lauriepat

So!! I have been working on a medsurg/tele/behavioral health floor for about a year and a half. I also have some lpn experience in ltc prior. I've decided to make the jump from med surg to critical care. I have an interview next week on an icu stepdown floor. I know some of the patient population have vents, and post ops of cardiac/thoracic surgeries. I am 100% sure i want to work in critical care, everytime i rapid response someone, or code someone or get a critically ill patient i get this weird adrenaline rush and it's terrifying and fulfilling at the same time. Any advice for going from med surg to critical care????

Maybe hymns, one of my residents plays piano. if your residents have dementia you could do a "happy hour" tomato juice and celery for bloody marys, non alcoholic beers.. Painting, jewelry making. All depending on cognitive level and level of functioning.

Thank you for all the kind reponses :) I can push through it and will.

Hi everyone, looking for some words of wisdom, lol I have been an lpn for almost 3 years, currently in RN school. It has been a heck of a ride. I was accepted into the program last july, to start in august and graduate this may. However, I thought I could work 30 hours a week while doing so. Not quite, it ended up with me being under an insane amount of stress, my boyfriend didn't understand, ended up screaming at him, my mom, anyone else 90% of the time. ultimately ended up balling my eyes out with one of my teachers and had to drop the program. It was so, so hard for me to accept that..however I picked myself up, reapplied, and I am working every other weekend, and doing excellent in class/clinical, and now I am vice president of my class. I will graduate this December. However the beginning of this semester has been horrible, ended up moving back home with my parents, issues with my boyfriend..my life has been turned upside down, however school is not reflecting that. I feel like crap. Not making the money I used to because I'm not working a lot, I still hold a lot of regret that I could have been a working RN by the end of this summer. I know, it won't matter 5 years down the road But I find myself wishing it was a year from now so I can just work and love my job and get my own place and be AWAY from everybody. I am in a rut, I want to freaking graduate.

Just this last week we got a foot of snow...i live in virginia. Staff and management stayed overnight in the residents' theatre. Some staff stayed from wednesday-friday! Kitchen staff stayed as well. One big sleepover lol

Maybe rude was the wrong term lol. Maybe it's it more frustrating to me that management admitted her knowing she was like this. I think she should be in a snf, personally but management wants the rent $$ sadly. I mean she's thrown stuff at staff, i've never dealt with a patient with this extreme behavior, it's almost unreal to me but i guess it happens a lot. No uti, no medical cause for her behavior except dementia. It's just frustrating to me that she won't let staff help her. Thanks for all the responses :)

I work in an alf. We have one resident who drives me up a wall. I usually am not sensitive, and i don't let things get under my skin But there is a woman who will curse you, call you every name in the book, refuses to shower/change clothes, and refuses any assessment all. She also refuses ALL medication. Md tried to put her on lexapro, and she consistently refused it. She moved here from across the country and her family isn't really involved. Today she told me she could see my crotch. I told her that was inappropriate and she continued to curse me. Does anyone else deal with this??

Synthroid, prilosec, pain meds. Some breathing treatments and lidoderm patches.

Hi all, i am an lpn in rn school. I am working in an alf. Just wanted to share my little bit of hospice experience and how i enjoy working w hospice pts now. I went to nursing school while i was in high school. My very first clinical i was 17, and that very first day we did post mortem care, and it scared the heck out of me. 3/4 years later i started working at my current job. My first hospice pt moved in for a week then passed. I gave SL morphine for the first time and his eyes rolled in the back of his head, this made my hospice fear even worse. Recently, one our well known residents was put on hospice. He declined quickly. One night i helped the aides clean him up and after they left i did mouth care and spent time with him. I got such a good, odd feeling from this, like it felt right. Like i was making a difference. (Not to sound corny :)) the next am he passed. I was so glad i got to spend some of his last hours with him. It is an honor to take care of someone before they leave our world. I commend all of you hospice nurses...and i think i might have found the specialty for me.

My facility does it as well, a few residents like to get up between 5 and 6, and it helps the other shifts out.

Hello all! Happy early thanksgiving :) I worked 7p-7a tonight (in an alf) One of my residents fell in his bathroom. C/o lower back pain, not sure if he bumped his head or not, wouldn't respond to me at first verbally, had to rub his back a bit. Decided to send him out. I got a call from a very rude er nurse telling me i needed to call and give report bc i didn't give emts report. I did give emts report, how can you not give emts report when sending someone out?? Do you guys get attitudes from nurses that don't work in ltc? I am in rn school as well, a few weeks ago in clinicals i was told managers are hesitant to hire nurses that have worked in facilities bc they fear they "are not good nurses" due to working in ltc! Offensive, i know! What do you guys think??

Don't wear a mask. Breathe through your mouth. You will get used to it. Remember you are helping someone do something they cannot do for themselves anymore, even if it is as simple as tolieting. They appreciate it. I think every nurse has a "thing" though that they can't deal with (but still do) for me it's vomit lol.

There is nothing better than as a nurse than to get a few minutes to visit with a patient during a busy day, especially in ltc. What you're doing is awesome!! I agree w the other poster- you are doing more good than you know. Not sure what your boundaries are, but when i would visit my grandma when she was in ltc i would bring her a milkshake or one of her favorite foods, or just have lunch w her. If it's nice outside take them for a walk around the building. You could also give one of your ladies a manicure, bring some nail polish! Kudos to you!!

I know you don't mean to come off offensively.. But it seems like you just think lpn's don't do this, don't do that As you know ltc is stressful. Everyone i work with is stressed out, And to solve issues like this i try not to look at my coworkers as just an "lpn" or "rn" or "med tech" I treat everyone as equal when speaking to them working with them, but when it comes to delegating tasks/responsibilities of different titles that is a whole other story But that doesn't seem to be the issue here. Treat your other nurses as equals. An lpn may not have an rn license but l our experience is very very valuable. I know plenty of rn's who do things that you say these lpn's aren't doing/are doing incorrectly, so please don't just think it is an "lpn thing"