KatieKt

About the college credits from 68WM6 school... Some colleges will accept them if you're going into an ADN program. For example, at my county community college, they have an "Advanced Entry" for LPNs and you can get this advanced entry if you pass a HESI (I believe its called) Exam. Most BSN programs will not accept your LPN credits. And I don't know what they do today, but I was given a choice for my phase two site. 3 out of 5 schools were available at the time of my decision.

:) Well thank you Sir. :) Its not often I hear that, so your compliments are appreciated.

Oh OK, thanks for your reply. :) Good luck with your schooling.

I apologize if this is a dead topic as I am new to these boards. However, I am an LPN and I cannot wait to be able to start my classes to be an RN. I went to a vocational school for my LPN, not a college. Do you guys think there is a difference in the school you go to as far as getting a good job is concerned? I was thinking about going to a community college. However, are there better options for an ASN degree (RN)? I mean, will my prospective employer look at my resume with a sneer because it says Community College or something?( I personally think community college is great and I'm not puuting anyone down who attends there!) What other school options are there? Are there any strictly nursing school that provide the two year nursing degree?

[quote name=Corvette Guy You need to pay very close attention to your military enlistment contract not because the DoD would deceive you, but because your situation is... well unique. I would think you might have the upper hand in some preferences on the contract. You are saving the AMEDD a lot of $$$ since you are already MOS qualified [91WM6] and just need to become Army Soldier qualified via Army Basic Training. Excellent advice Corvette Guy. You do have the upper hand. However, you will also need to complete the 91W portion (combat medic) of the 91WM6 program. I'm not sure, but I think you'll need the whole 16 weeks of AIT. DOnt quote me on that though. I've heard rumors about them making the M6s back into 91Cs again, but you know...rumors.

Hello! Sorry it has taken me so long to get back to you! I forgot I posted this. But on to your questions! I have worked twelve hour shifts, both day and night. Usually 7 to 7 something like that. I have also worked in an outpatient clinic doing the 8-5 thing. Some units will make you PT with them, so your day actually starts at 0530-0600 even though you dont start work until 8 or so. Usually if you're doing ward (shift) nursing they might have a special PT program for you and others who share your work schedule. Don't be fooled though. Enlisted LPNs get stationed anywhere. Not just hospitals. They can get stuck doing something totally non-nursing related for months on end... Like inventoring milvans and connexes. Also, theres always the Motor Pool! MmHmm. Trust me, it has happened. It happened to me. You're going to be a soldier first, nurse second. Although LPNs do have a higher chance of getting into a position where their skills are put to good use, it is not guaranteed. Just want to warn you. My job duties? OK, well I have worked on a ward doing inpatient duties as well as outpatient clinic stuff. So its hard to say what my duties are exactly. Be prepared that as a military LPN you're scope of practice will be higher than those of civilians. In the field (for ex: Combat Support Hospital) we are mainly put in ICUs. In a field environment (downrange) there is no JCAHO. Haha. I have not been deployed yet, but about all of the people I graduated with have. Even in regular mil hospitals you'll find yourself being able to do more things than a civ hosp. I've never worked in a civ hospital so I can't really compare. But I've read a lot of posts from LPNs here and it would seem to me that Mil Hosps are more lenient with that sort of thing. You will need to get your EMT-B and finish Whiskey school right? You will learn loads there I'm sure. Sometimes I wonder if these people want me to be a medic or a nurse. We have to do biannual training to keep our medic qualifications up to date as well as our nurse qualifications. One time, it had been a year since I did a "assess a combat casualty" with DCAP-BTLS and the medic sergeant jumped down my throat. I was doing it all wrong! I'm sorry, I said, I have been in nursing school for a year and a half..doing bedside oriented stuff not combat stuff. But still...gotta be ready at all times for anything, right? A lot of times I get some flak for being a jr enlisted LPN, because I wear a shield on my chest instead of bars. People will automatically assume I dont know what the hell I'm talking about and want to speak with a "real nurse" haha. Like I'm pretending I'm a nurse. I have gotten that a lot. People think that only officers/civilians can be nurses. Haha. OK I say and I get them an officer or a civilian LPN so they can ask them some lame question. There is a enlisted LPN conundrum. I dont want to go into it right now..but you will have to see what I am talking about. Its kinda like you're torn between two worlds. That of nursing, and that of being a soldier. Its definitely a conundrum. But nothing that you wont be able to live with. :) Uniforms? Depends where you work! Sometimes scrubs, sometimes its the Army issued white scrubs, sometimes its ACUs. Depends on what dept you're in and how much of a "messy factor" it has. Unless you work in Peds or something, the cutesy scrubs have to go. Lessee, time to go RN. Yes. Depends on how hard you work it. There are programs in place for individuals who have all the pre-reqs to go to a BSN school of their choice for free and get paid while doing so. (how sweet is that?) However, there are stipulations for that. You will have to do your own research on that. Most likely if you decide not to go that route you will only be able to knock out a few classes here and there. Unfortunately, an Army career isn't conducive to getting a nursing degree. Other career plans yes, nursing not so much. I have been in the process of knocking out a few classes myself and that is all I can do being out of the country. Hopefully I have answered some of your questions. I know I had a burning desire for knowledge of all things LPN/military related before I joined and I hope I gave you a good jist. Don't let me jade you though. People have completely different experiences in their careers. SO what else can I say?

Wow, I'm surprised at some of these replies. I thought I wasn't getting respect as an LPN because I was jr enlisted instead of officer or civilian! I really had no clue that it spread over into the civilian workforce too. heh. Seriously though... I was working in a LDRP in a hospital when I first graduated LPN school...I did all the care for the postpartum couplets. Anything they needed I did. I did assessments, started IVs, IVPB Meds, IM meds, PO meds, Infant IV meds (with an RN signing off of course), newborn venipuncture, NG tubes, caths, NRP, newborn resuscitation, intubating if necessary (never had to do that, but was ready if it was necessary), Patient education, discharges.. just about anything those postpartum couplets needed! I dont know what those RNs would have done without us LPNS! They were always doing active labors and monitering fetal heart strips. Something I was never taught in depth in LPN school. I did not get any respect at first. Well thats to be expected of course. But I learned quick and always did an excellent and thorough job, and they noticed that and respected that. Not just the nurses, but the docs too. What kind of made me mad though, was that some of them got a little lazy and would assign me all the patients on the floor while two or three of them would "wait for labors" (sit on their ass and shop on Ebay all day) Being a small hospital, it was unlikely that we would even get three labors in a night....so we put the kabosh on that. Soon after we said something, I noticed that on slow days, the PP patients would be split between RNs and LPNs. I've noticed in big Army hospitals, that LPNs and RNs have a lot ( but not all of course) of the same duties. Like say for example, on a Med Surge or Med ward. Or even step down units. I've seen a lot of "high speed" LPNs in ICUs doing a fantastic job! Yeah, their notes have to be signed off by the charge nurse, but its not like they go behind them to see if they're doing a good job. Because, if they've been trained right and have proved themselves as a valuable asset , then that shouldn't be happening. OK....whew.

This is true. Thats why I was somewhat surprised to find out my male coworker in the L&D/postpartum ward was not doing perineal checks, merely asking the women about their swelling/bleeding etc. :uhoh21: The only barrier I can see would be religious reasons. You know....something crazy and unrelated. But we had some hospital food techs refuse to bring food into the rooms on our ward because they were embarrased when they saw a woman breastfeeding. I mean..dont they screen these people?

I am a 91WM6. What would you like to know?

My LPN class had 65% male and 35% female. Oh yeah, that was the military LPN course! Doh! I'm so used to having more guys around that I dont know what I'm going to do when I get into my civilian classes! hehe. Just kidding. I'm sure it will be fine.

I don't post here a lot. So forgive me if this question is a little repetitive. I am an LPN. But i didn't go to a comm college for the licensure - I went about it in a different way. I went to a technical course. Those credits probably won't transfer to a uni or comm college. So my question to you is: I'll be 28 when I start going back to school. I want to get my BSN, but after reading you guy's posts, I'm thinking maybe just getting an Associates RN. Like I said before, I'll be 28 when I start back in school, I don't want to be 32 by the time i graduate. Does anyone have any advice for me? IM really not sure where to start/whats the best route to do.

I work in a L&D ward. Mostly taking care of the babies and post-partum couplets. Its fun and I enjoy it.

Hello all, I'm a brand spankin' new 91WM6, LPN. Oh yeah. I'm really glad I found this little corner of allnurses. I'ver known about the forums for a while but I never knew y'all were hiding out over here. :) Anyways thought I'd drop in and say hi.