JmarLPN

There is about 2500 employees. Rather or not it is due to the ACA, I think companies are using the ACA as an excuse to cut jobs as well as pay. It's too bad.

I can say with the company I work for it has already happened. RNs have gotten a 5.00 an hour pay decrease, LPNs and CNAs 3 dollar an hour decrease. Not to mention: dietary, maintenance, social workers, ect. all lost hourly wages. This, the company says, is due to the fact they are now offering employees who are over 30 hours insurance as well as benefits. The kicker is a lot of us aren't 30 hours a week

Another great little gift idea is mini hand sanitizer from maybe bath and body. Lord knows we go through a lot of that! They usually have great sales around this time.

I work in LTC and I think the residents would love this! Of course, the costumes should not interfere with work. The patients' days are so similar...sleep, eat, a little activity, eat, sleep....ect. I think holidays are special days for them and bring a bit of happiness and fond memories. I don't think our work does this though. The do have kids come in and give out candy which is a great idea too.

The community college I went to made me take a 5 credit biology class because I didn't take it in HS. It took a semester, and I actually enjoyed it! I think it helped in my A&P classes too. For LPN we were not required to take chemistry, which is a big reason I went for LPN vs RN. Each school is different though. Believe me though, the time flies! I thought it would take forever to complete my program but it took me 2.5 years (including my prerequisites, petitioning process, and core classes). That's me starting college with just a GED and going part-time up until my core classes. Good Luck!

Yes I was embellishing a tad bit. I knew nurses worked hard, but you never know just how hard until you're a nurse too. I just wanted to give all nurses a big shout out because this is not an easy field. :)

Have a box of tissues in the car for your ride home! Ha...maybe that's just me. I too, am a new nurse who started working in September and I can honestly say its the hardest thing I have ever done. I have days when I feel like I got this and I am a great nurse and others where I loathe the day I decided to become a nurse. But I am happy I am. Just ask questions and listen to all the advice the seasoned nurses give you. Always have your information about the patient before calling Doctors or the will not be happy. Try not to leave paperwork for the next shift or the Nurse coming on won't be happy. Think of every experience as a learning opportunity. ASK FOR HELP when you need too. I find all the nurses are happy to give advice or input where I work and hopefully your place will be like that. Not all nurses eat their young! Anyways, wish I had more to give, but its one of those things that you learn as you go. Good Luck!!! :)

That actually sounds perfect. I know I cannot physically, mentally, or emotionally handle working a 40 hr week in nursing. My husband thinks Im just being a diva of a sort, but anyone who's in nursing can testify to how challenging it is to the mind and body. I work 3 days a week and frequently pick up a few extra shifts for coworkers needing days off and Im happy. I work second shift which helps with the politics issue! Good luck again :)

Hello fellow nurses! I love my job and am so happy for it, but it is the hardest thing I've ever done. I'm so fortunate to have the job I have and I regret all the times when I was a CNA I thought to myself "look at that nurse sitting there, stuffing her face, not doing anything!" Now I know that nurse was sitting there when she really wanted to being doing a treatment, while the pt down the hall has been asking for Milk of magnesia for constipation, but another pt had a fall so the nurse had to stop her medpass to call the family and wait for the doctor to call back, so she's charting the incident while she waits for the call. She knows she won't get a lunch break so she breaks out her turkey sandwhich to eat while she fills out the paperwork because she is a multitasker haha!!! So basically I learned the nurse is one fierce chickadee. Just thought I would share:)

Hmmm thats a toughie. Sounds like you didn't really like either one. Maybe since you will be part-time the teen rehab won't stress you out as much?!? Otherwise, I would say try other avenues. The thing with nursing is there is ALWAYS politics, so I have learned to just steer clear as much as possible and do my job the best I can. I have been in this field since I was 16 (started as a CNA) and every place I have ever worked has been full of politics, and pushing more and more tasks on the nursing department. The best way I deal with this is to treat the patients and families well and a little sense of humor. Good luck. Sorry I couldn't help!

I think you're going to make an excellent nurse!

congrats :)

Wow your story is so heartfelt. I feel for you and your struggles. I personally think that you should try LTC especially since your heart is in geriatrics. Yes some places aren't as nice as others, but with your experience I'm sure you'd get your pick of nursing home. The benefit is you would be with geriatrics, you would be committed to only 8 hrs a day (most days), and usually you get more of "a routine" as the turnover rate of pts is not like a hospital. You really get attatched to your residents and they become almost a second family. I think getting your masters is awesome and worth it but the priority here is to get you happy at work and feeling close to your son. Good luck in whatever you decide to do and know your son will be so thankful for all you did when he's older.

I work in LTC in Wisconsin and make 25.00/hr. The only benefit I get is PTO, no health insurance, which is okay for me because i'm under my husbands plan. I'm a new LPN, just graduated this past May so I consider myself very fortunate.

I'm sorry, but I learned in nursing school that its the NURSES job to verify abnormal vitals. So even if you did what she said, she should have been the one to recheck the BP, not you.

I once had a coworker who called in for the AM shift because Donny Osmund was on the today show and she didn't want to miss it. Funniest part is she ended up coming in on the AM shift and we were all Like, "we thought you called in lastnight for today.." She went out and had some drinks the night before and forgot she called in sick!!!! LOL

What you need to take away from the chapters is ADPIE (assess, diagnose, plan, intervention, evaluation)..... whatever your covering, tackle it like this: As a nurse, what would I assess for with this disease? How is it diagnosed? What plan do I have or how am I going to intervene to make the pt comfortable. This helped me tons! Just get the points you need to care for your pt dealing with that certain ailment! Pay close attention to nursing interventions!!

Great Job on passing med surge!!! That class is definitely not easy!!! I have friends that got A's and B's last semester and have actually failed the first 4 exams!!! It's very intense with tests every other week (if we are lucky, 3 of them we had 1 week to study). I will be very happy to get an 85 in this class when all is said and done.....like they say, in nursing school, 80 is the new A lol!!!

Pharmacology sounds a lot harder than it actually is. You mainly learn drug classes, and a few COMMON meds and just know what normal side effects are VS side effects that could potentially kill your patient. I got this real neat drug flip book from a friend and it lists all drug classes and has little cartoons to help you remember what to look for. I would suggest something like that to help you remember. You will notice also a lot of the meds end in the same manner....for example, beta blockers end in OLOL and ACE inhibitors end in pril...usually the questions on test always lead you to the class of drug, so as long as you know that your golden....good luck

My advice is to be on your A game! Read before class, participate in discussions, and look happy to be there. My experience showed many instructors "labeling" students and those they thought weren't serious, they really gave it to them. Not to scare you or anything. But, I think it was a hard semester but def. doable. I pulled of a 3.77 GPA my first semester and I attribute that to doing the above, and keeping a small but tight circle of fellow classmates who were just as serious about school as me. Good Luck, you will do great, just keep your eyes on the prize and try not to associate to much with the people who will try to bring you down.

Well, my first day is tomorrow...and I am SOOOO nervous! LOL

First semester at my school consists of : Nursing Skills, Nursing Fundamentals, Intro to clinical, and Pharmacology! Anatomy and Physiology were considered prerequisites into the Nursing Program.

This is why many people say "it takes a SPECIAL person to become a Nurse"! I can't see how anyone can scoff at such a career, especially since Nurses are the ones that care for you when the "loved ones" are too busy with their own lives to bother with the hassle of helping their family member. No worries...your friend will one day see just how valuable and giving a nurse really is!!!

Hi all!!!! To answer your questions.... 1. I start 8/23/2012 at Milwaukee Area Technical College 2. My program is 2 semesters...Aug 2012- May 2013 (approx. 9 months) 3. I decided to become an LPN as I have been a CNA so long, I figured it was time to start moving up while the timing is right! 4. about 4500...cant beat technical college prices!!! :)

I prefer Noc shift for sure! I feel closer to the people I work with and the residents. I have more time to do more things with the patients. We do not just eat and talk, whoever said that is very misinformed. At least not where I work! It gets VERY busy and stressful some nights, but we all do our best and help eachother. I like the fact that I dont have to pay anyone to baby-sit my son, and that I get to bring him to school, and pick him up. I get to be home and have dinner with my family and do homework with my son and tuck him in at night. I miss snuggling with my Husband during the night, but we make up for it the Nights I am off. If you have school aged children I would definately recommend this shift!!