simplykim88

I have been at my current job for a year now. My anxiety has not diminished since day one. I am an LPN working the 3- 11 shift so I am the only nurse on duty for that shift. It is in an assisted living facility so we don't have any skills to do, I mainly pass medications. The med pass is heavy and while I'm doing that I have to answer the phones, take care of new orders that come in, deal with family members, sign in the delivered medications, do assessments on new residents, handle any falls or illnesses, do skin checks.... the list goes on and on. No matter how I try to organize my time, that med pass kicks my butt. I would love to get a job where I could learn some skills but I don't know if I could handle the stress. Good luck to you!

I would say a quiet place to study most of all. Second, folders to keep important hand outs organized. A good stethoscope. Many girls bought a cheap one they couldn't hear a thing out of and always borrowed mine. Good luck!

Perhaps I am the only one who thinks your priorities are spot on. I'm 55 and although I really wish I had gone to nursing school in my youth, I waited until my youngest son started college. With two kids still living at home and a husband, I know it can get difficult to cover all the bases. Because I went to LPN school my schooling was only 18 months long. I explained to my family that this was something I wanted to do all of my life and in order to pass and do well, I would have to give it my all. I read so much everyday, always had a test coming up and projects to do. It did indeed encompass my entire life. But at the end I graduated with the highest GPA in my class and my family couldn't have been more proud of me. I know it's hard to put yourself first, that's one of the great qualities of being a nurse. But this is your time to shine, they will love you for it and they will learn from your experience and the kids will remember and respect the hard work they saw you do to reach your goal!

That's exactly how I feel!!! And yes I remember that guy on the Ed Sullivan show!

I have had my license about a year and a half. I worked every other weekend at an assisted living facility for about 10 months. The facility was extremely short staffed and I didn't feel I could give the quality of care the residents deserved. I am now working at another assisted living facility taking care of a lot of people. I just don't feel like I'm doing a good job. I'm so busy medicating people that I don't have time for anything else. I'm wondering if I bit off more than I can chew becoming a LPN at 53 years old. I feel like I will never be organized enough to do all my responsibilities. I feel like quitting but I wonder if I stick with it if I will adjust. I've been there about a month every other weekend and one day a week. Thanks, Kim

This is how I see it. I am an older lady (53) and just started my first nursing job as a LPN in an assisted living facility. I am thrilled to finally be doing something I have always felt called to do. Right now I do not have very good hard skills. My school pushed book smarts, but I wasn't impressed by our clinical rotations. The teachers kept saying, don't worry, you will get your skills at your job. To me this is where my soft skills come into play. I befriended everyone I met at work, helped them in any way I could, came in to work if they called because they were short handed. So everyone gets along well with me, and when I come across a skill I must perform that I am unsure of, plenty of people offer to help me. To be a good nurse you need both soft and hard skills. Someone has to be willing to show the new nurses the ropes. It doesn't hurt to have good people skills and I think it can be taught. I look forward to the day when I have both kinds of skills because they are both so important.