ksrnstudent

The GPA isn't the only thing BCC looks at. They also look at the entrance test scores as well. I know that the LPN's who came into my class had pretty high GPAs (3.6 and above from what I heard). I would say give the nursing department a call and ask those questions. BTW, the college also has an online program now for entering LPNs that you might want to check on. They just started taking online students last Fall. This might have changed the GPA/entrance scores to make it easier to get in. Once again, I would recommend calling and asking. Good luck! I think it's a great program! Sherri BCC Graduate May 2005

I know MO requies a fingerprint card before they will issue you a license. The fingerprint cards can take 12 weeks or longer. I am a Kansas GN who applied for MO licensure only to find out the 90 days I'm elligible to work in MO as a GN may be in jeapordy b/c of the fingerprint card. Last week I finally decided to transfer everything back to KS and sit for my NCLEX exam there. So, long story short is get your fingerprint card out of the way now and expect a LONG wait!

Hello everyone! I graduate from an ADN program in Kansas on May 14, and I have excepted a position in Butler, MO. This is the same hospital I was born in! I'm very excited to return to my roots and be near my mom again. My new job starts May 16, two days after I graduate! Sherri

jzprple, I can tell you the pay will vary for a GN between $15-17/hr base plus shift diff. The VA pays higher than the other hospitals. Wesley pays somewhere between $15-16/hr. Via Christi pays $16.25/hr. The one thing you need to consider when moving here is if you can afford to not have a full-time job. I have been told by numerous nurses in various hospitals here that even though they were hired on as full-time, doesn't mean they will get the hours. Most nurses have 2 or 3 jobs in this market to make ends meet. As far as best place to work, well this is just my opinion but I like the Via Christi hospitals. I have done clinicals in all of the hospitals in the Wichita area, and I can tell you they are better. Wesley Medical Center is okay, but I wouldn't work there b/c of staffing, treatment of their nurses, lawsuits, etc. The Robert J. Dole Memorial Hospital is okay. It has problems, too but mostly with management. The one good thing I will say about the VA is they have excellent benefits and guarantees the nurses they will not be called off if census is low. You will be guaranteed your hours there. However, you may end up floating to a different department or working as an aid if needed to keep these hours. I will be graduating in May, and I will not be staying in the area. I'm not trying to be negative, but the nursing shortage here seems to be in areas other than hospitals. The benefits aren't near as good here as they are in other areas of the country like the east and west coasts. Good luck in your decision. If you do happen to move here, PM me and I'll give you some information on the better areas of town, schools, etc.

Twarlik, I used to live in the Portland, OR area a few years ago. What I can tell you is that Vancouver, WA competes with the Portland, OR area for nurses since it is right over the river. Pay is $23 and change base plus shift differential. Here's their website: http://www.swmedctr.com/ I have looked at their jobs online, and mostly I see med/surg or telemetry positions available for new grads. I don't know what area you are interested in, so you might want to call them. Renting can be reasonable in some areas, while high in others. The cool thing I like about Washington state is there is no state income tax (like FL) and Oregon has no sales tax. So, you can live in WA state and drive across the river to Janzen Beach in Oregon and buy all of your stuff. I love the area and wish I was back! Crime rate is fairly low, weather can be good or bad depending if you like rainy winter months. The pacific ocean is COLD, so don't expect to go swimming once you get here without a wet suit! LOL Great recreational activities, lots of hiking, skiing, etc. Portland has wonderful shops and I love the MAX lightrail. I could go on and on... :) Good luck and let me know if you have additional questions.

Betty, I currently attend Butler of El Dorado. I will graduate in May with my ADN. The college has an outstanding pass rate for those taking NCLEX-RN. It is one of the better nursing programs in the state (I'm not just saying that because I go there)! If you are an LPN, which I suspect you are by your screen name, Butler now has an online LPN-to-ADN program that you might want to check out. You wouldn't have to drive all that distance to get your education. PM me and I'll give you a couple of contact names for the program. As far as cost, tuition is approximately $55 a credit hour. You can contact the financial aid department and get the appropriate paperwork started for federal loans, grants, etc. Go to Butler Community College's website at: http://www.butlercc.edu. I am getting my education paid for through WIA (Workforce Investment Act). They pay for my tuition and books. I also applied for federal loans and received some grant money to help offset my living expenses while going to college full-time. It's not a lot, but something is better than nothing. I have heard that WIA is no longer picking up tuition, but that is only what I've heard. You might want to check them out in your area. Do a search on the Internet. Also, to help answer your opening question about comparing colleges, go to the Kansas Board of Nursing's website http://www.ksbn.org. Click on Education Division and you should be able to see statistics on pass rates for all colleges in Kansas. Hope this helps! Like I said, PM me if you need more info!

Portland also has an RN-to-BSN program through Linfield College. Here's there website: http://www.linfield.edu/portland/nursing/index.html You can go to classes at their campus or do their online program. The college is located in a great area of town, too! The street trolley runs right next to it. It is a very hip area with a lot of shops. It is right across the street from Good Samaritan Hospital (part of Legacy). Here's the hospital's website: http://www.legacyhealth.org/ I lived there for a few years in that area of town and loved it! I hope to return soon. PM if you have additional questions.

Yes, it is very much like 8th grade math. I'm not joking! No word problems at all. You will see math problems where you need to add decimals together such as 123.45 + 6.789. You will need to know percentages such as 25 is what % of 145, etc. The only thing I worked on was my speed. I practiced the sample problems in the book and timed myself. That's all I had to do. The other part of the NET is on reading. There's really nothing you can study on the reading section. You might want to practice answering questions and time yourself, but really don't sweat it! My overall score was a 90. 99 is the highest you can get on the test. If you have addition questions, feel free to to post or send me a PM.

I took the NET test a couple of years ago. The math is really easy. It is decimals, fractions, percentages, addition, and very basic algebra. I bought a book at my college's bookstore to help me prepare. Don't get hung up on the algebra. There are only 10 questions and they are simple such as: x + 10 = 14 I'm not sure what the name of the book was that I bought, but you might want to check with your college bookstore or on amazon.com. Good luck!

I hope you get the job you want at St. Luke's. I have heard only great things about them. KC is a nice town with great restaurants, culture, and people. I wish you the best of luck! Keep us posted on your progress.

Sippy, I'm currently in an ADN program close to Wichita and will graduate in May 2005. I took my prereqs in Spring '03, and started the nursing program in Fall '03 of the same year. At my college, the prereqs for the RN are the same for LPNs because all students start as RN students. Only after completing two semesters (half of the program) are we allowed to sit for LPN boards. This is completely optional. However, after the two semesters you can either continue for two more semesters and get the RN, or stop with your LPN. I would recommend going for the RN, especially after working as a new LPN now. There's so much more you can do as an RN that you can't do as an LPN. RN's are also paid better. I don't know if this is true in other states, but here in Kansas if you are an LPN you will most likely be stuck working in LTC. The hospitals around here don't hire very many LPNs and they won't put them in area such as ICU (which is where I would like to be eventually). I hope this helps! Feel free to e-mail me if you want additional information. Oh, by the way, don't let your age discourage you. I have a classmate that will be 60 when we graduate next May!

I just got back from talking to the director. She is a very sweet woman! She gave me a hug and told me that everything was fine. She read the incident report and talked to the RN on duty that night. She has recommended that I stay on orientation for a few more weeks. We discussed my medication error and she told me to just make sure I look at the medications carefully. She also said the RN now has keys to the medication cart and it is her responsibility to put up the narcotics when she signs for them, not me. Anyway, she said the night shift RN reported that it was a very quiet night...they all slept like babies! As far as pay, they are supposed to get this whole mess taken care of for me. I guess students get paid according to the number of credit hours they have earned in school so far. Has anyone ever heard of this at other VA's?

You are a little thick! She has done it MORE THAN ONCE! My error was a mistake; the other LPN did it intentionally. You don't simply make an error by putting your hand into a patient's drawer, taking out a medication, and popping it into you mouth and do this twice in one week, for God's sake! My "mistake" has already been reported. An incident report was completed. I really question your safe practices as a nurse! Just to help you out here, here's the definitions for error and intentional from http://www.dictionary.com: intentional - Done deliberately; intended error - An act, assertion, or belief that unintentionally deviates from what is correct, right, or true; The condition of having incorrect or false knowledge; The act or an instance of deviating from an accepted code of behavior; A mistake. I think you're just trolling this site to get into an arguement this evening because you have nothing better to do. With that said, I have nothing more to say to you.

Merlyn, Thanks! You answered my question I feared most; my license. It's a relief to hear what others have been saying. I like your Sixth Right: Relax. I will remember that!

jaimealmostRN, Your quote: "Obviously tylenol LPN was probably wrong but maybe she's been there for 20yrs and knows something this student does not. We have a lot to learn from our preceptors and more expirenced coworkers." So as inexperienced nurses we should overlook anything the experienced nurse does because they know more? I think not! What about the nurses who intentionally take narcotics for their own drug habits? What about the "Angel of Death" nurse who killed all of those innocent patients? Now, most nurses would NEVER do those things, but there are exceptions to the rule and one never knows who is honest and who is not just by looking at them. And to correct you, this LPN has been there a little over 2 years, not 20. I haven't been bashing experienced nurses at all. In fact, I know quite a few nurses that have over 30 years of experience that are awesome and I tell them such! The opening question I had is what would other experienced nurses out there do. And to follow with that was a more serious question about a medication error and my license. Your quote: "ps. diverting meds is obviously wrong but having a simple one to one with the LPN may have cleared things up quickly-maybe the floor stock was out, maybe her only other choice was to leave the OP alone for the night unless she got some relief)." Obviously you didn't read what I said about confronting the LPN nor did you read that stocked Tylenol was not out and she had the choice not once but twice to do the right thing. The stocked tylenol was only two drawers down from the patient's drawer. I considered this an ethical question. I guess I feel a little defensive when someone attacks me and calles me "holier than thou" when all I simply needed was some advice. The issue at hand isn't about attacking others and name calling, the issue now is about my medication error. Yes I made a mistake, but it won't happen again! It was a huge learning experience for myself. Maybe something said on this board can be a learning experience for you, too!

ERslave, "FYI: whoever signs for the medicines (especially narcotics), should be the one to put them in the cart." What you just said made a light go off for me. When I informed the RN that the narcotic was off, she freaked out about it as much as I did. She angrily stated that she should have done it herself instead of letting me do it. I thought she was just angry...I had no idea that the one who signs should be responsible in putting them up. Wow, does this mean she could get into trouble? I hope not, she's a very nice nurse.

earle58, The RN on second shift signed the narcotic sheet and so did the pharmacy tech who brought the meds in. I didn't, nor did another RN because we were the only two nurses working that shift. I know it's a huge medication error, but what is going to happen to me? Is this going to jeapordize my career? Do I need to obtain legal counsel? What should I do? I feel so bad! I was trying to do my best and obviously I didn't.

cannoli, To answer your question, I gave at least 2 Tylenol (or what I thought was Tylenol) and the new RN on second shift gave a couple herself. So, we both did!

Nurse Ratched, Sorry for the confusion. I am an LPN. When I called the VA and asked about student nurse tech positions, they told me they didn't have anymore openings. I opened my big mouth and said I was elligible to take NCLEX-PN during the scope of the conversation. The recruiter told me that they only had an LPN position in the nursing home area. She told me it would be great experience and that I would get to float to different departments, so I took the position. When the lady from Leavenworth called to offer me the job, she quoted me $23,002/yr, which is roughly $11.05/hr. When I started in the nursing home area, I was told I would not get to start IV's, etc. like the nurse techs do because I was an LPN even though I'm still a nursing student. So basically I do some dressing changes and pass meds. The only time I have administered meds was during my first two semesters of nursing school with my clinical instructors watching. I don't even chart like the nurse techs do, so I feel like I'm getting no experience and I'm putting my license in danger. And there's no way I will get to go to another floor because the nursing home is so understaffed! I told the recruiter in the interview that my goal was to get critical care experience; after I started, I found out they won't put LPN's in that department. What I have found out is SNT get paid $11.50/hr plus shift differential plus 1 1/2 times pay for working over 8 hours during a shift. When I went to HR and asked about my status last week, the manager said I wasn't eligible for OT or benefits because I was classified as Intermittent (PRN). Well, the nurse techs are intermittent as well! So, you can imagine what a blow it was to look in the computer the end of this week and see I was only paid $9.30/hr. Oh, and by the way, SNT's are STILL needed in our unit! That's why I said I feel like I have been lied to at every turn. But the most upsetting is the error I made last week. I don't know what will happen to me over this. I fear I will not be able to return to school if a complaint is submitted with the state. I'm by no means dumb, either. I am the top student in my class! I'm just very depressed over all that has happened and really question if nursing is what I should be doing. My husband tells me maybe I should look at a real hospital position as a nurse tech instead of working at the VA nursing home. I don't know yet what I will do.

Hi, everyone! Thanks again for the comments. I kept my mouth shut about the other LPN. However, I have an even BIGGER problem now! A couple of nights ago I was working second shift. When I walked in, I was told that I was the only LPN scheduled to do med passes until 8pm. I freaked out! I am still on orientation and don't feel comfortable passing meds to over 40 patients. I discused this with the RN on the shift, and she told me the charge said that 5pm med pass wasn't a big deal and that I could do it on my own and that only insulins she would need to help me with. Anyway, the shift progressively got worse! I found out that I was only paid $9.30/hr instead of $11.05/hr I was quoted. (The student nurse techs get $11.50/hr and I was told when I was hired that they didn't have anymore student nurse tech positions, which was a lie.) Anyway, I was breaking up tylenol in the generic drawer when the RN came into the med room and dumped a pile of pills on top of my cart and told me to put them up. I did, but what happened is that I accidently put the Lortab 5's in the Tylenol drawer! At the end of the shift I was doing a count on the narcotics, and noticed 30 Lortabs were missing. The RN freaked out, as I did too. Only when I got home did I remember my steps during the evening and immediately called them on the phone. I asked if they would check the Tylenol drawer. They were there! BUT...5 were given out as Tylenol. I have been so upset this weekend I haven't been able to sleep. I've done nothing but cry over the past couple of days. Yes I agree I made a HORRIBLE mistake, but I was trying to hurry and get all the meds in the cart so I could start my 5pm med pass. Also, this was the first time I have ever filled a cart with narcotics. I don't want to go back out on the floor next week as an LPN because I don't think I am safe to do so yet. Can I get into trouble with the state over this? I certainly don't want to lose my license as an LPN because I still have 9 months before I become an RN. This would be horrible!! I feel like the VA has lied to me every turn. I plan on going in on Monday to speak with the director about this. I really think I would be better off in a SNT position, not an LPN position while I'm finishing school. But part of me wants to get as far away from that place as possible...

Thank you for the responses. I feel like the majority of you...I would bring my own NSAIDs before reaching into a patient's drawer. I feel very uncomfortable with the idea of even taking stocked meds like Tylenol even if they are not assigned to a particular patient! Yes, the patient DOES pay for the medications. The way it is set up here, the pharmacy stocks meds each shift. If we have a med we need to give and is not in the drawer, we document it into the computer as a missed med and pharmacy sends more. I had a missed med last night for a patient at dinner time. Fortunately it was only Coumadin. By the way, last night I was on my own during dinner time med pass and didn't have to share the key with the other LPN. When the night shift LPN came on duty at 8pm, my drug count was perfect. Next week I will be completely on my own since I will be off orientation. I'm hoping I won't have much to do with the LPN in question. I also took everyones advice and kept my mouth shut for now. If I see a pattern, I will certainly say something in the future. On a lighter side, there was a different RN that filled in for second shift last night. She most usually works day shift. The two of us hit it off great! She showed me how to do more things that I haven't been taught yet in school. She really took me under her wing and I was so grateful! Anyway, I'm thinking of switching to day shift hours on the weekends during school to be with her. She even suggested it.

Our nursing manager over the unit just excepted a position with another unit, so right now we have no one in charge. What I don't understand is why this LPN wouldn't get Tylenol out of the general box on the cart that's not assigned to any patient. I even made that comment to her last night. She said Mr. X's Tylenol is stronger and that her leg hurt. The other LPN working with us last night even got it out of his cart and handed it to her! I worry that if she does this that she will do the same with narcotics and/or other prescription drugs. I'm watching carefully because I sure don't want a narcotic error on my shift since the two of us are sharing the same key to the cart.

Hi everyone! I'm a nursing student and brand new LPN working for the VA hospital. I am training with an LPN right now and I'm a little concerned. I have watched two nights now when the LPN I was working with took an extra strength Tylenol out of a patient's medication drawer for herself. It wasn't a narcotic, but I'm still concerned. I work in the nursing home area where there isn't a Pixis; just a medication cart with drawers for each patient. The LPN is tight with the charge nurse. Would you say something? HELP!

I knew you would! Congratulations! :balloons:

Betty, I took my NCLEX-PN test two weeks ago. My computer also shut off at 85 questions. I passed! Don't worry, 85 is a good number. You should be able to review your results online by tomorrow. I took my test on a Monday at 9am, and on Wednesday at exactly 9am I was able to see my results. So whatever time you started your test should be the time you review your results. Good luck and let us know tomorrow how you did.