LPNs are important. How can the RNs help in this terrible situation?

Nurses General Nursing

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ok, this may not touch others as it has touched me, especially you newer nurses who are often taught not to value the importance of the lpn staff but our lpns are being railroaded and harrassed by ill informed managers who have no idea of either their value or experience. we are unionized as rns and these people are not only nurses working alongside us, they are valuable sources of knowledge, skill and our dear friends. they have been told as they have no union, anything can be done to them at the managers whim. one just called me in tears with the latest fiasco and harrassment issue. we have agreed to become lpn advocates , but there is only so much we can do. too bad the current thinking is so sidetracked and wrong when it comes to lpn vs rn. i know some lpns who can run circles around the rns i work with. that said, i still have to figure out a way to support and advise the lpns who are getting really the bad end of the stick. definitely a hostile work environment for them from our powers that be, few of which have ever been bedside nurses and don't know what end is up over their health care or business degrees. masters of what i ask..thanks for letting me vent....

nursedawn67, LPN

1,046 Posts

Specializes in Geriatrics, LTC.

Nice of you to stick up for the LPN's...too frequently LPN's are left out of the loop. I went to a medical info site that you have to register, they didn't have LPN listed as one of the occupations. I left the site, I'm a nurse too. I have pretty much the same resposibilities as an RN, but yet too often feel left out. How many times have LPN's heard "is there an RN around?" And it is for something I can do or answer. Anyhow....thank you for standing up for us! :)

fergus51

6,620 Posts

i agree that situation is terrible. This may sound dumb, but have any of the LPNs talked about unionizing? Seems to me that would help a lot. In the end, only the LPNs themselves can fix the situation (with support fron RNs, of course).

shygirl

279 Posts

I have been a nurse for 4 years (RN), there are three or four LPN's where I work who have been there for 20+ years. I'd go to them first for help and advise before I'd go to some of the RN's

Specializes in MS, LTC, Post Op.

I was at another board the other day and a person asked if they (nursing students) were in the hospital, whom they would want to take care of them and the person actually put " And not LPN's cause I know what they do...I mean a real nurse ADN or BSN?"

I am a SPN...in 7 weeks I will graduate, sit for my NCLEX and be a LPN. So that really hurt me "I know what LPN's do" like we do nothing. :o I have meet so many RN's at the hospital that are like "We love you guys! You are so helpful and they teach you so much!" and we are never berated (well except some OTH RN who laughed at me and tried to make me feel stupid but my instructor took care of that! hehe)

I think it does take RN's being advocates for the LPN's. I think all the nurses need to stand together and say Yes LPN's work as hard as RN's and deserve to be in a Union or whatever!

For some reason when I post I feel like I am rambling on LoL...sorry :)

Shannon

lil' ol' SPN

How's comes the LPN's are not members of the RN's union? Why not do that, change it to Nurses union and have them join?

Love

Dennie

NannaNurse

266 Posts

As a dedicated LPN, I'm very touched by some of the wonderful remarks and support here. I work with mostly RN's and they are the greatest! Very supportive and one of them stated....."well, your a nurse aren't you?? It makes no difference if your RN or LPN"....that meant so much to me. The only thing I can't do on our unit is hang blood.....frankly I don't want that job! I'm in school to finish my RN...not to be better, but to have 'better' opportunities.

Yes, it is sad that there is such a problem. I was part of a group of LPN's and CNA's that attempted to organize for the union....we all lost our jobs. We did take it to court and win, but the fear won out with most and the union didn't make it.

Thanks again for your support and encouragement....sometimes we need it.....RN + LPN = Great Nurses!!

NurseAngie

355 Posts

Specializes in Perinatal/neonatal.

LPN's are also not welcomed to join the ANA (American Nurses Association). Hmm...I am American ,my birth certificate says so, and I am a Nurse....my nursing license says so! At any rate... NURSES ROCK and I love you all.

Happy Nursing~Angie

mother/babyRN, RN

3 Articles; 1,587 Posts

Specializes in cardiac, diabetes, OB/GYN.

I really think these days and the past few years nursing has created its own problems in attempting to professionaliize ourselves and have really lost sight of what it means to be a nuuse. We are all nurses and anyone who really thinks, without the information or experience of knowing for sure, that they wouldn't want an LPN to care for them is sadly and badly misinformed. The LPNs I spoke of have been there many years. This holds true not only in my current unit but any other unit I have ever worked. I wrote a tribute to an Lpn friend of mine (in the lpn section) (Goodbye,,my friend), not because she was an lpn. She happened to be an lpn and a good person.

It is a travesty to me that they teach division in nursing school today. I am thankful for all the replies here and happy those of you who are LPNs can also see that there are those of us who value you not only for what you do and know, but who you are.

The RNs were interested in unionizing but our particular union is for Rns. There was talk of unionizing for the LPNs but they would have to be lumped with other hospital non nursing personnel and that just didn't get anywhere. Frankly, the way they are being downsized these days, there aren't enough of them to get together in the facility I work at.

Sadly, the person in question has valuable insight, caring, skill and years of experience-something no amount of teaching can impart....Thanks again for your imput and I am glad I can at least try to be there...

Teshiee

712 Posts

Are there organizations that can be an advocate for LPN/LVN'S? That is so unfair. I have been a LVN for 4 years and you get dumped on and neglected. I would think that your LVN staff has some rights. Have you all sat down and discuss what your concerns with manager? Harassement no matter should never be tolerated.

mother/babyRN, RN

3 Articles; 1,587 Posts

Specializes in cardiac, diabetes, OB/GYN.

Managers are pretty up front with their views and are often the perpetrators. In our case, the manager would deny what was said in an unwitnessed meeting, and the RNs have issues of their own with the current management staff. Upper hospital management are also not often LPN friendly. They have no other recourse other than to pursue a hostile work environment approach, but either way they do it, successful or unsuccessful in the long run, they have to endure undue stress and this sort of treatment, which, in the long run, is detrimental to their emotional,mental and even physical health. It is an all too familiar situation, I'm afraid....

live4today, RN

5,099 Posts

Specializes in Community Health Nurse.
originally posted by mother/babyrn

ok, this may not touch others as it has touched me, especially you newer nurses who are often taught not to value the importance of the lpn staff but our lpns are being railroaded and harrassed by ill informed managers who have no idea of either their value or experience. we are unionized as rns and these people are not only nurses working alongside us, they are valuable sources of knowledge, skill and our dear friends. they have been told as they have no union, anything can be done to them at the managers whim. one just called me in tears with the latest fiasco and harrassment issue. we have agreed to become lpn advocates , but there is only so much we can do. too bad the current thinking is so sidetracked and wrong when it comes to lpn vs rn. i know some lpns who can run circles around the rns i work with. that said, i still have to figure out a way to support and advise the lpns who are getting really the bad end of the stick. definitely a hostile work environment for them from our powers that be, few of which have ever been bedside nurses and don't know what end is up over their health care or business degrees. masters of what i ask..thanks for letting me vent....

hmmm...makes me wonder how the 'powers-that-be' will start treating rns without a minimum bsn down the way if they are allowed to get away with treating lpns as such! why, the audacity of those blood thirsty suckers! good for you rns for sticking up for those lpns you work with. nurses need to pull together, not apart, because the admins seem to enjoy tearing us to pieces any way they can. go get 'em tigers! growl! :( :D

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