spooky64

I've worked in a urology clinic for 2 years. I'm now clinical supervisor so my days now are much different than when I started, but I can give you an overview of what I used to do...and sometimes still do if there's a gap in the schedule. Our day often starts at 6:30 when we: -set up vas trays -set MD up at his workstation (post his pt list, get his jacket and supplies, log him on to EMR) -room patients (vitals, HPI, update meds/allergies, urine dips, bladder scans) -take triage calls -return calls left on voicemail by patients -DMSO bladder treatments -blood draws -injections (Lupron, Eligard, Trelstar, Firmagon, XGEVA, testosterone) -assist with pelvics -cath insertions/changes including SP tubes -RX refills -call pts with lab/x-ray results -set up microscope for post-vas semen analysis -send urine for culture/cytology/fish -assist with rare in-office cystoscopies -set up for Testopel insertion I've been known to get out as late as 8 pm, but that's not the norm. We have our own surgery center so most of our procedures are done there. Our days are busy, but rarely boring. :)

Great!! Thank you very much!

Thank you! Do the community health clinicals last the entire semester? I'm trying to figure out how much time I would need to take off work for that semester. How many hours of clinical time is needed for that semester? Sorry to be a pain. I did a ton of research on the school, but this didn't come up in my research. I thought all clinicals were at the very end of the program and so this has come as a surprise . Thanks for your help.

Hi there! I am a clinical supervisor in a large urology practice. I supervise 3 offices staffed with MAs and LPNs. We only have one other RN and she is responsible for patient calls for 1 of the offices. I agree that RNs should play a supervisory role in such a setting. Before I became supervisor, I worked alongside the MAs doing the exact same tasks. I'm actually feeling stretched thin and ineffective at the moment. I do feel there should be more regulation for MAs.

Hi there! Could someone give me an idea of how the Community Health Practicum works for Frontier? I've been researching this school for several years and will be applying to the FNP program next month. I understand that the clinical portion of the program is completed at the end and that I will need to find my own preceptor for this. However, I'm not sure what is required for the Community Health class at the end of the bridge portion. Do I find a preceptor for this portion and how many hours do I spend with the preceptor? I need to work full time until I hit the 675 clinical hours at the end. Thanks! Chris

Hi, there! I'm Chris! Where are you in Ohio? I'm from the Cincinnati area. I understand your frustration about finding an office job as a nurse. I'm an RN. I worked in urgent care for 4 years and LOVED it. I started as registration while in LPN school. I cross-trained to MA duties within several months. Once I got my LPN license I was already in full swing (coding, registration, back office duties). I had my GXMO. It's a general x-ray license. I imagine it would only come in handy in the urgent care or orthopedics setting. When I got my GXMO, it required a 2-day class and a test. I think things have changed with the advent of digital x-rays. I left the urgent care to find a more flexible job to complete my RN education. I now work in a urology office, but miss urgent care desperately. I know our company hires LPNs. As far as LPNs vs. MAs: MAs do not have the clinical experience and critical thinking skills you've been taught. They're appealing to offices, though, because they aren't paid as much. I have worked with some awesome MAs, but they aren't trained as nurses. Frustratingly, many offices (mine included) refer to all of us as nurses. I've been called an MA on multiple occasions as well by both MAs and doctors . I'll be happy to answer any questions I can. Best of luck in your search. Chris

I have always changed my needles after drawing up a med. On the couple of occasions I have used the same needle, I found the needle harder to advance when giving an injection. I noticed that I caused more pain when using a duller needle. I worked at an urgent care and one of the doctors there disapproved of changing the needle, saying that he was concerned about the patient not getting the full amount of med due to some med remaining in the throwaway needle. I still changed them though. I don't like to cause undue pain! Chris

Hi there! I have been an independent provider since June. I have to say I'm not enjoying it so far It is true that a LOT of listings are for PCAs on the ohcp website. I have had some less than stellar experiences to put it mildly and I've only been an independent provider since June. I would enjoy visits MUCH more than private duty, I think. I would like the variety and flexibility of home care visits. I am currently working toward getting my RN and I'm hoping to have more opportunities then. However, I'm terrified about not being able to find a job as an RN because of the apparently over-saturated nursing market. I know being an independent provider will be a possibility whether I'm an LPN or an RN, but I'm just not happy being a private duty nurse right now. I hope things get better for you! I wish you the best of luck. Chris!

I hope the get into the LPN-RN bridge program at Miami this summer. The wait has been agonizing. I dreamt they rejected me by email last night. I have good grades on all my pre-reqs, but I know the program is competitive and there are a limited number of spots for the bridge program. Anyone here do the bridge program or know any particulars about it? I'm taking Micro this coming term and that will be my last non-nursing class. Thanks! Chris

Hi there! I'm an LPN of 3 years. I have worked in an urgent care for almost 4 years. I recently quit my job (am having a very hard time finding another). I applied for a position as an ED tech for a new hospital that's opening in January. I've read many of the posts in this forum regarding ED techs and the more I read, the more I know this would be a wonderful opportunity for me. I have experience with vital signs, blood draws, routine labs(urinalysis, strep and mono tests, fingersticks), splinting, x-rays. This has been my job description for the past 4 years and I would love the opportunity to work in the hospital setting. I'm working toward my RN and will graduate in 2010 if I'm accepted into the LPN-RN bridge program...have all my pre-reqs done). My question is, do you think the LPN license would be an hindrance in getting a postion as an ED tech? The only LPN positions in the hospital call for telemetry experience and I don't qualify. I'm looking for a chance to get my foot in the door, to work hard and learn all I can. I'm just hoping I'll be given the chance. Thanks in advance for any suggestions or comments you might have. Chris!

Jonathanjse...thank you for the perspective! It was great to hear what's working for you and to know that I'm not alone with that monster book! Keep up the hard work! Sounds like you're doing a fantastic job. Chris

Thank you all so much for the advice and encouragement! I will check out the resources you recommended. It would be wonderful to actually make some progress. You guys are awesome! Thanks for taking the time to help! Chris!

Right now I'm plodding through Fundamentals of Nursing..the one recommended by EC..20 chapters recommended. Its seems to be review of what was covered in LPN school..still I guess I'm afraid if I skim over some of the material, I won't do well. I also have the Peds book. I think they recommend a few chapters from that for NC1 too.

Hi there! I'm enrolled with EC and am feeling overwhelmed by the recommended reading. Anyone else having trouble getting through the reading? I spend a couple of hours reading most nights and it seems like I've barely made a dent in the chapters. I've been working diligently for the last couple of weeks. I enrolled in September, but got off to a slow start and then took a long break over the holidays. I'm hoping to be ready for NC1 in February. I know I can't rush things, but I feel like I'm not making any progress. Any advice? Anyone else feeling overwhelmed? Thanks for listening!! Chris!

I am just about to graduate from Scarlet Oaks. I have enjoyed the program, and feel well-prepared to become a nurse. I would certainly recommend it to anyone who is interested in pursuing practical nursing. Graduation will be bittersweet as I'm very ready to complete the program, but will undeniably miss some of my classmates and instructors. I attended the evening program, which is 18 months. The evening program's length allows ample time for processing all the information you learn. However, it also gives you ample time to form strong bonds with instructors and classmates. Of course, that's a wonderful thing, but it also makes graduation a bittersweet time. I will miss going to school there. It is definitely worth your while to consider this program!

I have what is known as a unicornuate uterus. Its similar to a septate uterus but only one half of the uterus is functional. The other half of the uterus is known as a rudimentary horn and is about the size of a thumbnail...so I actually have half a uterus. I also have only one kidney...this is fairly common with such uterine anomalies as the kidneys and mullerian ducts develop at the same time. I carried my first child with no trouble. She was breech, but my pregnancy was perfect in every other way. In fact, I had no idea there was anything different about me until I had my c-section. Unfortunately, my luck hasn't been the same since. I've had 2 miscarriages since. I am so thankful to have my daughter and feel extremely fortunate that I had no problems while I was pregnant with her.

ELKMN, Thanks! Sometimes grad date seems like its so far away. I graduate in early March. I am currently looking into ADN programs. Many schools will give LPNs credit for the first year of an ADN program and then you take the final year of the RN program and get your ADN..that's what I want to do. All the schools I've looked into so far require you to work as an LPN at least 1000 hours before they'll give you credit for that first year. Sometimes I think about just trying to enter an ADN program and doing both years, but I'd like to get credit for the education I'm working so hard for, plus I'm already in debt up to my eyeballs. I went to Miami for 3 years before entering this program. I needed an evening nursing program and no one around seemed to have an evening ADN program, so I chose to do the LPN route through Scarlet Oaks. I really like the program. It is an alternative high school, and it also has adult education programs. I would recommend it to anyone wanting to go the LPN route. You can contact them at (513)612-5823.

ELKMN, I'm almost half done with the LPN program at Scarlet Oaks. I'm gettin' really antsy about finding a school to go to after I graduate. Its 10 months away, but I'm trying to get my ducks in a row so I can get in as soon as possible. I haven't found a program yet that doesn't require at least 1000 hours of LPN experience before continuing on in the RN program It looks like it will be at least a year before I can continue on. Oh well, I'll bet my daughter might enjoy the extra attention during my year off from school. How are things at MSJ?

Chiming in from Cincinnati. I'm currently an LPN student trying desperately to find the best school (that doesn't require me to jump through 50-11 hoops) for my LPN to RN education. I want to do L&D, mother/baby, NICU....anything and everything in that vein...I wanna learn it all! Gotta finish my education first, though!

Hi there! I've just started my fourth week in LPN school. We've checked off on handwashing, occupied bed making, unoccupied bed making, bedbaths, applying TED hose, TPR, height and weight, positioning, peri care, mouth care, denture care, dressing residents, feeding residents, ambulation, bedpans, restraints, transfer from bed to wheelchair...this is all for the TCEP portion of our program, which is the training program for nurse aides. Toward the end of next week, we'll have our full LPN class together...including those who have already been state tested as nurse aides. I love school and am learning tons, but I'm also ready to learn more. I look forward to starting the nursing portion of our program, and also to pharmacology. I've already had a year of Anatomy and Physiology through a local university, but think I'll take it again as a refresher....I'm just ready to do more work....I just know I'll live to regret those words. Tomorrow will be my third day of clinicals in a LTCF. Its definitely eye-opening. I actually feel like I'm doing something very worthwhile and important when I'm in clinicals....as opposed to working at a convenience store on the weekends. Its hard work, and I often feel like I'm all thumbs, but I know the experience is invaluable, and hopefully, I will soon feel more at ease. So....things are going swimmingly and I'm having a great time! I hope you are too. Chris