Dilaudid

I'd also do both jobs. PRN is as needed and most likely a shift or two every month should be enough to keep your PRN status.

I work in a correctional facility. $18.50/hr. (I'm also a new graduate and this is my first LPN job) Night consists of pill pass and paperwork. I start at 6pm, insulin coverage to inmates at 6:30pm, pill pass starts right after, pill pass usually over at 10pm. Do my paperwork, that usually takes a couple hours tops. Then I'm chilling for the rest of the night unless a code is called. Go home at 6am. However, I start a new job, ($19/hr) again with corrections, Monday so as far as my job duties I expect there to be more. Lol Which is understandable, I was very spoiled at my last job.

I'm in Ga and I recently graduated in August (2013), licensed in September. My first job was at $18.50/hr. I was just offered a new job starting at $19/hr. Both are with correctional facilities. I did receive a job offer when I first started my job search at an urgent care but it was only $16.75/hr. That's too low IMO so I declined. It did take me almost two months of job searching to finally find a decent paying job. Don't get discouraged! It's not as bad as some would have you believe the LPN job market is.

First semester is nerve wracking. Fundamentals was a breeze (made an A) but I had issues with critical thinking questions in Med Surg. (passed with a C) :/ Care plans are a cinch, just buy a really good care plan book and you're set. Pharmacology is actually pretty easy and this is coming from a person who absolutely hates math. I don't do study groups because I tend to work better alone but I do have one person in class that we share notes and study guides. Clinicals (passed with an A) are fun and probably the thing you'll enjoy the most. Have fun and the time will fly by before you know it. I start my second semester Jan.

I'm sorry. I don't really have any more studying advice besides what you're already implementing but I want to wish you the best of luck. Stay positive!

Mine is currently Monday through Friday. 2 days in class, 3 days at clinical sites. Class times are 8:30 am - 3:30 pm. Clinicals start at 6:45 am and ends depending on the site. I'm employed PRN at a local hospital so my work schedule is flexible and is perfect for me in regards to school.

If you don't mind me asking, what city/state are you in? $17 for a CNA is extraordinary!

I'm unsure about the pay because I'm in Ga but I think CNA would definitely help you. I'm fact, my manager has said if she had two applications and both were new grad nurses, one had CNA experience and one didn't, she would definitely hire the new grad with CNA experience. The experience with patients/residents is great. You can't compare it to clinicals.

I'm not sure about Texas but Ga hospitals can range from $9.87/hr (Grady) to $13.25/hr (Wellstar). These rates are PRN, it is lower if you are full-time or part-time. Nursing homes here are generally lower than hospitals, $9-10/hr. Plus, nursing homes tend to give you a larger team to take care of and less equipment/supplies to work with.

Congratulations!! :) I was really excited/nervous when I was accepted also. I'm in my first semester and my advice for you from what I've experienced so far is take notes, study from Power Points, make friends/study groups. This is not a competition and you should all be helping each other to make it all the way to graduation. I've made one really good friend and we look at each other's notes (in case one of us picked up on something in class the other missed). Don't be afraid to ask for help from an instructor if your grades start to slip. In our program, if we make below a 75, we're out. Good luck to you! It flies by, I'm already in my third month. Once you start clinicals is when the real fun starts. :)

We're stuck wearing white too. They require either nude or white undergarments as well. AND our instructor is a total uniform nazi; checking our sock color, and makes sure we have on our watch, name tag, pen, pen light, and stethoscope.

I use my iPhone and it comes in sooo handy. I downloaded drug and lab apps (PocketPharmacist, WebMD, and Lab Values) and use them constantly. Once I forgot my pen light and used the camera light for assessment of the pt's eyes. The instructor was really impressed by my quick thinking.