Medical Training

-by Leora Bar-Din

Vocational nursing programs prepare students to work as LVN’s (Licensed Vocational Nurses.)  An LPN school (LPN training or LPN program) is the same as LVN school (LVN training or LVN program).  The only difference is the state in which you practice.  In California and Texas, these nurses are called licensed vocational nurses or LVN’s.   In all other states they are called licensed practical nurses or LPN’s.

Current Module 1 students—LVN students in Group 13 (AM class) and Group 14 (PM class) are on a steep learning curve.  They have made the transition from the two-day per week LVN prerequisite class to a five-day per week LVN program.  Students have begun to successfully readjust their lives to make room for this program and the time, study and focus it requires.  LVN students in Module 1 are studying Anatomy and Physiology, Clinical Nutrition, Clinical Lab and Fundamentals of Nursing.  All classes are one day per week except Fundamentals of Nursing, which is two days per week.  Anatomy and Physiology is straight-ahead science, and memorization works well as a method of study.  Fundamentals of Nursing and Clinical Nutrition expose LVN students to the way nurses problem-solve: critical thinking.   Recognizing and practicing critical thinking is an intellectually stimulating endeavor!

Current Module 3 students—LVN students in Groups 11 (AM class) and Group 12 (PM class) study Medical Surgical Nursing two-days per week, Pharmacology one-day per week and spend two-days per week at their clinical internship site.  They are studying in depth about each client on the clinical floor, as well as practicing and demonstrating their proficiency in nursing skills and procedures.   Critical thinking is a part of everything these LVN students do, and they are demonstrating increased proficiency in creative problem solving.

Roses are red,
Scrubs are blue,
Gurnick is here,
Waiting for you!

Are you smiling yet? I hope so, but what will really put a smile on your face is hearing about our fun school (not to be confused with a “party school.”) And yet, when it comes to parties, no other LVN school throws a party like Gurnick!

That’s right! How many college presidents you know will put on a chef’s apron and stand on the grill for his LVN students and faculty? How many company CEO’s will serve you a hot, juicy burger right on campus on a beautiful sunny weekend afternoon, welcoming all with open arms and a smile? Where else will you see the LVN program coordinator rolling up her sleeves to set up the party tables, get everything ready, and then caringly make sure, everyone is taken care of, and everybody is having a good time?

I am talking about the Gurnick BBQ happening on Saturday, May 1.
“Relax, have some fun, enjoy the sun!”  – that’s what the invite flyer said, welcoming everyone to come for a great time here at the Bay View Plaza in San Mateo. Preparations and arrangements took quite some time and effort, but it was all worth it!

Our LVN students, instructors, and staff all work so hard, they deserved this spring festivity. Everyone came to contribute to work together and get to know each other outside of the structured environment of an LVN classroom. All formalities are set aside.  Plenty of food, happy smiles, chat, jokes, and laughter… Because after all, food and laughter bring people together!

4:30 in the morning… The alarm goes off… It’s the clinical lab day at Gurnick.
“Oh, please! Just 5 more minutes!” – She thinks, but she drags her tired body out of the warm bed into the shower. Hardly waking up, she puts on her blue scrubs and nurse’s shoes and looks in the mirror. Dark circles under the eyes… That’s the least of payments for being an LVN student in a fast-paced program. “But it’s worth it,”- she says to her reflection, -“Soon, I will become a nurse, an LVN, and my life will change for the better.”

On her tippy toes, she sneaks into her little daughter’s room to kiss the sleeping child on the warm cheek and, laying her last loving glance, quietly leaves.
It’s still dark outside. She gets into the cold car and starts the engine. “Oh, I am so tired! But thank God for mom! If not for her, I wouldn’t be able to attend my LVN classes. She is taking care of my little girl, while I go to school, because she wants me and my daughter to have a better life. So, I won’t let them down!”

She has been attending the LVN program at Gurnick in San Mateo since last October.
Being a single mom wasn’t easy to find the right LVN program in California, where she recently moved with her daughter. She was looking for a better life. And this was it! This was her answer: “become and LVN student, become an LVN nurse, turn my life around, and start a rewarding career of helping people, changing their lives, while changing my own.”

There are so many such single moms attending LVN classes at Gurnick. They choose this school, because Gurnick understands and supports everyone, who wants to get an education in nursing. “This is the school that won’t turn you down, but will nurture and support you as you make your progress.” This is the school that helps you succeed no matter what your situation at home is.

Yes, the instructors are tough, the program is fast-paced, and every day is saturated with new information, new knowledge, new nursing skills to learn and goals to conquer. But all the faculty and staff at Gurnick want the LVN students to succeed. That is why they went out of their way to get their LVN program qualified for Financial Aid for their LVN students, because nobody should be turned down, if they want to become an LVN nurse. And that is why they have built a job placement department, to help the graduating LVN nurses start their careers right.

The sun is rising, as she pulls up to the parking garage. It’s 6 AM, and the clinical lab is about to start. There, she sees other students in blue scrubs hurrying to class, holding hot coffee in one hand and textbooks in the other. Their sleepy faces are smiling as they wave her “good morning.”
She waves back at them, thinking: “My home away from home, my Gurnick family. Even though we met only when the program started just a few months ago, we have become friends, and I love them. We are all in the same boat. We all have to give up so much, but we are getting much more in return!”

She steps into the laboratory room, where the instructor in the white lab coat is greeting everyone, getting ready for a new day at Gurnick, as she thinks to her self: “This will be a good day.”

In my early twenties, I faced a life-changing event that left me alone, with two young children, no job, and in financial distress. I made the decision to enroll in an LVN program at a local college. It took years for me to graduate and become an LVN in California. If I had researched my options, I would have chosen a private post-secondary vocational LVN program that was accredited by the State of California as well as nationally accredited by ABHES. My choice would have been Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts because they are the only local private college that offers an outstanding, accelerated LVN program that is accredited by both State and National Organizations.

Choosing a program can be confusing, with the various options of mornings/ evening classes, quality and reputation of the LVN schools, and the experience of the Instructors. Having an option to complete the LVN program in just over twelve months, (fifteen months with no previous pre-requisite courses completed), would have helped me to start my new nursing career and financially support my young family. Not only do I have the chance to start a meaningful career, but I have many choices of what type of job I want to work, what group of people do I wish to help, and whether to travel or remain local- all nursing employment opportunities available to graduates. One can work in a hospital setting, a Doctor’s office, a factory as an Industrial Nurse, a prison nurse, home health where a nurse goes to provide care in homes where the patients are unable to leave their homes, or travel to different states, countries, or cities for a preset time and work at a hospital that has been short on nursing staff.

Nursing offers the possibility of specializing in a specific field of medicine or line of work. Nurse Educators are available to the communities to inform the public of the latest information on wellness and prevention, health warnings, and disease processes. The Nursing Instructors at Gurnick Academy have years of experience in the field and share this wisdom with the students in lecture, demonstration of skills , and a variety of learning methods for all types of adult learners. The articulation of the clinical experiences at local hospitals with the didactic components, allow a cohesive and logical fusion of theory and practicum. Many hours of practicing a skill on the mannequins with the Instructor and a small group of students in the Skills Lab at the campus will boost one’s confidence and fine tune the skill, until the student performs the skill of competency with a satisfactory return demonstration. The learning atmosphere is positive and supportive, and many students make strong friendships while in the program. The clinical experiences will create dfond memories and funny tales to share.

I wanted a career that provided me with great satisfaction, like I was somehow making a difference. I believe nursing has given me a sense of reward and giving to my community, helping strangers in pain, fear and alone not be. That makes me smile.

LVN stands for Licensed Vocational Nurse or the Licensed Practical Nurse, LPN. LVN’s are registered nurses who take care of the sick, injured and disabled people under the proper supervision of the physicians. LVN programs are very rewarding and the salaries are really attractive. These programs make way to facilitate the basic care to the patients.

LVN nursing is a fundamental education on patient’s care and recovery. They treat bedsores, give injections and enemas, apply dressings, provide massages, monitors catheters etc. It is a vital lifesaving profession since they are a critical link between the patient and doctor.

The prerequisites to join the LVN programs include an age-bar of 17yrs or older. The applicant must produce a copy of your High School Diploma, GED or its equivalent certificate, current immunization record, healthcare provider CPR. Applicant has to pass the school enrolment exam and pass an interview with the institution directors. The preferred courses are anatomy, physiology and general psychology.

The institutes of Medical Education provide the healthcare community with expertise required to fulfill their daily professional needs. Clinical part of the student’s education occurs mainly in the hospitals. After undergoing the training in LVN and obtaining a license, nurses can find jobs in hospitals, nursing homes or in a doctor’s office.

When it comes to the healthcare occupation, nursing holds the largest share of job opportunities and they are one of the 10 ten occupations which or the possibility of the most jobs annually. The market demand is very huge when compared with other professions. Therefore, it is quite evident that the nursing jobs are not just lucrative but also in huge demand. With advancement in technologies and invention of new methods of treatment, healthcare jobs have more opportunities to diversify.

The market demand is something which gives much worth to this course. It is not just that LVN nursing is of great demand due to the aging workforce and shortage of nursing school enrolments. Also the reason that the old age problems are increasing with more of patients preferring home based treatment and caring. This need is only helping the cause and encouraging the LVN nursing job opportunities.

After you become an LVN, in less than two years you can become an RN (registered nurse) which is a step lesser than a MD. Some RNs start their careers as licensed practical nurses and then later go back to schools to receive the RN degree. As a registered nurse, the salaries will be a lot higher and the demand in the market is no less either. LVN Certification is the easiest path to become a registered nurse and the best part is that your employment is guaranteed until you become one.

Nurses can advance in their careers to an assistant unit manager or a head nurse or more senior levels like chief nurse. Few of them also get into other business segments of healthcare. Employers need RNs for health planning and development, consulting, marketing etc. There is also the requirement of registered nurses as the faculty in colleges or universities.

An LVN salary will depend upon the medical institutions and the states or locations. An LVN salary would fall anywhere from $35,000 to $45,000 annually. Like already mentioned, the demand for LVN is ever increasing due to the shortage of workforce. Hence when the supply fails to meet the demand, salary is made more competitive to attract more qualified nurses. LVN is absolutely the profession which has huge demand in the market.

If you are a person who would like to build a career in the medical field as an LVN (LPN) or Licensed Vocational Nurse then you are most definitely making the right choice. A career in LVN has mostly advantages in terms of financial, emotional and physical benefits.  With nursing profession you will get a financial stability and the job security, emotional satisfaction and since you are almost always on the go, physical toning.

Licensed Vocational Nurses usually work under the direct supervision of doctors and RNs (Registered Nurses). Primary responsibilities are include, but are not limited to caring for the ill, injured, convalescent and disabled patients. LVNs are employed not only by the hospitals, surgical centers, doctor’s office or convalescent homes, but even in medical beauty spas and educational institutions.

LVN’s day to day schedule includes giving the bedside care to the patients with the responsibilities of checking blood pressure, measuring temperature, polls and respiration, give injections and monitor patients.  There is a high demand for nurses not only in the United States but also everywhere across the globe. Statistics reveal that there is a shortage of well-trained vocational nurses in the current job market which might even double or triple in the coming years.

In order to become a Licensed Vocational Nurse, one needs to graduate from an approved educational institution, receive certain number of internship hours, as well as pass national certification exam. Most of the vocational schools offer an LVN Program and prepare graduates for the NCPLEX exam.  Some LVN schools offer shorter courses than others. It takes about 15-18 months and up to 2 years of training and internship to be able to become an LVN.

The type of work they do is challenging and fun, beneficial emotionally, mentally and financially, holds strong during recession, not only permits a person to self-actualize, but also is meaningful and significant for oneself and for others. Job roles of LVNs include and are not limited to the care of the sick and recovering patients. LVNs take care of the patient’s health by administering injections, collecting the samples for analysis, dressing applications and in some cases also performing laboratory testing and other lab work. In some states an LVN never starts and intravenous line, while in others they may be able to obtain IV certifications to perform this procedure. In areas where they don’t start IVs most LVNs can take blood and administer injections.

There are a lot of opportunities for LVNs and RNs…
Nursing is the largest health-care occupation and one of 10 occupations projected to have the largest numbers of new jobs annually. Some states report current and projected shortages of nurses, primarily due to an aging workforce and recent declines in nursing school enrollments. Faster than average growth also will be driven by technological advances in patient care, which permit nurses to treat more medical problems, and an increasing emphasis on preventive care. In addition, the number of older people, who are much more likely than younger people to need nursing care, is projected to grow rapidly.

A great thing about becoming an LVN is the fact that this career is a great stepping stone into the professional healthcare career…you can then take a course (so called Bridge program ) after you become an LVN and in less than 2 years become and RN – registered nurse…which is the career one step less than MD. Some RNs start their careers as licensed practical nurses or nursing aides, and then go back to school to receive their RN degree.

In management, nurses can advance from assistant unit manger or head nurse to more senior-level administrative roles of assistant director, director, vice president, or chief nurse. Some nurses move into the business side of health care. Their nursing expertise and experience on a health care team equip them to manage ambulatory, acute, home-based, and chronic care. Employers—including hospitals, insurance companies, pharmaceutical manufacturers, and managed care organizations, among others—need RNs for health planning and development, marketing, consulting, policy development, and quality assurance. Other nurses work as college and university faculty or conduct research.

Choosing a career for life can be a very difficult and confusing task. If you’re looking into getting a head start on your career decision the best way to succeed is by planning while currently attending high school. However, because so many interesting, new careers are emerging in the job market, making a decision while still in high school can be difficult. There are two careers that are in high demand now and will continue to be in the near future, nursing and dental. Choosing a dental or nursing career doesn’t just secure you a job always but they also offer lucrative pay packages. In this article you’ll find brief descriptions about the nursing and dental field.

A nurse is a person educated and trained to care for the sick or disabled. Being a nurse entitles you to many responsibilities while at work. Patient care, developing a nursing plan, health revival and maintaining patient records are some of the duties nurses perform. Choosing nursing as a profession may also include tasks involving research studies and executing many non clinical functions essentially in the healthcare segment. A nurse practitioner is a registered nurse with special training for providing primary health care, including many tasks customarily performed by a physician. Being a nurse practitioner gives you the authorization to diagnose the health problem and prescribe medication.

For the most part, the earning structure of nurses is quite rewarding although it varies significantly depending on the different regions and countries. For example in some parts of Europe, you can be considered a nurse after graduating from high school and completing 12-18 months of nurse training. In other countries the only people eligible to be a nurse are those with a bachelor’s degree.  Usually it depends on the distinction of the nurses based on their educational qualifications, skills, work experience and responsibilities. Professional nurses are in high demand and can earn more than task based nurses. Nursing can be a very interesting and challenging career although very rewarding at the same time!

The dental career is another interesting yet very challenging career that requires eight years of education after high school. A dentist is a primary care dental provider. Just like nurses, dentists are on high demand now and will continue to be. At this point in time the prospects with dental careers are looking bright and are expected to improve further in the future.

A dentist diagnoses, treats and manages overall oral health care needs, including gum care, root canals, fillings, crowns, veneers, bridges, and preventive education. Additionally they are trained to analyze x-rays, work on administrative responsibilities and medical records. Many dentists choose to practice dentistry individually by setting up the required equipment. Operative instruments, hand pieces, infection control supplies, disposables, oral surgery instruments and supplies, radiology supplies, preventive dentistry supplies, standard prophy kit, infection control supplies and operative supplies are some of the many supplies that a dentist practicing dentistry individually will need. In order to avoid infectious diseases from patients, dentists take precautions by wearing gloves, safety glasses, and masks.

During the schooling process, part of the training involves many administrative tasks such as keeping track of accounts, monitoring supplies and accurate bookkeeping, which is extremely helpful to those practicing on their own. The biggest hurdle about choosing dental as your career is that many of us tend to put aside any dental issues that come across due to any financial crisis we may be going through. Because most of the income generated is paid by medical insurance, it is said that the claims for dental services will decrease drastically at some point when the economy is sluggish. Like many careers being a dentist also has its ups and downs but overall it’s a great career to choose!

Nurses and Dentists have a few similarities such as,  treating patients, providing emergency care to people, recognizing the importance of having good communication with patients and treating patients with respect. Both are phenomenal careers that require lots of time and dedication in school and during work. Without nurses we wouldn’t have a knowledge person watching over us 24/7 while in the hospital and without dentists we wouldn’t be able to know the importance of keeping our mouth clean. Let’s face it, nurses and dentists do more for us than we think, and if you’d like to join the team  of helping others and receive a smile every time you make a difference on a patient,  when choosing a career remember to consider the nursing or dental field!

Choose a LVN Program if interested in making a career in nursing.

Hopefully this article will help future generations of nurses think about and prevent the spread of addiction of drugs among nurses. It is important that student think of the dangers and consequences associated with the drug abuse.

The prevalence of addiction especially among nurses and the signs and symptoms of addiction are very important point matters. It is vital to talk about adverse effects of not reporting an impaired colleague as well as the role of state boards of nursing in treatment of nurses who abuse substances.
Some consider alcohol and drug addiction as primary, and often, fatal health problems.

One of the reasons why the nurses abuse alcohol/drugs is related to family histories that include emotional impairment, alcoholism, drug use, and/or emotional abuse that results in low self-esteem, over achievement, and overwork.

Many nurses choose to stay quiet about a coworker who may have a substance-abuse problem because of loyalty, fear of being a hypocrite, guilt, or fear of jeopardizing a colleague’s license to practice. Some argue that addiction must be accepted as an illness, so that if recognized as illness can be treated. This way many will try addressing and recognizing the problem.

Statistics often indicate such information as:
*employed people who abuse substances are unreliable on the job
*compared to nonusers, alcohol and illicit drug users are more likely to have:
- changed jobs frequently,
- missed two or more days of work in the past month,
- resigned voluntarily from a job in the past year,
- been terminated by an employer in the past year, and
- been involved in a workplace accident in the past year.

The prevalence of alcohol and drug abuse in the nursing population has not been fully documented, but it is believed to parallel that of the general population. It is suspected that 10% of the nursing population has alcohol and/or drug abuse problems, and that 6% of nurses have problems that are serious enough to interfere with their ability to practice.*
* BVNET.

* Do check for LVN programs in California

Licensed Vocational Nurses, along with the other health care professionals are responsible to perform nursing interventions for patients with acute or chronic illness. Licensed Vocational Nurses earn licensure from the state to administer routine patient care. All states, except Texas and California, use the title Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN). Licensed Vocational Nurses may work in hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, clinics, dialysis centers, blood banks, ambulatory surgery centers, day care centers or correctional facilities.

The LVN may provide continuous monitoring of all aspects of patient care, inclusive of all bedside care, diet, physical activity, and administration of medications, including injections under the direction of a physician of registered nurse. In most states LVNs can perform phlebotomy with an additional post-licensure course and certification. The LVN assist with data collection of patient symptoms, reactions and progress. LVNs also assist by performing patient and care-giver teaching in order to support patient and family independence.

Qualities necessary to the LVN include dedication, commitment, patience, understanding, knowledge, empathy, and the ability to utilize critical thinking in administration of all patient care.

Advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) is a term used for a registered nurse (RN) who has the advanced master level of educational and clinical practice experience, over the basic nursing education and licensing requirements.

The basic types of advanced practice registered nurses ARPNs is as follows:
• Nurse practitioner (NP) – Qualified with wide array of primary and preventive health care, prescribe medication, diagnose and treat common minor illnesses and injuries. Nurse practitioner can be found working in clinics, nursing homes, hospitals, or private offices.

• Certified nurse-midwife (CNM) – Proficient with gynecological and low-risk obstetrical care. They attend to child births and can be found working in hospitals, birth centers, and homes if required.

• Clinical nurse specialist (CNS) – Handle a wide range of physical and mental health problems, and also have forte in consultation, research, education, and administration. Clinical nurse Specialist can be found working in hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, private offices, and community-based settings.

• Certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNA) – Administer anesthetics to the patients and are the oldest lot of the advanced nursing specialties. Approximately 65% of anesthesia is given by certified registered nurse anesthetists.

Doctorate in Nursing Practice is going to be the shift in standard for qualification to be a APRN by 2015.Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL) is another masters level role in nursing care delivery which is introduced into educational programs. There are other masters level nursing roles to cater to nursing education, nursing administration etc.

Based on individual interests the RN’s can advance their education and careers to their area of expertise and liking.