malka

Thank you for the quick reply!!! I have never had a med error like this before in my entire career and I have been an nurse for over 35 yrs. I did write it up. Pray for me. I go in to work soon. Thanks again.

I made a med error last week. I wrote for Amoxicillin which was the ordered med but instead I wrote on MAR and ordered from pharmacy keflex. I had just taken another order for Keflex on another pt., was stressed, only nurse for 90 pts, orders coming boom, boom, boom on phone. The next oncoming nurse did not check until 6 days later doing change over. Used to be that the noc Cmt lead would check orders p my shift 3-11, but not any more. I just feel really bad and don't know what will happen. I wrote up a med error form, MD was notified. Thanks for any replies. Malka

I am using the TCN as are many others. There is a link to other EC students on yahoo groups. Its good to hear from other students and those who have passed the CPNE.malka

Lost in transition....are you going through EC using TCN or just EC?

Shull, I am going through TCN and have applied. I loved reading your experience and now teaching future LPNs. What a story!!!! I am 56, have been out of school since 1973 and work ICU/CCU, post-open heart step-down telemetry, oncology and med/surg. Took a 21 year break for personal reasons and have been back to work and am now evening supervisor at assisted living facility. Got IV certified as we weren't required to do that back in the day. I love studying and am fairly disciplined and a visual learner. If I have questions, may I email you for help? Malka

Just curious....have you continued with EC and where are you in your studies.

There is an online yahoo site for excelsior students. You can meet lots of other students. I am one. And others, some who are out in the workforce now as RNs.

I agree with the other writers on this subject. If you love to help people you will love nursing. I work Long Term Care as an LPN. That is how I returned to nursing after a long absence away from the profession that in my younger days and going through geratrics for rotation, I could tell that at that time old people were not my cup of tea. But as an older person now, I love the people I care for and we will ALL one day be an older person who will need someone to take care of us. Would you want someone like yourself and your thinking want to have someone with a bad attitude taking care of you as an older person when the day comes? It will come when you get ooollllldddd and you may not be able to take care of yourself. Nursing, in general does not need people with bad attitudes, bellieve me, bad attitude CNAs and nurses alike are not needed in the work place. It drags everyone down and for the charge nurse it makes the entire shift feel as though you are running a babysitting services for the CNAs who don't care Babies are fine. I hope you find a nice man, get married and have some. They are alot of work too. They are the smaller, younger version of older people.

I have found that working in this day and age everyone is dispensable. I work in a nursing home and our administrator who is a nurse hates nurses. She says they are a dime a dozen. Of course, we cannot seem to keep nurses, but, hey she doesn't do the staffing. I do. We use alot of agency. They call off, so what! They only care about keeping things running, and keeping the cash flow flowing. She even fired our DON because she was the kind of nurse who didn't hang out in her office all day but went up to the floors and got to know the residents. If you are human with a beating heart, then it doesn't seem to count these days. I don't get it but that seems to be the way things are. It takes time and money to make a time of recognition for someone who has contributed their life for years and to be honest, these people want to put their time and money where they can make more money. In fact, I just thought of something else. One of our residents is the mother of the president of the board. She was treated like the queen of England. As soon as her son stepped down as president, she was treated as just another resident. I hate it but that is the ugliness of people.

We are nurses and we are suppose to be concerned about good health,. etc. I was told by someone at work that at least one of the fired for testing positive for drugs, was then sent to a rehab and counseling to restore. Haven't heard of that in my LTC facility for a long time. Has anyone had that kind of happening where they work?

my DON was just fired for who knows what Real reason. She was originally suspected of taking drugs(she has a legit. reason)but tested clean. None the less, she got fired. Others at work tested pos. for MJ. Administrator cleaning house...says nurses are a dime a dozen, and she herself is a nurse...we have more call offs from agencies, less prn nurses and we are continually short...where are the 'dime a dozen' nurses. That was not a good comment from one of our own.

Thanks Sandrajean for the input. It was very helpful and I will look into some of those things. I did get a call yeseterday from this place I left a message with the other day about a refresher course. I will call the director this afternoon. Also, the 2 books you mentioned....those are the ones you like the best?? Have you applied for a job yet? Let me know how you are doing. And, how people who are hiring feel about us older but still able nurses to the workforce?? Do they trust us? I am so glad to be in touch with you. May I ask how old you are? I am 54...or did I tell you that before? I sometimes feel like a dinasour. Write back and have a blessed day.

Oh SandraJean, I am so glad there is someone out there beside me. The last time I was actually was 20 or so years ago, maybe 21 years....a long time. I can seem to find a refresher course for LPN in my state of MO. they do not require anything. What state are you in? I am 54 years old. I know things have changed. I have all of this knowledge in my head but how much I really could do today re: charting with these new-fangled computer things, meds, and just doing treatments. I know the basics, but even so I haven't been in a cllinical hospital setting for that many years. Would like to know what refresher course you took and where. Thank you for writing. Will wait for your reply. Malka

I have just sent in my money to re-activate my nursing license after an absence from being an LPN in critical care. My state does not require refresher courses....so my question is...has anyone started back after a longggg absence? Help!! I remember many thing but don't remember alot of things. I would appreciate any feedback. malka