Working2beRN2014

The issue is that ASN/ADN's are being phased out because most hospitals want nurses with a BSN for Magnet status. However, if you are considering a career as a nurse most hospitals will hire an ASN/ADN even if they want the BSN, provided the nurse signs a contract to get their BSN within a certain time period. Most hospitals will also reimburse tuition for those expenses. For now I see that LPN's and LVN's are having a harder time getting positions in acute care settings. If you are going to be a PA, which is a completely different school of thought from nursing, I suggest looking at other options. Radiology? Respiratory? Check them out too.

I am under the impression that due to privacy and patient confidentiality that if I saw a patient on the street, I would be in hot water for addressing them about their health or medical care. I get acknowledging them, but this just seems off to me. I wouldn't have risked it. I personally avoid Facebook and other social media sites, and I know it sounds weird. My mother think it is odd, she's in her 60's and has a facebook and I am in my 30's and do not.

I found this lovely outline on the net: http://www.constangy.com/media/materials/42_Final 1 Federal Recordkeeping Chart.pdf I also found another bit that suggested 1 to 2 years. I found that if employed personnel documents are kept on file for at least 1 year payroll for 3 years. I imagine it depends greatly on the type of employer. A retail outlet that has paper applications may simply shred the applications after 90 days (was employed by one that did this ages ago) however I am unsure of the specifics.

I am not sure about LPN or LVN schools but I know in our RN school, we are taught how to write out by hand our dosage calculations, of course on the standardized tests we take through HESI and ATI and even the school's exams, we are given a calculator in the test software to use. I agree that it is best to be careful. Math is important, but not all of us are blessed with the ability to do it in our heads. When it doubt have someone double check your math. As my instructor told us, "you need to know how to do this math because you never know when you may be in a situation like a hurricane, a pen and paper could be your best friend." I also just wanted to say I actually have a learning disability in Math and yet dosage calculations are not too bad at all. I find that once I understand how to set up the equations on paper, and know where to plug in the numbers, I am golden.

I am the same person with a touch of different. On my days off I am still compassionate, I still am a generally nice person. I signal when I change lanes, I thank people who let me over with a friendly wave, I resist the urge to use any waves consisting of only one finger for those who are not friendly drivers. I help random strangers if I see they need it and I can help. I will give directions if asked or say I don't know if I do not. I smile less but I still smile. However I am not as organized, my bedroom, at present is a mess (lost my keys a day ago and things got thrown about and I will pick them up later today.) I am more different in my responses though. I would NEVER yell at a patient, but sometimes I do yell at my son (after I have asked him about 10 times to do something my voice tends to go up a few octaves.) I am also much more laid back! I love to read and listen to music.

Having done a few clinicals at a facility that has non private rooms, I find report is given behind the nurses station in hushed tones or in a staff only break room. At my facility that I work we practice bedside rounding for both PCT's and RN's, the rooms are private so this keep information private as well. As for codes... code brown is a bomb threat. The only thing I have heard a fellow PCT use as far as code, was "Walkie-Talkie" this meant the patient is independent, up on their own with NO assist and mentally competent. I don't personally use that term but then I just say independent, 1 assist, 2 assist, or total (care). We do use acronyms however to refer to some things such as Altered Mental Status (AMS).

I work as a PCT and even though I have patients that will thank me for being such a good nurse, I ALWAYS, make sure to tell them I am not their nurse, that *insert name of their nurse* is their nurse and I am the tech that assist the nurse in giving them care. I am a nursing student, but I am not a nurse. I respect the heck out of nurses and the time they put forth. I think I recall a forum on here talking about MA's talking about having attended medical school too. A nurse is a nurse, and unless you have earned that title, legality issues or not, you should not call yourself what you are not. Just my two cents there.

The OP did state that math has been a challenge in getting into nursing school already. I would REALLY encourage you to brush up on your math skills. As a nurse, LPN/LVN and RN you need to know how to do basic dosage calculations. I am sure you would learn this in pharmacology as well. I hope that if you do take this route and find work as a LPN in California that you are truly prepared to take on that responsibility. A nurse does do so much more than that of a PCT or CNA.

We have male PCT's and RN's on the floor I work on and oodles of male nursing students in my group that graduates May 2014. Our school ranks students for admission based on a clearly defined point system. I doubt any program can legally allow anyone more or less of a chance based on sex. As far as the profession of nursing being a female dominate career field, I think that is steadily changing. I think a lot of this has to do with the mindset that nursing is something women do better. It is based on gender bias and a patriarchal society that sees females as the traditional caregiver or nurse. Society has been challenging this and slowly I think society is evolving. Now as to the perks of going into a field that is dominated by one gender over another... You may be able to find additional financial assistance, such as scholarships and/or book assistance. This is something that many colleges offer and use to incentivize students of the non dominate sex to get into a certain career field. I would encourage you to look into programs that you may qualify for you.

I couldn't see that happening where I work either, and I am only a PCT at present while in nursing school. The doctors I encounter in the day to day (rather night to night for me) is that they know the nurses and other staff like PCT's are a part of the team that ensures their patients are taken care of. I don't know how I would handle being yelled at like the OP described, I would likely end up in tears. I can take a patient yelling but a professional I work with is another story, regardless of what reason they may or may not have. As far as I know the real world isn't like TV. Doctors are in and out of the hospitals, nurses and others like PCT's are there through the long days and longer nights.

I see a lot of posts regarding efficiency and money, but I always thought it had to do with magnet status. That is that 80% of nurses would need to have a BSN or higher. So then 20% would be LPN/LVN or ADN level nurses. I know the hospital which I am a tech for currently, will hire ADN nurses but they must sign a contract to obtain their BSN within a set amount of time. They have NO LPN's or LVN's on staff. In my facility you can be a nursing student who has completed fundamentals or a CNA. I am a nursing student and a PCT (I also have my CNA), and the way hospitals use CNA's is training them as a PCT, the PCT does not transfer, but is facility specific. So they have more leeway in that regard.

I got my CNA so I could work in the hospital setting while going through nursing school. In the DFW area the pay for entry level CNA's is anywhere from minimum wage to upwards of 10.00 hourly. In Texas the CNA course is less than one semester and only 100 hours long. Compared to other degrees in the medical field, it is substantially less. Also CNA's generally earn more as they gain experience. If this is a deliberate career choice, you should be aware of the earning potential in advance, but like most people use it as a stepping stone while working on an advanced degree.

Great Article. It is true, you can't possibly know why things are the way they are. When my father was in hospice I got more than an earful from my older half siblings on visiting my father, they did not understand why I did not want to see him. From a young age until I was 12 he was emotionally and physically abusive. I had no love or respect for the man who was my father. I ended up a ward of the court at age 12, so I find it easier to not think about things such as why a patient has no visitors. Having been in the family member's shoes and been the kid who was abandoned to the state by my mother, I know all too well how complex an individual's life can be. I did say good bye to my father the day he died, but only because I was essentially made to feel guilty by other family members who did not have the same experiences as I did. Also consider that sometimes it is hard on adult children to watch their parents die. My younger brother avoided my mother in her multiple hospital stays because many of her injuries could have been prevented if she had followed doctors orders and used her walker instead of letting her pride get in the way. I recall him telling me, 'I can't just watch her kill herself and be ok with it.' It is more difficult to see children abandoned, but sometimes it is the best case scenario. Other times it could be as simple as the parents are not coping well with their child's illness. You can never know how you might react as a parent until you are there in that situation.

I read this and find myself feeling as if I may have been overbearing on occasion. but then as a nursing student and someone who resides with my mother and has helped care for her through her MANY ups and downs, it is easy to start speaking on my loved one's behalf. I forget to shut up and just let my mom talk. Of course I also know my mother who will downplay her pain levels, and then she will wait until she is in near excruciating pain to call for her PRN meds... I have educated my mother on this many times, not only as a daughter but also from the perspective of a student nurse. That said I applaud the direct approach, just reminding the family that you want to hear what the patient has to say does wonders.

Hi! I am a 2nd semester in 1st year, doing OB, L&D, Peds, and as always med-surg. 1st semester was all Med-surge. I just wish we had more time in pediatrics. I have little love for L&D and OB so for me that section is a bit of a drag but I still learn all I can! Peds is where my heart is and we only had 3 clinical days! That made me sad. Oh and I am in an ADN program.