[General E. Speaking, RN]

make more money (in Texas).

[Rexie68]

I live in PA and have been an LPN for 18 years. I'm now in school for my RN and have to say, just skip the LPN. Years ago it was worth it, but now, our market is flooded with LPNs and they're being used as CNA's. Even though they've been trained to pass meds, start IV's, draw blood, take orders, etc.....there's just no place for them to work as a nurse. I'm very lucky that I work in a LTC facility that appreciates their LPN's. I work in administration and do MDS'. At our facility, LPN's can't pronounce death or do IV push meds. Everything else is pretty much the same for RNs and LPNs...except the pay, of course!!

[Loisanderson]

All of the things you listed that the LPN can't do was the incentive that pushed me to go back for my RN years ago. I had moved to Wisconsin from another state and found out that all LPN's were nothing but glorified nursing assistants. Many things I was not permitted to do were every day tasks for me in my home state.

[lvnandmomx3]

My instructor told us that the only thing that LPNs can't do are start IV's or administer blood products. We will be pushing meds IV in med-surge 2. Maybe every state is different.
But like you, the wait to do the ADN was to long so I'm doing LPN and as soon as I'm done (in August) I will be going on for my RN.
Good luck to you.

I find it wierd that in your state you can't start the IV but you can push the med... somehow that just doesn't make sense...... But that just shows how the scope of an LVN different depending on the state. Here in CA is like another post states, No IV push meds, Can't hang ATB's, No initial assesment, No ER triage and depending on policy can't hang blood products.

[Drysolong]

The LPN's at my facility (hospital med surg) don't hang blood, don't sign off on initial assessments (but do them) and a few other things. LPN's do the IV pushes and starts. For the most part, the only difference is salary. And that's a big part, as far as I'm concerned.

For me, the CNA, LPN, RN route is what I deliberately chose for my circumstances. (I was a CNA 5months, have been an LPN 1.5 years and hope to be an RN by late 2008 or early 2009) I tell others (like my 19-year old granddaughter and CNA's and PCT's that I work with) that, IMO, they should skip LPN and go directly to RN.

[swee2000]

Originally Posted by Loisanderson

All of the things you listed that the LPN can't do was the incentive that pushed me to go back for my RN years ago. I had moved to Wisconsin from another state and found out that all LPN's were nothing but glorified nursing assistants. Many things I was not permitted to do were every day tasks for me in my home state.

I don't mean to offend this poster, but not all LPNs in Wisconsin are "glorified CNAs".

[grinsngripe]

contact your state nurses association, you should be able to find out in depth there. good luck.

[Miss Kitty00]

I'm in Oklahoma.
I worked in a rather large hospital, and I can't spike a bag of blood (but I can monitor it), I can start IVs, push IV meds(u have to go to an IV push class for this), I'm not suppose to do the inital assestment, but it happens any way, I just have to have an RN sign off on it. If I'm unsure she comes behind me in checks it out.I can't put in a NG tube. Anyways at my hospital , it is very few things that I can't do. I hate the pay, but love the work.

[johnp127]

In Texas as a LVN the only things I could NOT do is push cardiac medications, spike blood, access or deaccess a port. I could do an intial assessment but a RN had to do the 'Admit Assessment' within 24 hours (so if you got a new pt in the night .. the RN in charge COULD just pass it on that that pt didnt have their 'Admit Assessment' done yet). Blood draws from central line and ports and starting IV's... we did alot... we did have to do the care plans but a RN had to check off and update the care plans every 24 hours. NOW i say that to say ....it isnt that way everywhere....I moved out of Texas and now I am a glorified CNA. With the CNA pay! Now I am in school for RN to get the same pay I was making in Texas as a LVN... to do the (almost) same level of nursing I was doing in Texas!

[hillcat]

In Oklahoma, the only things I'm aware of are that LPNs can't administer blood products or chemotherapy. There may be others, but those two I know of for sure. A lot depends on your state board or nursing..