GoddessLilithLPN

Oh, I'm sorry! I'm still new at posting regularly. I wasn't aware that you moderate.

If you read the entire thread, you will see that I posted about my non-clinical nursing job with great hours and no pt contact. I wasn't just posting to write about poopy talk, I was just speculating. I'm not one to start waves...and I did read what op's username meant, I just didn't see before I posted.

Ya know, maybe instead of "the rapist" op meant to have it look like "therapist" backwards :-D

I have the E-go V-V2 with a Kanger tank....I absolutely LOVE it! I'd vape on the way to the hospital (while I was still working bedside) and the pts never complained about me smelling like smoke. Also, I feel better vaping. I had a cigarette the other day when I ran out of e-juice and felt horrible:-(

I've been an LPN since 2007, started out in ALF/Long term care, worked my way into Therapeutic Apheresis from 2009-02/2013, now I'm in Specialty Pharmacy counseling oncology pts on their oral chemotherapy medications, and answering questions about side effects/tx of side effects. I'm actually pretty happy working a desk job, Mon-Fri, no weekends/holidays and great benefits!

Lots of on call and stress, but with mileage reimbursement, on call pay, hourly pay, and shift differential if I got called out, I was making near $66,000/year in Florida as an LPN.

Well, sorry...it was such a whirlwind while I was there. Yes, we did check the NDDR as soon as the new donor came through the door. They have to be able to read because they are required to pass written test on high risk behavior knowledge. And no, they didn't have any extra chairs, nor were we allowed to bring one from home...according to them sitting decreased productivity. That's all the plasma centers are about is getting as many donors in and out the door, as fast as possible, in one day.

Mostly the donors. I'm a caring person, and it was so disconcerting that we had people who were so careless about their health and obviously donating just for the money. Also, my feet hurt so bad by the time got home, I was almost in tears. They had absolutely no chairs for the staff to sit in and we only got a half an hour break for a ten hour shift. They took away our two 15 minute breaks. On slower dayswl, we were able to have an additional 10 minute break on top of our lunch break. But like I said before, this was just the center I worked in. It doesn't necessarily represent other centers.

Oh my. Where to begin? I lasted for 6 months in a plasma center recently. Thank goodness I found an awesome job at a pharmaceutical company counseling specialty medication patients. Ok, well at first you have to learn to screen donors. Just BP, pulse, temp, hct, total protein, fingerstain and weight. You will be expected to work as a screener, processing as many as 250-300 donors a day between you and 3 other screeners. There are very few breaks and you stay on your feet all day. You arrive early and leave late. After you are proficient at screening, they have you label tubes, and bottles/bags. After you have done that for awhile, they send you to learn how to register donors, check for valid residency, administer a written high risk behavior test (which also tests to make sure donor is literate) and run the donors SSN through the National Donor Deferral Registry. Provided they pass the registration, and the NDDR, you then have them complete the donor questionnaire which is similar to what your local blood donor center uses. After that, they are partially screened then sent in for a physical. You basically perform a full body assessment, similar to what you go thru at the doctors office. Provided they pass, they are then cleared to donate. Other responsibilities include administering rbc immunizations for specialty donors, update the daily SPE list and deferring donors who have not passed. You will also be responsible for hepB immunizations of center staff. If you really want to see what you're getting into, sign up to donate. You will get a good idea of the type of people that frequent paid plasma donor centers.Alot of the time, if you have to defer a donor for whatever reason, they will get angry. Expect to get cussed out at least a few times a week. I'm not saying it was all bad, and I'm not trying to discourage you, but it was just not for me. It seemed most of the donors were just truly in it for the money and didn't really care if they were helping patients.This is what I went through at my center, other centers may be different.

I've been a Therapeutic Apheresis nurse for 3 years. Are you going to be working in an outpatient apheresis center or doing therapeutics in the hospital? If you are doing therapeutics in the hospital, the job will offer probably some form of flexability as well as on-call pay, and mileage reimbursement. The training is intense...I wasn't fully comfortable with my job till about a year and a half into it. I do believe that you will lose some of your nursing skills since pheresis and phlebotomy will be all that you are doing. So no more passing pills or giving IV meds, injections (except for possibly one type of sub-q) tube feedings, dressing changes, trach care, vent maintenance...etc. You do, however, hone in on your people skills. You learn to get your point across effectively and especially learn how to talk to physicians without being nervous. You will interact with a variety of departments on a daily basis such as blood bank, lab, pharmacy and different types of floors. Your patients can range from itty bitty infants to the oldest of the elderly. People that are full of life, but happened to experience unfortunate circumstances that left them with having to receive therapeutic apheresis, to patients that can't live without a ventilator and pheresis is pretty much their saving grace that will pull them through. You have to weigh your options: Would you rather have a job that sounds like you are bound to for a period of time, even if it might not be the correct fit for you, or a job where you can leave if you decide that it isn't for you ? I don't want to influence your opinion in any way. I'm just telling you the perpective from a therapeutic apheresis nurses point of ciew. Good luck in whatever decision you happen to choose:-)

I meant more along the lines of positive thinking. I know thing's don't always turn out okay. To me, there is always a light of hope. I have noticed in the course of my life, that if you think positively, most of the times things work out...I'm not saying it will in this particular situation, but it doesn't hurt to try.:heartbeat

My twin and I were born at 23 weeks gestation in 1984. We both survived and are completely healthy. My twin unfortunately developed ROP and now is completely blind. She has had her right eye removed due to severe glaucoma and can't see anything out of her left eye. She was in the NICU for the 4 months after birth and sent home with o2, I was in for 3 months after birth. Other than her having the ROP, we are both completely healthy..it's weird actually, I can see scars on both of our wrists from all the ABGs they did in the first few months of life. So think positively...things always turn out okay:)

I live in Deltona. Don't rent a house here...it's not the best of places to live. Anyway, It is not illegal to attend 2 colleges as far as I know. I am doing my pre-req's for my RN bridge right now at DSC and am going to transfer to Valencia to attend their RN program. All lecture is ONLINE, and the only time you are actually away from your computer is when you are in clinicals. The only downside of Valencia's LPN-RN program is that you have to have a 30-hour IV certification under your belt before applying.

I worked at a BSL community in Central Florida for a year and a half. I was the evening LPN with 40-something residents and two CNA's to watch over. I really liked it...however the marketing director LOVED to admit total care residents! I'm talking turn q2h, OOB assist to W/Cx2, feeding, bathing and dressing. Resident couldn't do ANYTHING for themselves. We also had ALOT of dementia and alzheimers residents mixed in with completely lucid A&O residents who could do everything for themselves including all adl's and meds. As for traveling between floors, we only had one floor so it was just me and two CNA's for all of our residents. My duties as an LPN was to of course assure all my residents got the medications and tx's on time. The one's who were self care, I just checked on a couple times a shift to make sure they were okay also made sure they came down for dinner. Called physicians if any residents status changed, responded to emergencies, took VTO's from physicians and faxed them to pharmacy, did skin assessments-- I believe it was qmonth, but don't quote me...I haven't worked there in almost 3 years. On top of all the LPN duties such as meds, tx's, charting and so on, I also helped feed residents who couldn't feed themselves at meal time, helped the CNA's clear the table and do the dishes, helped with laundry which meant washer, dryer and folding if I had time, and helped with turning and changing briefs.

The last job I had before my current one was at an ALF. I was the only LPN on the 3-11 shift with 2 CNA's and 42 residents. It was great until the marketing director started admitting residents that should have NOT been admitted. Like the violent alzheimers resident and many, MANY residents that were total care and assist! On top of all the meds and tx's, charting, Dr calls, pharmacy calls and family members asking me a bajillion questions, I also had to clean up after dinner which meant clearing the tables and doing the dishes and help the CNA's with care and showers if I wasn't busy with my regular nursing duties. I have to admit-I did like working there. I was such a relaxed and friendly environment:)