NCmomof2

haha yeah I understand that feeling. Just know that you are not alone, and from the CPNE experiences I have read one of the biggest parts is managing your anxiety and having confidence in your skills. I think it would be a good idea for you to have some sort of careplan assistance (like thru a workshop or online careplan submitting for grading) just bc u have a paramedic background and probably (im just going out on a limb here) have not learned much about nursing care plans in the past. I agree with you its weird that u learn all this info in the EC exams u have to take but dont have to do any careplans until the CPNE. So good luck and sounds like u have a good grasp on your personal needs to be prepared!

The workshop i am talking about is Lynn Fredrick and her website is clinicalprepexam.com. And yes careplans are required for the CPNE. You have lab stations : IV push, IV piggyback med, IM/SQ injection, and wound care (dressing change). Then u have patient care scenarios I think 2 adult and 1 peds. U have areas of care that you must complete for ur PCS and then u have to turn in a care plan for each scenario. Believe me two months ago I wasnt exactly sure what to expect. But now I am knee deep in CPNE stuff and trying to memorize mneumonics and practice lab stations. You'll get there.

well i am in the stage you are talking about. I am studying for my CPNE right now. I live in NC so I decided because of cost and location to take Lynn's CPNE workshop in Charlotte, NC. Her workshop is much less expensive than the ones offered by EC and i have heard great reviews. Most/or many of the workshops offer like 30 days of questions and care plan submissions for review included in the price. Some students i talk to that don't have the money to travel to a workshop are doing i think its sherri taylors online workshop or robs cpne videos/dvds. I have not gone to my workshop yet, mine is scheduled for aug 4-5 but i think it will be very helpful to know what to expect for CPNE and get the practice. good luck to you and i hope that your timeline works for you. I would like to just give you an idea of what my timeline looked like so that you do not get disappointed. I finished LS3 (my last nursing exam) June 2nd. I figured that i could get my FCCA sent to me as soon as i passed, but now they have started a schedule like if u finish ur last exam by this date and apply for FCCA u will get a date in 3 weeks or something like that. So like i said i took my final exam june 2nd. I called EC and they said my FCCA date would be June 29-july 8th. So I had to wait until June 29th to get my FCCA. I finished it and sent it back and about a week later called EC and found out i Passed. While i was waiting to get my FCCA i compiled all the documents for CPNE and submitted my application. It usually takes a few weeks to find out your date. I (like you) am ready to get this done so I picked the NPAC bc they seem to have the most sites and the fastest dates available. I also picked weekday dates, cancellation dates after Aug 5th with only one week notice. So i was very flexible and willing t take most anything. I continued to check online and then about a week-10 days ago I found out I got assigned Syracuse NY Sept 23-25th. I just wanted u to have an idea of a current timeline so that you will be able to prepare. Good Luck!!

I am getting ready to take Lifespan 2, then have Lifespan 3, FCCA and CPNE left. I saw in some of the posts where people talked about having someone to study for the CPNE with (like for hands on prep work and checks offs and such) and thought it wld be great except no one I know is at the same point I am. My goal is to take the CPNE this summer (july-ish) and wanted to see if there was anyone out there that is at the same point I am and would like to study together starting...probably around April/May. I live in NC between Columbia, SC and Asheville, NC but figure I would probably settle for someone like through Skype. I also am debating on a CPNE workshop (probably Lynn in Charlotte, NC bc of location and price IF i do it at all) and wanted some guidance from others on whether it is necessary. with all the fees of CPNE and everything else, if I can save the money I want to but don't want to be sorry for not doing it...any advice is appreciated!!

Thanks LunahRN for always keeping everyone in line! Enjoy the material on this site and always find a lot of great info. Onto Lifespan 2 for me!!

I recently enrolled at EC and have been speaking with an advisor. She stated that Excelsior DOES accept Penn Foster's Information Literacy. SOO that will definitely be the route I take because it is cheaper than Excelsior's course.

near Asheville, NC new grad LPN (2 years ago) found a job easily in LTC at a SNF making $18/hr plus shift diff $2/hr for second shift, $1.5/hr third shift...same as above don't love the job but it pays the bills til I finish my RN then I will be moving on..money is good in LTC though

to tonimoss14: I am a current Excelsior student, just finished my second exam and motivated now more than ever. I am an LPN x 2 years and continue to work FT and spend time with my kids without having as much stress as traditional nursing school. I like EC and think its a great option BUT I would not recommend it to anyone that did not have clinical experience and confidence. If you are self motivated and can teach yourself, EC is a good option.

Yes I think most new grad nurses who start in LTC wonder--am I crazy? The first few weeks you probably WILL stay late, I know I did. I started out almost 2 years ago at the facility I currently work at. It still is a heavy workload and overwhelming at times. My patient load is 35-40 patients with a med aide. But I am getting really good Geri-psych experience and great time management skills. I will take them with me when I get my RN and move on. Just take it one day at a time, try not to let yourself stress too much and remember that you can learn from anything.

I am currently attending Excelsior College, which is a totally online self paced program. You can do it as fast or as slow as you want. Since you are a recent LPN grad as I am I would suggest you do not use the College Network and go through Excelsior on your own. It saves money and you can use the books you already have from LPN school to study for EC. Look into it and you can check out the sticky on the distance learning page on this website. Good luck in your search.

As a recent new grad (well may 2008) I can relate to how you are feeling. I would say it would be better for you to work at a facility (SNF or rehab) so that you have other staff nurses and supervisors available to help you if you have any questions or concerns. You will get orientation and often other training through the facility. I do not know what the economic situation is where you live, but if you can afford to pass on the home health job and look for another I think it would be seriously worth considering. But that is just my take from my experience.

hmmm.... as a new excelsior student I am concerned about what the survey means for myself and other students that are not close to graduating. I hope this does not lead to extensive changes at EC! I think the program is such a great option for those of us who cannot bc of life circumstances go back to a traditional program.

I am a new graduate LPN--graduated May 2008 and got my license June 2008. Got a job a few weeks later and have worked there ever since. It is at a nursing home--not my dream job by any means but the pay is good and I am getting experience and practicing my skills. I am going back to school to get my RN because i know this is not what i want to do forever. But it works well for me now and I am getting experience. Might think about looking into long term care or agency nursing because they have openings.

Hi everybody, looks like I joined this post a little late. I am new to allnurses.com and have found this to be a great resource. I am currently an LPN living near and working in LTC in Hendersonville, NC which is about 30 miles south of Asheville. I went to nursing school in Columbia, SC (where I am from) and graduated 1.5 years ago. I have just recently started Excelsior College's LPN to RN program and I am very excited to get my RN. I want to work in the ER or some type of acute care setting. I have a 5 year old little girl and 1 year old little boy who keep me very busy. Anyone in my area let me know it would be great to chat!

Asheville, NC area new grad LPN in LTC facility $18.50/hr base...I do Baylor weekends two 16 hr shifts=32 hrs full time with benefits. *this pay is good for LPNs in the area bc it is practically a "geri-psych" nursing home.