PinkyToe

I am an LPN, with just over a year's experience. My first year was spent in LTC and I am now doing homecare. I really love homecare but I still have this unquenchable desire to get experience and work in the hospital. As an LPN in my area, it is very hard to get into the hospital... unless you've been an LPN for many years. I am currently in a transition program to get my RN. I was just wondering... any of you LPNs manage to get into the hospital? What obstacles did you face, and how did you get in? I REALLY want to work in intensive care SOMEDAY. I know, though, that it can even take RNs many years of experience to get into intensive care. I want to get my foot in the door asap, and although I consider homecare a wonderful job, I know that it's not going to count as anything as far as experience goes... it's just so frustrating sometimes. I've applied for so many jobs, never gotten called back, and I just wish they'd give me a chance. I could prove to be an amazing nurse. I love nursing and study my books every day... maybe I'm just too impatient... thoughts anyone???

This is just a question that arose in my mind when thinking about my future nursing goals: When you apply for a MSN program, does it matter if your RN degree is an associates or a bachelors? Can an associates degree RN apply for a master's program without having to take "extra" classes to equate them with bachelor's degree nurses? I would like to eventually get a master's in nursing, but this is far down the road as I am an LPN, and in an associates degree program to get my RN. I was just wondering if I should plan on doing some type of ADN-BSN program before applying to a masters program. Also, how long do these master's programs generally take (full time)? ...and how long does it take thereafter to become a nurse practitioner or nurse anesthetist (full time) Thank you for your time in answering... I've searched the internet for some answers but you know how the internet can be... full of ALL different answers (not to mention ads for online schools). I though this would be the best place to find some people who know what they are talking about.

I've worked in LTC for a year and I am going to start working in pediatric home care. I will be taking care of two different children- 2 days with one child for 8 hours, and 2 days with the other for 8 hours, each week. I am very excited, but it's obviosuly going to be a big change. Can anyone please offer some advice regarding similarities/differences I will encounter? Or just some advice in general. What are the most common problems/situations you run into with pediatric home care and how do you handle these? I will be able to look at the childrens' charts next week in orientation along with their diagnoses, so I don't know much about them yet, but I know that I will be dealing with vents/gtubes. Thank you

I've only been a nurse for a year, but I've made med errors too. How long have you been working? The best thing to do is watch the patient and make sure he/she is fine- then make a commitment to be more careful next time. I would tell the manager of my mistake. Any nurse, including the don, knows the feeling of making a medication error. You had a lot to take care of with 7 patients. Please realize that you are not a bad nurse for this and that it happens to most, if not all, nurses at some point. You should not lose your license or your job over this.