BlessedbyGod

Thank you to the both of you on your input. Though I did get a call for an ambulatory interview I decided not to take due to the low pay, I know I can make at least 6 dollars more elsewhere. I was also offered a different position elsewhere. I do know as an RN the county pays good, but for LPN's it's low. Not saying that I'm never going to work there, just not now. Thank you much!

Hello, Does any work or have worked at the hospital or one of the clinics as an RN or LPN? How was it? I've heard they have good benefits, how good are they? Can anyone shed some light? I am thinking of interviewing for an LPN job for one of the ambulatory clinics. Thank you

TrudyRN, It was two different people under different circumstances over different time spans. Thank you to everyone that replied, it has really helped me. Nursing is not an easy profession but I do love being a nurse.

Has anyone worked for these companies in Illinois, if so which facilities were you working at and how did you like it? Are they good companies?

I don't know if this has been discussed before so please bear with me. I would like to know(those that can be honest)if any of you have ever given a patient the wrong medication. If you did, how did it play out and how did it effect you. I've been a nurse since "05" and it has happened to me once and I felt sooooo bad, but fortunately the medicince that I mistaken gave was close to the same drug class as the medication he should have gotten and he didn't have a reaction. To make a long story short, patients mom found out when I was calling to tell her that he was out of his medication and I quoted what he received and she said that's not what he was suppose to get and after really looking, I said your right ma'am. I could have kicked myself in the rear:o, the patients mom is a nurse so she didn't get as upset with me as she could have because she said she knows it can happen. On two other occasions, it was caught before anything was given. I don't feel this makes me not a good nurse, I know I just have to more aware of what I'm doing.

Ultreya, When I read your post I couldn't help but to respond. Your situation sounded alot like some of what I experienced. Believe me, I did leave and after only 2 days. I've have never left a job that soon and without notice. I refuse to compromise my license or values. There are places out there where you can work as an LPN and they don't run the homes like crap and they really do care about their residents. You don't have to accept working in a place like that. I didn't!

HI Gitterbug, I don't feel there was anything wrong with what you did. I wish alot more nurses took that little needed time, to help.

Wow! I should have put my post about orientation that's in the LTC forum over here. I believe that if these nurses, that give people a hard time during preceptorship/orientation. Would just remember, that when they got out of school, there were alot of things they didn't know and/or wasn't prepared for and someone had to train them. That would help facilitate the new grad's learning process. I really dislike it when nurses act like they never moved slow, never made an error and know everything. Nursing is an ever learning process, for the seasoned as well as for the beginning nurse.

:monkeydance: Hello everyone, just me again. Thanks again for the replies, I'm reading and taking in all the tidbits that you all are adding. To the person that said that LTC is tough, you know your right. But to kind of change the subject of my post a tad bit, I wanted to get feedback on something else. Okay, here goes. I am a new grad(10/05) and have only worked in LTC for a couple of months and it has been annoying to hear the nurses who have orientated me that the reason I'm so meticulous and careful in my way of doing things, for example the way I prepare and pass meds, and check over things is because I'm new. I am the type of person that I strive to do things the correct way, I've been like that in every job I've had. I don't think I am a perfectionist, I just like to be organized and No, I don't cross every I and dot every T but there are just some things I just can't stand, especially in nursing because I am dealing with people's lives...things they take into their bodies. Another example, touching residents pills with my hand while popping them out of the bingo card, or giving pills that were dropped on the floor(I've seen this done before). I've been told that I'm kind of slow by those orientating me. Well what would you expect from a nurse that's new to a facility and doesn't know the residents. I prefer to learn my job first, then I find what corners I can cut and still practice clean and safe nursing. Can anybody share with me, what has been your experience in the orientated/orientator role. I just want to be a good nurse.

Thank you all for your input. Jolie- Those are good principles to work by. Alot can be accomplished just by following the those two. MJLRN- thank you for your honesty. Jetscreamer- that sounds like a fair way of rotating who works when, if there is a call off. We have a new DON, so hopefully alot will change because I haven't seen a manager pass any meds in the two months I've been there.

Hello all, I would really like some input on this. I work in a LTC facility where the DON, ADON and other floor managers do not work the floor in the case of a shortage and they are on call for that particular night. There were times when the 11-7 nurses (two) had to pass to about 85 residents and do all the treatments. Also just recently one of the 3-11 nurses called off and I was asked to stay and pass the 5:00 meds for the team I worked on earlier (which I did). I ended up leaving at around 7:00. I have never worked part of a 3-11 shift and honestly from what I noticed, I feel the two nurses could have handled or one of the managers that were there could have done since they all found time to be "breaking" as I was leaving out. What's the protocol at your facility? Do your managers help work the floor?

Hi Everyone, I just want to first say thank you to all those that took time to reply. You were right in saying that it'll get better and I will find my groove. I am really learning the swing the things and things I can do to make life easier for me at work. The short time that I have worked as a nurse in LTC as been such a joy, meaning, my interaction with the residents. I feel so blessed and honored to be able to serve people that have put in years on this earth(meaning alot of them are in their 80's and 90's). I enjoy hearing their history and legacy's they have passed down to their children and grandchildren. But sadly, you run into some, whose children or other family for whatever reasons never come to visit:o. I try to make it a point, to make especially those, feel valued and special. Maybe God will bless me to have a long life also.

Zoeintx, It sounds to me also that you were set up. Sorry, this happened. I say, just take this as a learning experience to take your paperwork with you when you leave to go do something else. If they fired you over that and just like that, doesn't sound like a place one needs to work at. Just get your resume and look elsewhere, there's something better out there for you.

Hello everyone! Thank you all so much for your replies, they have really helped me. I see myself catching on little by little and I feel good about. What I don't feel so good about is the facility that I work at, I feel like I'm am working on the edge of my license working there:uhoh3: and I drive kind of far to work. I feel like if I have to deal with what I deal with I may as well do it at a facility closer to home, so I applied at another facility. I know that there isn't a facility that does everything 100%, but I'm just disappointed with the state of nursing home healthcare.

Hello, Mcdonaldgirl, I have done that, but I don't like to. That's just my personal preference. DG5, You are exactly right, but it seems in my facility that alot of things end up getting passed along so much. I've heard that it's been times where two weeks had passed and something had not been done. Also, just from what I observe, it seems some of the nurses feel that whatever you initiate, you finish. I really just wish there was more comradery in the nursing profession. I still have a incident report to put in the computer from 5/28, no one has had time to show me how to do it and the day I was going to ask someone about it, I totally forgot about it, it was my second day working on my own and I was so concentrated on getting meds passed and charting done.

Thank you everyone for you wonderful advice and encouragement. Well, Friday I worked on a unit that I have been on at least three times already, including two days orientating and you wouldn't believe that I remembered who all the residents were without asking anyone. It was shocked with myself. I got finish with my first med pass at 10:00 AM and though this unit is suppose to be one of the lighter load units, that's still good for me.:monkeydance:

Thanks so much everyone for your replies, they are well taken. I am very much open to suggestions and helpful advice, I just want to do a good job and provide the best care to my patients. Valhalla, I really like working in LTC, the residents are wonderful and I feel so blessed to be able to give care to them. It's just that I really don't like relying on another co-worker to tell me who so and so is, or the temptation of signing off on things that are suppose to be done, that were not or checked on. I don't like feeling like, I'm working in conditions that's putting my license on the line. Some things I feel are just to risky. Every resident is suppose to have identity bracelets, why is it so hard to make that happen? You just can't expect people not to make errors when they haven't been properly trained. I don't know, maybe I'm making a big deal out of nothing, right now, I'm just a novice nurse but I pray each time before going to work and while I'm working that God would be with me and cover those things that I didn't purposely do wrong or not at all.

Hello all, Well, this is my issue. I just started as a LPN in a LTC facility on May 8. I had 7 days total orientation on 5 different teams. Not enough time to remember who the residents are, especially if most of them don't have their identity bracelets on and their pictures in the MAR are either not there or to old to recognize. I started this past Saturday on my own caring for an average of 22 patients. I am suppose to pass meds, chart, call doctors, write orders, do my own admissions/discharges(when they arise) and do my own treatments. I kind of feel that this place is not organized, supplies for the treatments and other things are usually not in their rightful place/not stocked. The days that I was on my own I came home, elevated MY feet and went to sleep:zzzzz . I feel so rushed when I go to work. I am so focused on getting my meds passed that I start around 7:30AM and have been getting finished with that first round around 10:00-10:30. Then it's time for me to get ready for the second round. I'm on my feet from the time I get there to the time I leave just about, except for my 30 minute break. Any insight, help is appreciated. Thank you

Hello Everyone, I haven't posted on the site in a while but it's good to come back and see this thread still going on. I'm sure we can all agree that there is power in prayer. I can still remember the day so well, when I called and found out I passed. Reflecting on that, all I can say is, He that Is Mighty Hath Done Great Things. Anyone that is going to be taking nclex, study and seek out support from this site and more importantly pray. God can and will bring you out. Is there anything to hard for God? In His Love

Hello all, I just graduated in 10/05 with my LPN have worked as a School Nurse for Job Corps since that time. I really enjoy it because it gives me the youth/young adult population. But now, I really want to go back to school for my RN and want a more flexable position without taking a major pay cut, if any. I currently work M-F, eight hours daily. I don't want to work that schedule and attend school also. I would like to work a 12-13 hour shift for about 2-3 days a week and get benefits also. (I guess I'm asking alot, lol) My question to you, fellow nurses and health professionals, do you know of any hospitals in Chicago or South/Southwest suburbs that hire LPN's for those hours or close to, that would be worth working at? And it really doesn't just have to be a hospital, it can be a clinic or assisted living or if someone can recommend a Good Nursing home. I forgot to mention that I make 18 per hour. Does anyone recommend Rush Hospital for LPN's? How much do they make? Any and all help/comments are greatly appreciated. Thank you Much!

Congratulations! Just a few tips: Don't overwhelm yourself, no reviewing the night before and eat a light breakfast, have your paperwork ready that you need to take with you and make sure you know the way to the testing center beforehand. Don't forget to believe in yourself.

Hi Immortal, Just want to send some more encouragement your way. Rest assured in knowing that just because you didn't pass the first time doesn't mean it has to repeat itself. I came to this board before taking my exam and it really helped. There are some really knowledgeable people on this site and are very encouraging. I'm sure that if you follow the study plan and read some of the other tips on this board/site you won't go wrong. Remember Relax and Believe in yourself.

TheCommuter, :Melody: I believe you can and will pass the first time.:Melody: Remember to get a good night's rest.:wink2:

Dont, All I have to say is Amen! BTW Good Post.

:Melody: :Melody: Congratulations!!!!:Melody: :Melody: