givemeu1

I'm in my 2nd Semester of LPN school and I am still not retaining information like I should. I passed last semester with a B, but I struggled for that B! My first test of this semester was rough. All those signs/symptoms, and interventions were the devil! I have tried every single way to study and don't know what else to do. Any tips?

Stacy (Mom of 3, wife, full time correctional officer) LPN MS Delta Community College August 19, 2013 11 months July 11, 2014 Nervous; yet excited to begin. Glad I have my twin sister (study partner, butt kicker, confidant) who went through the program and graduated a year before me :)

I agree...its never too early to start studying for those classes. I would do it too but my instructor doesnt go from the book, instead she skips around and does power points. I also use quizlet as a study tool. It works for me to make my own questions from pp and book to quiz myself over and over. I even bought the year subscription for $15 to upload pics for lab tests. Bones, nerves, heart, etc. I wouldnt have gotten a 3.8 GPA without it. It is the only tool I study by in prereqs. Dont worry about being called a nerd...better to prepare yourself ahead of time. Good luck!

Great ideas! Love the gift certificate idea. Thanks so much!

Hi all, My sister has has been on the job as a LPN for about 3 months. Im looking for some great nursing shoes as a gift for her. She works at a LTC facility and absolutely loves her job and adores her residents and tries to give each of them the best care possible; however, between passing meds, and the million other things you great nurses do, she is on her feet all day with barely anytime for a sit down, lunch, or breaks. She just bought a pair of nursing shoes, (can't remember the name), which doesn't help and is sticking to her regualr Nike tennis shoes. She is always complaining about how bad her feet hurt after a long day. Can you guys give me some insight on the right shoe to buy or would recommend? Thanks!!!

I agree with Compassion_x,.....as in being confidential information regarding patients, I would say this is no less for you, and what meds you are taking. I wouldn't worry as long as the medication doesn't deter you from performing in class, clinical duties, or job performance there after. I am currently on meds for anxiety attacks PRN. It's something that I have to take or I'll end up in full fledge panic mode. Consult your doctor's advice when going back about upping the medication and see what he/she says regarding this topic. Your health is first and foremost important and absolutely beneficial in giving excellent patient care. I wouldn't want to go through the stress of nursing school without mine :) Good Luck and no worries :)

I'm just going to say this. My sister is an LPN....she left a $30,000 a year correctional officer job that doesn't require a college education for a $32,400 nursing career. We live in the south so Im pretty sure it's higher in different states. The only thing $200 or a little more a month would get her would be a car note or rent. I wouldn't expect to see a huge jump in pay unless you have more education such as a RN or BSN and then I wouldnt expect to make it being a single parent with all of the expenses you're hoping to get. Also if you do go further, you might wanna add in student loans after you get out of school. Financial Aid will only get you so far.

Thank you FDW630! I am going for Paramedic! I agree with you, my heart isn't with Nursing right now and will most likely regret not following my dream. Who knows? That may change in the future and can indeed choose the bridge. Thanks again for making the choice that much easier!

Thanks Nurse ABC....It's a hard decision. Just today, a friend of mine who graduates with her BSN in a couple weeks, heard the good news that she received a job in the ER of our local hospital upon graduation. We both love emergency medicine. She is the daughter of my EMT instructor. We never knew each other while I was in school but came across one another and became great friends, fate? I hope I can make up my mind sooner or later. They say if you have doubts about something then maybe its not meant to be. who knows :) thanks again!

I agree; life is way too short to work some place that you aren't happy. As far as them taking you back; I doubt they would do it again, but who's to say that you would want to go back after being miserable for so long? I'm in a position with a state agency, with at least a few more years while in school, and when I do leave; I don't plan on going back. I passed up quite a few positions there because I felt that I owed it to my current supervisor to stay because I had just been given day shifts, now I wish I had taken those positions. The stress, anxiety, and pure hell of that job makes me ask why I took that job everyday. After 12 years, I am ready to go. In saying that....do not feel like your owing someone anything outweighs your own happiness. You owe it to yourself to be happy. Best Wishes.

Hi all, I'm currently taking my pre-reqs as a Pre-Health Science major, and wanted to apply to LPN school in February and eventually bridge to ADN, but torn between applying or continuing my education (pre-reqs) and applying to Paramedic School in 2014. Having completed both EMT-B and CNA, I am familiar with both fields. Both are great choices but my love for emergency medicine is where I want to be. The only drawback is that the only Paramedic School in my area is an hour away. I'm a 32 yo wife and mother of 3, so that means having to work as well. I've been told by friends who are Paramedics that the salary is not as great as Nurses and some eventually went on to be RNs because of this, this is not the case with me, the salary is not why I want this so bad. One friend that gave me the most valuable information said, "It's a tough job, the hours are long, and the pay is not so great, but the feeling you get when you save the life of a patient that is near death, is the best feeling in the world. You have to love your job or you will burn out quickly." I love this quote from him. I guess I already have my answer as too which one I want, but the draw backs and having to retake my EMT course because the two year window for me has expired, is whats keeping from it. I know it's going to be a tough and long road, just wanted to see if anyone had any feedback as to how I can get to where I want to be. I'm a little confused and spoke with advisors that said Nurse to Paramedic bridge would be best, but that's a bit of a long road. Hoping someone can give me some info on how to get started or your experiences on bridging to different medical fields. Thanks!

I agree both would be expensive; mine were taken about 5 years apart and each 4 month course was about $500 each, (community college). I loved being a CNA, but found myself searching for something more hands on. The minute I got in the back of that ambulance during my first clinical call, I was in love! During clinicals I not only went on ambulance runs but also helped out in the ER, and that's where my CNA skills kicked into action. As before, both are very useful and look great on a nursing application, but I longed for something more and now find myself questioning nursing or paramedic...which I would love to be a Paramedic but having 3 kids, a husband, working full time, and the closest Paramedic School over 1 1/2 hours away, it's just not something I can do right now. I don't think CNA is a bad choice because it does prepare you, especially working with nurses that will let you watch their everyday tasks. Good Luck to you in CNA school and even more luck when you get into Nursing School.

I agree with the other posters....take it by itself unless you're ready to be studying non stop. A/P is hard, IMHO, including it with chemistry is disaster. I wouldn't risk the GPA loss. Also...if your college is anything like mine, they offer a holiday interim session that can be taken during Christmas Break, it's fast but might be an option if your school offers it.. Tonight while an instructor was registering us for the spring semester, I begged one of my classmates not enroll in Micro with A/P II with corresponding lab...she did it anyway. I am anxious to see how this is going to work out for her. Good Luck in whatever you decide.

I did EMT and CNA and found both to be beneficial in different areas. EMT; I learned more hands on about how to give medical care. The ABCs. How to treat trauma victims, caring for the psychiatric patient, administering O2, vitals, and many others. Im sure it would be beneficial in any aspect of learning within the nursing profession, but you are limited as to what you can and can not do. That's where the Paramedic comes in. As for CNA, I wasn't taught as much about the "medical" part but more so on the ambulation of patients, bed making, how not to dispose of dirty linens, vitals, bathing, feeding, and things like that. It really doesn't prepare you for what to expect when a patient is having trouble breathing, the controlling of bleeds, and how to react during medical emergencies. I'm sure CNA would look just as great as EMT, but I found that EMT taught me more. Hope this helps and good luck on whatever your decision may be.

Calm down and take a deep breath for a moment and think back on why you wanted to pursue a career in health care. If you didn't think you could do it, you would've never applied and accomplished the goal of becoming one of the most important parts of the medical circle. Caring is a big part of the medical field and it shows that you have the mind set of a person that really is cut out for a job in health care. All of us get scared of the what-ifs, but we work through them and eventually get comfortable in our positions; it becomes second nature. Don't be so hard on yourself. Mistakes are made, but we learn from them. The clinical experience is the learning experience. I hope that a couple mistakes don't deter you from being a wonderful CNA to many residents that need that extra TLC from someone like you. I'm sure you'll do great!!! Kudos for passing state boards and prayers for your mom.