What is your job?

realnursealso/LPN, LPN · Jan 30, 2007

I work at an environmental camp for school age children. It is located at a resort in the Adirondack Mts. The children come there with their teachers from their own school district, but are taught by teachers who are employed by the camp. Some school groups stay for 5 days, some 3 or 4. I am equvilant to a school nurse. Some of the children are on routine meds, and some have prn's that are given if they complain of pain or discomfort. I fix alot of boo boos during the day, and sometimes I give hugs to those who are homesick. I started with this company last fall, the fall season runs from September until December. My site was done the day before Thanksgiving. I LOVE MY JOB! The only day that is super busy is on mondays, when the kids arrive. Other than that I am at my station before and after meals and before bed, some schools request 24 hour coverage, and if they do, I am paid more. All that involves is getting up if they call and taking care of a sick child. I was only woken up once the 2 times this was requested. My camp runs through the school year, d/t the fact that all of our sites are located at summer camps and they are running in the summer. The spring season runs from March til June. I work for a local homecare company on the off months. I must say this is the calmest I have been at work in all my 27 years of nursing. Room and board is provided at no charge. I am a divorced mother of two grown children, and live with my elderly parents when camp is not in session. The salary is out of this world, and I got a substantial raise for spring, because I am a returning staff. We have 14 sites in New England. I found this job in the want ads, under medical. I must say my first thoughts were this can't be real, but it is. Not everyone could pack up and go for months at a time, but for me it works. I am close enough to go home on weekends if I want or need to. We work Monday thru Friday, every weekend off. The children leave by 12 or 1pm on Fridays. I really enjoy what I do. So the possibilities are endless on what LPN's do. Just find something you love and go for it.

pagandeva2000, LPN · Jan 30, 2007

I work at a hospital in NYC an a med/surg floor. I have been working here for just over a year now and have learned soo... much. Here the LPN is responsible for med passes(po, IV, injections..), treatments, patient teaching, starting IV's, assist RN in implementing the plan of care, assisting in codes. The only things this hospital does not allow LPN's to do is hang blood and perform the INITIAL assessment upon admission.

joyrck9, what hospital are you working in? I saw a few coincidences in your post...1 is that you live in NYC (I live in Queens, NY), and 2. that part of your screen name is "joy" and that is my first real name. Also, I was doing many of the skills that you do at my hospital, but I only spent 6 weeks there before my permanent assignment in the Adult Primary Care Clinic. Have a great week!

pagandeva2000, LPN · Jan 30, 2007

I work in Behavior Health (pediatric). I have worked at several locked facilities in the Phoenix area as a registry LPN, but now work full time at a residential treatment center for male teenage sex offenders. I have been there full time for a year, but worked at this exact same facility as a temp for 2 years, so I knew the clients, staff, and system real well. If you want a challenge, try working with a SO population. Daily I find myself tested to the limits of my impartiality(is that a word?) and, on occasion, my professionalism. We keep our clients approx 18 months (less if they cannot program, act out, keep failing polygraphs etc). The line between nursing and behavior health techs are fairly blurred, at least at some of the facilities I have worked in the Psych field. You can even find yourself performing pat down searches of clients in some facilities, acting more as a security guard than a nurse, which I personally never cared for. There are alot of plus and minus working where I do...but overall, it seems to balance out...for now
Respectfully
Crueltiming
Mesa, Az

I would be especially challenged not to castrate some of them... Sounds like you have a very interesting job! How long did you work with this population?

Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN · Jan 30, 2007

B. Hospital. You can work the med-surg floors.

You can work more than that at a hospital.

Crueltiming · Jan 31, 2007

"I would be especially challenged not to castrate some of them... Sounds like you have a very interesting job! How long did you work with this population?"

I still work with this "group". I agree...sometimes these guys act more like a victim than victimizers, which, staff and therapists are quick to set them straight. Although this work can be unpleasant at times, I still cant see me running around med surg...I am too old to be that busy

Respectfully

Crueltiming

pclpn33 · Jan 31, 2007

I have been working for 6 months as a Supportive Care LPN for a Hospice in KY. It is very rewarding but sometimes I too feel like a sitter. I worry everyday if I am getting enough experience. I work at night so I can study alot while I am working towards my RN. Our pay ranges from $15-18, mileage and lots of other perks too.

General E. Speaking, RN, RN · Feb 1, 2007

I am an LVN at an acute care hospital on Med-Surg. I have my own group of patients and report to the charge nurse (like the RN's) if I have questions. I do not push narcs, cardiac drugs or access port-a-cath's. Regarding blood transfusions: I call the doc with the low hgb. I write the order for transfusion. I get the consent. I prime my tubing with saline. I take my patient's VS. I go get the blood. I call the RN who spikes the blood and does the 2 nurse check. I continue to monitor my pt until transfusion is complete. I am also cross-trained in pediatrics.

My base pay is about $20/hr. I get $5 more per hr because I work the weekend program.

In the past I have worked in float pool at a hospital (med-surg, pedi, oncology, tele, surgical floor, postpartum, and nursery). I did public health- which included helping to organize immunization clinics, disease reporting, dispensing rabies vaccine for post exposure animal bites, dispensing federally-funded vaccine (and all the glorious paperwork that comes with it) I worked in a pediatric office for about a year.

That's what I love about nursing- so many choices! Hopefully, I will get accepted into a LVN to RN program in May. Then I will have even more choices

blueberrybon · Feb 6, 2007

If stress is a factor in your decision making process, try a doc's office, pay is NOT everything! LTC can be overwhelming and could prevent you from even wanting to pursue a higher degree in nursing! also could create burnout earlier than later.

Like I said earlier, I work in a peds dr. office and all I can say is; "Wow!" I've been at this job for one week and I cannot say it's unstressful.

Maybe it's still just the "not knowing where everything is, and what protocol is for this office" but it's CRAZY. I was so busy today that I didn't have time to pee! I start at 8am and get off at 5pm. There was no time for anything except for going insane.

I hope to get the hang of it because I feel like an idiot most of the time. There is just so much STUFF to learn.

It didn't take long for me to get over the fear of giving infant/child injections, but all the paperwork, lab slips, phone triage, not to mention that this dr. does "x" while that dr. does "y". There is too much to remember!

Ugh... If I can get through this cross-eyed, pulling out hair time, I might be ok.

Blue

Brita01 · Feb 6, 2007

As an LPN, where do you work, what do you do? Do you work in a hospital, doctors office, LTC facility? If you work in a hospital, what department do you work in? What type of doctors office do you work in? What? What are your duties there? Just curious as to what my options are when I get to go back to school.

I work in a home health office where I sit behind a desk and work on the computer and talk on the phone ALL day long. My titles are Staffer/HomMed Monitor/Supply Manager. I do all the staffing from the nurses to the therapists. I monitor vital signs on my computer that patients take on a special piece of equipment inside their homes. I'm responsible for the ordering and distribution of all the medical supplies. And in my spare time (ha ha) I act as a backup case manager. I'm never bored and the day just flies by because there's always so much to be done. I've recently started taking call on the weekends which is a sweet gig, because you basically get paid good money to work from home fielding calls and taking referrals.

lorelei40 · Feb 6, 2007

hey blue...it'll be ok;) ...i worked in peds for 2 years for 4 dr's. each had their 'own' way of doing the same thing. that was the hardest thing...oh and the moms/parents who want to leave the room when i administerd injections:icon_roll seems they didn't want the baby to associate them with the pain.....allllrighty then. i never played that game...someone needs to step up and hold the kid, ya know? anyway---i definately feel for ya!

l.

blueberrybon · Feb 7, 2007

Hey lorelei40:

I hope I can last two years! I hope this place keeps me for 2 years!

Speaking of parents and leaving the room; I had a twelve year old boy yesterday who would not take an injection for his life! When I tried getting close to him just to calm him down and explain how it's over before you know it, he would run away from me. I couldn't believe it. He was whining like a 3 year old, holding his arm so as to block access, and running away from me. I told him I wouldn't force him to take the injection, but the mom was pretty adament about him getting it. They went back and forth for a couple of minutes (which felt like an hour because I had other patients). The mom finally stormed out and only then did the boy decide to let me give it to him. It was very interesting. I'm sure that is nothing compared to situations that I will learn to deal with over the years.

Is there a reason you left peds?

Blue

dermnrs66 · Feb 7, 2007

I have been a LPN for 17 years. I have worked in 4 states, currently in New Hampdhire. My first job out of school was a "charge nurse" (actually ONLY nurse) 11-7 on a 52 bed skilled care unit in the county nursing home. I had 3-4 CNA for the shift. Those women taught me invaluable lessons in hand's on care not to mention time management. I did meds, treatments, trach, tube feedings, caths you name it. Next I went to Florida did 4 years acute care med/surge started iv, did med pushes,PCA telemetry, 10-12 pts per nurse on the 7p-7ashift. I loved it. Spent 2 years in New Jersey doing home care for a lovely woman who happened to be a C4 quadrapelegic. she required skilled care 12midnight to 8am. On to New Hampshire, temped in long term care, and ended up in a clinic setting Internal Medicine.Went to Maine spent 4 years in a clinic setting Internal med and pulmonology. 2 years ago I returned home to NH and am very happy in a dermatology office. I am team leader, but refuse to give up my direct patient contact. (I fit the administrative stuff in around our schedule). I work with 1 MD 1 NP and 2 MA. 8-5 40 hrs a week. I do telephone triage, patient ed, Teach Enbrel administration, patch testing, MED testing and adminster phototherapy. I assist in biopsies, (shaves, punches, EDC ,curretage, and excisions)

I have a wonderful group to work with, a supportive organization (Dartmouth HItchcock) and excellent benefits. I have found my niche, but the experience along the way in different areas has been amazing. What a ride. Good thing about being a nurse. Get your basic experience first, and you can explore all kinds of areas!!