josh1974

I've only been an LPN for 11 months now and am happy with my choice. I was a grunt in the Marines and then a social worker for 7+ years before I went to nursing school. I was 34 when I graduated and went straight into an ltc job right after nclex. I've had to put up a little with the stereotypes, usually an old guy askin me why Im a nurse, and I tell em cause thats where the women are! But my favorite is that a lot of my residents think I'm an MD! I can get things done. Haha. If thats what you wanna do and cant get it outta your head, then do it! Good Luck with whatever you decide. Semper Fi!

We know we are nurses! it grates me at times too, but whatever!

I believe I may be the OP!? LOL! Sounds just like my facility! we were low on census so they started taking whatever they could get. My hall has the most pts, as always, just got a new one today. I havent been this stressed for awhile. Acuity goes up and staff gets cut. Good game plan. I feel for ya original OP! :)

Ask MY residents if Im a real nurse! We L's (in LTC) do everything an R does except iv push lasix and dc piccs. And responsibility? Im charge for 3 halls. Been a nurse for about 8 1/2 months. I have an L with years more experience and a new RN that I, ME, am in charge of. Yeah, we are "real nurses". Don't let anyone ever say different.

Have a friend in Colorado with her ASN and is working at a dr office cause the hospitals in her area only hire BSN's! I resigned from my CNA job and got my LPN job the same day.

Semper Fi corpsman!

WooHoo! lets go! LOL!

If you cant handle stress, look elsewhere.

I'm with ya!

Dude, I did plumbing/hvac for a bit. I was in the Marine Corps for six years (infantry), was a farmer growing up, did a carpentry apprenticeship, got a BA in behavioral and social science and then became a nurse. No regrets here. We need more guys in the profession, cause being the only male nurse at my facility makes me the target of every single nurse, cna, 95 year old dementia lady, etc. LOL! Good luck.

To continue on Dajulieness' post. Intakes, discharges, trach care, suctioning, I n O catheters, replacing a g-tube with my don, helping your cna's, moving tv's for residents, lots of documentation, IV's, hmm, trying to think of what else I did today. Oh yeah, colostomies and urostomies. Answering lights, getting ice, trying to ignore the dementia resident that sits at your med cart mumbling about stuff. Don't get me started on the prn narcs! lol. But my facility is very high acuity, so may not be like that everywhere. Its a wonderful way to start as a nurse. You learn a lot really quick! Good luck to you, hope this helps and doesnt harm.

How crappy! Why dont people realize we in ltc do more and learn more, and with less, before 7 am than most do in a week! lol. good luck to you.

The alarm on the vent was sounding in the room, just not the non functioning one in the hall that can actually be heard. And gee! I sorta know what the procedure is for a vent pt when you have to do cpr. My RT was at bedside when I arrived and said he was disconnected from his vent when she came in. Going to the hospital to see him today. LTC baby!

Xkimmie518x, good question. Yes we do but the alarm in the hall wasnt working, just the one in the room. Sorta SOP at this place. Just thankful the rt was checking as she always does. Otherwise woulda turned out a bit different. Maggie sets up a workstation in the hall with our vents for that very reason. all about the bottom line. If it aint workin, dont fix it. sad but true.

Why is it not the same with a female examining a male though?