear, I would not recommend RUE or any other study system (Chancellor's etc). The Excelsior program has grown and evolved so much. The actual college has the study guides, textbooks, and information you need to pass the exams. RUE and all those others charge your for books that you use to study as well as the textbooks. None of that goes towards Excelsior. So, you still have to pay to enroll with Excelsior, to take the exams, to have your credits reviewed etc and to take the clinical. RUE and the other also lock you into a contract. I suggest checking out Excelsior directly and see what they have available before you sign on with anyone. Many people have passed going directly through Excelsior (formerly Regents) without the help of an outside study programs. Check it out. As for me, straight through Excelsior. Wishing you the best!