neennernurse

narcan; I worked on telemetry floor for 3 yrs, then got not bored, but didnt feel like i was growing professionally, applied to the job i have now, been loving my career. I feel rejuvenated, and always learning something new everyday!!!!

I have tried that route. I am the type of person that needs classroom instruction. I found at home, there where alot of distractions. I think you should evaluate which is the best way that you learn things, is it class room with instructor, or studying a book without lectures. Depending on the schools, i know i looked into the one your thinking about, you have to pay a test cener, ie sullivan learning centers, to take exams, for the english part of your studies, i had to write a paper and send it of to a professor, and pay him money to read it and grade it it was about 300 dollars for him to read and grade it. I would just rather set up work around my school, sit in class, and have no distraction around me. I will hopefully be starting classes for my RN, in January.

I know thru my employer im ACLS. certified. I would like to be ortho certified seeing how 3/4 of the patients I see are orthopeadic emergencies, but the ONA (orthopeadic nurse association). Does not certify LPN's. I would talk to your nurse manager about what kind of certifications you would need to work on your unit.

Emergency Medicine w/ACLS certification, and need to get PALS certified. :balloons:

I worked Telemetry right out of nursing school, as a GPN. Now in the ED, in "fast track"area. and main ER when short staffed I have found that hospitals trying to achieve "Magnet" status. Dont tent to hire LPN's. I had to leave my previous employer for that reason. Most LPN's in my area, work in Long Term Facilities, Rehab, Physicians offices, Home Health, and Hospice, and Psych. You will have to remember our "pracitice act". That is why some hospitals dont hire LPN's. I know when i worked telemetry, I had a patient on heparin drip or any other continous IV , with protocol, I would have to have the RN titrate the drip for me, after getting the results. Salaries are different depending where your living, and years of experience you have.

I know I'm not a "glorified tech". I work in an inner city ED. I do all my patients testing, care, meds, IV's if needed. I view myself in a "unique" postion. So does my administration. I can do basically what an RN can do execpt push meds, titrate iv drips, and hang blood. So working with the staff, they view me as a back up, if they are extremely busy with patients. If an RN misses an IV, they call me in to try I dont mind being a team player. In the end its for the patients no matter how you view it. If people should just view you as a "glorified tech". Educate them on the positive impact you have on the unit. I know I do it daily. Be proud. Change the preceptions of others. You wont be viewed as a "glorified tech". Get the certifications behind you if you can, for example, ACLS, IV cert, Ekg Cert.

1) were you a cna before you started lpn school, or did you have any backround working in healthcare beforehand? i was a cna, unit clerk, and watched telemetry monitors. if yes, do you feel it benefited you during school? yes, as a unit clerk, i learned what tests go with what meds, and diagnosises all seemed to come together. cna, i learned the right way and wrong way of patient care, learned to treat people as you want to be treated and cared for. 2) did you work during lpn school? how many hours a week did you work and what was your occupation? i worked 2 jobs while in nursing school, my employer paid for my lpn school, i was a unit clerk. got a job as cna, in nursing home, on weekend off d/t i felt i was lacking in patient care, and assessment. so i was basically working 60/hr a week, and school full time. 3) how many lpn schools did you apply to, and did you get in on your first try? i only applied to one.

rn43tx, thank you for your feed back. I think you miss read what i meant. Yes I do pactice in the state of PA. I do not give IV push meds, nor would I. It is against my nurse practice act. There have been RN's that tell me to do it, and I tell them "against my practice act" The point i was making was, hospital administration is making it harder for the LPN/RN relationships. Blocking the pyxis to get IV narcotic, only "RN" can doesnt make sense. Alot of times I feel like a hinderance than a help to the staff and patients, due to the restrictions. I would just wish that they would make a "National Practice Act" for all the LPN's. For the GN/new RN's I am very patient with them. Sometimes too patient with them. I have to scratch my head when one comes up and asks, "what is colace?". That is such a basic drug.So I tell them what it is. I try and give them confidence with their skills also. Give kudos when needed, and a hug if over whelmed. With the "seasoned RN's", I find they know my practice act better than me sometimes. The "newer" nurses dont understand the "can an can nots" of my nurse practice act. Then they get upset, and make a fuss. I try to explain to them, but too overwhelmed with the other tasks to understand. I have worked with alot of great RN, they are my role models. They know my scope of practice and talents in other areas as in IV"S starts, lab draws, If they cant get an IV, and I have a patient that needs IV push meds, we would swap tasks. Isnt that what "team work is about". "RN/LPN" team of nurses.

"Thank you" for the welcome....

I graduated from LPN school in 2000. I have always been told by my instructors " A NURSE IS A NURSE" it is true. As an LPN I know I have more clinical than some of the RN's. Infact most of the RN's come to me with questions about clinical procedures, ect. I get told by my peers, RN's that I should go to nursing school for my RN. Yes in time I would like to, but I'm adjusting to the responsiblities I have now. In time I will further my education, but right now I'm happy and learning new things everyday! Now about hospital administration, that is a horse of a different color. I got hired as a GPN, for a telemetry floor, d/t the nursing shortage, Eventually the hospital started recruiting, and hiring travelers, and bringing in forgein nurses. With the new hiring, my job changed over a year time. I went to go get and IV narcotic for one of my patients and the pyxis wouldn't let me get it, they programed it for IV meds to be taken out by RN's only. I felt that it was very degrading to me and my abilities, and making my patients suffer ie with pain and to find an RN to get it and admister it. I felt like an over paid pca. If each facility would let us work up to our practice act, the RN's work load would be lessened. I only work per diem with that facility. I now work in the ER. The ER physicians and RN's appreciate my skills. One of the attending physicians told me when ever there is a code i want you by my side, he told me my clinical skills are excellent better than some of the RN's. I think that is a great compliment. I sometimes have a problem, with the "newer" GN/RN's. I dont think they know how to use us to the best of our ability. I think its also cause they are not "seasoned" and unsure of themselves, but I tell them hey we were all there at one time or another. They get overwhelmed cause they have to "cover us", and thier patients. There needs to be a better way of staffing us without degrading us. oh by the way..... I tell them Im a "Nurse", if they ask LPN or RN, I say I'm proud to be LPN.-

You did the correct thing, but should have been done behind closed doors so no one could hear, or talk about the incident. I have been yelled at from behind closed doors and in the nurses station, i prefer away from nurses station, so the patients and other staff wont hear it. Its more professional. If a patient heard that conversation, he would loose trust in his nurse, and break the patient/nurse relationship. I have found that it is better away from the nurses station, say in break room, and try and do it calmly. If the nurse was that over whelmed, she should have come to you for help, or delegate tasks, to pca's for instance. I also go by rule of thumb with patients......treat them the way you would want to be treated or your family member. Introduce yourself and explain the plan of care and give them a time frame, if unable to keep time frame, explain to patient that you will be in as soon as you can.