meadowsong

Danderson, I would check into some local long term care facilities also. You may have been "out" for a while but you do have 10 years of experience which is still invaluable. I reentered after about the same amount of time about 2 years ago and found it very easy to go back to nursing. Surprisingly easy. Just have a little bit of faith :) I believe you will do just fine!

Go for it! You will love it, there is a learning curve when starting out working with MR/DD. It seems no nursing school does a good job with covering this subject. I work in an ICF/MR for 2 years for about 14-15 clients. Each facility is very different and at ours staff did meds and most treatments. I did all injectables and more indepth treatments. I monitored their current health, attended appointments, devised quarterly reports, did a lot of staff education, ect ect ect. It was one of the best jobs I have had so far. Really enjoyed it :)

Many, many, many people go this route. It can't be all that bad :) I will be graduating this May with my ADN and plan on working while I continue to get my BSN. There are many different roads to take to become a nurse which is great because everyone's needs are entirely different. I think it has been a huge benefit to me to be an LPN first while working towards my RN. Same as how I believe it was in my best interest to be a NAR before I got my LPN. That little bit of real-world working experience helps you put things in perspective and your able to pick up little things here and there. I honestly do not find any of the school work that "hard", but it does take a lot of time and effort. It can be intense at times, but it is doable! Good luck!

Hahahaha, isn't that the truth!?!

My program is almost identical to what your speaking of. We have to also attend so many face-to-face days for mock labs, lecture, and testing days. One day a week clinical are very nice also, but it's like working another day lol. I work 1-3 days a week depending on how much help they need at work. I also have 4 children, so it gets difficult to work more than 2 days a week. I can do it, but I wouldn't want to do it every single week. It gets diffifult to juggle the class work, work, clinical, and family and if you stretch yourself too thin things will start to give. I would just make sure to discuss any potential issues with your employer so you have the opportunity to cut back if you need too. I think it is doable if you do it smartly!

Congratulations!! I wish you the best of luck :)

Like the above poster just mentioned, I find the sheer volume we cover very intimidating and we do it very quickly. Is the material hard? I don't think so. It. Is. Just. So. Much. For example, our first week back after winter break we have about 500 pages to cover in one week. I have always worked in health care. Before I got my LPN I was a CNA, so I felt I was adding knowledge to my base. Now going for my RN, I have been an LPN for many years so I feel I am just adding also. I have always thought this has been an advantage to me, I love nursing and health care so much. It's hard to think of it as hard lol :) Also a nursing exam is much different than an algebra test where there is only one answer. Perhaps the critical thinking is what some people find difficult? Adjusting to these types of tests may take a little bit of "practice" and retraining how your brain thinks. Which is why they make wonderful NCLEX study guides. Buy one or two. The Saunders Comprehensive Review of the NCLEX-RN is AMAZING and worth every penny. The concepts we learn, to me, are pretty "easy". In the common sense way. I don't remember everything and certain subjects are harder for me that others. Last semester I thrived with mental health, OB, and Peds. I didn't do as well in cardiology. Do I work hard for my grades? Absolutely. I read the material, review with different books, and study my notes. I spend a lot of time on it because I know it's important. But I won't say it's "hard". Don't get discouraged if your a new nursing student. I do believe it comes easier for some than others. I do believe it takes time and effort, but I do not believe it is undo-able. Good luck!

I did a 2-2 1/2 hour commute round trip during my LPN coursework. Now I only have about a 30 minute round trip commute for my RN. My clinical, however, are a 3 hour round trip. I think it's doable. Not always very much fun, but doable.

If it was offered to me, I would take it. It's very difficult in my area to get into the hospitals, so any extra help to get my foot in the door would be appreciated :) If you think you can juggle work with school, then it may be an option that would benefit you down the road.

I agree with everyone else, simply do not discuss the issue with them. It is unfortunate because as nurses they could do so much teaching with you. Try to surround yourself with positive people and focus your time and effort into your schooling instead. Good luck!

It will be different for each facility and what your job description states for overtime. I have worked at facilities that overtime wasn't given out unless you went over 40 hours a week. I worked many 12+ hours a day just to have longer weekends (worth it to me). My current facility starts overtime at anything over 8 hours a day, so I could work 9 hours straight with 1 hour overtime or split my shift and work 5 hours in the AM and 4 in the evening and get 1 hour overtime. Just depends on your facility.

Yes, the skin tone undies the way to go!

I always have and probably always will...........I have way too much laundry in the first place and am not willing to another load!

I have to agree with this. The majority of med errors I have encountered recently (missed medications, not doubled doses), come from this scenario. Either a splitting of a shift or someone taking over a cart without proper communication.

Minnesota and I have only heard "call-in". As in "We had 2 call-in's for tonight and now we are short staffed.".

This is my second time in nursing school First time around, my son was 1, and I drove an hour to school and then an hour home every. single. day. I worked on the weekends, nights, so was able to study during our down time. It was doable and not to terrible. This time around, I have 4 kids; 11, 7, 4, and 2. I finished up 15 credits last semester, 9 this summer, and have 13 this fall (not sure how many this spring!). I plan on going on again for my bachelors after this round of school also. My husband trucks and is gone a lot, so I feel like a single mother. It's difficult, but doable. You learn very fast that you must plan ahead and really prioritize. You make sacrifices and learn how to make the most of your free time. I make a list at the beginning of every week with every assignment and when it's due (I put the due date a few days ahead of time so I stay ahead of my work) and cross them off as I do them. It's beneficial for me to actually SEE the progress. A planner is a must, you may quickly forget when you work, when t-ball starts, or about that birthday party But it's great practice, after all quality nursing care is all about being able to prioritize! Good luck! Just know that you are not alone, I would say that 75% of my class are non-traditional students. Mothers, grandmothers, step-parents, and single parents. Get to know your classmates. You will all bring something to the table that will help out each other. Study groups with other moms are helpful also. Kids can play and moms can study.

I don't think I would ever work that many hours in a week either. I won't work over 48 unless it's a dire emergency. Sorry!

Laura, I have been told over and over by nursing instructors that some of the best nurses are their B students. I also agree that it should be hard, as a poor example, at 80% there is still 20% you didn't know. I want a nurse that is taking care of my critically ill child to have done well in school. KWIM? I guess, like many things in life there are many "gray areas" to this subject.

This is exactly the way ours is. I completely agree, I wish it was either and A or a B. I received a few 93% the first time around and it really drags down your GPA. I still think getting 93% in a class is a very good score, but it's disheartening to look at graduate schools that prefer a 3.4 GPA and how easy it is for you GPA to drop on this type of scale.

I'm still in the process of obtaining my RN, but I have a very long term goal of becoming a midwife. Since I'm in MN, I would prefer to go with a MN school and have been looking at the U of MN website. They have their programs (from what I can tell) set up as doctorate levels all ready. It looks like they have options for both a BSN and MSN. I'm not sure how it compares to other schools when it comes to length or money though. My only advice is to start researching it now. At least that is my plan :)

If your willing to relocate, Minnesota West has a fantastic program. It is where I got my LPN 9 years ago and am now going through with my RN there. I plan on getting my Bachelors from Mankato. You can PM me also if you have any questions.

I work LTC right now, I always take my lunch/supper break. Always. Would never give it up! I do not normally take my two 15 minute breaks though, I quit smoking many years ago and they really aren't important to me anymore I guess I normally have time to do them, but I just feel odd sitting there, by myself (since everyone smokes and the smell makes me sick now), so I just normally don't take any. Potty breaks, when I have to go I go. Like everyone else said, there are very few things that can not wait and it only take a few minutes. I only leave late if it's something I can not pass on, like charting that happened on my shift. Sorry, but I will pass it on, management does NOT like overtime and it's just the way it is. Every shift seems to pass something one to the other, wither it's calling family members, making appointments, or transcribing orders. Teamwork

Chiclet, I feel the same way. I feel like L&D may be a nice option for me while I continue in school, but I'm not sure if I would enjoy the politics of it because of my own beliefs.

I wish I could help you out, but I really have no idea your chances of getting in. Unfortunately, sometimes it depends on how well everyone else has done when they are applying. I think your scores look pretty well and I wish you the best of luck. The wait can be atrocious and stressful. When will you find out?

Here are some things that helped me out. I found counter pressure very effective while laboring, my midwife would apply pressure on my lower back/hip area during contractions. It was hard work for her, but very effective. Along with water and just plain and simply being left alone. I really didn't want anyone touching me (except for the counter pressure), at all, but I wanted them close by. Unlike ChayaN, smells were very upsetting for me during labor. Made me very nauseous, but I was able to laugh and joke about it right up until I started pushing. My husband was cooking sausage and eggs for our boys in the kitchen and I'll never forget how awful it smelled! I also used Hypnobirthing during my labor, which I think was very effective for myself. I thought of labor not as painful, but as progress for my final goal and tried to accept each contraction and work with my body instead of against it. I spent most of my time sitting on my floor perfectly still and quiet and I think this was because of the Hypnobirthing and my train of thought of the whole birthing process.