HannasMom

I took an IV therapy class at Omsi a few years back. Call Portland Commuity College, they can give you this info. I'm in Tennessee now, so the name of the program has escaped me.

I worked with a nurse a few years back who was 81 years and she could walk faster than I could. Also I recently worked with a nurse who is 72 years and she's the night supervisor.

I have been hired by Developmental Services as a LPN working with persons with developmental disabilites. I will be working in a residential home, caring for two women. I also have a caregiver who will work with me. My days are Sat and Sun from 7am to 11 pm. I start training in the residential home tomorrow from 11am to 3pm and Friday from 7am to 3pm. Then next week starts 2 weeks of classroom training, plus training in several other homes, so if I'm needed on any Wednesday, I will be prepared for any of the homes. This job will certainly be different from providing care to 48 patients in LTC. No more uniform, street clothes instead, more laid back, we get to take the residents out to go shopping, etc. I think I may really get to like this.

Wow! Sounds like a great place! Congratulations! I just recently left a facilty where I passed meds to 48 patients on dayshift 7am to 7pm, besides that I did treatments, took doctors orders, charting, the daily log book, talked to family members, babysat the CNA's, etc. Next week I start a new job as a MR/DD nurse and I'm very excited. Anyway good luck!

I didn't take the job, at the Dialysis clinic. I had an interview the next day with a company that has MR/DD homes and was offered the job. I said Yes! This job will be much more laid back than the LTC job I had and the dialysis clinic. Also, I know several people who work there.

On Monday I finally left my LTC job as a charge nurse. I had it with the poor staffing, poor nurse to patient ratios, etc. Today, I had an interview for a LPN opening at our local non profit Dialysis Clinic, and it went wonderful! I really enjoyed this interview! I would be working 10 hour days, 4 days a week, have great benefits, plus have 6 months of training. When I'm ready to do the floor on my own, I would have 4 patients. 4 patients! At the LTC I had 48 patients to pass meds to, do treatments, charting, doctors orders, etc. I know some people think dialysis is boring, but I would love to be able to slow down some. Yet, I really don't see this job as one that would be boring at all. I have had an interest in Dialysis for some time, so this would be a dream come true for me! Also to be able to learn something new and a speciality, at 56 years old/young. I would love that! :redbeathe Anyway, I should hear from them sometime next week. I really hope it will be a positive phone call!

As far as an old nurse vs new nurse thread, is concerned, I have seen many "old" nurses with bad habits too. Sometimes the new nurses are more respectful of the DON, than the old nurses, because change can be hard for some of them. At the facility I work at many of the older nurses have trouble with changes, complain about the work, etc. So it isn't only the new nurses who can behave badly.

If we eat or drink anything at the nurses station we get written up, if it continues, we can get fired. She sounds like a spoiled brat. Anyway eating should be saved for lunch break. Also think of the contamination, she puts her food in her mouth, then touches the pills? Even if she wears gloves, all I can think of is yuck. I bet she would have had lots of complaining to do if she had our dress code, nurses in our facility wear white, and our patients know who the nurses are and who the CNA's are. Works well for me, anyway.

I told you I was confused! LOL. Nightshift dulls my brain. :)

Okay now I'm really confused. LOL

Why does it have 6 fulltime administrators? My place has one and it's a big place?

P.S. I envy the nurse with only 15 patients. How lucky can one person get??!! That would be a piece of cake!

I hate monthly summaries! I work the night shift in LTC. I pass meds (lots of meds) to 48 patients on the 7 pm med pass it takes from 7 pm until almost 11 pm to pass these meds, do accuchecks and insulin on a good night. Then I have to do the night shift assignment sheet for my night CNA's, the meal and BM daily tracking for all 48 patients, record the evening vitals, calculate the I& O's for patients on IV's and /or foleys. I also have treatments, straight caths on patients who need a UA done, plus nightshift changes the foleys that need to be changed. We also do the accucheck machine checks, check the refrigerator temps on the two refrigerators. Also we do 72 hour charting on those on Alert charting. PLUS monthly summaries, because the nurse manager feels that nightshift nurses don't have enought to keep them busy!!! Also I give out pain meds prn, pass several 12 am meds, then also have accuchecks, insulin and another large med pass beginning at 5 am. Oh I forgot skin checks also and documentation on that. They also now want nightshift to do a total physcial assessments on all skin checks. I hat how nightshift gets criticized all the time, my CNA's work hard! See nightshift nurses just sit around eating bonbons and reading love stories. Sorry, I'm kinda frustarted with my job lately.

mjlrn, I haven't been on Allnurses for along time, so I was wondering...Who is the beautiful girl on your Avatar?

We have an inservice before we can use our wound vacs, through KCI. The foam can come in sections, which can make waste be very minimal. Wound vacs are great!

congratulations tweety!!!!

Hi! Tennessee does except Excelsior. My husband and I just moved to TN the beginning of Feb 2007. I work for NHC and several LPN's are working on their RN through Excelsior. One nurse is now a RN, passed her CPNE and state boards.

My husband and I moved to Tennessee last month and I got a great job as a LPN Charge nurse at a facility that has lots of growth opportunities for the LPN. I can work as a Unit Manager, in Staff Development, QA, as an Assistant Director of Nurses, etc. I just have to be the best I can be as a LPN charge nurse- which is always my goal and I have an chance to go far. Plus of course there has to be openings in these spots before I can ever aply. But they do happen. The younger LPN's go back to school and leave for the hospital, etc. I love my new job, I work 3-12's each week, with four days off, although not always together. And I'm finally working the day shift, instead of nights. Nights wore me out. I believe I could retire here and be happy. Geriatrics is a great place for the older nurse. I'm 55 and happier than I have ever been!

I haven't heard of Favorites, maybe it's a new one.

Some of the nursing agencies here in Oregon are: Maxim, this is the one we use the most often where I work. Nursefinders, I have a friend who works for Nursefinders and loves it. Integrated, and Interim are two others. You should be able to find them under the yellow pages of your phone book and online. I hope this helps.

I love the rotten shift. :)

Our neighbor had a Black Walnut Tree, it was awful in the fall, when the nuts fell on our side of the fence. It would rain and the outside of the nuts would become black tar. Awful stuff. Yuck! That's cool that you are still learning. Never too old to learn something new. Yet, 35 is not old...Are you planning to go back to school? I think working the night shift, does make studying easier, if you stay up on your nights off. Since everyone is sleeping.

The "Baby With Two Heads", freaked out my 20 year old son. He said to me "Gee Mom what the @*#! are you watching! That's so gross!" At least I got to watch it in peace. LOL. Yet, it was hard to watch at first, then I had to watch it to the end to see how it turned out.

I enjoy Real Life Trauma in the ER, I really like "Little People Big World," but I think this comes on TLC, not Discovery Health, I watch it every Saturday. The family lives here in Oregon. I also like Critical Hour, Code Blue and the old program reruns of "Chicago Hope". I was surprised to see this on Discovery Health, but it comes on late at night.

Wow what a night you had! Great job!