BOSRNMSN

Hi! I was just accepted and also begin the Bio course January 13. I am really excited to begin, but also pretty intimidated! Lol. Did you also have to do the statistics and health assessments refreshers?

I couldnt agree more. I LOVE CROCS. I work 12 hours shift 3 times a week and sometimes 16 hours and I have never never never had sore feet. I have 8 pairs in different colors and they never wear out. I have gotten pair that are fakes and they are not comfortable. You have to get the real thing! They are the greatest!!!!!

I work for the VA in Boston and here LPN'S when trained can insert remove, and maintain PICC lines.

I did the LPN program first, and at first thought that it would take longer and I wouldnt get my RN in the time that I wanted. I graduated in July 2007 and I now work for the VA hospital in Boston. Let me tell you it was the best decision. The way I look at it if you plan to go on the LPN program is just the first year of an RN program, only after the first year you can work and make money. No student in an RN program can work after 2 semester and make over 20 dollars an hour. And I am much more experienced in patient care than many on the RNs on my floor. Not saying I am better by no means at all! I am just sayin that LPN school is alot more about patient care than notes and documentation because thats more of what LPN's can do. On my floor I work right along side the RNs doing everything they can. The only things I can't do are; hang blood, take a verbal order over the phone, do the initial assesement on a patient, and push certain drugs IV. Other than that I give meds do all the other treaments and documentation. I have now started the RN program and let me tell you it is so easy for me I feel like I am so much more ahead than many of the students in my class, who are second year RN students in an associates degree program. Check with whatever school you look into for getting your associates because many will waive the first year of the RN program course i.e Fundamentals of Nursing and Medsurg were waived for me. Overall for me doing the LPN program has been very beneficial!

OMYGOD. I feel like I could have wrote that at this time last year. I failed alot of tests in LPN school. I work much better under pressure and when I had to pass the final or get kicked out, I did much better on test. All my finals in the end were above 85. As for the gossip, ignore it. Your all stuck together and it will get better. As bad as it is, you'll miss it when its over. And graduation day was the happiest day of my life. I thought I was going to fail out everyday but I did it. Now I work on a Spinal Cord Injury Floor in Boston at the VA and I LOVE IT! Also I just swore in to the USAF to be a flight medic. The oppurtunities to LPN are endless, and you can go very far. Don't let anyone tell you your not a "real nurse"!

I work on a spinal cord injury florr, and the wound vac is my BEST FRIEND. A great tool is Tegaderm, its is much better at forming a creating a seal so I start with that to seal of the sponging. Also for the sponges, I use a razor blade to cut the circle in half, and then cut thin bridges to bring the track up to the belly. (Most of my wound are sacral areas.) It is advised and probably best that the patient does not ever lie on the suction cup. For more than one wound I also create a bridge. Once you get the hang of VACS they are great. I love doing them. I usually eye ball but it is safest to measure and makes the spnges slightly smaller. Overpacking a wound with sponge and making it to tight with the suction on is very dagerous and actually creates a turnicate in the wound. Ive seen alot of tissue damage from that. But like a said Tegaderm is great. I use that for reinforcement and the provided tougher stuff is better for lying the tracks. Hope this helps. Ask me any other questions, I really do love using these VACS. I've done hundreds