mom2boyz

It sounds like you are a wonderful caregiver. Try not to let those that are just there to stir up drama and try to get others in trouble bother you! Please don't ever try to give up! Please talk to someone if you are thinking of hurting yourself, that is not the answer and trust me it has deep reaching effects on your family. You are of great value and those you take care of need you!

What types of places are you applying? I graduated in December and had no problem getting a job at a long term care facility. Good luck. It is hard, there is so much to learn also.

I would say, just read the question very well and make sure your answer reflects what the question is really asking. Sometimes there can be lots of distractors in the question. Good luck, relax and you will do great!

In the LTC facility I was just hired at as a new grad LPN, I got 3 shifts of orientation and all the LPN's in the facility are called LPN/Charge Nurses. From what I hear the 3 day orientation is pretty standard so you are fortunate to get more.

I don't have any advice, but will be watching this thread. I, just like you am a new graduate with a new job in LTC. I have one more day of orientation. It is a lot to learn!

I don't find the LPN certificate to be worthless at all. I graduated with my LPN in December and found a job at the first place I applied making almost twice as much as I did as a PCT. In my area there are plenty of LPN to RN or BSN bridge opportunities. I will be able to finish one of those in a year. I can also practice as a nurse and earn good money while doing so.

Congratulations to you all, and keep on staying positive and taking one day at a time! That was my mantra and I have one more day left!! :)

Also I forgot to tell you to make sure any math books that are workbook type you don't buy used. Some in our class bought used math books online not realizing that it had pages that we had to work, tear out and turn in. They had to go and buy a new book. Some math books are not workbook type and would be fine used.

We used our books throughout the entire program. If you rent them, see how long the rental is for. Often you can extend it if necessary.

Thanks for the link! Good luck Quirkyvanilla! You have gotten some great advice here. I agree with the others, get organized, try to stay ahead. Be prepared emotionally and stay tough, don't take it personally! Most of all hang in there!

"Thanks for bringing me coffee, but that's not nearly enough to make it through this shift!"

To be honest, I don't think it would be nearly as hard if it were spread out a little, it is just fitting so much in in a year! In regular college I might have had an anatomy test every few weeks, in LPN school I would have one every few days. We fit in A and P in about 8 weeks. It is very doable though. It seemed overwhelming to me at first, probably because I had been out of school for awhile and also have a husband and kids to take care of and was used to being a stay at home mom, but after a few weeks you adjust to the pace! You will do great. :) What is nice about it is you get a lot of clinical sooner than you would in most RN programs, and you really start to feel like a nurse. :)

There is no shame in reaching your goals in whatever way you can. There is nothing wrong with technical schools. I have a bachelors degree in another subject from a 4 year private university, am now working toward my nursing LPN at a technical school and I believe I am getting a good education in nursing. I will also be able to work as an LPN and gain valuable experience as I work toward my RN. Don't think an LPN program will be easy though, it is no joke. I have had to work harder for my grades than I did at the University I attended for my bachelors. It is an eleven month program and very compact. You really have to be prepared to study. Good luck with whatever you decide.

Mine was broken into pre-algebra and algebra sections. Be sure and brush up on the little things you may not have thought of in awhile for the pre-algebra section.Percentages, fractions, multiplication and division of fractions, decimals, ratio and proportion problems.

92-100 A 82-91 B 72-81 C If you finish any classes below a 72, you cannot go on in the program. You may come back the next semester and try again to pass the class you failed and join the next class for clinicals. You must pass med check offs with an 80.

Hi everyone, I just started on Monday. We had our first test today in A and P, and we have a pharmocology and a basic nursing 1 test tomorrow! It is a lot of work so far, but will be worth it in the end. We have to have a 72 percent in each class to be able to continue on to the next block of classes. I better get back to my studying. I got on looking for a good way to memorize equivalencies! I'm not used to the dram and gtt! :)

Try to relax, and just study as much as you can. I think you will do fine. I bought a Kaplan Nursing Pre-Entrance test exam review book, and I thought it gave a good review. I have heard that the Teas study manual that you can buy from their website is very good and similar to the actual test. I am not a math person and was most worried about the math, and I found the math to be easier than most math tests and I actually did pretty good on it. Just review the rules for fractions (adding, multiplying, and dividing them), improper fractions, proportions, decimals and percents, those are the things you tend to forget since high school ==the basics. I didn't reallly study the reading and english too much since I felt those were my strongest points. The science to me was by far the hardest and the one I should have studied more. I did well enough to pass, but I definitely could have done better with more review. There is a lot of Chemistry and Biology and other sciences that are probably on a high school level but it has been awhile since I had a and p and biology. I only studied a few days, so you will do fine you have plenty of time! Try not to worry too much!

Different schools require different tests. Call the school and see what types of testing they do and what the requirements are. LPN schools are usually very competitive so find out about the requirements and if there are any prerequisites as soon as possible. Good luck! The earlier you start the better. One of the schools I applied to required TEAS testing, and that you already had anatomy and physiology,biology, and nutrition. The other I applied to required Compass testing and a basic math test. So, requirements can really be different for each school. There are some great study book out there when you find out the type of testing. :)

All white for clinicals, black or tan scrubs for class and we must also have a pair of black scrub pants, a red polo with our school name and a white lab coat for some other outings.

Our instructor told us at orientation, to start with a cheaper one and see if it works for us, and to request a top of the line Littman as a graduation gift!

I would ask the charge nurse exactly what is expected as far as baths go. In our hospital we feel it is a 24 hour process and what doesn't get done in the first 12 hours gets done in the next 12 hours to get it all done. I would do my very best to do what is expected and then try to transfer as soon as you can if you don't feel it is the best environment for you. Good luck, and hang in there!

I work as a PCT in ICU but have been pulled to ER a few times. At our ER the techs job is to function as unit secretary by ordering all the labs that the ER Doc orders for the patient, answer phones, clean (spray everything down and wipe and put a clean sheet on the bed) and restock the rooms when the patient leaves and transport the patient if they are admitted. If you are caught up on orders, you may be asked to assist the nurses with procedures. That pretty much keeps you very busy. The RNS just hook them up to the monitors for vital signs, etc when they go in to assess them. You will learn a lot working in ER!