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by 2bornot2b

Can someone give me the basic idea of what the difference is between being a PN as compared to being an RN? I am going to be starting the PN course in Sept. and want to know exactly what it is I'm in for! I know the basics but, really what is the difference in job description?

[Fiona59]

Re: Difference between PN and RN.......

What province are you living in? Scopes of practice vary widely.

[2bornot2b]

Re: Difference between PN and RN.......

I'm in Alberta......

[Fiona59]

Re: Difference between PN and RN.......

Right now, the ability to flush a PICC or other central line, work in ICU or L&D, and about $12/hour starting wage.

OK, I'm being a bit tongue in cheek but depending on which hospital you work in, in the province of Alberta that's about it.

The PN education in AB is one of the best in Canada, with the highest skill sets. It's basically become the old diploma/hospital based training programme for RNs.

So why did you chose to apply to do the PN programme if you know very little about it? You'll be spending roughly four semesters of your life studying something you appear to know very little about and investing well over $15K in the process. Have you researched the job market where you live?

You are in for homework, a lot of physical and mental stress, and being tired. You'll have to drag yourself to clinical sites in the dead of winter without the guarantee of on site parking, being scratched and pinched by seniors during your LTC rotation (and that is a rotation that will see classmates quickly leave, because they didn't realize they would be dealing with incontinent adults). You'll meet some great people as classmates and instructors and other who you just shake your heads at.

[2bornot2b]

Re: Difference between PN and RN.......

I know the just of it, I just wanted to know exactly what the difference is from what I'll be doing compared to what the RN is doing. As far as $12/hr goes for starting wage, I don't know where you are from, but, in my research, the minimum start wage for the LPN is $17.04/hr, I sure wouldn't be going through 2 years of schooling for a meer $12! The HCA's here start at $13 and that's going through on job training. I almost started off as HCA but quickly decided not to when I seen what the LPN's were doing. Yes, I know that every institution does things differently and that I can't expect to be doing what I seen the LPN doing on the LTC anywhere else, but, I seen the LPN doing the meds, the RN nowhere to be seen and the HCA's doing all the "dirty" (parden the pun) work. I know that the LPN doesn't get to make the first hand decision on patient care like the RN does. Just want to know if it was worth my dropping out of upgrading to take the BScN and going for LPN. Well, I guess I have the option of always taking the bridging course down the road too.

[Fiona59]

Re: Difference between PN and RN.......

What I said was there is about $12/hour difference in the starting wage.

Trust me both grades of nurses do the "dirty" work. In acute care there might be one NA on the floor for 26-30 medicine or surgical patients and guess who cleans, whoever finds it. On postpartum there might be a service aide BUT they don't do hands on care.

In acute care, the LPN does make decision about patient care. Where I work there is usually a 50/50 split between RNs and LPNs on the floor. The only time an RN comes near my patients is when a central line needs care. Both nurses work to a set care plan or the daily physicians orders and are responsible for their practice.

The bridge programme that was offered by GMCC and the U of A no longer exists. Athabasca does an LPN-BScN course which is four years in total. GMCC and the U usually permits entry to the degree if there is space in the second year, with credits given for all transferable courses.

[loriangel14]

Re: Difference between PN and RN.......

PNs do the "dirty work" as much as anyone else. The RNs on my floor clean up their own pts.

I make my own pt care decisions as well. As a fairly new PN I will ask an RN(or another PN) for advice but basically it is my decision and I am responsible for it.

[2bornot2b]

Re: Difference between PN and RN.......

Originally Posted by Fiona59

Right now, the ability to flush a PICC or other central line, work in ICU or L&D, and about $12/hour starting wage.

The reason I stated what I did was the way you worded this. It sounds like you were saying a starting wage of $12/hr.

[loriangel14]

Re: Difference between PN and RN.......

You asked about the difference. One of them is about $12/hour. Why are you taking your PN when you have no clue what the job is? Just because you saw someone giving meds?

[Persephone_]

Re: Difference between PN and RN.......

What is with this hostility being exhibited to her by you two? She's just asking what the difference is between an RN and an RPN/LPN. It doesn't mean she knows absolutely nothing about the profession. This is what the point of being a student is. She'll learn about her responsibility and role as a PN in due time, but right now she hasn't started yet.

Do you really think any student starting out knows more than the basics about the nursing profession? What did I know going in as a nursing student? That I had to take care of people, and everything else that goes hand in hand with that will be learned eventually.

Honestly, I have never encountered a more negative forum than the Canadian one, and it is always you two that I see trying to put others down. You sound defensive of others going into your profession and it is quite pathetic. Please try to encourage the younger generation of nurses and help them out instead of posting with that self righteous attitude that I always see.