CalledtoCare

Can you sit for the LPN NCLEX and get your LPN? At my school I think you were allowed to do that when you were 3/4 through. Good luck, I know that must be heart wrenching being so close.

I plan to get my BSN asap, but I am doing ADN first because it will be soooo much cheaper! RN-BSN bridge programs can take 12-18 months and you can work as an RN while going. Seems much better to me!

I am just a nursing student (almost done though!), so I do not have a ton of "real life" experience for you, but here are my two cents. Are you an introvert or just shy? I am kind of shy, but when I have a defined role in a situation I am very confidant and step up to the plate. If you do not like to talk to people or deal with people all day, I would say nursing is a big fat NO. You have to be able to communicate with your patients, patient's family, other nurses, doctors, housekeeping, respiratory therapy, pt, ot, etc... Sometimes you take 2 minutes to go pee and feel like it is the only alone time you have had the whole day where you have not had to talk to someone! Also, if the idea of asking someone when their last bowel movement was freaks you out... you may have an issue. Okay, negative part over. I looooove nursing school (except the part where it is really hard and I am constantly stressed out). I love learning about the body systems and disease process and I find it all totally fascinating. I get what you say about doing things that produce tangible results, although sometimes those things are monitoring how much your patient is peeing each hour because they are on a drug that can mess with the kidneys. It is not glamorous, but for some people it is so "right." I worked as a CNA and sometimes I came home thinking that my life is one big blur of cleaning up poop, but the reward of knowing the difference that I made for my patients by treating them with dignity and kindness was always worth it. There are so many different units and types of nursing that the possibilities seem endless. You can work in an ER, in an ICU/CCU, med/surg, home health, phone nurse for an insurance company, surgery, or about 100 other options. I dont think there is a one size fits all in nursing. You can usually work 8hr shifts or 12s. I knew people who did two 16s and an 8 fri-sun. OR or GI/Cath lab type jobs can do 6-2 mon-fri, on call once per month. My dad is a nurse and he is totally amazing. His patients love him and it has provided a good living for 30 years. I think men can make awesome nurses. Only about 15% of my class are male, but I think the social stigma of only females being nurses is becoming a thing of the past. I would say do research and find out what the job is really all about, then make your choice. There are accelerated programs if you already have a degree. No job is going to be perfect, but I think Nursing is very rewarding. Good luck on your journey!

I am a student like you, so I can totally relate! I have completed 2 semesters of clinicals so far, so I will tell you what has worked for me.... I work my butt off helping my nurse to build a relationship with her, so that she will help me too! I do all of her FSBS, help the aids, get supplies, etc... Basic stuff that is not really teaching me high level nursing skills, but it saves my nurse time. It's easier for a nurse to go ahead and put a foley in themselves, but if you have worked hard for them all day, a lot of times they will let you do it. Those skills you are learning about building trust and rapport with clients, also work for other people! :) I also accept that when I get put with a nurse that is fairly new, often she is terrified of having me follow her because she is unsure of her skills. This should be discussed with your instructor and they should seek out the seasoned nurses that are used to having students and more sure of themselves. With the new nurses I try to just really relate to them and point out things that they are doing that are really great. I try to build them up and show them I am not a threat and I understand that no body knows everything. Then sometimes when I think a nurse just doesn't want me to do anything, she will let me know when we are in private that the reason she didn't let me try to start an IV is because the client is really fussy and has horrible veins. So, always give the benefit of the doubt. I agree with a previous post that your instructor situation may be more at fault. I had units that would let me do all sorts of things because they knew that I could get my instructor and she would help me do the skill, and the nurse didn't even have to be in the room. They had built a trusting relationship with my instructor though, so that was a huge benefit to me. Good luck! You will get through it, and from what I hear -most nurses come out of school feeling like they didn't get to hone their skills. My new motto for life is "I can only do what I can only do." I do my best and that is all I can do! Wont it be great when all of this school stuff is behind us!

Are you drinking enough water? Sometimes when I get really busy and forget to drink water throughout the day I get dehydrated and my kidneys hurt. It feels like really bad back pain. I only ask because since it doesn't start until later in your shift, it may be something to think about. Certainly you should see a doc to rule out an injury.

Thank you, that helps!

What can a CNA expect working for a staffing agency? I am starting nursing school and I need a job that will work around my crazy school schedule and this seems like it might work? I just really don't know what to expect? What kind of pay, hours, ect...? They say they staff home health, hospitals, nursing homes, ect...

My weight is with in normal limits, I work out, and I eat fairly healthy. That being said: In my second week on the floor I threw out my back. (working as a CNA) Moral of the story: Use proper lifting techniques and proper body mechanics. They will be a career saver. There are so many reasons to do things to take care of your self and it sounds like you are making great choices. Do not let anything hold you back from getting to where you want to go. You can change and you are not defined by your waist size. I start Nursing school in a couple of weeks and I am scared to death! But I know I can be a great nurse and I know that I can overcome challenges! You can too! Go get 'em girl!

You certainly get points for having a good GPA. There are different ways to get enough points, you just have to figure out the best way for you. Talk to a counselor or go to the web site and play around to see how many points you can get. I got my CNA and that was what pushed my points up enough to get in. I applied and didn't get in a couple of times. I just wanted it really badly and chased it down until I got in! I would aim at trying to get at least 131-132 points. It varies from semester to semester but that seems to be what they have been taking lately. It doesn't hurt to apply with less points though. You never know, they could have a pool of applicants with less points and take 129 or something. I applied with 126 the first time, didn't get in, but I would have been kicking my self if that was the semester they did take 126 and I just didn't apply! I am not an expert or anything, but that was my experience. Gook luck to anyone trying to get into Nursing school. It is hard and competitive, but it feels so good to finally get that acceptance letter!

The cut-off this fall was 131. They go strictly off of preference points to get in. You can go to the website www.rose.edu to get the info on how to add up your points. You get points for GPA, completed course work, compass scores, and experience. They do have an alternate list. I know it seems like I have a million deadlines this summer that all say: If such and such shot record or whatever isn't in by such and such date, your spot will be given to someone on the waiting list. I do not know how many people from the wait list get in, I would assume quite a few do since some people may not get everything in on time or might choose to go to a different school or something like that. Good luck!

The 1+1 is a totally different application process. I went to the info meeting last year and it was my understanding that each votech has a certain amount of allotted spots just for the 1+1. You get your invitation to apply from one of the RN programs (Rose, OCCC, OSU/OKC) then you put in your application and they select who they want. There should be an information meeting about it coming up where they will let you know about it. It was kind of neat, they had a representative from each votech come to the meeting and talk all about what their program is like. If I remember correctly the deadline to apply was towards the end of June. There wasn't much time to get everything together to apply.

You never know, I think they have an altranate list and a 1 plus 1 program. I applied last fall with 126 and they said I was eligible to do the 1 plus 1, I almost did but decided to do a CNA program and try again later. The 1plus1 is where you go to a votech your first year and get your LPN, then you are automatically accepted to start the RN program the next year at Rose and it's just 1 year to do the LPN to RN bridge. It's the same amount of time (2 years), but it's just kind of a different path. I have been working as a CNA and I wouldn't trade the experience for anything. It has been really great to jump in and get my feet wet. I kind of stalk the nurses, which they don't mind because they know I am trying to get into nursing school, and watch them put in caths and start IVs ect... I know it is frustrating not to get in. Life is really not a race though, I keep telling myself that. We will all get there when we get there.

I called and they said that the tentative cut off is 131 for fall. Does anyone know what the schedule is like at Rose? Clinical hours/class times/etc...?

Wait until someone who is diabetic waits until they are on the lift to collapse into one of their limp, shakey, seizure like moments mid lift. When you are trapped trying to lower them to the floor because they are slouching down like a limp noodle in the sling, you will be oh so greatful for that second person. I know it is not likely to happen. I know it seems like a waste of time. It is one of those safety things though that when things go wrong, they can go really wrong and we have no right to gamble with a pts safety.

I work in a lock down Alzheimers unit with 50 residents in all different stages of dementia. It requires a lot of team work (like someone above mentioned). DO NOT go in a alone if they are becoming violent. They may seem just fine one minute and the next they may have their legs wrapped around you pinned to the floor (yes has happend!). I don't know how lucid or "with-it" your pt is, but mine are all pretty far gone. The best thing I can do is to get to know them as best as I can. Some I will leave the covers over and pull up from the bottom so that they stay warm while changing. Some I go in and say good morning and turn the light on about 20-30 minutes before I plan to get them up so they have time to kind of wake up. Some I am just as respectful and quick as I can be because I know if I am talking to them they will start screaming "well, d*** it, get on with it will you!" Some I talk to the whole time because it distracts them from the fact that they are getting care. Sometimes with someone who is confused and afraid the best thing to do is to kind of get into their world. Let them talk about home if they are homesick. I have one guy who wants me to look for his wife all of the time and will become very upset when I don't, so I just ask a lof of questions about her and we just talk about her while I get done what I need to. Some I don't correct when they call me their daughters name, I just kind of go with it. I don't lie exactly, I just kind of work my way into their reality so that they don't have to be in this real reality where they have no control and cant go home. I just try not to remind them of that fact all of the time by correcting them. Also, anything they can do themselves, let them. Some of the pts are just so proud, they really don't understand why they are wet. In their minds, they don't pee on themselves, that is humiliating. So tell them (and this is one of the actual lies I tell), wow you must have gotten sweaty last night, you are all wet. Or: wow, that air conditioner vent must have leaked on you, we had better get that fixed. Anything to kind of give them an out where they can think that maybe you didn't notice that they can no longer use the restroom. Most of all (and I will end my crazy long post with this), they are lashing out because they are confused and scared. Give them dignity, give them compassion, and do not let it get to you. :redpinkhe

Document, document, document! Just make sure and write on the incident report (if your Nurse has not already) what safety measures were in place at the time of the fall (ex. if the call light was with in reach, bed was in req. position, rails in position per care plan, ect...). This keeps you out of trouble and your facility. Which, if your facility isn't getting in trouble -that cuts your chances of getting in trouble by a lot! Basically the patients/residents have the right to fall. The only sure way of making sure a resident doesn't get up and get hurt is to restrain them, and we all know restraints should be used as only a last, last, LAST choice to maintain resident safety (and of course have to be ordered by a doc). You just do everything in your power to make a fall less likely. You will be fine, it sounds like you care and are concearned for their safety. Just do the best you can and know that accidents happen. These are people we are caring for with their own minds. We cant control everything they do, even if it is for their own good.

Just had to say that I always appreciate it when an RN/LPN actually listens to the CNAs! We may not have the training to deal with the problem, but we do know when something is wrong with the residents we spend so much time (yes mostly dealing with bodily fluids) with. It is a lot of keeping residents clean and dry in LTC. It is so great to have the experience though before RN school. I just applied to RN school for the fall and just started working as a CNA a little while ago. I think I am going to be so much more confidant with patient care in nursing school. I know the best ways to handle patients, turn them, coax them into giving me a urine sample, ect... It's true that some nurses will let you come watch them do some of their more interesting procedures if they know you are going to school to be a nurse. It is a great opportunity to learn! I feel like I am already 1000x more equipped for RN school than I was before getting my CNA.

We start at 5 getting up about 12+ up between 2 of us. It's hard, but doable. One thing I have found is that I try to get the ones that can do some oral/grooming care independently first and park them in front of the sink while I move on to their room mate/the next room. It takes a few extra minutes, but I always get some of the first ones up a cup of coffee or juice so that they don't have to sit for 2 hours just waiting. I don't really care if the morning crew gets mad at me. I will do complete care as quickly as I can, but I will not compromise a resident's safety or rights to do it. It is illegal and it violates a resident's rights to force them to get out of bed without a doctor's order. Tell the morning crew you refuse to get your certification taken away/get in legal trouble because they don't want to deal with it. Tell your nurse about the resident's refusal to get up. Document it and the nurse should also chart it and tell the morning nurse about it. Just cover your butt the best you can and do not ever compromise your resident's care for the sake of saving another shift some time.

Thank you guys for the encouragement. I really appreciate it. I was just kind of freaking out. My back is okay, the resident didn't get injured, and I have learned a valuable lesson. I totally agree with Katie that I'm just up a creek either way. I am just going to do what Called2009 said and just document and keep myself out of trouble in the things I can control. I will just trust that God has a plan for me and that He will be faithful to pick me back up when I fail. Again, thanks for the kind words! :)

I just started a couple of weeks ago as a CNA at a LTC facility. It is a large one and considered one of the nicest ones in the area. I am applying to RN school and I am using this to get some great experience. I love all aspects of patient care. I don't mind the gross, I love being able to take care of people who can not care for themselves. My problem is with the staff. I work on a unit that is understaffed and staffed with a lot of newbies (such as myself). Our unit has the worst bed sores and gets in trouble all of the time. This is what I walked into. I was a little bit intimidated, but I'm always up for a challenge. The challenge got to a breaking point the other day though, now I'm afraid I am going to get fired. I get rushed all of the time by the nurses and other CNAs. I actually had a nurse tell me that I need to stop washing my hands between residents because it takes to much time (I choose to ignore that request). So, I was getting ready to start my last set of rounds the other day and I made a mistake. I changed a resident who is a 2 person assist by myself. I was very careful and used proper body mechanics. I have seen a million other CNAs care for him w/o assistance. I finished changing him just fine, but then a bent down after changing him and my back went out. The nurses sent me to file an injury report, and now I am getting lectures about how you are not supposed to do patient care by yourself on a two person assist. I completly agree and I know it was my fault. I couldn't get anyone to help me though and the resident was becoming agitated at having to sit in a soaked diaper (with every right to be upset about that). So, I made a mistake. I did it for justifiable reasons. But the fact is I made a mistake and now I have cost the LTC center money. I am really afraid I am going to be fired. I just don't know what to do when it comes down to good patient care vs. getting everything done. I seem to get in trouble either way. How do you balance it? I refuse to do shotty care, but I also understand that if I take too long with one resident the others are left waiting and suffering. I am just really confused.