LPNalmost!

One more natural redhead chiming in...had two difficult pregnancies but had no excessive bleeding with either one. Actually, everytime I've donated blood, I've had to pump my fist the entire time because I would stop filling the bag when I wasn't pumping. I do bruise easy...so go figure??

Thank you all for the advice. You all told me the same thing my "gut" was telling me. I did take the paper to work this morning...was told they would "look into it". I made sure everyone understood that I would not be administering IVP meds at this time. The nurse manager that is "looking into it" has placed a phone call to one of the higher ups in the hospital chain to get clarification on what we are to do. I don't understand the need for clarification. The board's policy is very black and white. So...I'll keep you all informed and let you know what happens from here. If I get the "it's hospital policy" answer I'm afraid I'm going to get, I may be looking for a new job. I gave up too much and worked too hard to become a nurse to work for a system that expects me to do things I'm not licensed to do.

Thank you all for the advice. You all told me the same thing my "gut" was telling me. I did take the paper to work this morning...was told they would "look into it". I made sure everyone understood that I would not be administering IVP meds at this time. The nurse manager that is "looking into it" has placed a phone call to one of the higher ups in the hospital chain to get clarification on what we are to do. I don't understand the need for clarification. The board's policy is very black and white. So...I'll keep you all informed and let you know what happens from here. If I get the "it's hospital policy" answer I'm afraid I'm going to get, I may be looking for a new job. I gave up too much and worked too hard to become a nurse to work for a system that expects me to do things I'm not licensed to do.

I posted this in the TN Nurse's Forum, but since that one doesn't get a lot of traffic, I thought it would be a good idea to post it here as well. Here goes: I've been working as an LPN for less than 3 weeks now. I started training on the med cart this weekend and part of my training was pushing meds such as phenegran and nubain. All the LPN's in my hospital do it, so I accepted it as a normal part of my training. But today I was looking at the TN BON website and stumbled onto the board's amended policy regarding LPN's and IV therapy. Basically, it states that the LPN must have a minimum of 3 years experience or 2 years experience with completion of a formal IV training program at their facility in order to administer IV push medications. I have neither as I have been a LPN only since the 13th of this month and IV therapy is not included in the curriculum in TN LPN schools! I guess one of my questions would be: are any of you LPN's pushing IV meds without meeting the above conditions? Also, I did sign off on meds I pushed while training this weekend...is my tail end going to end up in the frying pan for this? And if this is standard policy at my facility, even though it is outside my scope of practice, what should I do? Am I interpreting "IV push" correctly when I assume it refers to any medication installed into the vein via the IV port? I'm really confused and concerned on how to address this with my new employer. All suggestions are appreciated.

Hi, all. I've been working as an LPN for less than 3 weeks now. I started training on the med cart this weekend and part of my training was pushing meds such as phenegran and nubain. All the LPN's in my hospital do it, so I accepted it as a normal part of my training. But today I was looking at the TN BON website and stumbled onto the board's amended policy regarding LPN's and IV therapy. Basically, it states that the LPN must have a minimum of 3 years experience or 2 years experience with completion of a formal IV training program at their facility in order to administer IV push medications. I have neither as I have been a LPN only since the 13th of this month and IV therapy is not included in the curriculum in TN LPN schools! I guess one of my questions would be: are any of you LPN's pushing IV meds without meeting the above conditions? Also, I did sign off on meds I pushed while training this weekend...is my tail end going to end up in the frying pan for this? And if this is standard policy at my facility, even though it is outside my scope of practice, what should I do? Am I interpreting "IV push" correctly when I assume it refers to any medication installed into the vein via the IV port? I'm really confused and concerned on how to address this with my new employer. All suggestions are appreciated.

Holly, Do you have the 1-800 number for Tennessee? It is 24 hours quicker than the web site. My license number was on the phone line on Wednesday but not on the web site until Thursday. I found out exactly a week after taking the test and that was with Columbus Day in between. You should find out tomorrow or Wednesday at the latest if you can call. Good luck!

Holly, You sound JUST like I did exactly a week ago. I'm serious. Read my post titled: "Cried (I mean BAWLED) all the way home from Memphis". I found out tonight that I did pass and I am so very, very excited. My test shut off at 85 and all of the questions were so foreign to me. I was devastated! But come to find out, in my little "clique" of 5 students from nursing school, all five of us shut off at 85 and all of us passed. I think 85 is a good sign! Also, try phoning the 1-800 number in exactly a week. The TN website runs 24 hours behind the phone line and all of were issued a license exactly one week from the day we took the test (and we took it on different days). I'm sure you did fine. Just try to relax. Trust me. I know it's nearly impossible. But you'll know for sure very soon and then you'll be a nurse...I'm sure of it.

Thank you all for the wonderful, wonderful words of encouragement. I just found out tonight: I PASSED!!! I AM A NURSE!!! Thank you all for helping me make it through the past week of not knowing!!!!

:crying2: I just got home from taking the NCLEX-PN. I did so badly it shut off at 85 questions. I am so very discouraged. I studied and studied for this thing and I worked my tail off in school. I worked my NCLEX review book and CD. I studied my textbook and notes. I learned my meds. I graduated with a 94 as valedictorian and today I feel like I would have had just as good a chance on that test if I had spent a year studying Greek mythology!! So much of that test was stuff we never, ever covered in school. My friends from school had never heard of some of the stuff that was on my test either. Is this common or did my instructors leave out some important stuff? I feel like I had to guess at 95% of the questions...and I bet I guessed poorly! How did any of you ever pass this thing? It was all I could do not to cry DURING the test. I feel like I've wasted the past year...and the bad thing is, I left a really great job to pursue my dream. Now I'm scared to death I'll never pass the NCLEX!! I don't know how I can improve my chances if I have to retake it...I don't think I can study any more than I did for this first one and that didn't work! Sorry for the vent but I think I need some encouragement from people that actually made it!!

I made a template in Word that will print on an 5 x 8 card. On my printer, it even prints in between the lines on the lined cards. You'll probably have to play with your printer some to get the alignment set right, but it shouldn't be too hard once you've got the template. On really long drug cards I just set the font at a 7 or 8 to get it all to fit on the front and back. I can send it to you.

Not nearly as devastating as previous posts, but still funny and a true story: A friend of mine decided to get kinky with his wife. They wanted to try Ben-wah balls but didn't have any, so he went to the "shop" and got a few ball bearings. Inserted the ball bearings into her "you-know-what" where they immediately got lost. After several hours of "fishing" with a large magnet (again from the shop!), all of the ball bearings were recovered.

We had an instructor doing the EXACT thing the first quarter of my LPN program in addition to other inappropriate behavior. We even had the NCLEX-PN book as a required text, but she "forebade" us to remove the plastic from it!!! Anyway, long story short: after taking all we could take from this instructor (including screaming obscenities at students and asking the male students if they "shake or wipe"?), a group of us finally went to the program director. She was let go. On what grounds? Plagiarism. It's as illegal for an instructor as it is a student. And since it could be proven, it was a documented breech of conduct where the other behaviors were her word against ours. I wish you luck, but in my experience if she is stealing (and that's what it is) test questions, there will be other problems with this teacher too.

In my state (TN) and I'm guessing it is the same in all others, you cannot legally work as a "licensed practical nurse" until you are licensed. Some hospitals will work you as a GPN (graduate practical nurse), but the duties resemble those of a CNA as does the pay: no med passes, no invasive procedures, mostly vitals, and beds & baths. Most other facilities will work you as a non-certified nursing assistant or aid until you get your license. $12/hour is good money in my part of this state for nursing assistant work. The starting pay for new LPN's around here ranges from $10.40 - $12.80/hr. What do LPN's in your state start at? I might be tempted to move!!

I am a new grad as of this past Friday night!! I'm in Tennessee, so things may be different from where you are. I started applying for jobs about one month before graduation. I had offers from 2 hospitals and 3 LTC and I'm not even licensed yet. All of these places were willing to work me as a "nursing assistant" until I become licensed. I accepted a job in the pre/post-op wing of my little local, rural hospital. The pay/benefits were actually better than the hospital in the larger metro area and it's only 6 min away from home! I'm waiting to complete my 2-step TB test and I'll start work. And, by the way, the job I'm accepting wasn't advertised in the paper or on the hospital's "job line". I just put in an application and resume and they called me. Good luck!!

Maggie, I'm doing exactly what you're thinking about doing. And I finish the LPN program Friday!!! I struggled with which route to take myself, but I finally decided to do LPN first because it is SOOO competitive to get into the RN programs around here that I could have ended up waiting 2 or 3 years before being accepted. Also, in 12 months time I'm a nurse instead of 2 - 3 years and if I find out I HATE it (which could happen if you have no health care experience), I've only wasted 12 months of my life: not 2, 3, or 4 years. Also, I figured if I could do LPN in 12 months and then get my RN through Excelsior in 1 to 2 years, then I've still gotten my RN in the same amount of time that I would have going the community college route! But I would have been able to work as a REAL nurse for the majority of the time. And of course the chances of getting your education paid for are much, much better if you've already got "something" to offer your employer. If you're naive, then I am too!! But I've got a job lined up starting next week, so I'll just keep on being naive!!!