lorbal

I want to commend you on your decision to become a nurse. Making a difference in the world is a wonderful thing. I became an LPN at 46 years old and it was a wonderful decision. My mother had Alzheimers Disease and I wanted to help people keep their dignity in the end stages of their life. As we grow and mature, our decisions are about making a positive impact in the world. Please continue your pursuit of making a selfless decision. Good luck

I guess my advice would be to just study a little bit each day. I personally didn't study a few days before the test - I wanted to clear my mind in order to relax before the boards. What truly got me thru the test was a lot of prayer - just turned it over to God and said if this is meant to be, it will be - I passed the first time.

You should definitely ask for more time; there is nothing wrong with being safe and sure of what you are doing. You might want to ask to train with someone else, stating that is helpful to view another CNA's work performance to get another viewpoint. If your supervisor is smart, they will value your honesty that you are not ready to be on your own; there is so much to learn in 3 days. My employer was willing to give me as much time as I needed.

I had a similar situation occur - not with narcotics, but with 800 mg Motrin. A CNA approached me and asked me for Motrin - I said we are not to give meds out - she said Mrs. so and so has some (which baffled me - how does she know). I told her those meds are the residents and not for her use. She never asked again. In your situation, I would take it up with a supervisor - don't mess around.

Congratulations!! That is a wonderful feeling as well as an awesome accomplishment. Good luck in your future as a nurse.

I think everyone should be proud of the level of education they have achieved and if they want to use their title, so be it. However, when someone asks what I do and I tell them I am a nurse, and their response is "are you an RN?" and my reply is "I'm an LPN"; their response is simply "Oh", that is irritating. I am proud to be an LPN and I take wonderful care of my residents; that should matter.

I think you need to start a job in the area which interests you the most. I agree with 123Sunnid who worked on a Med/Surg unit - you can gain alot of experience there, if hospital work is for you. I personally love the elderly and knew LTC was where I wanted to be. The facility I work at has a rehab unit, this is a great place to put your assessment skills to use. On the LTC units, you also use skills learned in NS. I believe you need to follow your passion - whatever that might.

I work at a LTC facility on the 3-11 shift. If you are going to work to get away from the home and not take care of everyone's needs, a nursing home might not be the place to be. The resident's are very needy individuals and it is a busy place to be. I also was a stay-at-home mom and can understand to some degree where you are coming from, but your desire for any job has to come from your heart and soul, not the need to work. I personally love working in the geriatric field, but it isn't for everyone. There is much to be said for keeping a person's dignity thru the end stages of their lives. If you love the elderly, LTC is the way to go, if you are just applying at a LTC for a job to get your foot back into nursing, give it some more thought.

Communication with other nurses, doctors, unit coordinators, supervisors is a key element in being a good nurse. If at any time you are unsure of something, you should be confident to go to someone with more experience an ask for help. Although so much has been taught to us in NS, being on the job is another learning experience. I feel asking fellow employees what they have learned thru experience is a major benefit to being a good nurse. I have gathered so much knowledge from not being afraid to ask. New students need to be open-minded and be willing to ask and accept experienced nurses knowledge of the nursing world.

The A&D we are using lists lanolin, then petroleum - I'll have to see if the resident has any issues with wool products. Thanks for the reply.

I work in a long-term nursing facility and have a resident who gets A&D to her feet. Whenever I have put this on her she says she burns and can't stand the discomfort. Her feet get bright red and I have to wash it off. She had it applied to her buttocks by a CNA and the same reaction occurred. I asked my Unit Coordinator if she could be allergic to it - he chuckled and said it's only vitamins. I believe she is allergic to the lanolin in the A&D. Could this be possible?? Thanks! Laurie, brand new LPN