Medical Training

Whether you are considering becoming a RN or a LVN/LPN classes, travel nursing opportunities are abundant.  These temporary nursing positions are a great way to see someplace new, and a way to consider places to later relocate. I once knew of a nurse who wanted to spend her summers near the ocean.  Instead of going through an agency or a nursing recruiter, she asked the hospital of her choice for a summer salary with a housing allotment.  This was a great way for her family of four to spend a summer in her idea of paradise. However if you are looking for simplicity in job placement, it is easy to search on the internet for traveling nurse staffing agencies; make sure you first find out which hospitals and shifts that they are contracted for.

Hospitals generally utilize traveling nurses to cope with the increasing shortage of nurses. If you graduated from a LVN/LPN program and are considering working in another state, first find out the licensure requirements from the state’s board of LVN.  Since each state has different LVN/LPN requirements, it is a good idea to plan ahead.  Another recommendation before signing onto this journey is to first work in one facility for at least one year to develop a foundation and learn as much as you can about nursing.  Sometimes nursing students make the mistake of thinking that all they need to know about nursing will be taught at their LVN/LPN school.

Even though nursing schools, such as Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts offer “real” life situations with simulated mannequins and clinical experience in healthcare facilities, the career of nursing is an ongoing classroom filled with endless opportunities to learn.  In addition, by selecting an area of expertise and becoming certified in that specialty, will place you in even more demand, which can lead to more choices in your job positions.  One last suggestion is to speak directly with a traveling nurse to find out the pros and cons.  If you don’t know of any traveling nurses, you can check out one of the many blogsites written by “real” nurses who have experience in this exciting career.

Everyone probably has heard of Q Tips cotton swabs and their versatile uses from applying and removing makeup, painting, and household cleaning.  The LVN/LPN uses an elongated version of this short household tool for cleaning around the infant’s umbilical cord, wound care, and if needed, come in sterile packages.  Today the acronym Q-TIP can serve the purpose of stress management by redirecting our attention away from stress-filled thoughts.  Every time a nurse uses a cotton-tipped applicator, they can be reminded of the meaning of Q-TIP, which stands for “Quit Taking It Personally.”

These four simple letters can buy the nurse or nursing student the time to make choices on how to respond before they are automatically in a state of reaction to perceived stress.  As the student nurse in a LVN/LPN program takes on more and more responsibility at their clinical sites, it isn’t easy to just let things go, especially when their patient’s condition worsened or their patient’s family vented their anger.  To maintain a caring attitude from the role of student to licensed nurse, it is important to have tools that can quickly get them back on track.  Jill Hare in her TheApple article Five Ways to Quit Taking it Personally” reminds us that “The bad moods of others are more about them than they are about you.” Even though Jill’s article is focused on how teachers can build their confidence without taking on the actions of their students, her tools are very appropriate to improving the nurse/patient relationship.

Hare points that in some careers, such as teachering, they tend to think too much about something and try to fill-in the blanks with words or tone that can magnify our stress-response.  Her solution to this over-active mind is to “Take things at face value. If you don’t understand the point someone is trying to make, ask for clarification. Don’t assume anything.” Kelly Bryson, MFT, Certified Nonviolent Communication Trainer states the following about how to apply Stan Dale’s Q-Tip acronym in his book Don’t Be Nice, Be Real,  “People are never angry or upset with us; they are distressed about an unfulfilled need of their won. I may be the detonator but I am never the dynamite.”  In other words, there is a difference between acknowledging that we can be a trigger to someone’s stress without being the cause.  Nursing students have plenty of opportunities in both the clinical site and the LVN/LPN school to follow the advice from these authors such as Jill Hare who states, “More likely than not, the behavior [of others] is not stemming from something you’ve done, so don’t blame yourself.”

Recently I was with a friend who was appalled with he saw someone in scrubs smoking a cigarette.  Since he knew that I taught for a LVN/LPN school, he asked me what type of education a student LVN/LPN receives in regards to the effects of smoking.  Even though a LVN/LPN program includes the effects of smoking and other carcinogens on the cardio-pulmonary and urinary system, education alone is not the only factor in promoting the health of those who want to hold down a LVN/LPN job.  At this point you might be asking, as my friend did, how many nurses do smoke?  According to the 2002 Current Population Survey (CPS) Tobacco Use Supplement, 15% of Registered Nurses smoke; 28% of Licensed Practical Nurses smoke. These are higher rates of smoking than other health care professionals, especially when compared to the rate of physician smokers.

According to the Association of Medical Colleges in the Nursing Times November 26, 2008 article, Health Study Shows Nurses Smoke More than Doctors, 1% of US doctors smoked in 2005.  The good news is that the rate of nurses who smoke is reducing.  In the November 24, 2008 Washington Post article Fewer than 1 in 10 Nurses Now Smoke, The UCLA School of Nursing study found that the rate of smoking among nurses has fallen from 33.2 percent in 1976 to 8.4 percent in 2003.  Unfortunately the November/December edition of Nursing Research states that the death rates of those who presently or those that smoked in the past are still double than that of nonsmokers.

Whether you are thinking about becoming a nurse or already a nurse you become a part of a team of health professionals.  As a team player you can ask for support, especially when it comes to improving your health.   In the Nursing Times November 26, 2008 article, Bob Smith, clinical nurse therapist in smoking cessation at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust says, “It is absolutely essential that a nurse who is helping a patient quit smoking does not smoke themselves because their help may not appear genuine.” Since stress is a big reason for smoking, student nurses can start on the right track by working together to creatively introduce stress management into their life to promote a healthy life for themselves and their patients.

Eating out at a taco shop can seem mundane until you notice that someone sitting next to you begins to choke and turn blue.  For the lay person without medical training from a LVN/LPN program, the thought of someone choking can be frightening.  One of the many benefits about becoming a LVN/LPN is that all LVN/LPN students must be trained in Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR).  In addition, healthcare facilities usually require nurses to be recertified in CPR every 2 years to be updated on the latest resuscitation methods.  Just in the last 3 years the amount of chest compressions has increased in ratio to the breaths. Some LVN/LPN schools, such as Gurnick Academy of Medical arts offers CPR training onsite for their nursing students.  Not all CPR courses are the same.  When taking a CPR course find out which CPR guidelines are taught in their program.

To be safe look for CPR certification agencies that follow the recommendations of the American Red Cross and American Heart Association for both CPR and AED techniques.  Just imagine what would happen if in a hospital everyone involved in a “code” received different CPR guidelines; not only that but what if they did not stay current on the latest techniques. Becoming an effective LVN/LPN and working safely in a LVN/LPN job requires receiving the most current information.  This leads us to the next question,“Where does one attend a reputable CPR recertification classes?” It may be tempting to take an online course or a one-hour quick course, but how much will you learn and retain without actually having sufficient practice time doing CPR on mannequins?

Another consideration is to find out if you will be able to practice the Heimlich maneuver, use an automatic external defibrillator (AED), as well as practice CPR on different size mannequins to resemble the adult, child and infant. You might receive training in adult CPR and mistakenly think you are proficient in CPR until you come to the aid of an infant choking or drowning, which requires a different technique.  The BLS Healthcare Provider Course, which is designed to provide the LVN/LPN student and a wide variety of healthcare professionals the ability to provide CPR, use an AED, and relieve choking in a safe, timely and effective manner. Even if you are not yet a nurse, this course can also be taken by nonlicensed healthcare professionals, and can prepare you for a variety of life-threatening emergencies.

Each student at a LVN or LPN school learns about nursing care for all stages of life including childbirth and infancy.  During this phase of life, some nurses have a credential to provide greater assistance for the lactating mother and baby.  There is even an association, The International Lactation Consultant Association (ILCA), which has over 5,000 members in 50 nations for the International Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLCs). Nurses, midwives, and physicians are not the only health professionals allowed to become certified as a Lactation Consultants.

This specialty also encourages childbirth educators, dietitians, and other health professionals to apply for certification.  The role of a lactation consultant is far more in-depth than just helping the new mother breastfeed.  According to Valerie Banarie, RN, BSN, CLC from Breastingfeeding.com, Lactation Consultants can address the following breast-feeding challenges: infant latch-on problems, sore nipples, infant’s rapid weight loss or slow weight gain, insufficient breast- milk, and twin infants.

If a LVN or LPN wants to specialize in the clinical management of breastfeeding there are several health care settings that can utilize their expertise.  According to the ILCA (www.ilca.org), Lactation Consultants can work in “…hospitals, pediatric offices, public health clinics, and private practice.” For those that want to address global health, the ILCA with UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO), provides representatives to organizations including the World Health Assembly and United Nations.

If you have ever been a patient in a hospital, you might have asked where are the male nurses?  You also may be surprised to know that the career for paid nurses started not with female, but with male nurses, and the first nursing school, which opened in India during 250 BC, only accepted male nursing students.  During the era of Hippocrates (460-370 BC), who was the father medicine, nursing care was delivered by men.  In the December 2009 article 10 Most Famous Male Nurses in History posted on Nursetini, Walt Whitman (1819-1892) is listed as one of the 10 most famous male nurses.  Whitman is famous for being a writer and poet, but it turns out that after his brother was wounded in the American Civil War, Whitman devoted both time as a volunteer nurse and writings about the need for nursing care for the soldiers.

According to the Winter 2009 AHNA Beginnings article, “Why Aren’t There More Men in Nursing?” editor Lynne Nemeth states that the Reformation era (1550-1850), which was referred to by some as the dark ages of nursing, more women were becoming hospital nurses and medical care deteriorated allowing prisoners work as nurses “…in lieu of prison terms.”  With the Industrial Revolution, which took place in mid 17th and 18th centuries, men took advantage of higher paid jobs, which excluded low-paid nursing positions.  Nemeth refers to how “Ironically it is Florence Nightingale, considered to be the founder of modern nursing, who is credited with the demise of men in nursing.”

In 1867 Nightingale wrote about how she wanted the female head nurse to have the power over nursing and not the male nurse. Despite all the positive contributions to nursing, it wasn’t until 1955 when Edward L.T. Lyon became the first male nurse in the military. According to a 2005 Men in Nursing Study by Bernard Hodes Group, men only make up between 5-6 percent of registered nurses.  Fortunately there are both men and women working together to support and educate men into the career of nursing.  If you are presently in a LVN or LPN program and want to join a nursing organization that supports male nurses, the American Holistic Nurses Association (AHNA) has a history of supporting and honoring both male and female nurses.  In 2008, the AHNA named Richard Cowling, III, RN, PHD, APRN-BC, AHN-BC the Holistic Nurse of the Year. Unlike the AHNA, the American Nurses Association (ANA) did not allow men to become members until 1940.

Whether you are thinking about becoming a male LVN, LPN, or registered nurse, read about the many resources such as the free online Male Nurse Magazine at www.malenursemagazine.com. Today there are several LVN & LPN schools, such as Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts that encourage the presence of men in nursing, and have male faculty role models.

In June 2010 the American Holistic Nurses Association was blessed with having Jean Watson, PhD, RN, AHN-BC, FAAN as keynote speaker.  Mrs. Watson’s extensive biography includes her published theory of nursing “The philosophy and science of caring.”  Nursing theories are important for the student LVN or LPN to guide the way in development as a licensed nurse.  In the Spring 2010 AHNA Beginnings publication, Watson lists examples of how to implement the Caring Theory in her article Caring Science and the Next Decade of Holistic Healing: Transforming Self and System from the inside Out.  She states, “When systems begin to authentically embrace Caring Theory and its role in healing, and thus creating biogenic practices, the foundation for professional nursing shifts.

Within this article, she acknowledges the participants of International Caritas Consortium (ICC, www.cartiasconstortiu.org) for their efforts toward this nursing shift.  One of the simple examples that can be practiced not only by the ICC participants, but also in LPN schools and hospitals is hand washing.  Hand washing is not just used for cleaning our hands, but according to Watson this ritual can somehow “…energetically cleanse oneself…” which allows for “…pausing to set intention before entering a patient’s room.”

Another one of Watson’s simple, yet profound suggestions is to have magnets with positive affirmations and messages on patients’ doors.  This affirmative idea can be easily initiated by student nurses in any nursing program, including the LVN or LPN program.  One of the most intimate of Watson’s practices is to be “seeking” as we nurses look and connect to the “spirit-filled” person that might be hiding behind their diagnosis.   For more information about Jean Watson caring philosophy visit www.watsoncaringscience.org

The “dummy” is not so dumb when it is a high-fidelity simulator equipped with computer simulations and can respond as if it were a real patient.  As technology advances, so do clinical opportunities for students at Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts VN Program.  High-fidelity simulators include life-like and life-size mannequins that can be programmed to be both interactive and responsive to the student nurse’s care.  Simulated clinical scenarios provide not only a safe setting to teach students in  LVN / LPN schools how to perform different nursing tasks, but, surprisingly, are stimulating much more than critical thinking skills. Leighsa Sahroff, EdD, RN, NPP is the Coordinator of Simulation at Hunter College School of Nursing, City University of New York.  During a presentation entitled High Fidelity Simulators and Holistic Nursing Communication: 21st Century Technology meets Holistic Nursing Concepts, Sahroff offered examples of the unexpected lessons that student nurses are gleaning from the high-fidelity simulation process.

Instead of student nurses witnessing their first death experience in the hospital, they are afforded the opportunity to process their emotions within the simulation lab.  At times, there is so much happening at a real clinical site that the student misses certain cues, especially communication cues that are vital in both preventative care and in developing the nurse/patient caring-relationship.  The advantage of learning from simulated scenarios in an LPN program is that they can be repeated, video-taped, and slowed down to foster processing and awareness.

The learning possibilities are vast, especially in areas that stimulate student emotions around labor/delivery, fetal demise, pediatric illness, heart attack, seizure, anaphylactic shock, and psychiatric illness. By allowing students the freedom to make mistakes within the four walls of their school, where the simulated patient can recover from anything by the flip of a switch,  students can learn how do deal with real-life situations and, at the same time, explore their own strengths and weaknesses without any harm to a real patient.n