Roxyann57

Ocean County College offers the RN with associates bridge program (LPNs can test out and skip the first semester) and while you wait to get into the program you can go to KEAN university for your BSN. They link the two really easily.

I cannot comment about the financial part of your post, but I went to MCVTS from 2010-2011 for my LPN and I can tell you this school is amazing! I am not sure who the current teachers are but Mrs. ********* and Mrs *********** are amazing. I learned such an incredible amount in this school and you get so much clinical time it's amazing. They really prepare you to successfully pass your NCLEX. It's a lot of work and you won't have a life for the next 11 months but it's worth it!

My local community college offers LPN's the opportunity to test out of the 1st semester of the nursing program. You still have to complete ALL pre-reqs, TEAS test, background check, etc like all other pre nursing students. I know a few nurses who are going through excelsior but that option did not seem like the one for me.

If a patient with dementia goes in and out of being alert I usually put "able to recall name, time and place, periods of forgetfulness observed." Our facility likes us to put in quotes whatever the patient said so this could be the opportunity for you to chart subjective data to cover yourself.

I just finished my 2nd semester of pre-reqs. It is annoying to back track your classes. Although you may have done A&P with your LPN (which is what I did) I am sure you did not do any humanities or english courses. In order for you to earn your degree you need more than just the nursing classes. It is a pain but I think overall I am becoming more knowlegable in the process and am excited to start my RN. I am lucky to have tested out of the first RN semester, so I have 3 more and then onto my BSN I go!

Has anyone used https://www.aclsrecertificationonline.com for their ACLS certification? I am wondering how legitimate this website is before I fully commit to it. TIA!

I am in NJ and I make $24/hr weekdays and $26/hr on the weekends. I work the 7-3 shift normally but if I pick up 3-11 I make another $1. I have been an LPN for 3 years now. I know some RN's who start off at $25-26/hr in my facility.

When I decided to attend LPN school a few years ago I did it because I wanted a foundation to nursing. I am so happy I did it too! I have now been an LPN for 3 years and am currently finishing my pre-reqs for the RN program. I feel I have gained so much confidence and knowledge from my LPN that I would not have gotten if I just went straight to my RN.

We phased out tab alarms and bed alarms in my facility and everyone is just fine. My administraters noticed that CNAs, nurses and even activities people would just let the alarms sound and not actually address the problems as to why the patients were standing up? Maybe they need to use the bathroom or maybe they just want to stretch their legs and walk (with assistance.) Since we got rid of these alarms on my unit, I feel I am more alert to where my patients are and who is getting up. Patients will fall with or without that alarm, it is not preventing the fall, it is just a loud annoyance that scares and confuses the patients who have dementia and Alzheimer's.

I work 3-11. It's my favorite shift. I am young, single, and have no children. I can see my family on my days off/weekends off. I can sleep in or have the ability to wake up early and do things during the day and still go out after work. I know a lot of nurses I work with complain because they never see their kids or families. The evenings have a lot more families and I like it best. I've worked 11-7 and it just messes with your sleep and life. I'll only do it to cover when they need me.

I am going through excelsior. i can't do classes at the community college because i work full time. i know a few people who did the LPN-RN program and succeeded.

I work 8 hour shifts and sometimes i think it might be nicer to work 12 hours and have more days off. working 5 days a week gets annoying after a while.

UMDNJ offers IV certification. Classes usually run on saturdays. when you get certified they will tell you what you can and cannot do.

in our facility we can only borrow a narcotic if the supervisor does not have any in the back up and the supervisor has to approve. meaning i sign out the narcotic from patient A to give to patient B and the supervisor signs with me. it's our policy though. other facilities i have worked at frown upon borrowing no matter how badly the patient needs it. it just depends on where you work and what the in house rules are.

honestly you won't learn as much working 11-7 as you would working 7-3 or 3-11. you have barely any resident/patient interaction on 11-7. its mostly paperwork and just being there until the AM med pass. 7-3, 3-11 you learn to deal with more doctors, labs, supervisors, family, more medications during med pass, etc. when i was a new nurse being hired 3-11 was really great and covering 7-3 was even better. when i covered 11-7 i felt like i was just there because you need a licensed person watching over everyone. this is just my opinion and experience though.

whenever labs are endorsed to me or i receive them i always call right away. especially with potassium. it was low, doesn't matter if it's 0.2 below what is normal range. thats just me though.

when I was in LPN school I would read the chapter and highlight while reading. Take a break and go back and reread the chapter while outlining. Take a break and go back and make notecards, that way I could always have my notecards on me, basically always studying. I felt that writing the info so many times really helped it stick. You have to find out what type of learner you are. A girl a went to school with would record herself reading the chapter out loud and listen to it constantly. She was an auditory learner. Once you find what helps you you will succeed. good luck! and don't give up!

I don't think you can or should. I wouldn't because you know way more than a CNA would and you don't want to get yourself into trouble. I would contact BON just in case.

my facility is slowly switching to computerized everything. we were told it was a law that was passed that by 2013 (i think) every medical facility needs to be computerized. we are charting on the computer and thats about it for now. i'm nervous for the electronic mar but i guess we all just have to go with the flow!

We just had the state in our facility doing the yearly inspection. As per state you have to sign after you give the med, presigning is considered a short cut and you are not allowed to do this. If the resident spits out the med you sign and circle and write on the back of the mar what happened. but you don't sign before you give then go back and try to circle your signature. I am just going by what is the correct way to do it. There are a lot of short cuts I see being taken in LTC and I try not to be one of the people participating in those short cuts.

I work in LTC with 30 residents in my hallway. I read the mar and pull the med as i read the mar. i lay my meds out next to the mar and double check. i open the meds, and give to the resident, then i go back and sign. You do not sign BEFORE you give the med thats illegal. what if the resident spits it out or refuses?? I've never prepoured or presigned and I get everything done on time. Your speed comes with doing the same job over and over. You will make mistakes if you keep doing it illegally and will lose your license.

Most employers will contact your current job, mine did. They just asked my manager if he had any comments about me, he said nothing but great things. From what I understand though your current job can either say nice things or they can't comment at all.

I love my job, but after a while you seem to get bored with the same routine. Thats how every and any job is after a while. I am glad my job likes to float nurses after a certain amount of time to keep you on your toes and give you something new and different to do once in a while. Nursing homes can be as if you are in the same day, everyday. So I can see why the nurses can look like they are on autopilot. As a student you are new and excited about working with patients and helping them. When you actually get a job the newness wears off!

In nursing school i LOVED our maternity rotation, loved the clinical aspect of being a L&D nurse, etc. I always hated being in the nursing homes, especially with dementia patients. Well here I am working in a nursing home on a dementia unit. I actually love it. Didn't think I would but I have developed such great relationships with my residents. As I continue to further my education I still wouldn't mind ending up in a L&D one day.

make sure to send a thank you letter!! I got hired as a new grad, only one of my class to get a job, and I truly think it's because I played by the rules. (cover letter, resumes, dressed the part, thank you letter after the interview) good luck!