hfdguy

Recently, I had my gallbladder taken out. I know, its not a big operation, and although I knew what to expect in general by being a nurse, I was still scared, worried, and all the other emotions our patients face. I woke up one morning at midnight with severe stomach pain. Nothing I did would relieve the pain, and I began vomiting around an hour later. At 3:30AM, I decided I couldn't take the pain any more and went to the emergency room. I really wasn't thinking it was my gallbladder. i certainly didn't anticipate surgery, complications, or anything like my experience. When they broke the news that I needed surgery, of course panic and concern flooded over me. I had never had any type of operation before, and although in my mind I knew this was a simple and routine operation, there is always a chance of complications. I was immediately reminded of a video I had seen in the military years ago. The men was a pilot, who was burned over 75% of his body by jet fuel after a plane mishap. Suddenly, he was a patient. Nobody thought he would live more than a day or two. Some of his nurses and doctors treated him as such. He couldn't speak. Most of his face was burned away. But his mind was sharp. And he remembered everything. And shared it to us. I had a wonderful experience overall. The doctors, nurses, aides, ancillary and surgical personnel were awsome. But, there still were times when I needed medicine, or needed to go to the bathroom, or when a nurse would come in to do a procedure and not make me feel comfortable and like a person.. just another injection, or just another pill... and I would think these are the things I need to hold onto... these are the times I need to burn in my memory, and try to always be attentive to my patients needs and treat them like I wanted to be treated... A small, simple surgery. Admitted on Monday, out of the hospital on Thursday, due to Hypokalemia and a post-ansthesia irregular heartbeat. Only one small voice in a constant sea... Remember to all, tomorrow, it could be you. God bless you all for what you do every day.

When I was a student in an LPN program (LPNs aren't even allowed to work in hospitals in CT), I felt the doctors and RNs in the hospital where I did clinical took me very seriously and listened to my concerns. They all treated us as valued members of the team, and even had us participate in rounds! I recall one patient had mouth cancer and was having a hard time swallowing. I was a CNA before I became a nurse, and used to shorten the straws of patients having problems drinking thru a straw... I did it for him and he drank everything in sight. When it came time for rounds, I reported that he drank like 800 ml of fluid, and everyone was going crazy on how easy it was to solve his dehydration problem... lol...

I'm a pediatric homecare nurse, and I love it :) I spend a lot of time in schools, and kids are very receptive to seeing a male as a nurse... its great!

Its nice to know I'm not alone... I graduated from LPN school in Jan, and there are many times I feel completely incompetent, and overwhelmed... Thanks for helping me stick it out!

Best thing is only one class that needs a lab (such as chem, micro or A&P)... then you can 'relax' with a course thats not so stressing.. such as a math, english or other pre-req class... I know I loved just taking another class to take my mind off the hard core science ones.. I took English Lit when going thru A&P, and it really helped me focus :) Whats more relaxing than reading a book... he he...

Nursing is a very demanding job on your back... If I'm not helping the Aides pull patients up in bed, i'm bending, standing for long periods, running up and down the halls... I would have serious reservations if you have back problems already... either way, good luck following your dreams

I'm a new LPN grad - just passed the boards last week... and I gotta say this is the most demanding, most rewarding, most exciting job I have ever had!! I am soo happy I finally decided to take the plunge and go to nursing school!

Connecticut and affordable can't be put in the same sentence; however, Connecticut has a charm that keeps most of us here. Stamford, Stratford and Bridgeport are all shoreline cities... stamford is closest to New York City; thereofore, it is very very expensive. Most business people buy multimillion dollar homes in the Greenwich/Stamford area, and commute to New York. Bridgeport is a port city; therefore, it has a reputation for being a tough and somewhat run-down place. I live in the Farmington area, where there is plenty of places to shop, lots to do, great places to work, and a short highway trip will get you to New York (2 hours), Boston (2 hours) or Cape Cod (about 3 hours). Danbury is by the New York border; is a large city with its share of problems, but a nice place I think... Newington and its surrounding area is north of Hartford, the capital. It has experienced the most growth over the past few years, and has many apartments in the style I've seen in the south - rental units with a common area, pool, and the like. I believe there are a number of job opportunities up that way, and its one of the nicest places to live in CT -- just remember, nice also means pricey. The average cost of a home in CT is a little over $250,000, according to a new survey. Of course, there are a lot of places where you can get a decent home for $100,000 or so, and I think Avon and Greenwich tend to bump up the prices of the 'average' home (I think the average home in Greenwich goes for just a little over $2.5 million). Anyway, if you like mountains, rolling hills, or oceanside, Connecticut is the place for you... We are a small state, but that only enhances the experience, as you can do just about anything in a day trip, or a nice long weekend. Best of luck to you!

I attended the LPN Program at a state-run school (EC Goodwin in New Britain)... I know its too late now, but the state does have a evening program as well... and I would match my experience and knowledge at $5K with any new grad at $25K. Just my two cents :)

Hi all.. I just graduated from an LPN program here in Connecticut. I can tell you my instructor tested, re-tested and re-re-tested all of us on injection sites. Maybe the nurse forgot and was trying to cover it up, but my first IM injection was in the glute... I didn't do any injections in the delt until I could tell my instructor 'alternate' sites for administration. Proud to be ... a GPN :) Step 1, change the S to a G.. Step 2, change that G to an L. :)

Hi all :) David here.. a new GPN - just graduated from EC Goodwin. I sit for the boards on Feb 6, and have just started a great 11-7 job at a LTC facility in Avon. Best of luck to all my fellow grads, no matter what school you went to... I know the struggle :)

I take it the 'senior nurse' was not her supervisor. That was her mistake. Hopefully she learned from this that nobody is there to 'cover' for you... if you make a mistake, own up to the mistake, and notify them IMMEDIATELY. I wish her luck...

I say be proud of who you are... This is just stupid to be hiding from a time-honored profession like nursing. I am a nurse, and PROUD of it! I know being male and a nurse may bend some peoples perception of what is traditional, but I don't care --- anyone asks me what I do for a living, I'm happy to tell them. I am an important part of people's lives, and that's what counts.

First, I want to say thank you for this stimulating thread... I am really enjoying this banter... I will never agree that this law is appropriate, as long as there is a disparity based on a persons ability to pay. Apparently what this allows is for people to be treated in an emergency room for non-emergent problems if they have the extra 100 bucks i still say joe citizen should not fear that they will be charged extra in order to seek help... Cardiologists and others are specialists; emergency rooms are portals into the healthcare system And I believe its reckless to punish people who may not have the ability to pay and make them feel less important to the healthcare system - and make them feel like they shouldn't bother us unless its something 'important'..

The last patient I brought to the Emergency Room by ambulance was someone complaining of 'stomach pain'... very vague, no temp, no other s/s... Guess what... she died in the ER about 15 minutes after I got her there due to a AAA that ruptured in the ER. People take s/s too lightly... as nurses we are supposed to be advocates for healthcare.. I reject your thought that 'the policy is valid'... I would never want to live in florida if that is the policy and would like to see all the people who support that policy be brought before a nursing board to have their licenses revoked for a complete failure to protect their patients.

Hi there :) I'm in the LPN program at EC Goodwin in New Britain. The differences between the schools are as large as the differences in the jobs between an LPN and an RN (ADN). There are no specific prerequsites for LPN school, and indeed its a diploma program and not a 'traditional' college course. I believe its much harder than that of a college. There is a lot more 'clinical' or hands-on work here, and the schedule can be demanding on your family and finances. All RN programs in the state have their own requirements, but most include courses in Anatomy and Physiology, Microbiology and some form of Mathematics. Then, it depends on which school you apply to as to when (or if) you get in... most schools have a 2 to 3 year waiting list - and that only starts AFTER you obtain all your prerequsites. There are several bridge programs once you become an LPN that will help you to obtain an RN degree if you choose. A number of people decide nursing is not for them, some enjoy being an LPN, and some pursue their RN degree. You will learn all about articulation when you go to LPN school. Either way you choose, stay focused and enjoy your time... Best of luck!

I am an EMT and in LPN school (due to graduate in Jan!).. I just have one thing to say: Shame on all of you who support this... you should be ashamed! In Connecticut, its a law that anyone who feels the need can go to an emergency room. What they are asking the average person in Florida to do is diagnose their illness and determine if they are 'sick enough' to go to the Emergency Room. That is absolutely against everything we have ever been taught in medicine. I hope you all remember that the most important thing about being a nurse is to be an advocate for your patient - you are the one with the knowledge, the average person has no clue, and trusts us to do what we can to help them. I hope two things happen: One, that everyone in Florida in healthcare write their representatives to have this outlawed, and two, that everyone charged in this manner sue the two hospitals as a class action, stating that the patient has a reasonable expectation of treatment and that they are not equiped to diagnose whether certain signs and symptoms are 'true' emergencies or not. How many CVA patients wake up with just a headache? What are the major signs and symptoms of a MI? AAA? Would we consider 'diffuse pain, lethergy, flu like symptoms' to be minor or indicitive of a serious life threatening condition? I know ERs are overcrowded. Most hospitals in CT now have primary care clinics associated with the ER so those deemed non-emergent can still be seen. But I also know that they have sent people to the clinic with a 'non-life threatening' condition, only to find out they are minutes away from a catastrophic event.

I am 40 and in LPN school as I got tired of waiting around on the 3 year wait list for the RN school... One of the reasons I decided to 'go for it' was an article I read in Dear Abby. To paraphrase, a woman who was 55 always wanted to be a doctor. She wrote to say she was too old to persue her dream. Abby would hear none of it, and years later a letter was published from her daughter to Abby. In it, Abby had originally said how old will you be in 6 years if you don't go? And will you still be sitting on your porch, saying "Gee, I could have.. but I'm too old..." Based on her advise, the 55 year old woman went to medical school, graduated, and moved to a rural community in Vermont. There she was the only doctor in 50 miles. Her daughter wrote that she had just passed away at the age of 98, but spent over 30 years touching lives in that rural hamlet - caring for patients and changing lives. Now, not only do you owe it to yourself to become an RN if you are really committed to being one... you owe it to all those future infirm, ill and helpless patients who will be looking for a knowledgable, caring nurse when that call bell is pressed. Best of luck, my friend!

I think you are confusing supervising administratively with supervising medical procedures. The hospital administrator is the 'supervisor', yet he is not a nurse. And if you were the Director of Nursing, with your MSN, you would report to someone who is not a nurse at all, but got his MBA from Yahoo U. And guess what, at the end of the day you all work under your own license.. LPNs and RNs... and you are responsible for your own actions under whatever nursing practice standard you are held under. You wouldn't want the hospital administrator to start an IV either, after all

First, congrats on deciding to become a nurse :) I am also a male CNA in LPN school, here in Connecticut. There are a number of nursing homes in the state that are always looking for LPNs... so I wouldn't worry. My advice is to find a nice home to be your 'base', which will pay a little less but give you benefits, then sign up for a 'pool' at one of the agencies to fill in the gaps at a higher rate. This seems to have worked for me - especially in school... I work as a CNA 24 hours a week, which makes me eligible for benefits, then as a pool when classes aren't killing me. To find a list of nursing homes in the area, I suggest hospitalsoup.com... its got every facility and links to their website, where you can see if they are hiring. Best of luck! Dave EMT, CNA, Soon-to-be LPN

I am in the LPN program in connecticut... In CT there are two types of LPN Programs: State-run and private. State run programs have no prereqs, but you must pass a basic math and english test, then go thru an interview. That takes several months. There is no 'waiting list' per sae, but you have to pass the test and wait for the next class. This class costs about $5,000 total... The private classes have their own requirements, and cost $25,000... (Which one do you think I am enrolled in ) Dave