PennStudent

Hi everyone! I'm currently an LPN in PA and looking to relocate to the Phoenix area to be closer to my family. I have over five years of experience in LTC and am debating a few options. I would like to finish my associate's degree and get my RN (and ...

Wow! Thanks everyone. I think the best bet for me, it sounds, is to go out there, stay in LTC or home health, and finish working on my degree. I was checking out some of the community colleges out there. But the time I leave PA, I will have all of my...

We had one on hormones for like 2 weeks. It was basically because the family was worried about her behaviors and "hot flashes." Obviously it was ineffective as she had rapidly progressing dementia and was just peeling her clothes off inappropriately.

Dang. As a new grad in PA in LTC I started at $15/hr + $0.20 shift differential on evenings. Rotate every other wknd. I pay for my benefits and we have a 403(b). That doesn't sound too great on paper but the flip side is that I absolutely love my job...

I cried on the way home for like the first 6 weeks. That's prob not what you want to hear. It does get easier. Eventually you learn to get into a rhythm with your duties and then you can start picking up new things. Just ask a lot of questions and li...

At our facility they do. And actually, they can/do make you stay the entire shift. Leaving would be "abandonment."

I think it really depends on the LTC. At my facility, the RN's are supervisors. So I as the LPN do the meds, treatments, charting, etc for my group of Residents. If I have a fall, the RN does her assessment to make sure there's no serious injury and ...

Ah, we have a cocktail likes that but ours is BARD gel - Benadryl, Ativan, Reglan, decadron. It comes in a syringe and you put like 0.25 mL on the inner aspects of their wrists and they rub it in. It's fabulous!

I just note the condition of the dressing and of the surrounding skin, and any sx infection or c/o discomfort on my one HD cath. For an AV fistula, I note presence of thrill/bruit.

You absolutely hit the nail on the head!

This is the first I've heard of this, and when I brought this up to my nurse manager (RN) she had no idea about it. We always take telephone orders from doctors, fax them to the pharmacy, and then get whatever we need. Does someone have a link or som...

Report this immediately and then find another facility. There is absolutely no reason why anyone should be "rationed" incontinence products. Not only is this a dignity issue but she is at such risk for skin breakdown and infection.

One of the groups from my nursing class did their clinicals at an Eden facility. Their med passes are set up differently... meds are BID (or TID or whatever) and you just start whenever they wake up and go from there. It all sounds like a nice idea. ...

With so many posts about less-than-ideal long term care facilities, I just wanted to say that I love mine. I just started a few weeks ago (so maybe my enthusiasm is related to that) as a GPN on days and once I started learning the schedules of my re...

The meds in baggies is what they do in acute care around here. My facility (and I'm pretty sure all the others in this area) use the blister packs with 30 day (or 7 for Medicare) supplies. Each card has a sticker that is removed and placed on a form ...

Good point. And I'm think the slight ($8) diff in premiums is really nothing when you consider the peace of mind. Thanks!

One of the people I graduated with had two prior to even entering nursing school, and she has to go through outpatient rehab and drug/alcohol counseling and jump through a bunch of hoops before she can even be licensed. Since it sounds like yours hap...

I'm a GPN and I got a position in ltc in Meadville, PA. I consider myself lucky to have gotten that. The market is pretty well flooded w/ LPNs. I know there are always jobs posted for RN's at our local hospital, Meadville Medical Center. The hospital...

I recently graduated (LPN) and got a job in LTC. We weren't required to have insurance in school (quite frankly, that's not even something I knew existed) but one of our instructors stressed very strongly that we get insurance once we're employed. Si...

Hospitals have programs like that.

Thank you for lumping me into that group, since you know my life and situation so well. Thank you for assuming that my temporary need for assistance has been a lifetime of leeching off the system. It's a good way for you to go through life.

I'm surprised you guys wear the cap before you're official! Ours is treated like a graduation cap. Once you're officially a nurse, you get the hat. I'm excited about getting mine. I'm going to put it in a clear box and display it.

Well... safety, like safety from falls? Because that was my assumption. And teaching of what? Patient teaching... how to care for themselves?

Classroom days we wear street clothes (though I feel some people take that a little too lax and show up in sweat pants... bothers me...) but on clinical days we wear BRIGHT WHITE Landau uniforms. They're not very flattering. Button down, collared top...

Safety comes first on Maslow's Hierarchy. Edit: Wait, I just realised who posted that so apparently I'm missing something...?