nursingis4me

Thanks to everyone who replied thus far. I appreciate all the good thoughts and encouragement given in this thread...but I must admit--------I'm still terrified of the thought of failing again. I wish there were more schools for me to choose from; I feel like that would help in my decision, but in my area (Phila., PA) the accredited LPN schools only have full-time programs. I have only found 2 part-time programs-1 isnt very close, and the other is not eligible for federal/state grants and scholarships (and I can't afford a private loan for the tuition-which is what that school recommends). So, where do I go from here?

Wow, her husband supported her??!! I wish mine had did that for me when I was in school...maybe my confidence wouldn't be skaken to the point that I'm afraid to try again. It's the fear of not having a good support system WITHIN my home that has me scared. I'm happy for your classmate, though. The fact that it took 3 tries for her to achieve her goal shows what a great nurse she is!!

Hello everyone, I need help/advice with a dillemma. In Jan. '09, I enrolled in a LPN program; if all went well, I was scheduled to graduate in Dec. '09....Needless to say, I didn't make it. I got 2/3 of the way thru and had to withdraw; this was basically due to "life" getting in the way of my studies. I was 1st dismissed from the program in the early part of the 2nd semester for a failed clinical (which I successfully appealed, d/t the fact that I wasn't given the opportunity to correct deficits-nor was I told beforehand what the deficit was). Then @ the end of the semester, I was told that I was not going to pass clinicals again (different reasons from the 1st time this happened though-incl. problems with an instructor for 1 clinical, and getting lost while going to another-thereby being late to an out of state clinical). This, coupled with problems @ home (no support from spouse, lack of study time, household duties that no one else would attend to, etc) forced me to withdraw from the program. While I could have appealed to be re-admitted to this year's class (I would have started in the 2nd sesmester, since I successfully completed the 1st), I opted not to do this; my experience @ that school was not conducive to my having a "good" feeling about attending there again. I didn't feel as though the atmosphere gave a positive "vibe" for many students who experience difficulty, yet there was a "vibe" of favoritism for certain students that was felt thoughout the program. Now, with my UC benefits about to exhaust, I know that I must rtn to work as a M.A., yet I still have a longing to complete my education to become a LPN. Unfortunately, my past troubles completing the program have me terrified to try again; I still don't feel as though my immediate family would provide me with the support needed to successfully function in a nursing program. I do know it would have to be a part-time program (not full-time as the last 1 was), since I'll have to rtn to work, but I'm scared to try, only to fail at my goal again. What to do/where do I go from here? ***Sorry for the long post, I needed to get this out***

what sorority, & why did you quit?

very interesting post--i'm sure this info will be quite helpful to many!

hello everyone! had orientation today @ pit. we have 56 students right now, don't know how many we'll still be blessed with @ the end of the our 12-month term-but i plan on being in that final count! lol! part ii of orientation continues tomorrow & actual classes start january 5, 2009 (classes end on dec. 11, 2009/the students graduate on dec. 12, 2009). wish me well & pray for me; i'll do the same for all of you!! merry christmas, happy hanukkah, [color=sandybrown]happy kwanzaa, happy holidays to all!!

Actually, Danny, many full-time LPN programs are between 12-18 months in length, and 2 years when the programs are part-time. Of course, this depends on what area of the country you live in, and whether part-time programs are still readily available to interested students. Also, a RN can be hospital/diploma based-2 or 3 years, associate degree (A.S.)-2 years, or bachelor's degree (B.S./B.S.N.)-4 years. Just my Have a great day!

:yeah:amen to this sentiment!! i too, was placed in this in your horrible situation back in august of this year. but you know what, it truly was a blessing; i worked at that dr's office for 9 years, constantly saying how i wanted to go back to school one day to become a lpn or a rn. by firing me in august 2008, they unwittingly allowed me to pursue my dream-i am currently enrolled at the pennsylvania institute of technology's (media, pa campus) lpn program; class orientation is the week of december 15, 2008 & classes start january 5, 2009 ( they'll end december 2009). so, my hat's off to my former employers-they did me a favor & increased my earning potential a lot faster than if they hadn't let me go! woo hoo!!:yeah:

I like your employer's current policy-hope it doesn't get get changed to the hospital-wide white~~that can become boring after a while and make it harder it ID what dept a staff member works in at a glance. Just my

be sure to check 1st, but depending on whether you file under chapter 13 or chapter 7 bankruptcy, you may not qualify for financial aid. i don't remember which is which, but one essentially "wipes your credit slate clean" & the other reorganizes/consolidates all bills into more manageable payments; with 1 you might be able to get financial aid but the other you definitely cannot. i just can't remember which 1 won't allow a person to get the aid~~my sis-n-law wanted to go back to school after filing for bankruptcy, but because of the type she was under she found out she wouldn't be eligible for financial aid.

:bow::yeah:amen!! amen!!

didn't you know---all doctors, both md's & do's, are required to take "handwriting 101-how to everyone who must read your writng" during their freshman year of medical school (& take a refresher course during their their senior year)? lol! :lol: trust me---i know this to true; i worked on the campus of one of the medical colleges in phila. lol!! :lol:

omg!!! i have the same issue with the exact same meds!! lol don't even start when a pt calls in for a refill of a med and tries in vain to pronounce it; if you're not already familiar with either the pt or the med they are trying to say, you're screwed! my favorite is when someone calls in for a refill & tries to say "hydrochrolorothyazide" (sp?)--i tell them just to say "hctz" in the future, they are so grateful for that little tidbit of info. :)

i smell a fight---how dare the ******** in administratration tell you what family members are "important" enough for a freaking bereavement day! whether a person is related by "blood" or "marriage", the fact that they once lived and affected your life in some way vaildates your needing to be there. shame on administraion and anyone else who has such narrow minded views on bereavement rules!

perhaps you didn't notice my many other posts where i stated i had numerous friends in other areas of healthcare, and it is through them that i have been able to provide some of the insights i previously talked about. in any event, as i have repeatedly said, can't we all just get along? if those of us who chose to remain na's or ma's (certified/registered or not) do so with pride, and don't misrepresent themselves as "nurses" (although i personally know that this can be very hard when the docs you work for constantly refer to the na's/mas as "nurse", which in turn causes elderly pts to refer to you in the same manner-which could lead to a discipline problem if you "politely correct" the dr's "favorite" pt), yet those who have chosen to become lpn's or rn's remember that na's/ma's are healthcare workers too, and not every time they do something are they purposely trying to diminish the role of the nurse-& they provide a very valuable service, for without them, the nurse/pt ratio that receives so many complaints would just skyrocket. in addition, many of the tasks that na's/ma's do are considered menial by administration and not worthy of the salaries that someone who has a professional license would command; yet administration wants that "lowly na/ma" to perform not only the job duties of 3 or more na's/ma's, but to also at times behave as a lpn/rn-even though she's not licensed (i.e. admin "we don't shut the office down for lunch, so a ma needs to be here if someone comes in & they're in distress." ma "we can't assess the pt or give a breathing tx w/o a dr-will a dr be on hand?" admin "no. the dr has to go to lunch; you will be here to call 911." ma " calling 911 is something any staff member could do, can't we rotate office coverage?" admin "no, we-admin-want a ma/nurse to make the call"). the world isn't fair, but since it's the only one we've got---can't we all at least act civilized?!

here's my 2 cents on this matter: :typing i have posted numerous times in this forum in an attempt to only enlighten those who feel so passionate about the job they do. yes, it is indeed a wonderful function that many ma's perform-and perform quite well i might add-but at the end of the day, we only serve to demean those professionals who took the time and effort to go to school for for more education/training that for 1 reason or another we didn't, when we must constantly try and prove that a medical assistant can work as a licensed professional nurse, when that is just not true. we (ma's & lpn's) may work side-by-side, but believe me, the job functions are quite different-even if they look similar to you; administration definitely knows the difference, and they pay accordingly, so don't con yourself into believing that they pay ma's & lpn's the same (trust me-they don't). believe me, i don't belittle what ma's do-i'm one myself & have been for 20 yrs. after years in the trenches of various dr's ofcs/facilities, i kinda know my limitations and don't try and do something just to impress the "higher-ups"-they won't notice you when you do something right 'cause you're only a "lowly ma", but as soon as you do something outside what a ma is legally allowed to do & they don't like the reaction, you'll get screamed at that "you don't have a license to do that- so what on earth were you thinking? you're a medical assistant, not a nurse!". (i've actually witnessed this type of occurrence a number of times, and the end result is always the same-the ma is normally fired & can't get a good recommendation from that employer when applying elsewhere.) i just wish other ma's were proud of the things they can do, & appreciate/take advantage of the learning opportunities that they have when in the presence of a lpn, yet knew their limitations also; maybe this whole discussion would become redundant and the moderator could then finally close this post/forum. :)

that's why i said new posters need to be sure they read all previous posts (starting with the ones from 2005) before they decide they want to put up a comment-more times than not, that comment-or a variation or it-has been posted and debated numerous times.

to the posters right before me, thank you for understanding what i was saying--even if our tn poster (for whom the comments were intended) did not. to all cna's, ma's, lpn's, rn's, & any other healthcare professional reading this post--please go back and read all post beginning with the ones from 2005, you'll see that many of these issues are quite redundant. many times a new member will see this forum and decide to post after only reading the last few posts-which are normally a rehashing of old issues. now, to quote /paraphrase rodney king--"can't we all just get along?" lol

my dearest fellow poster, did you not read/understand the word "legally"? also, do you not realize that although while you, as a ma, may very well be allowed to work in some of the same places as a lpn, your job duties/functions are vastly different-i.e. in a nh or on a hosp floor, you would be either a unit clerk or a pca (nurse's aide)-if you were a unit clerk, you would not be allowed to have direct pt contact; if you were a pca (nurse's aide), you would have very limited (permitted to take vitals, assist lpn/rn/dr when needed, change bed linens, bathe pt-if assistance in this area is needed by pt) pt contact & very limited access to billing/charting. by the by, i have knowledge of these very facts because of this: 1) i am a ma with 20 yrs experience, 2) a very dear friend is a cna with 14 yrs experience in the nh & in the hospital, and 3) 2 other very dear friends are rn's with 14 & 18 yrs experience in the hospitals & in the private sector. based on these factors, i'm confident that what i've written is true for pa. because of my years working as a medical assistant, i am in no way demeaning the profession, but it irritates the crap out of me when someone talks like being a ma is so great-in some ways it's really cool, but in others it's just a b****, 'cause i know that i'm being asked to do something i legally shouldn't be allowed to do, but if i refuse, it can be considered "insubordination" and i could be fired for it. i'm sorry, but i don't feel comfortable putting the license of those who worked/studied hard for it on the line for actions that i know i'm not legally/ethically allowed to perform-no matter who tells me to do it. maybe you're ok with that though. *by the way, what state do you work in?* hey everyone, don't forget to spellcheck--lol

don't get it twisted--ma's do not work in the same places as lpn's (not in the same capacity). case in point: places where a ma can work: dr's ofc--yes; hosp (direct pt care)--no ; hosp (outpt ofc)--yes/no;clinic--yes/no;nursing home--no ; home health care--no ; private duty/1 on 1--no places where a lpn can work: dr's ofc--yes; hosp (direct pt care)--yes; hosp (outpt ofc)--yes; clinic--yes; nursing home-yes; home health care--yes; private duty/1 on 1--yes out of 7 possible job settings, a lpn can legally work in all 7, while a ma can legally work in only 3 (but sometimes only 1); so please explain, in what universe can a ma can practice anywhere and perform the same functions/duties as a lpn (who is a licensed individual) can-as many of your previous posts have implied?

saltwaterfishing, i guess someone really got your goat huh? how long have you worked as a medical assistant? quite frankly, i don't think it's been very long, or you wouldn't say that ma's (cma, rma, or plain ma) are more qualified than lpn's. as a medical assistant, try calling in a med for a pt and the pharmacist has a dosing question or a drug interaction question (by the way, this is a normal occurrence in practices where the population is older); if the dr isn't in the office right then to answer the question (this too can happen when the dr sees nh pts & hv pts in addition to office pts) , you'll have to try & page him/her & hope they feel like returning your call. meanwhile, your patient suffers thru an uneccessary delay, because you (national certification, a.s. degree, or not) don't have the authority/license to answer the needed questions. also, try reading the previous posts that date all the way back to 2005, you'll see that you're beating a dead horse. while many of us empathize with your position, there's no accounting for the fact that nowhere in your title is the word "nurse":nurse:, but the word "assistant" (i. e. "assist") is quite prominent. oh yeah, i feel as though i can speak on this because i've worked as a rma for 20 yrs & had my hands tied more times than i can remember because i don't have a professional license- well thank god that's about to change, 'cause i'll be starting a lpn program january 2009 (then i'll be legally able to answer questions when asked-and won't have to be worried about my actions jeopardizing any one's license but my own. but i think i'll watch out for ma's who think their certification means they know more than my license though. lol

hello to all!! i'm a 40 yo beautiful wife and mom to 2 wonderful kids (1 is 15 & 1 just turned 21) from philly pa. i received my acceptance ltr to the pa institute of technology (pit) last month; i'll be starting their program in january '09-orientation is in december '08-and, god willing, be finished by the end of december '09. after too many years spent in the trenches as a medical assistant (although i am truly grateful for the experience gained by working with geriatricians and their elderly patient base-for it has allowed me to know that i actually want to work in ltc with our older population), i am finally able to pursue my dream! :heartbeat:redbeathe woo-hoo!!!!! i'm very fortunate to have the love and support of both family and friends; i hope that everyone out there does well. god bless

Although when I 1st replied to this post (8/13/08), I was excited about PRISM, I've since learned of another school-Pennsylvania Institute of Technology in Media, PA (not too far from the Springfield Mall). Their program is shorter than PRISM's (12 months @ PIT vs 15 months @ PRISM) and is cheaper ($17,600 vs $22,000). They are fully accrediated and therefore eligible for all Title IV federal/state student loans, grants, and scholarships. Their program sounded better to me, and the admissions counselor seemed better informed than the one I spoke with @ PRISM. I took PIT's assessment test and passed; I took their entrance exam for the LPN program (it's the TEAS test-they test on english, math, science, and reading) on 9/13/08--I GOT WORD (via a phone call and a letter the same day) ON 9/17/08 THAT I PASSED!!!! I'll start class in January and begin my journey of becoming an LPN.

If you live in Northeast Philadelphia, try Prism Career Institute. They're located at 8040 Roosevelt Blvd, and their number is 215-331-4600. They have a 15 month full time day program and the cost is about $22,000; the next class will start in the spring of 2009. I know this because I just looked into their program Monday, 8/11/08 (a turn of events in my life that day nows affords me the opportunity to go to school full-time); I even took their assessment test (had to score at least a 20-scored a 26). The next step is to complete an application and take the TEAS test; this will cost about $135.00 ($50 for the app; $50 for the test; $35 for the study guide-this I might not have to pay, as I have a friend in their program right now & she may still have her study guide so that I can use hers.) Hope this little tidbit of info helps in your quest. P.S.--send me a private message if you'd like to know who I talked to at the school.

As as lifelong Philly resident, I also went to school for medical assisting in Philly too; which one did you attend? The one I went to has under gone a few name changes and also moved their location down a few blocks.