HW932j4

Emails just went out. Got mine about 11AM and I'm accepted! Good luck to everyone else! :)

I have to disagree with the above poster, but that's just my opinion, and I seem to be in the minority with this. I NEVER give a BP med without checking vitals first. Sometimes I get laughed at, but that's okay. I'm sure the resident likely wouldn't take their BP before taking a blood pressure medication. Many people don't, and that's their choice, but you're not responsible for them. You are, however, responsible for the resident you are administering medication to. In this circumstance, you are administering the medication to them, and if anything happens (ex. a fall due to hypotension-in which the elderly pt could sustain serious injuries) you would be held responsible, and the board would be questioning why you didn't check before administering. It may take extra time, but your license is worth it. I've had situations where a pt's blood pressure was dangerously low, and if I had given the meds without checking VS, I have no doubt they would have been sent out to the hospital for my mistake. Better safe than sorry. Like I said, that's just my opinion.

I work as a LPN for a UHS psych facility in the South. I'll do my best to answer your questions, but it's from my experience and may not necessarily match up with how they operate in California. 1. I don't think you will be able to get extra compensation for being a LVN. If you are hired as a MHT, medication administration is out of your scope of practice as a MHT. MHT duties at my facility generally include Q15 rounds (nurses are required to do them as well, but MHTs definitely do more), transporting the patients to and from activities and meals, some charting and putting charts together for new admissions, taking VS, assisting in groups and group notes. 2.MHTs down here get paid about $10/hour and there is shift differential and a weekend bonus. Education is not a factor in pay at my facility. There are multiple MHTs with their Bachelors in Psychology and in the process of obtaining their masters degrees, or MHTs who have a background as EMTs or paramedics. They don't make any additional money of for that experience or education. 3. UHS has policies in place to protect their employees. During orientation you will learn CPI training to ensure the your safety and the safety of the patients in a situation where a patient's behavior is escalating. That beings said, occasionally something does happen where a staff member does get hurt. It's not often but it has happened. Working in behavioral health is never easy, and some of the patients are in crisis, having hallucinations, ect. In my facility, whenever a code is called the MHTs are the ones who go straight to the scene and handle the situation together, usually with the help of a nurse and some Ativan! There is a risk, but you will find a risk wherever you go. I've worked in psych for almost 1 year now and never had a patient become physical towards me. I previously worked in LTC and was spit on, hit, and scratched. Hope the information was helpful. Like I said there are always risks, but working in psych is a rewarding job and there's never a boring day! Good luck!

I live in FL and there are a lot of openings, especially in LTC and home health. The pay isn't great, but it's better than nothing. I started out in LTC making 17.50 working 3rd shift, now I work in a psychiatric hospital and make 18.15 2nd shift with weekends off!

My GPA is 3.53. I'm a Pinellas resident and I've completed all my prerequisites. I applied for the LPN-RN transitional program. Good luck!

$18.15/ hour in FL

Hey guys, this wait is ridiculous! The anxiety about denial or acceptance grows each day! I've been checking every day and nothing yet. I'm past the point of worrying about my GPA and now I'm starting to think maybe I made a mistake in my application and they won't accept me. That's what I get for staring at my application for 29 days. I noticed that the required documentation part is blank, but I know I must have filled that out! Anyone else notice that too? Also, good luck to all my fellow applicants. Hope we get in!

I'm a new LPN and just started working in behavioral health. My primary job at my facility is to dispense medication, but I'm having difficulty with the PRN pain medications. Many of the patients want multiple pain medications together (Ibuprofen& Tylenol, Ultram & Oxycodone) ect. The facility has no policy on whether they should be given together or how long to wait between administration. Everyone I ask gives me a different answer and some nurses will give the medications together and some will not. So far I have been refusing to give them together because I feel that I would rather be safe than sorry, but I am not sure what the correct way is. Any advice would be appreciated.