shanon0403

I loathe group assignments. Idk why teachers insist on it. You are dependent on others, and it's difficult as working students to find time to get together. I had a partner who did nothing for one project and I was so tempted to talk to the teacher, but I can't get people in trouble like that. I have known others who have told though and their teacher was sympathetic and graded accordingly. Just remember if you decide to go that route that you still have to be in class and work the floor with your group members.

I bring home about 1,200 every 2 weeks. I'm a new nurse (almost 2 years) so I'm sure there are plenty of LPNs making more.

That's wonderful. I hope the rest of your year is as wonderful. I'm glad you posted a positive I am supposed to be starting after my summer pre reqs and I was getting discouraged.

Are you by chance talking about Polk State? Maybe it's the culture in the school you are in. Some of them are so obsessed with their NCLEX pass rates they ignore their graduation rate. They make it hard on purpose so that half the people drop out. It's really terrible. I have heard so many horror stories and LPN was so stressful the idea of going back is already nightmare inducing. Ask around. Good luck.

I eat around 1600 or 1700. Then I bring a snack for around 2300, and then I eat a small meal at 0300. That being said the first 2 weeks I worked night shift I didn't really eat because I wasn't used to being hungry in the middle of the night. That will go away and as your body switches over you will find what works best for your body. The worst part is getting off at 0700 and wanting a burger and not being able 5 find one except for sonic. Sonic is night shift friendly lol

Ours was called satori. It taught a lot of verbal de escalation as well as physical interventions. I found that watching them all very closely and intervening as soon as you notice they seem agitated or they start to isolate. There are always early warning signs. Keep your voice calm, don't try to argue or have a power struggle, listen, and be patient. Encourage them to talk to you when they are upset and don't blow them off. If you are busy remind them you care and they are important they will just have to wait a second. Stay firm and consistent but still caring.

I love love love my job almost every day. Pros: Being there for people who are often disregarded Seeing progress Making a difference Free therapy when you go to groups lol Teaching someone skills they will use the rest of their life Getting really close with patients Saving their lives Funny stories that make you very popular at parties It is never boring Cons: Underfunded Getting injured (I have been punched/slapped/kicked/bit/spit on and I'm usually the nice one) Often other nursing professions give you a hard time You do lose some nursing skills (I haven't started an IV in years) though they have health problems too so you still take care of that as well High turnover Sad stories Patients who are terrible sometimes

We used to do the butterfly project. Also, we taught them to draw instead of cut. A lot of facilities don't like the patients to write on themselves though. To me washable marker seems a lot less of an issue than cutting but I don't make the rules. Also, encouraging a lot of dialog so that they feel safe telling you when they want to cut without getting in trouble. Then, you can talk with them and help them find acceptable coping skills. Another thing I found helpful was to keep them busy. If they started to get restless I'd have a mini group, we'd decorate the walls, play games together, do dance workout videos, I'd post journal prompts. I worked on an acute all girl self harm unit for 3 years. It can be exhausting keeping them safe, but I left there 2 years ago and I still get random thank you Facebook messages. (We're not Friends they just message)

I work in Florida at a psychiatric facility. I went to nursing school specifically to be a psychiatric nurse. I started as a tech. The pay sucks, but all you need is a high school diploma. That's where I got my experience and DBT skills. It can be very "hands on" which can be scary. Also, you may want to ask around about smaller facilities. They are usually not the best, but it will get you experience and contacts. There are a ton of detox facilities in that area and that also counts as psych. Also, I think that is sort of close to Sandy pines which is supposed to be a great facility. I work at a crisis stabilization unit that is state funded. It's not near as nice as the private hospital I came from, but it was the only one in the area and it took them 6 months to finally hire me. Just keep trying you will get something.

I found several tricks to help me: Study every day with frequent breaks. 15 to 20 minutes and then do something else for a little while. This allows your brain to process the information. The other is to know the information so well you can teach it. Teach your husband, your cat, your invisible student. Make a song or cartoon out of it. Read the chapter before you learn it in class

I was hired to begin travel nursing 3 weeks ago. I had to get a Kansas license though. The out of pocket expense when I don't have an income plus all the running around is ridiculous. When you take the ncclex they do the national background check. If you get in legal trouble you lose your license. I don't understand why this has been so difficult. I think it's more difficult than when I got my license the first time. Will I have to do this every state or just the ones not in the compact? Is there a travel nursing license you can get? If not can we form a committee to get one? It's not like saving a life will be any different in one state than the other. I'm so frustrated! !! I just want to get back to work.

I spend so much time charting that I barely see the patients I have to look at their picture or speak with the mental health worker about their day. How can we be expected to give good care if we're stuck behind a desk all day? I started as a tech and loved it since I started nursing the money is better but I can honestly say I hate my job. A lot of the paperwork seems pointless. We have this one paper we have to fill out whenever we give a new medication including Tylenol. At teenage and adult age they know if they're allergic to Tylenol, and if they were having a reaction to the medication I wouldn't need the paperwork they would come find us and say hey I have a rash or hey I can't breathe. I don't mind paper charting because you don't have to worry about computers crashing, but it does seem like we should be able to chart by exception. If they took meds and their day was unremarkable we should be able to do something shorter. Also, I agree about being afraid to chart progress for fear that a patient who is doing better but still needs to stay will be kicked out. Our unit is made for 17 patient's but all of agree that we give the best care when we have 10 12 at the most, but they don't care about patient care they care about money money money.

We would also lock doors to get them to go to groups. It does violate their right to refuse, but for some people the only way they will attend a group I'd to be forced. You have to use your judgment. If you feel that strongly about it you should talk to someone on the ethics committee at you work or some one I. Upper management.

Yes that is most of your day, but there are also groups and processing with patients. It is very rewarding to help patients who are in crisis mode if that's some thing that interests you.

I had a list I kept in my badge that read: Mood, group participation, interaction, self harm suicidal or aggressive behavior, PRN med school given, and other.

If it was a violation of company policy than you need to contact the compliance office at your work. If you are looking for material for groups I have found a lot of great resources with therapistaid, and teencentral for other groups. Also, if you have a lot of patients suffering with the same illness Google is my bff

Psych is a great field, but not for everyone. You have to be crazy and have a very dark sense of humor. Lol. You do lose a lot of hands on skills when you work psych so if er is your ultimate goal than just do 6 months for the experience and the paycheck and keep looking for a job in the field you want. Good luck

I think the therapist should run the units, or a separate unit coordinator. Psychiatrists are too busy and the mental health workers are not qualified. Nurses aren't well trained in assessment unless they have a masters or more.

I have WAY more good days than bad days at worK. One of the best days was when I made up my own group and it was one of the best groups ever. Even the girls from multiple other facilities commented on how great it was. Then I stopped a major fight on the unit with my funky socks. One of the girls told me that they remembered something I had said to them several months prior and it really helped them and kept them from self harming. It's days like this that reminds me why I go to work

If you know the style of therapy the facility uses for example: DBT, CBT etc. It would be good to go over some of the highlights so you know how the programs will be set up. If a patient says if you don't move I'm going to hit you...do NOT stand closer to the them. Always try to listen to your patients and repeat back what they are saying to make sure you heard correctly and that they expressed themselves correctly. Have a very dark sense of humor Always question any orders that look incorrect Know all the symptoms of EPS and serotonin syndrome

Ugh! I feel your pain! Med errors are stressful, you worry about the patient and your job. You feel like nursing isn't for you, but when I was stressed about mine I was flooded with stories of med errors. Before I made mine I had a gut feeling something wasn't right, but I was bisy, tired, and a little embarrassed to ask. Learn from your mistakes. I learned if I ever get that feeling to take 3 deep breaths, really read everything and get out the drug book. I'm also less afraid to ask because you can know things but forget when you have a million other things on your mind. Relax, slow down, and remember that you are human and will make mistakes.

I have also been looking for an online LPN to BSN program. I'm worried how clinicals work with online. Do you have to find a hospital near you or fly somewhere? Does anyone know which schools are mostrecommended? I've heard good things about Western Governers from past students, but they weren't nursing students.