Kelly9405

I'm in an LPN program. We just finished our lab, and we checked off on vital signs, assessments, foley catheter, and medication administration. We practiced other skills, such as NG tubes, trach care, and wound care, but we did not have to do a return demonstration for them.

$15 an hour on 3rd shift in assisted living/LTC. I live in Southern NH and I have 3 years experience.

I work 3rd shift at an ALF, and at my facility each aide is responsible for getting 3 residents washed and dressed. We usually have 3 aides on, but sometimes we only have 2 aides if we're short.

When I took my CNA program 3.5 years ago, clinicals were primarily done in nursing homes.

Assisted Living $14.75 on third shift 3 years experience

I say go for your LPN. I work as a CNA and while I love what I do, there is no way I could do this job long-term. I can't wait to become a nurse; being a CNA can really take a toll on your body. Not to mention the pay isn't too great for all the work you do.

Hey everyone, I could use some advice, especially from anyone who has experience with working 3rd shift. I'm currently going to school full-time for my LPN, and I work as a CNA. I used to work 2nd shift, but I will now be switching to 3rd shift (by choice). I will only be working 2 nights a week and every other weekend. My question is, should I be switching back to my regular sleep schedule on my 3 nights off? Or should I try to stay up all night on my nights off? My school schedule this semester is: Mondays- 8-3pm lecture, Tuesdays- 8-11am lab, Wendesdays- 7a-1p clinical, Thursdays 8-12pm lecture, and Fridays off. I'm a little nervous for this... I'm a night owl, but I've never actually worked a full 11-7 shift before.. I've only worked until 3am and had no problem with it. Any advice/thoughts would be appreciated! Thanks!

Thanks for the link! Very interesting. My top 5 were: Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Radiation Oncology Neurology Psychiatry Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (The area I'm most interested in is Psych. :))

You cannot claim yourself as independent since you are 19 and are still supported by your parents. I just turned 24 this past September, I've been living my fiance for the past year, and I was finally able to claim myself as independent this past semester. As far as working & school goes, I go to nursing school full-time, and I work part-time (24 hrs a week) as a CNA on third shift. It's really not that bad, you just have to be organized. I'm tired, but I know it's temporary and I still have bills to pay, so I need to work. I do not have children yet though, so I can imagine it would be a LOT harder to have a job during nursing school when you're also taking care of children. And I agree with the above poster who said CNA experience gives you a huge advantage in clinicals. Not only with just basic care, but communicating with residents and their family members comes easier. You also have an advantage of getting hired as a nurse at the facility you're working in when you graduate.

I read each chapter BEFORE lecture. I highlight the important things while I'm reading, and during class lecture on the powerpoint/handouts. When I go back to study, I re-read the chapters while taking my own notes. Sometimes I write certain topics over & over again until it sticks. This has seemed to work best for me; I'm definitely a read/write learner. Definitely NOT an audio learner.. it goes one ear & out the other for me. Everyone learns differently.. the trick is finding out what works best for you. For example, some people are very visual and learn by flashcards.. this might work for them, but for me I feel like I don't learn as much with flashcards. I also do a lot of practice quizzes, NCLEX questions, and review questions from our book and from websites.

We didn't have to take med math or medical terminology tests to get into my LPN program. We did have to take a basic math test, though. With medical terminology, you can find a lot of free flashcards on-line. For med-math, I would recommend buying a med math book off of Amazon and doing the practice problems. Focus on your conversions (how many ounces in a pint, how many mL in a L, etc.) and the dosage calculations. You could most likely find this stuff on-line too, if you didn't want to purchase a book. Good luck!

I'll be 25 when I graduate from my LPN program. Most likely going for my RN after.. :)

I actually prefer 7a-3p. Right now I'm working 3p-11p becuase it works better with my school schedule.

I live in NH and I have heard baaaad things about that school. Have you checked out St. Joe's LPN program yet?

Trust me, you get used to it VERY quickly.