WideOpenHeart

Hi! I am an LPN student in a small town in Oklahoma - Duncan. I'll be graduating at the end of June and taking my NCLEX very soon after. I'd like to return to the OKC metro area (my "hometown" area) for work once licensed, but I'm wondering whether I would be wisest to stay here and work in Med/Surg (if hired) at our local hospital while I bridge to RN over the next couple of years. (I have about one year of pre-reqs left, and then the 9-month bridge.) I've heard that it is much more difficult for new LPNs to get a Med/Surg job in the city than in a rural area, and that LPNs in the OKC area don't make much more than LPNs here, though the cost of living is higher - but I don't know if that is really true. I've also heard that LPNs in rural Oklahoma areas get to execute more skills than those hired in metro-area hospitals - but, again, I don't know if that is true. I know I could live very cheaply/affordably here in this rural area while finishing my prereqs and bridge, but I very much miss my family and life in OKC. Any insight or information on the job market for LPNs in Med/Surg in Oklahoma, generally - and/or Duncan, Norman (my "home base"), and/or OKC would be appreciated. Also, I am a Chickasaw citizen and would love to hear from people who work for the tribe... if this is you, do you like it? Would you recommend others apply for the Chickasaw Nation? Thanks in advance to anyone who responds! :)

Can a school legally bar you from entering because of pregnancy? I know that in employment, that is sex discrimination and illegal...? Maybe look into it. :)

I can't read ahead, because I don't have text books or program materials yet, but I keep promising myself I am going to watch YouTube videos on general subjects touched on in my Medical Terminology class (a course prerequisite), like: "How the cardiovascular system works"; "The Integumentary System"; "Pharmacology for Nurses": and so on... I'm not sure what you mean by "how does your program work"...?

Yes, CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!! :) :) :) :) :) :)

Well, I am just starting as a nursing student, but here is what I'm doing: 1) Working on the list of medical terms provided to me by the school's directors. (Need to do better on this!) 2) Getting other things in life organized/cleared, so that I can be very time-efficient while in school. I'm talking about spring cleaning, kitchen organization, birthday cards bought ahead, etc. 3) Getting my nutritional status in order. (Actually, I have many reasons to do this, and didn't consider nursing school prep one of them, until I realized that some fogginess I was experiencing has disappeared since I've gotten off Diet coke.) :)

Faith In Practice is an excellent organization. (It's faith-based, of course, and christian-focused but ecumenical. You don't have to have any faith at all to work with them - at least, that's how it was, years ago. I did a bit of promotion work for them, and I was a buddhist at the time.) The guy who founded it is an interfaith activist of some sort.

My dad has lived in Kingwood for many years (as did my mom, with him, until her death). It is a lovely little town! It's laid out beautifully, with wonderful shops and schools, etc. Lots of professionals and executives live there, so everything is very well maintained. It's not like a big strip mall, either, because there are rules about signage and architecture. It makes driving and walking around much more pleasant.

Hi... I think you probably should do a lot of googling to help you answer your question. Intuitively, I would say that nursing and pure biomedical research are not natural allies, but I can't say for sure. By the way, a principal researcher is someone who is conducting research (not just "leading" it), so I'm not sure what you mean by that particular query...? Good luck!

what does your "gut" tell you? (Your intuition.)

I thought it would be good to start a thread in which people who know about areas where there is still a nursing shortage (or, at least, good nursing opportunities) could share this info with job hunters. I live in Oklahoma, and I can tell you that many (if not most) rural areas here have very real nursing shortages - and even in Oklahoma City and Tulsa, both LPNs and RNs (ADN/BSN) seem to readily get jobs. Because of the legacy of oil money here, many of our rural hospitals are also quite lovely and quite nicely equipped, thanks to bequests, etc. So, I'll start: There are still plenty of jobs in Oklahoma (metro, and especially rural).

Check into Pell Grants. Worst case, get student loans and don't beat yourself up about it. If necessary, it is better to take out some student loans and set yourself up to make a good salary to provide for yourself and your kids, over the years, than to give up on the idea of school because you'll have to go into debt to do it (if that even turns out to be the case). Also, since you are a single mom, there may be some help available to you (like subsidized housing, food assistance, etc.) while you are going through school. Money invested in people like you by the taxpayers has proven to create a hefty return on investment when you enter the workforce (and do the same for others, through your increased ability to contribute to a healthy economy by offering your skills, as well as your ability to pay higher taxes). I know you can make this happen!

Hi... the process for getting into our school's LPN program: 1) Complete an application and provide high school and college transcripts, as well as four references. 2) Complete an online Medical Terminology class with a grade of "A" or "B." 3) Take a TABE Test. 4) Take an "Engage" college readiness test. 5) If a finalist, complete a lengthy panel interview and a series of essay questions concerning nursing as a career and personal motivations to enter nursing, on-site. (The essay answers are scored on content, grammar, handwriting... everything.) 6) If accepted, complete vaccinations and CPR training prior to program. Good luck!

What is your intuition telling you? What path causes you to feel peace when you think about it?

But then, it might draw attention to the ugliness of the shoes. Oh, well! Scrubs are still exciting. :)

Hey! Some of us are just glad for what they cover up... But seriously, even six or eight years ago (when I was still in my tummy shirt days), I would have really been unhappy with the scrub look. In fact, the ugliness of scrubs caused me to feel both pity and admiration for women in nursing. That said, with all of the contortions one can get one's self into when caring for people, physically, scrubs do offer some peace of mind when it comes to modesty issues. Still, it seems to me that they could come up with some more "hourglassy" (cinched at waist) options...