from student to license- My journey thru LVN school

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Hi all! I am in an LVN program at Anamarc College in El Paso, Tx. I have started a blog to detail my journey- I am currently in my second semester. As I go through school, I find myself questioning the quality of my program quite a bit. I would love to hear some honest opinions from other students and even people who are already nurses about what I consider to be some sub-standard issues at school. Am I just nit-picky and anal? Or are the things being taught really things that could put my future license in jeopardy? Please, if you have a minute, let me know what you think. And tell me the truth! I can handle it and would honestly like to know if it is just me or really an issue as I think it is.

At any rate, my most recent quality concern is this:

Today our clinical assistant was demonstrating tracheostomy care. When she set up her sterile field, she was wearing disposable (not sterile) gloves. She instructed us to remove the items from the sterile pack with our disposable (not sterile) gloves and to place the items within the sterile field. I have had previous college-level schooling in clinical procedures- to include sterile field. I have also worked in health care doing clinical procedures (though obviously not as an Lpn/Lvn). In my previous experiences, I was always taught that touching a sterile objuect with a non-sterile hand 'contaminates' the object and it is no longer sterile. Also that placing a non-sterile object in a sterile field contaminates the whole field and that when this happens, the sterile field needs to be set-up once again.

When questioned about this, the clinical instructor grudgingly admitted that while all of this is true, since she was only instructing us to touch a small portion of the item and that portion would not be in contact with the patient, it really 'isn't such a big deal' and did not necessitate the need to re-do the sterile field. Even though she did say that putting a contaminated object within the field contaminated the whole field.

I am so confused. I know what she said to do would contaminate the field. Is it really not s big deal as she says? Or is she instructing us to do something that could cost me a job or a license if I did it within the course of emplyment as an LVN?

Please, any input would be much appreciated.

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Specializes in Pediatrics, OB/GYN, ER, Geriatrics.

OMG!!! If she is demenstrating a sterile procedure she should of had the sterile gloves on...how are you suppose to learn the right way to do something if the instructor is telling you the opposite.

Yes, definately you could jepordize your pt's saftey by not performing the procedure properly. I would report the instructor to the appropriate authority.

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Specializes in Geriatrics.

Wow. One teacher told me to think of it this way. Everything in the world is hot lava except your sterile field. DO NOT PUT HOT LAVA ON YOUR STERILE FIELD!

I don't care what your instructor said. NEVER, NEVER do that! You open up the sterile package with clean gloves on, touching nothing inside of it. With your clean gloves you take out the package of sterile gloves and use those if the sterile package had sterile gloves in it. If it didn't, you put on sterile gloves... and THEN and only THEN can you touch anything with in the sterile field. I know a lot of people learn there is a difference between "textbook" and "real world" but when it comes to sterile fields they are ALWAYS the SAME!!! If you get out of a sick patients room and go into another to do a sterile dressing change.... if you contaminate the sterile field, you could be putting bacteria into their wound from the other person and it could KILL them... that's pretty damn serious!!!!!

Aghhh... that scares the crap out of me. I'm glad you're smart enough to realize how bad that is. I hope other classmates are smart enough to know that, too.

Watch this and do THIS:

I honestly think most for profit LPN programs are not that great. A lot of the ones in my area don't even offer a bridge RN program. I think if you choose to go to a for profit school you need to do a lot of research. Especially make sure that the Board of Nursing and places of employment respect that school. I know where I use to work that they tried not to hire LPN's from X school because it was a really bad school. I also know that my Board of Nursing is threatening to stop licensing RN's that get their RN through Excelsior because there is a very high rate that you will do something to get your license revoked with in the first year of work if you go to that school.

I did go to a for profit school for my LPN but I was careful with where I chose to go. The school I went to does nothing but NURSING.. no "Medical Assistant programs" or "Medical Coding programs" or "Pharmacy Technician programs". LPNs and RNs only. They are very close to being accredited by the NLN (the process takes like 5+ years) and have deals with surrounding Universities so that their RN's can continue on with their education and earn their BSN, MSN, and ARNP. They also plan to have a BSN program once they are accredited.

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I'am thinking on attending Anamarc. Is it really a good program? or should I look elsewhere? Please help with information. Thank you.

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Specializes in Rehab.

wow that is crazy, im in a 12 month program with 3 months left to go and sterile is sterile, ur teacher really is tripping, my teachers would fail me if i did what she did, i think u should learn the correct way for yaself and keep quiet from what i hear on this site u dont want to challenge ur teacher, but best of luck to u

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As someone who is just beginning an LVN program, I am looking for anything that will help. I'm sorry but posting such a lengthy post here to send people to your blog only to find you gave up on the blog in two months (8 posts total) wasn't helpful. I wish people were more willing to share their experiences in an LVN program so that others know what it's all about. It is much different from an RN program at most schools.

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I am appalled that a nursing instructor would teach students that it is acceptable to use non sterile gloves, hands, objects, etc. in a sterile field, thus compromising sterility. As an employee of the Mayo Clinic I can tell you that if one our nurses was found doing this on a patient, it would be grounds for severe disciplinary action. Taking short cuts is one of the reasons why disease spreads in a healthcare facility.

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