Starting LPN job..new grad

[Godsgirl20]

Hello everyone,

Well, good news....i will be startin my very first LPN position at a nursing home on Monday eventually for the 3-11 shift, but i'll be on orientation for a week. However, i'm sooooo nervoussss. I feel like i don't remember half of what I learned in nursing school. I really don't know much about IV's and we hardly got to pass meds on our rotations. I'm afraid i will look stupid when I have to do something and i don't know how.

Did anyone feel this way when they first started? I'm not that great at nursing notes either or doing some procedures like inserting a foley cause i didn't really get the experience in clinical.

What's a typical day in LTC like? are the patients usually very ill?

ADVICE/SUGGESTIONS PLEASEE:o:eek:

[kristinlpn]

This is how a typical day for a 3-11 would go for me.... Come to work, get report, count narcs. Then, go through the MAR and see which patient's need blood sugars ASAP! If they are in therapy/activities then you have time to track them down before you're in a frenzy looking for them between 4-5... Then go back through the MAR and see which patient's need BP/HR taken before HTN/Cardiac meds. Track those patient's down and get their BP's. By that time it'll be 4pm. Then you start your blood sugars and have time to give coverage. Then after I give coverage, half of them have gone down to the dining room to eat dinner. This gives you time to go through and look at treatments. I always right them down on a seperate piece of paper, so I dont forget them. Then by that time, they will all be back for their 5pm med pass. If not, get the ones that eat in their rooms first. Then you'll eventually find the rest. As for procedures, if you work in a LTC facility, there shouldn't be that many IVs/foleys. Maybe a straight cath every now and then, I barely seen an IV's. If you're nervous, ask someone to help. They all know you're new, and should be more then willing to help! Once you find your niche, it'll be a sinch.... You just have to get to know your residents and their likes and dislikes. Give it time... you'll do fine! Hope this helps....

[Jules A, MSN]

You will be pleasantly surprised at how much comes back to you. Try to take a deep breath, don't allow yourself to get freaked out and be really nice to your fellow nurses who will be invaluable in getting you through the awkard first few months. Congratulations!!

[annlewis]

my advice is to smile and be pleasant, let the other nurses know you are nervous, ask for help, pay attention closely to what they tell you, and take a notebook that will fit in your scrub pocket, and extra black pens, this is invaluable for jotting down things you don't want to forget....read everything carefully too, and double check your meds. Always be helpful, everyone is short on time and that is hard, but if you are helpful to others they will be helpful to you, this means everyone! CNA's, secretaries, nurses etc...