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I also failed by one point the first semester of my 2nd year. Totally frustrated with my schools RN program. I was able to get my LPN license and am also working in LTC. I love what I am doing, I am a 3rd shift float and work on all of my facilities 5 wings. I know every resident and also work in our Rehab which is the step down from the hospital. I am honored to be working at a job I love, and where the facility I work is a teaching facility. Mistakes are made but it is the policy to train not discipline. I am also letting God choose my path, if I am sopposed to be an RN I will. I have entered an online LPN-RN class and can't get motivated. I have earned a great deal of respect from the DON and believe that I am getting a great deal of knowledge from the rehab unit. Right now I am making with my bonus the same as an RN so I ask myself,do I really need to get my RN?

Telling you to relax will be pointless. It is terrifying.....I walked out of Pearson Vue and I was sure I failed. I was not confident in any of the answers I gave. Well I passed!! You will too. I am convinced that it is not the quantity of questions you get right, it is the quality of the ones you did. I had to wait an entire weekend, my test was on friday. I took the LPN and I am starting 3rd semester in the fall. Good luck, I am sure you did fine.

I work in LTC and had my first med error this week also. My charge was flushing the pick line of the resident and I went to the next one. I never went back to give the med. I was working a 12 hour shift and was on a med pass I was not familiar with. It took me almost 3 hours. By the time I was done I completely forgot. My charge was wonderful , she explained the procedure and assure me the resident was fine and we called the physician and the DON. Mistakes happen and the best thing that could have happened to me is to learn from my mistake.

It depends on the job market in your area. There are not many hospitals or clinics that hire LPN's. In my area, they will hire a medical assistant before they hire an LPN. I was very fortunate and love LTC, I was hired one month after I passed the NCLEX. Look at what is offered in your area, and then do what your heart desires. Please don't think of yourself as a failure, NS is extremely time consuming and demanding. With your experience as an EMT and your determination you can do this and succeed. If a Medical Assistant program is offered look into that, in WI it is a one year course. You may even have many of the pre-req's done. Good Luck

I am preparing by working as an LPN this summer. I work in a LTC facility that also has a extensive rehabilitation wing. I am finding the application of fine tuning my skills along with medication pass is invaluable. Learning from the experienced RNs and picking thier brains is a real perk. We have heart problems, medication S/E, drug interaction, g-tube feeding, and lots of wound care. Don't be so hard on yourself over the summer. I will have clinicals, advanced skills and Community Health care concepts this fall. I have finished the rest of the classes this last year. I am really looking forward to the next year. I love every minute of it! Good luck to all of you!

Thank you for all the replies. I asked about facility policy and we are allowed to replace it with the foley insertion kit. As long as we insert it immediately and check placement these are the physicians orders.

There really is not that much difference in LTC and children, true they are alot bigger. They have the same needs and wants that smaller people have. I love my LTC residents. They are some of the most kind and gracious people you will ever meet. During clinicals I had the most amazing resident, she cried on my last day so hurt to see me go. Now I also work with re-hab residents. What a joy to see them rehabilitate to go home. I have a deep faith and look nightly for the opportunity to share Gods love. Look deep into your heart, simply put aside those feelings and try to look for the compassion and grace that these frail elderly and disease ridden people deserve. If being a nurse is your true desire, you can overcome your fears.

Look at what the waiting lists are and the pre-req's. I did all the pre-req's to get them out of the way so while I am in the core classes, I didn't have such a heavy class load. By the time you are done you may only have a short time to wait. There still is chem, A&P 1 & 2, and Microbiology. Meanwhile you can work as a Med Assistant, and apply for financial aid and even may be eligable for Pell grants to pay for your schooling. Where there is a will there is a way and if this is the path God wants you to follow, I think you should go for it. The waiting list here in Wisc. is really long also, up to 3 years.

I totally loved the last year, but if anyone asked me if I would do it over again for a million doallars I would think twice! School is what you make it and we had a great study group. I was in a cohort for dislocated workers and we had a special class set up for 16 of us. We were selected from over 100 applicants. Hard work and dedication made this last year happen. Study groups are invaluable and spend as much time as you can in your skills lab and continuously pick their brains, that's what they are there for.

I'm so excited to see all the enthusiasum! I am starting third semester in the fall and still can't believe that my name is on print. I finished in Dec with my LPN and passed the boards in Feb. I am of course working long term care, but I truely love it. Congratulations to all of you. It's hard, I went back to school after 30 years. I finished this last year wiith a 3.64 GPA. I hope to continue with the same dedication as last year. Keep up the posts I think this is a great forum and use it often. Especially with care plans, lots of great input!

I found a web site that has the exact tube that we are using. It really is a matter of is this an RN delegated task or is this iwithin my scope of practice. I was never taught it in school. We had trach and nasograstric, but this was really my first time getting training. http://www.thermofisher.com.au/Uploads/file/Healthcare/Medical-Devices-Consumables/Critical-Care/Gastrostomy-Tubes/Balloon-Gastrostomy-Tubes-viasys.pdf

I am a resent graduate LPN and last night at work resident pulled his g-tube out. I felt totally inept and incompetent when my charge RN stated " I can't believe you have been here for two months and you haven't done this yet? I am not sure if this is in my scope of practice. It was never in a skill check off for second semester. Can anyone tell me? It really was not difficult, in fact , the resident did it again later in the day and I reinserted it myself. I know that this is my responsibility to know my scope and the skills that I am allowed to do. I need a little clarification. Thanks for any input.

Thank you Mi Vida! I think the previous poster was not really understanding my original thread. I feel the more that I can learn from working as an LPN, will benefit me in my third semester. Skills at my school are if you fail 3 times you are out of the semester. There is an added pressure to succeeding. I look forward to the last year and all of your advice is appreciated. Thanks again!

For me it was a life altering event. I am sure it is different for everyone. I went back to school after 33 years and just completed my first year of nursing, I have been going to school since 2008. I have one year left for my RN. So depending on your circumstance, it was a huge event for me. I have entered into the world of nursing and the bottom line is our patients, I love it!!! Learning, compassion and change and adapt.

Thank you! I am working now in long term care. My charge said she would be happy to get my some extra training this summer before school starts again in the fall.

Enjoy your summer!!! Just finished the first year and got my LPN in February. I am working and would also like to start planning for this fall. It's a crazy ride and my best advice is to get a study group together. I have a group of 3or 4 and it's the best way to study!! Congrats!!

I am a new LPN grad and just inserted my first male straight cath and honestly it was awesome!! There are specific reasons for doing this procedure. I went in without a nursing instructor watching me. I knew how to do the procedure and had confidence in my skills. Practice your skill there are many reasons why instructors do what they do, trust in them and you and you will do fine.

I am entering my third semester of nursing in the fall. I would like a heads up on some of the skills we will be taking. I am currently working at a long term facility as a licensed LPN. I am hoping to get some experience on some of the skills before classes start. Any help is appreciated.

I found that by using all the tools possible only enhanced the wide range of questions that come your way. Also using the Evolve web site helped alot.

Integrity in the nursing profession is vital! Cheating hurts the most important person of all and that is our patients. This student would not hesitate to forge documents and figures, that ultimately could really hurt someone. You did the right thing.

Peer support was vital to my first year. The bonding that occurred during the long study sessions and projects really helped. Knowing that before you got into the program prerequisite classes you got all A's and oops in the core classes, there goes the GPA. Our colleges RN program just graduated and not one of them had Honor Cords. It is possible, but seriously overrated and unrealistic. School should be fun, enjoy your time as a student. The real world comes soon enough.

Fundamentals and Pharm are no match for Health Alterations and Promotion,you can do it.If you are using any books that have Evolve for the web, use it, and use the DVD's that are attached to the book, they are really helpful. I am in my second semester and only have 6 weeks left. Our clinicals were in long term care for the 1st semester, we had 4 weeks in OB, and 12 in ortho neuro. Clinicals are exhausting, we are up late on monday doing prep till 1am then back at noon up again until 10 or 11 and back at the hospital at 6am. Our instructor is amazing and a really good support, not all instructors are like her. I wish you the best of luck!!

This is a senerio on a simulation man, they didn't give us his vitals. Labs and a short review of history. Thanks for the input, I am working on this with my team this week. I'll let you all know how we did.

I need help with a Care Plan for a 64 y/o male, hospitalized yesterday for RLL Pneumonia and dehydration, Past Medical history,Asthma , Chronic back pain, smoker 1ppd since age 16.Current medications, Rocephin, Advair,Albuterol,Percocet, Demerol, Acetaminophen. All labs are normal except for BUN at 34 mg/dl. I want to start with, Imparied Gas exchange, am I on the right track?

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