Peds_Nurse

As others have mentioned, you need to know weights, med calculations are primarily based on child's weight. General things you might be asked would be how to answer the "New Mom" questions, how to triage pediatric patients, (fevers, rash, etc. ) What types of nursing measures would you do if a child has a fever, rash, fussy behaviors, etc. Not medicate, but what "nursing" could the parent do until seen by a physician. Could be scenarios about breastfeeding, Mom's diet, etc. How to answer the diaper rash question or if the child may have ingested medication, signs of overdose, poisioning. Just remember that the pediatric patient is not a "little adult" but have their own physiology and you'll do fine. Good luck!

Agree...If you don't like the responsibility, long hours, hard work, understaffing, etc. etc. of nursing, then you are in the wrong field. What you describe is typical of LTC and hospitals won't touch a new nurse, they have many qualified nurses with more experience to pick from. Also, doctor offices and clinics won't hire a new nurse, because you're expected to know what you're doing and hit the ground running right out the gate. Most require minimum 1-2 years experience. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but if you want to be a nurse, stick to the LTC facilities until you get more experience and then you can try other areas. Another thought is maybe home health, they might not take you full time, but you might be able to work 2 part time jobs, one at LTC and the other at Home Health. Worth a try. Good luck.

I agree with pink nurse...You must look beyond your zipcode and be willing to relocate a smaller, more rural community if you expect to work. The cities are flooded with new graduates and they graduate all year long, so your chances are pretty slim unless you "know" someone or have a relative working at a facility. I graduated 2 years ago in San Jose, Ca and the first thing I did was move to a rural community and within a month of getting my license, I had several job offers and have not been out of work since.

Run as fast as you can! That office sounds like a train wreck waiting to happen and I'd hate to see a new nurse get thrown on the tracks. Because, YOU ARE the nurse!

If you live in LA, then just look at some of the smaller communities and towns outside of that city. It might sound funny, but take out a road map and look at towns out from where you currently live or look in an area you've always wanted to move to. I always wanted to live in where the big redwoods are in California, so I moved north and just did some exploring online, getting some names of facilities and then just went to their website to see if they were hiring. It takes some researching and lots of time online on websites, but it can be done. Good luck!

OK, so I understand that this is the "norm" for most assisted living places, however, as Hannah mentioned, she fears for her license. I, too, work in assisted living, but the facility is also sub-acute care with a high level of surgical wound dressings, the acutity level is very high, not many are stable and we handle hospice, so that means family issues, etc. We also do MD orders, phone, etc. Isn't there some type of guidelines with the state board of nursing or a federal guideline to prevent these facilities from "raping" the nursing staff and forcing them to work at this pace?

I can tell you at 55 yrs young, I changed to LVN here in California and am so happy. I always wanted to get into health care, but wasn't able to until now. So...You're never too old to change careers or to learn. As an LVN in CA, I can't address your location, just be persistent and I've learned that many facilities will take you because of your LIFE experience and the ability to relate more to the patients and maturity level. It won't matter that you're a new grad, if you go in with a can do attitude, they'll hire you. Good luck!

I don't know where in CA you're located, but I agree with Dogwmn...You need to expand your job seeking area to outside of the cities. I was a new graduate, moved to a rural area and there are tons of LVN jobs where I live. It's not just here, but rural areas are needing nurses badly across the country, it's the cities that can pick and choose, where the LVN prospects are not as great because the cities are flooded with new LVN and RN graduates. Also, beef up that resume, you did clinicals, right? That's experience! Don't sell yourself short. Get letters of recommendation from your instructors, that always helps. Good luck and don't get discouraged. Jobs are out there.

Just go to your state board of nursing and look for the approved schools list. It will give you all the schools and colleges they accept. Good Luck!

$21.60 SNF, Northern Cal

anywhere from 24-35 on the 2-10 shift with med pass and treatments, charting, admissions, etc. And, usually 2-3 CNAs to help with keeping the patients occupied and will do my vitals for me.

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The same thing was almost tried on me when I first started. What I found was the more experienced nurse would count very fast with me and I finally told her to stop and slow down because I needed to make sure I was doing the count correctly. It sure saved me because I found that 3 narcs had not been signed out by her and it was caught during our count before I accepted the keys. I know your case was the other way around, but I would still make sure you take your time when counting and if you're not sure, then ask to see the card (or whatever) the narc is on to verify. Good luck.

Hang in there! I've been on my first nursing job for about 8 months in a long term care facility. At first, I didn't think I could do it either, I felt very overwhelmed with all the paperwork, TX, Med passes, etc. etc. But, after about 3-4 weeks, I noticed that I was doing the med pass more smoothly, the TXs were going quicker, paperwork went easier, etc. Now, I feel more confident in my abilities and have grown skills as I learn each of my residents likes, dislikes, and their behaviors. It does get better, believe me, it does. Stick with it, it's so worth it when a resident looks at you, smiles, and tells you how much they appreciate what you do for them. THAT is what it's all about...The people you care for. Good luck!

I graduated in November 2009 and have been working as an LVN since March of this year. I love my job, the hard work, long hours, and grueling pace was worth it. Although, at the time, I wanted to quit so many times, but stuck with it. 1. What was your favorite class in nursing school and why? I loved Pharmacology and Psychology. There is so much to learn, the math is pretty straight forward (make yourself a note card) and you will find out you will use the information about drugs on a DAILY basis once you are working. Try to relate things, not memorize, it's easier. 2. What was your worst class and what tools did you use to help you pass? I don't like peds or OB. I have no desire to work in this area, so had no real interest. Besides, everything changes (meds, labs, vitals, etc.) when it comes to kids. 3. How many hours per week did you study? Figure on for every hour of class, you will study at least 2-3. You will be tired! You will be cranky! But, you will learn lots. Set yourself a study schedule and stick to it. 4. Do you have any children and how was that like while being in nursing school?(I have a small child) No children at home (I'm 56), but you need to ensure you have someone that will be able to help you with your child. When the child is sick, winy, etc., you need to FOCUS on nursing, so make sure you have a support system to take over the mamma for a while. So many of our students missed alot of class because of sick kids, and they paid for it! 5. What was your overall experience? LOVED IT! It's HARD work, no two ways about it! You will be tired, you will ask yourself why you started this, you will want to quit, you will want to just stay in bed with the covers over your head...But, stick with it, get up, put on that uniform, and work hard. The rewards are so worth it! Good luck!