Calling all nurses! (Or nurses-to-be)

[Pea-n-Me]

Good article about nursing from today's Boston Herald:

http://bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1304739

If you haven't had a chance to read anything from Suzanne Gordon, make sure you do so! She tells it like it really is!

 

[heartsy77]

Hi all! I wanted to get a different perspective from other Nurses.

I am and LPN student graduating in June. Here in upstate NY LPN are not used in hospitals and etc. Mostly dr.'s office and long term care.

Sadly I have no intention of using my LPN license very much; as I make more doing daycare at home than I would as an new LPN.

The whole point of becoming an LPN was to get on the fast rack to RN and as soon as I take NCLEX -PN i will enroll in the LPN to Rn program at my community college.

So here the question : how are LPNs used in your state?

 

[AmandaNied]

Hi all! I wanted to get a different perspective from other Nurses.

I am and LPN student graduating in June. Here in upstate NY LPN are not used in hospitals and etc. Mostly dr.'s office and long term care.

Sadly I have no intention of using my LPN license very much; as I make more doing daycare at home than I would as an new LPN.

The whole point of becoming an LPN was to get on the fast rack to RN and as soon as I take NCLEX -PN i will enroll in the LPN to Rn program at my community college.

So here the question : how are LPNs used in your state?

I'm an LPN almost done with my RN (on break right now) I started working as an ER Tech and then moved into a LPN position- the only things I can't do (i'm in Michigan) are push meds, blood and accessing piccs, ports and cental lines. I also have to have my charge nurse co-sign my charts.

I can't wait to be done with my RN...at least I am done with my Med/Surg class...our teacher has quite the rep for being more than a little 'difficult'. The class average was around 78%...I squeaked out a 86% while working and trying to be a wife/mother.

 

[Lifelong_Dreamer]

Hey there!

I am a first year Nursing student in a BScN program. Just finished the semester on Monday, straight A's in all my classes!

Looking forward to four years from now when I will be working as an RN. Not sure what area I want to work in yet, I'm sure that will come with time. So far I have only had experience with a long-term complex care floor in the hospital.

 

[MomRN]

Well, I didn't get an interview for ICU. My application must not have went through since all internal applicants are assured an interview at minimum. That's okay though, after hearing from others I decided I didn't want to do the 3 months of dayshift orientation required. I'm so not a dayshift person.

So, then I decided I would go back to school in the fall for my Masters of something. The dean where I got my BSN has been e-mailing asking me to get back in for education. I'm not really sure that;s my cup of tea though. I'm really undecided on what I want to do. So, after briefly looking over the requirements and considering my son's school schedule (I'm not sure if he will be in half day or full day kindergarden) I decided to wait another year to make some decisions to decide what to go back for.

I'm really just in a funk. I think it's because of a lot of changes at work and the dreary Indiana weather. So I booked a trip to Disney in October, and I feel better already.

 

[Beka]

Disney makes everything better!

 

[Beka]

Are there any nurse practitioners on this thread? If so, I have a few questions for you if you don't mind! I'm looking at masters' programs, & have more questions than answers after looking into them!

 

[Mandychelle79]

Just Bumping to say

I did it. I passed nursing school. The last two years of struggle and craziness were worth it. Pinning is next week, graduation the week after, and then NCLEX

 

[dakcp2001]

Just Bumping to say

I did it. I passed nursing school. The last two years of struggle and craziness were worth it. Pinning is next week, graduation the week after, and then NCLEX

Congrats! If you can do that you can do anything! Nursing school is so hard hten you finish, but you can't really relax until after the NCLEX, at least that is how I felt. Take a week or so off, then get right to it! The longer you wait, the more you will forget.

For the NCLEX I highly recommend LaCharity- Prioritization, Delegation, & Assignment. Buy it NOW cuz once all the schools graduate and everyone starts studying they get hard to find. Now you can prob get one used. I also found a chart in the back of Exam Cram that had common medications and things/side effects to look for, it was very helpful, just photocopy it if you dont want to buy the whole book. For all the questions you do, read the rationales they really help. Good luck!

 

[LovableGluttons]

Are there any nurse practitioners on this thread? If so, I have a few questions for you if you don't mind! I'm looking at masters' programs, & have more questions than answers after looking into them!

I'm in a nurse practitioner program through Fort Hays State University. My classes are virtual, my clinicals are real time with local FNPs.

I started in a Women's Health Care Nurse Practitioner Program in California back in 1997 (hubby was military and we moved to areas with no programs).

Which programs were you looking into?

I went with one that has all the necessary accreditations, a good program, virtual, and not inflated tuition!


My plan is to work part time once I finish next year, so I didn't want to pay an arm and a leg and then feel like I need to work 80 hours a week for 20 years just to come out ahead financially.

I also did not want to owe my employer any work commitment in lieu of tuition reimbursement if I accepted tuition assistance or reimbursement. I do not do stufdent loans and am not eligible for need based grants or scholarships.

 

[Mandychelle79]

Congrats! If you can do that you can do anything! Nursing school is so hard hten you finish, but you can't really relax until after the NCLEX, at least that is how I felt. Take a week or so off, then get right to it! The longer you wait, the more you will forget.

For the NCLEX I highly recommend LaCharity- Prioritization, Delegation, & Assignment. Buy it NOW cuz once all the schools graduate and everyone starts studying they get hard to find. Now you can prob get one used. I also found a chart in the back of Exam Cram that had common medications and things/side effects to look for, it was very helpful, just photocopy it if you dont want to buy the whole book. For all the questions you do, read the rationales they really help. Good luck!

Im taking the HESI NCLEX reveiw course through the school in about a week. Got a 50 dollar discount. But I will look up that book too, thanks for the tip. And I can get it for my Iphone Kindle app. Sweet.

 

[Jaime4004]

I'm in a nurse practitioner program through Fort Hays State University. My classes are virtual, my clinicals are real time with local FNPs.

I started in a Women's Health Care Nurse Practitioner Program in California back in 1997 (hubby was military and we moved to areas with no programs).

Which programs were you looking into?

I went with one that has all the necessary accreditations, a good program, virtual, and not inflated tuition!


My plan is to work part time once I finish next year, so I didn't want to pay an arm and a leg and then feel like I need to work 80 hours a week for 20 years just to come out ahead financially.

I also did not want to owe my employer any work commitment in lieu of tuition reimbursement if I accepted tuition assistance or reimbursement. I do not do stufdent loans and am not eligible for need based grants or scholarships.

I was (am?) an NP. Worked as an NP until my 2nd child was about 8 mos old. I was having a hard time leaving the kids everyday, didn't enjoy it anymore because of that. Now I work on the weekends as a visiting nurse instead. All is that irrelevant to the conversation, except that I wanted to throw in that I will finally pay off SallieMae within the next 3 mos. After 10 yrs!!

 

[npmommie]

Are there any nurse practitioners on this thread? If so, I have a few questions for you if you don't mind! I'm looking at masters' programs, & have more questions than answers after looking into them!

Hi Beka, I'm an NP, what questions do you have?

 

[Beka]

I think I finally got my questions answered. Looks like I'll have to get my BSN first. Thanks!

 

[Jaime4004]

I think I finally got my questions answered. Looks like I'll have to get my BSN first. Thanks!

Unless you already have a BS or BA? Because I had a BA in Biology before the MSN, depends what program you are going to...

 

[Beka]

Unless you already have a BS or BA? Because I had a BA in Biology before the MSN, depends what program you are going to...

I have a BA. Have yet to find a NP program that doesn't require a BSN. Plus I need to raise my GPA. If I just wanted my MSN then it wouldn't matter what my bachelor's is in.

 

[Jaime4004]

I have a BA. Have yet to find a NP program that doesn't require a BSN. Plus I need to raise my GPA. If I just wanted my MSN then it wouldn't matter what my bachelor's is in.

I went to one that didn't require a BSN, to get a MSN as a family nurse practitioner. They are actually fairly common around here, but you'd have to move to Boston.. Had to have certain prerequisites before, like anatomy/physiology, statistics and a few more that I can't remember. Took 3 yrs full-time to get the MSN after BA.

 

[Beka]

I went to one that didn't require a BSN, to get a MSN as a family nurse practitioner. They are actually fairly common around here, but you'd have to move to Boston.. Had to have certain prerequisites before, like anatomy/physiology, statistics and a few more that I can't remember. Took 3 yrs full-time to get the MSN after BA.

I was looking at online programs. And Boston is too cold! BRRRR! (and too far from Mickey )

 

[npmommie]

Beka, I don't remember, are you already an RN? or are you in school?
you also might want to look into direct entry Doctorate programs, since that will be the entry level for NP's in the future.
if NP is your goal?

 

[Beka]

Beka, I don't remember, are you already an RN? or are you in school?
you also might want to look into direct entry Doctorate programs, since that will be the entry level for NP's in the future.
if NP is your goal?

Already an RN. I was hoping to not have to get a DNP, but I guess I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.