[Lucid Vital Nurse]

A Nurse is a Nurse is a Nurse..... If you have a license to practice nursing in your state then you are a Nurse. Yes there are two types of Nurses... RN's and LVN's/LPN's. I get tired of dealing with this issue: at work, other nurses, my friends, my family and the public! I am a Licensed Vocational Nurse in California, working in DOU. The State Board of Vocational Nursing and Pyschiatric Technicians states that I am a Nurse!...However, I work with people who refer to me as an "LVN" but the RN's are "Nurses". Ex: The Lab Tech came to draw blood from a patient of mine and noticed that the pt. had a PICC Line. He stated to me, "Would you like me to get a nurse to draw from the line?" I replied, " I am the patient's nurse but yes, you can get an RN!" Or the Charge Nurse says, "We have 6 licenses on the floor; 5 Nurses and 2 LVN's"......Whatever!....I am proud to be an LVN...Proud to be a nurse...With the exception of RN's having more schooling and the legal authority to perform some more licensed nursing procedures than LVN's, there is no difference. A Nurse is a Nurse is a Nurse.. So whether you are an LVN or an RN, you are a Nurse...so be proud!....and forget about what others say/think.

[pagandeva2000]

This thread has certainly incited the frustrations that LPNs have been feeling for some time...goodness, now it is 16 pages long! As TheCommuter stated, we should be able to practice without ridicule and disrespect.

One of the things that everyone should remember is that there is ALWAYS someone who wishes to be you. There are plently of CNAs, housekeepers, unemployed people, etc that WISH to be LPNs, there are Home Health Aides that would give their right arms to be a CNA, a migrant worker wishing to be a Home Health Aide, a homeless person that envies someone that found a cardboard box. And many times, the grass looks greener on the other side, but when you get there, you see that there are stresses and aggrevations and the green can turn gray. Bottom line is that you have to do what is best for yourself, what you can handle, considering your level of determination, current lifestyle, finances and interests. If you are ready to go further, GREAT! But, don't bother a person who is earning an honest living.

[Lucid Vital Nurse]

[quote=pagandeva2000;2794714]

Couldn't have said it better myself, Pagandeva2000!

[vegasmedic]

i think we have beaten a dead horse on this subject. lol.

[RobLPN]

Licensed practical NURSE. clear enough.

[nursienurse_81]

I am an LPN. My husband is an RN. I tell people I am a nurse. My husband tells people he is a nurse. My husband can work anywhere in the hospital. I work med-surg. My base is $17.50. My husband's is $32. I can't push drugs, sign care plans, or pull piccs. My husband can. So in a nutshell... that's what being an LPN instead of an RN means to me. Yet at the end of the day...my husband and I have a whole hell of alot to talk about... even if I'm an LPN and he's an RN. To debate LPN RN titles back and forth is absurd. The fact of the matter is when the doctor orders a suppository both of us get to stick a finger up a butt.... that's humbling....haha!

[NurseCutie]

I'm a RN and I don't mind telling people that since I worked so hard for the title. It's not an elitist thing either...I'm proud to be a RN. Why shouldn't I be?

[nursienurse_81]

You should be proud of your accomplishments. Anyone who works in the healthcare field and stays in the healthcare field should be proud. We are on a whole underappreciated. We work holidays, weekends, long shifts, subject to any and all diseases, get verbally abused by patients and doctors, we work our butts off...so we should be proud. But most of all, I am proud of the fact that when I leave work I have taken really good care of my patients, amongst all the craziness, I provided good care. I am proud of that. Any nurse (LPN or RN) who does a good job should be proud...because the fact of the matter is that this is not an easy job for anyone. Physically demanding and mentally challenging it is not for the weak at heart. But I can't imagine doing anything else. Not to mention... how many other jobs are there where you literally never stop gaining knowledge. It's really quite amazing. Think about it...if you took away all of your nursing knowledge how much less you would know....it is truly extraordinary how much nurses need to know... We have every right to be proud!!!!

[kiyasmom]

Originally Posted by NurseCutie

I'm a RN and I don't mind telling people that since I worked so hard for the title. It's not an elitist thing either...I'm proud to be a RN. Why shouldn't I be?

You should be proud! Most certainly getting your RN is an amazing thing.

This thread is not about downplaying the RN title nor is it about empowering the LPN. To me, this thread is about claiming the title nurse that is legally appointed to both the Practical or Vocational and Registered Nurse. A nurse is a nurse.

On a side note: Some people are happy to be CNAs and that is their career. They are not nurses, but they should be proud to be nurses aides. That is an awesome accomplishment.
Some people are career LPNs and choose not to go forward. They are nurses and should be proud to use the term LPN or nurse at their discretion. Some ADNs are career ADNs and should be able to use the term nurse or RN at their discretion. Some BSNs are career BSNs. Perhaps they started at the Associate level and bridged, maybe they did an accelerated program from an unrelated field, maybe they went directly to a four year school. However it happened, they earned that BSN. They can call themselves RN or BSN interchangeably and the LPN or ADN should not feel compelled to downplay their title because they do not have the four year degree. Whatever our aspirations in life, we should be happy and not have to feel like we are less than because we did not go as far educationally as someone else. Some people are content in their place in life, and that is what is really important. It is all good!

[pagandeva2000]

Originally Posted by NurseCutie

I'm a RN and I don't mind telling people that since I worked so hard for the title. It's not an elitist thing either...I'm proud to be a RN. Why shouldn't I be?

There is no reason not to be proud of being an RN. It is very true, you worked hard to earn those two initials behind your name. What we are saying is that we also worked hard at becoming and being LPNs, and we should be proud, also. We earned the right to be called nurses the same as the RNs have, and most of the ones I know are simply saying that we are nurses in our own right.