gods_gift

Don't get yourself into any bad habits. Those cups can be confused and you can easily make med errors. You want to learn how to do it the right way first. You will learn safe shortcuts but don't use them until you know how to do it the right way first. Remember there is nothing safe about looking at a patient and thinking well "she looks okay" and skip taking her pulse if you are giving dig. Just take your time. When survey comes if you are too slow they won't have you on the floor anyway. :)

When I started as an LPN last year I started at $23/hr I live right outside of Chicago though.

"An RN is a registered Nurse, If you would like you could start as an LPN which is a nurses assistant. They are at the low end of the food chain but if your willing to handle the work load then you may want to consider starting as an LPN." Kassady C, I'm sorry someone told you LPN's are nurse's assistants but they are not. LPN's are Licensed Practical Nurses and do very much the same thing that RN's do with a few exceptions. CNA's are Certified Nurse's Assistants and they assist nurses both LPN's and RN's. Also, LPN's are one-step below RN's and are by no means the low-end of the food chain. My first job started me at $45K as a new graduate. I am an LPN and my DR's call me for everything. Not because I'm a know-it-all but because I am an asset to each of them. OwwwConcussion, if you want to be a nurse, you don't have to jump through any hoops that I know of. Just be determined to attain something and then do it! Just that simple. Research schools that you are interested in. Know that you won't be getting your RN online. You do have to do clinicals. Beware of schools that tell you otherwise. Last time I checked there were none that allowed you in the program unless you were already an RN attaining your BSN. I hope this helps.

I would advise your friend to pick up Kaplan's book to study. I am an LPN and about to start school to be an RN in May. This much I do know, when taking the NCLEX-PN or RN it is important to know how to answer the questions. It's not necessary to know every answer. If she understands what the question is asking, that makes it easier to answer them. Also, she will have to really buckle down and learn to answer the questions in the alotted amount of time too. That has proved to be a problem. I hope this helps. If she needs a refresher course I don't know of any but I would suggest she try to work it out herself first. I'm sure if she has her BSN she is fully capable.

I'm sorry what is MVCC? I don't know the acronym. Thanks.

Also, please make sure to read the paperwork front and back because once you sign it, you are bound to it. They don't tell you everything so make sure that you read it all. And please don't believe that they guarantee you anything; especially not acceptance into the program. Don't be fast-talked. I know quite a few people that found that they didn't like the program, wanted to return the modules but could not escape paying for them anyway.

i personally am in a similar situation where i work. i have a cna who is the cna supervisor/staffing coordinator. she is not responsible for the lpn's or their scheduling but she thinks that she is the boss. i don't listen to her but i do get quite ticked off when we are short cna's and she doesn't help them. she is a waste of money in my opinion but hey to each his/her own. for you military mom, i don't think that she can clinically tell you anything. i feel that if you are telling me what to do, you should know how to do what i do and be licensed because some people swear that they know it all!! anyway dear heart, don't worry about it because if you have decisions to make, those are your nursing judgement calls and she cannot top that ever. she has no nursing judgement.

hi deeply. i am an lpn and i can tell you for one the biggest difference between ma's and lpn's as far as companies that want to hire them is that ma's make considerably less and that means a better bottom line for the company. they will more than likely have an rn there so an lpn wouldn't be necessary. now for the lpn hype. i started my career as an lpn at the va. that didn't work out for me because their lpn's become cna's when the cna's are short-staffed. i had a huge problem with this:banghead:. so, i quit. i am now at a nursing home and i make a greater difference here than i ever would have there not to mention they pay me nearly $5 more per hour (i'm a new nurse and started at $23/hr). if you really want to learn how to be a good nurse before you become an rn then an lpn is a wonderful place to start. i went to school at everest in merrillville and it was expensive but it is so very worth it. i am starting at prairie state in a couple weeks to get my rn licensure but by the time i finish (4 semesters), i will have 3 yrs of experience so they have to pay me more than starting pay. be smart about your choices but don't forget to make choices that coincide with your wants. you should want to be a nurse. if you are unsure, just think about it some more and ask nurses what they deal with on a daily basis to see if it is really for you. any more questions ask me, i'll be glad to help!

I received my temporary license in about 2-3 wks and I'm in Illinois. I am awaiting my background clearance. I know there should be nothing there. I've only ever had a ticket and that was thrown out lol. God Bless!

That ASN-MSN program sounds cool. I wish that they had an LPN-MSN program. That rocks. It's sad to hear that they treat the LPN's like that in that hospital. Personally, I would leave. I know my worth and I will be treated as such. That is just how I live my life. God's Gift aka Kimberlee D., LPN

you are so right. the elderly population is growing by leaps and bounds because the "baby boomers" cohort are retiring. this means more work for nurses to take on. if the rn's think that they are over-worked now, what if us lpn's all decided to go on a strike at the same time? that'll teach em! i feel like this, i am worth every penny that i negotiate before i start working so if you aren't willing to give it to me, someone else will. and i haven't worked as an lpn yet because i just passed my nclex on the 19th of feb. but regardless, you have to think of yourself as valuable and walk the walk! respect always has to begin with self.

i recently delivered my 2nd son in december of 2007. my husband emphatically opposes more children. i had the mirena placed as soon as my 6 week check-up permitted. i have had the spotting and i have had some weight gain but i attribute it to not working yet. i just passed my nclex on the 19th of feb and i have to find a job that i want so i would say go for it if you are looking into the mirena. just make sure that the dr cuts the strings short enough because they are like wires and they stuck me quite a few times and my husband too. (ouch:nono:) god's gift aka kimberlee, lpn

i agree. i took my nclex and only had 85 questions and passed. i thought that my questions were extremely difficult after awhile and i started to get upset. my friend reminded me that when you take the nclex it is an adaptive test so if it gives you more difficult questions it is because you are answering these questions correctly. if all of your questions seemed easy to you and it ended at 85 then you are practically a genius so stop worrying and get ready to be proud of yourself. i am. great job take a bow:yeah:! god's gift aka kimberlee, lpn

most of the people that ask "why do you want to be an lpn" i have found don't know anything about what lpn's truly do. as far as i am concerned lpn's work their butts off and save lives just like rn's. and furthermore, schooling for an lpn is grueling and compact. if you don't have the drive to get through school then you would be hard-pressed to be an rn. i found that many of the students that i participated in clinicals with that were in the rn program didn't know anything. they were asking me dumb things like why is his pulse low when his bp is so high? i'm like are you serious? we truly learn everything that rn's learn in a 1 year nutshell. it is not a bad thing to be an lpn, it is a glorious thing in my opinion and it is what you make of it. people get their heads chewed off and stomped on when they ask me why i'm an lpn especially when they see my 2 children sitting next to me :angryfire! i'm like doesn't it look like they have to eat too? anywho, you do what makes you happy. i started school jan 2007 and graduated jan 2008 and passed the nclex feb 19th 2008. you'll be fine as long as you try to please yourself not others! a penny for your thoughts:twocents: god's gift aka kimberlee, lpn

Qualified Medication Aide. They pass meds like LPN's but can't do any of the clinical work like assessing and documentation. Some actually do treatments.