LPN applying for LPN to RN Bridge Program Placement
Unfortunantely, I struggle with writing assignments and putting all the facts properly together.
Here’s a quick summary of my experience though:
I was in LPN school (11-month program from Sept 2019 to Aug 2020) during the pandemic. I was in school physically up until March 2020. From March 2020 until I graduated I completed the program virtually and had to do my clinical rotation via computer simulations of real-life scenarios with virtual patients. Therefore, I missed out on the hands learning experience of clinical hours. However, I got an amazing opportunity at a nursing home (taking care of Geriatric patients) that was hiring students nurses due to the shortage of nurses as a result of the COVID pandemic. Starting in April 2020, I worked as a Student LPN with 40 patient to 1 nurse ratio/8 hour shifts and was able to practice what I learned throughtout school until I graduated and passed the NCLEX. Shortly after I passed my NCLEX, I started doing home care with a nursing agency. I worked with various patients and families. Specifically with pediatric patients with trach/vents. With home care, you only had one patient and I did 12 hour shifts. I did that for 9 months. In addition, I did COVID vaccinations for a few months towards the end of 2021 with another nursing agency that did pop ups at different locations throught Brooklyn and Queens to administer COVID vaccinations. I preferred doing pediatric patients over adults. I got hired by AYA Healthcare doing travel nursing in Jan 2022 and signed my first contract with a LTC nursing home for 13 weeks, which I ended up extending for a total of 20 weeks. I was actually pregnant that entire time and had my baby 2 weeks after the contract was over (August 2022). I signed another 8 week contract through AYA with the same nursing home after my baby was 8 weeks old. After completion, I just started doing independent nursing, picking up a few shifts per month through this app that allows you to pick up shifts at various nursing homes that need coverage. I love nursing, taking care of people, and making a difference in the sick. I can’t change the world alone, but even if I can contribute in smallest ways I will. I’ve noticed when you allow yourself to just be ann open ear to patients it makes a huge difference in there response to you. Some of them just want someone to talk to evenn if you are just listening. Especially when a facility has become their home and having the freedon to live life independently is no longer an option. That is why I want to further my career so that I am able to do more and can expand my scope of practice. I come from generations of nurses in my family (Mom, Grandma, Aunt, Cousins) It’s not just a career to me, it’s in my blood.