NotFlo

I'm an LPN in CT since 2007. Attended Norwich Tech. The state ran an LPN program for decades at 10 tech school locations. Graduated thousands...every LPN I have ever worked with went there, the APRN I work with started her career at this program. It was a very rigorous, well-regarded program directly overseen by thr CT Dept of Health. Tons of classroom and clinical hours. In the interim I've worked 17 years, my license is in good standing, I've won an award or two, great career for an LPN. Moved to MA. Had a hard time getting all documents sent but finally the Cert of Grad was completed (my program closed so it was difficult to get this done). Expected a license any day but instead got a message my education doesn't meet MA accreditation standards and to kick rocks. The board sends replies to my questions that are one line and sound automated. I personally know many graduates from my program who have obtained a MA license. I spoke to someone who went to Stone Acedemay...which was so bad the state of CT refused to accept credits from it...no issue getting licensed in MA. I am having a hard time accepting this as I idiotically already moved to and bough a home in MA. Grasping at straws but asking for any advice, ideas, way to appeal, experience with this.

Any LPN here go to one of the tech programs? I went to Norwich Tech and graduated in 2007. Program was highly regarded and tun by the state. Trying to endorse to MA. Finally got Norwich Tech to send transcripts and a Cert of Graduation bit now MA says the school did not have the proper accreditation and I can't get licensed. I know people who went to the program who are endorsed to MA, I don't know if they have changed their requirements but has anyone run into this?

Yes, unfortunately. I reached out to someone I went to school with I still am in touch with who does travel nursing and she said she also has never had to provide those but jas never gotten a MA license. I filled out the app and paid the 275 fee and can't move forward due to this. I reached out to the MA board but am thinking they won't be much help. This is very unfortunate as I've already moved to MA and have a active, unencumbered license in CT.

I graduated from a state of CT run LPN program in 2007. It was an adult education program offered through Norwich Tech (and other tech schools around the state). Need to get a Mass license but these LPN programs were closed down years ago. I need not only my official transcript but a certificate of graduation signed and sealed by the program admin sent in. The school doesn't exist anymore so I'm really struggling to figure out how to get this done. Norwich Tech still exists as a high school, they couldn't find me during a quick computer search but I faxed an official transcript request and will hope they can send it. However, they were clueless about the cert of graduation. I can't be the only person who graduated from this CT program for LPNs that needs to get a license in MA, a neighboring state. Does anyone have any idea what I can do?

I'm wondering why the son even stayed in the room while his mother was put on a bedpan.

Yeah they were ridiculous. And after that when they came to get one of us for a family meeting/care conference, they would have this look in their eye (I admit I usually complained about it a lot as I was preparing to leave the unit prior to the other nurse being fired) like "just try to complain now, hah!" They kind of lorded the other nurse's firing over the rest of us after that. They were almost always at 11 am so ostensibly AM meds would be done and we would have some time before having to do the noon meds/blood glucose etc but that time from 11 to 12 would also be my time to try to whatever treatments I could, do a bit of charting, etc. (and that's if there were no falls, changes in condition or discharges). On the skilled floors we always had tons of dressings, wound vacs, traches and other things to attend to. Losing that hour would just throw off the entire rest of the day.

I work in an outpatient clinic. It's in our policy that a clinician is supposed to be onsite when vaccines are being given. It's pretty silly but if we have, for instance, a flu shot fair they come and sit in the back somewhere and do their inbox or whatever. My clinic does have standing orders, they just have a policy that a clinician is supposed to be "on site". They usually don't do anything at all related to vaccines and people certainly are not billed for any kind of doctor's visit.

Interesting story about care conferences. Years ago I was working SNF. Each skilled unit had a unit manager (like you!) who attended care conferences. However, when the unit manager was out (frequent occurrence on one unit) the floor nurses (yours truly) would have to attend the meetings. We were expected to stop our med passes, ignore any patient care that was on-going, assessments due, abandon it all and go to this meetings. I would go but let me tell you, it was really difficult. I would get so behind from having to go. One day the nurse on the other side of my unit was called to a care conference, again, and she refused. She had an admission, someone had fallen, it was just a mess, and she did not feel she could drop what she was doing and go. They let her finish the day, called her to the admin office, and fired her for insubordination that day.

It's pretty funny when I do have to room. I technically "know" all of that, I just do it so rarely I'm super slow and rusty. Figuring out which note the doctor wants (they are all different), then the wellness visits and all those questions and hearing the patient's life story when I ask if they had a fall in the past year or whatever. It's generally easier for everyone if I help the MAs with everything else when they are short instead of having me room. The day would never come when our clinicians would room though, they wouldn't know how to start their own note, document vitals or who needs PHQs etc. either. I honestly believe we'd close the clinic first.

Yeah, on top of everything else you will also find me ordering and stocking everything from toilet paper to vaccines and everything in between.

I'm sorry this has been your experience. By and large, the MAs at my primary care practice are great. I am the only nurse in the clinic. I can't remember the last time I had to room. I do make lots of appointments because I am doing telephone triage, so naturally if they need to be seen same-day, next-day etc. I am going to schedule that while I am on the phone with them.

I'm in primary care and do all the ordering for the office. Right now, the plastic forks are on backorder; the large garbage bags for our big garbage in the break room - can't get any of those. 18 gauge 1.5 inch needles are a no go. Lab can't send vacutaner urine cups, they sent little jars that look more like jelly jars than urine cups. I have no allocation left of 25 g 1.5 inch needles for some reason, have to look in to that one. Also can't get lidocaine with epi right now. That is all I can think of from my last order.

I am sure the ADN program is more comprehensive but my LPN program was a two-year program and very thorough. If you want to be an RN please do the ADN program. If you want to be a nurse, period, I would recommend the ADN program. I'm an LPN and working on my ADN right now, having to re-take A+P and micro because I waited so long to move forward (15 years). I loved the pathophysiology in my LPN program. There was a lot of it. I don't know about shorter/private school LPN programs but I don't know that there's any escape from it. It's important to know disease process. No.

Nope. Medicare does not cover Shingrix given in a doctor's office. Private insurance and Medicaid due as long as person is over 50 and over. Part D Medicare plans will cover in a pharmacy with a co-pay that varies based on part D plans. It's something like 450 bucks each dose without any insurance coverage. So weird. Just got my booster 1.5 hours ago (Moderna) and felt literally nothing during the injection. First two felt varying degrees of pain during injection, second one I think got a nerve or something as felt a sensation like electrical shock from the injection site down to fingers during injection.

I am in a role that either an RN or LPN can do. Primary care clinic. I am the only nurse in the clinic. My company has over a dozen primary care clinics in my state and some have one LPN and some have an RN. We do the same exact job. I cover for some of the RNs when they are on vacation and vice versa. The RNs performing the same duties that I do make substantially more. Being human, sometimes I feel a tiny jab of resentment about the disparity however I understand the RNs are RNs, have more education and have earned the additional pay. It does seem appropriate to me that RNs should make more.