April_LPN

We also use the Silent Knight pill crusher. I like the bags and the crusher itself, but the one problem I came upon just the other night is when you squirt in the applesauce or whatever with the crushed pills, the particles can sometimes be blown up into the air from the apple sauce bottle. Make sense? And I got a small amount of dilantin up my nose the other night and it burned for about an hour, kind of freaked me out. I was fine though.

What do you all use for wound care mostly? We use a lot of accuzyme, panafil, xenaderm.

I would personally go with the time that I assessed them.

I work in LTC, only been an LPN since March. We have about equal amounts of LPN's and RN's. We are treated exactly the same. The only thing that an RN can do that we can't is hang an IV bag or flush an IV line. If it weren't for that, where I work you wouldn't be able to tell the difference between the RN's and LPN's. We definantly don't do any of the CNA work though.

I could not agree more. I work LTC and I believe this is the way it should be. I don't stay much over the time I am supposed to get off because the way I feel about it, it is much easier for all of us to do a little bit if work (like a few papers out of an admit) and pass it on, than to try to take on the entire admit and be stressed, off schedule, and neglecting our priorities.

I am about a year out of school and yes this is my first job. And yes I have to pass all the meds myself.

Well, I just started LTC on Monday. Today will be my third day on the floor and I find myself crying every night after I get off. I am still orienting with a nurse and I can't imagine what it will be like after she is gone. I only get 6 days of orientation which just doesn't seem like it will be enough. I know it will be better when I get a routine down but for now I am stressed beyond belief. I have 30 patients, 2 have g tubes, 1 new colostomy and a few diabetics. Last night I was doing a g tube feeding for the first time by myself, and thought that I could handle it but as soon as the other nurse walked out of the room the lady starting acting like she was choking. The fluid in the tube came up and started spilling all over. I immediatly panicked and thought that I had done something wrong. I ran to the hall to get my nurse and she wasn't around so I yelled down the hall and got the other nurse on duty, she came in and said that was normal and that she wasn't choking it was just (sp) choric movements. As soon as my nurse came in the room I just started bawling, and I think she felt really bad for leaving me alone. I just hope this gets better with time. I am so scared.

Well I ended up finding a job a little bit closer to home, and it is 2:15-10:45, so I applied for that. Pretty much got interviewed on the spot so I am just waiting for them to check background and references etc.

Congrats :) I had the same thing happen to me and I was a wreck! I graduated in May 2004 and finally got to take my test March 4th. Whew

Sounds promising so far :)

What about doing the night shift while you have kids? I have a 4 year old at home. Starting school next year.

Anyone do this? I just got my LPN license this month and there is a position open for 10 pm to 6 am in a LTC facility. I am normally pretty much a night owl anyway, usually stay up till 4 am anyway. But what I would like to know is, what do you do all night? If the residents are asleep, are there meds to pass? Is it so boring I will want to fall asleep??

I'm in Iowa and we are able to use the quick results thing through Pearson Vue. The lady at the testing center said they would probably be back late Monday afternoon. So, not too much longer to wait :uhoh21:

Oh and I didn't get a single check all that apply or even any drug calculations!! But I refuse to get riled up because of that because if I have learned one thing from the NCLEX it is that you just can't guess if you are gonna pass or fail, it is so random with questions, or so it seems.

Just took the NCLEX Friday 3/4. I felt the same way most people feel when they come out of there, like crap. I came out to the car all sad and dragging my feet.Those questions were nothing like I was expecting. It shut off at 85 or so, funny thing is I noticed the computer do something, like a noise like it was gonna shut off, at 80. Soooo I am in the long weekend wait. They said I should be able to find out if I passed late Monday afternoon. Wish me luck!!!!!!