blondiii

Thanks mamason.

My brother-in-law died on Saturday. The infection in the wound was a contributing cause. Thank you all for your input. What a sad time we are having. He was only 51 years old.

Thanks! I will have my sister call his surgeon.

Hi nurses, Last Friday my brother-in-law had a colectomy (the surgeon removed @12 inches) due to scaring and stricture of his colon from radiation therapy he had about 20 years ago. He has no colostomy bag. He was ICU until Monday. Also on Monday the bandage was removed from the incision line. There was no drainage from the wound on Tuesday, when I visited him. However today there was some seepage, which dripped when he walked around the halls. He also has a tendency to touch the incision line, like a fascination with it. I am an LPN, not an RN and not much experience with wound care, other than during my clinicals. None of the staff pays much attention to the clear drainage, but don't you agree it should be covered with a bandage?

I hope you passed and am excited for you! Keep us posted!

Hi. In Aug. 2005 I graduated from our local college in the PN program. November 2005 I received my nursing license. From the time I passed the state boards I've done a little reading everyday (very little, ok, only about 3/4 of 1 book about critical care, RN level) and a lot of vacation down time. eek, today I started some serious reading of a condensed type of LPN book (Lipcott & something), to find that I need some serious brushing up. Next week I have an interview at a rehabilitation center. (I would call it a nursing home.)The center is about two blocks from my home, extremely convenient and somewhere I'd like to work. I don't want to blow it. Can anyone be so kind as to suggest some questions the interviewing nurse might ask me as well as some questions I might ask? Thanks. I'm 53 and am scared to lose my skills. Want to work ASAP.

Hi. I took the state boards last week and the computer shut off at 85 questions. I passed, thank God. Let us know how ya did, kj.

I'm so happy! It was hard work. I studied heavily this past month...the Saunders guide, CD's and Kaplan's online tutor/question series for future LPN's. Just to let y'all know that my hard work paid off.

I don't know, but my scenario is almost exactly the same as yours, except I haven't worked as a CNA. I don't think I'll pass, at least not the first time. I'm enrolled in the Kaplan online question series, and have about a 61% average so far. Let us know how you do on your state boards. The important thing to me so far with these practice questions is to carefully read everything, twice at least, very carefully. That's my own MO. What p's me off the most is the way the math calculations are worded...different than what I had studied so many million times. I'm also listening to the http://www.eriworld.com audio series. Still, nothing beats your experience as an assistant. Good luck!

Watsurf, You are frustrated over this. Man, a guy in our LPN program had an accident and got amnesia, yes amnesia, and in the second semester! The instructors worked with him on make-up's, re-learning about everything. He recovered gradually, graduated, and now he's in the advanced program. Some of the other students missed out on a few things, didn't graduate, but will finish a semester or two later. It's all about flexibility. You'd think nurses would be more understanding and accomodating (sp?). Well, btw, I'm 53 now, and finished in August. Yes, being older adults, we have to study harder, but we have the life experience and wisdom that enable us to help others at a deeper level, if ya know what I mean. Get well soon and get back out there.

congratulations!!!!!

Thanks for your reply, Suzanne. I will pay closer attention to the rationales. It always narrows down to two answers, and the explanations really do help, even those behind why the wrong answers are not to be selected. I intend to start studying for about a month straight, starting Sept 15th. On the Mock NCLEXPN, I did make an 83, a very rare score for me, probably just lucky, but also missed some really easy questions.

I joined Educational Resources, Kaplan, standardized tests in my PN program last year, have the Saunders guide and a couple of other CD's. On every national type of exam I make between a 60-70% in general, RARELY above that, almost like it's written in stone. Do you think I will be able to pass the state boards? Did any of you current LPN's have results this low? I finished the PN program and will take the state boards in Illinois Oct 18.

Hi, The director of our nursing program told me that test takers are sometimes given 200 plus questions in order to choose questions for subsequent NCLEXPN exams. These questions aren't even included with your overall score, but serve as a guide to compose future tests. She said not to fret about it.

Hi. I haven't spoken with our professor yet, but will let you know when I do. Some of my friends responded the same as I did.

Today we had the final exam in Mental Health. One of the questions that is bothering me until now concerns: what a nurse's first reaction should be when a client who is having a manic episode comes up to the nurse, hugs and kisses her on the mouth. She is totally taken by surprise. The options were something like this: A. Ask the patient what the meaning of this action is. B. Tell the patient this behavior is offensive. C. Report it to your supervisor. D. Document it. lol (with PICTURE???) Anyway I fussed around and changed between A & B, and finally settled on B, because I recalled something about limit setting. A is probably correct, and I know the client is sick, etc., however a physical violation like that should not go unreprimanded. Is this truly like "the client is always right?" kind of thing. I know it would be very difficult for me to think clearly enough to ask and analyze the patient's answer. I may do that AFTER telling him it was an offensive overture. Should we question and give the client the opportunity to justify all actions? I mean the whole goal is to prepare the patient for re-entry into the real world, and I think it is a normal reaction to set limits with this type of action, or it may be done again. Maybe someone with experience could explain "limit setting" to me.

A person in a managerial position (nursing or wherever) who believes her/his subordinates are "stupid," will indeed encounter a lack of motivation in the workers. The old self-fulfilling prophesy thing. It makes me very clumsy and nervous, a bumbling idiot, when I've had to be around people who think I can't do a job. I bet it is really hard to be a manager though, especially with nursing, where peoples' lives are at stake. Good luck in the future with the crew, and I hope you'll be a better captain.

Heyfiandcamy, I'm 52 and have one more semester to go to finish LPN school. The past year and a half has been fantastic. It took me a semester to finish up the prerequisites of Anatomy and Nutrition. A long time ago I took psychology, biology, college English, and I had to brush up on math in order to pass the nursing school entrance exam. The first test I flunked the math! Don't get discouraged. It is so MUCH FUN to get out there and meet and mix with people of all ages, lots of pressure sometimes but I love the clinical work, the study, everything about nursing!!! Last week I studied pharmacology to prepare for the final, with two girls who are both 21! But I have really forgotten about my age. It's just a number anyway. It may take you awhile to get your test taking skills up to par, for both the entrance and the tests after you get in. But there's never anything lost when you study. No such thing as failure when it comes to learning. :Melody:

This morning my son, A who is 18, told me something that was disturbing to him. A visited a co-worker's home last night, and their toddler (between the ages of 2 and 3) came and sat on my son's lap. The child moved his hips up and down in a suggestive way on A's lap and said, "That's what Daddy and I see on them do on the 'weiner movie.' " When my son confronted the parents about this kind of video exposure, ranted about how wrong it is and that they could get their child taken away from them when he goes to school/talks about this, the parents LAUGHED! A. said the kid made another suggestive type of motion with his hands in the course of the evening, then pointed to another visitor who was there and said that that visitor B had shown him the 'weiner movie.' I told my son he should report this to the anonymous abuse hotline, but he said after this, the parents would KNOW he was the one who had reported it. I then said that he should at least keep bringing it up to the guy, emphasize the importance of not exposing the kid to such trash. I don't know these people, and have yet to finish LPN school in August. Do you have any suggestions?

I will finish the PN studies in August, and would like to take the test in early September. Ok, I am lacking in common sense, but good with book smarts. I saw some prioritizing questions, and other than the very obvious respiration emergencies, I was dumbfounded as to which patients would be treated first. This must sound stupid, but could you throw some hints out? Thanking you in advance.

In one word, Pharmacology. Also OB is harder than it looks on the surface... lots to deal with there, double trouble. The clinical application of the classroom material was very difficult at first. Hmmm, also organizing my care between patients has been no easy task. Charting is tedious too. Hey wait, getting the assessment done in one blow was hard for me too. I kept doing one thing, going out of the room, then going back. whewww. The whole program is very satisfying though, so far. I love it. (not done yet....in August I hope) Good luck to you.

Perfect, Nurse Ratched! Just what I wanted. AHAA!!! I don't know why my other sources wanted to make it so complicated! Hugs! :)

Hi. Our present unit is on the heart, problems, etc. The professora wants us to trace the path of a drop of blood through the heart, from the superior and inferior vena cava to the aorta. Can someone please simplify this for me in a 1.2.3. manner. I know this is asking a lot, but I'd really appreciate it. It seems that every search I do goes off track. What is the big mystery? I know the parts. Or a good reference would help too. Thanking you very much in advance.

I am so happy to have been accepted in the extremely competitive program at the local jr. college, and have done very well so far. Right from the start my advisors were adding up my college credits which would apply to entry into the ADN program, when to take the test, and so on, AS IF the LPN program isn't enough! lol It's all been new to me!! Everyone & his brother tells me to "go on." Go on WHAT, I sometimes don't know what I'm studying NOW. I DO NOT WANT TO BE AN RN. READ MY LiPNS. I want to be an LPN. I'm fifty flippin two and am totally satisfied albeit overwhelmed with the amount of studying there is to do. The pharmacology is the SAME ENTIRE program which the RN's will have completed. It is very presumptious to assume that LPN's want to be RN's, like telling a teacher she has to aim to be the principal of the school, or a senator that he has to be the president, and so on. Some of my classmates are going on in the nursing program. Good for them! I have made better grades than most everyone, so it has nothing to do with that. I will be so satisfied if I pass the NCLEX-PN, then apply the complicated knowledge in a hospital, etc. But I see what y'all mean. Rude remarks are annoying. And don't disqualify your profession with "just" a ____, cause that just feeds it.

LOL@enjoying studying more than working. Something about that word, "work" gives me the shivers. So it better be fun or I'm not gonna do it. Hey, my son is an MD and he is now doing his residency in Orthopedic Surgery. He says surgery is so interesting and advised me to get a job as an OR nurse. I am 52, and should finish the LPN program in Aug, IF I PASS. Can LPN's even work in the OR? Maybe I'm too flippin old to do all that standing, but it sounds really interesting. Where do you work?