What can I do with my BSN that Assoc. RN's can't?

Nurses General Nursing

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I just graduated with my BSN this spring. I'm working as a PCA2/Graduate Nurse at a local hospital until I take my boards... I am taking my HESI tomorrow at the college I graduated from. This is an 'exit' type of exam that we have to pass before taking our boards. I'm feeling down about not being able to pass and have this huge fear that I am not going to pass my boards!

Amidst my fear, I am questioning taking a role as an RN on floor nursing. It seems like most of the RN's on my floor have an associates degree, and I am questioning if I should be doing something different since I have my bachelor's? The pay is the same for an Assoc. or BSN, which doesn't make any sense to me. Just wondering what else is available that I might not be looking for, or what your opinions are!?

Another BSN student who just graduated as well was speaking with me, and said she wonders if the Assoc. degree RN's laugh thinking that we have wasted our time getting our BSN when we get the same pay/same responsibilities. Is this a big issue?

Thanks!

Miranda

At one facility, the LPN DON decided she didn't like the title "licensed practical nurse." So, she got badges made for all her LPNs that say "LPN- Licensed Professional Nurse."

:uhoh21: I wonder how she got away with that? :uhoh3:

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Bah, it's not worth arguing about. Experience helps but I'm not sure BSN experience counts as much as floor time. A good nurse is a good nurse is a good nurse.

I suggest everyone lighten up and cruise over to hippocritis.com for some medical related humor and enter their July submisison contest to win $100 bucks like I did. They're making fun of medical students this month too!

http://www.hippocritis.com/july04/contest.htm

po po

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:uhoh21: I wonder how she got away with that? :uhoh3:

Probably because the state board of nursing there did not care, they just wanted their money. Shoot, they could have called themselves, lovely princess nurses and the BON wouldn't care! :rotfl:

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Hellllllo Nurse

At one facility, the LPN DON decided she didn't like the title "licensed practical nurse." So, she got badges made for all her LPNs that say "LPN- Licensed Professional Nurse."

I wonder how she got away with that?

__________________

Darlene

Darlene, I am wondering the same thing. My friend tells me that all the LPNs were pleased with their new "titles".

They did not even realize that besides being illegal, it is an insult.

What the nurse who came up with the new badges is essenially saying is that being an Licensed Practical Nurse is not good enough. So, she created a new title that is more to her liking. The word "professional" sounds a lot more powerful and prestigous than the word "practical".

She is misleading the public, and shaming her LPNs.

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Probably because the state board of nursing there did not care, they just wanted their money. Shoot, they could have called themselves, lovely princess nurses and the BON wouldn't care! :rotfl:
At least that wouldn't be misleading the public by implying they have education that they do not have.

I would bet the BON did not have any knowledge of this. It is quite illegal. I think I would make an anonymous call to the BON "to see if this practice was legit".

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At least that wouldn't be misleading the public by implying they have education that they do not have.

I would bet the BON did not have any knowledge of this. It is quite illegal. I think I would make an anonymous call to the BON "to see if this practice was legit".

Here we go again! Nurses ratting out other nurses! God, stop this madness! I really don't have any opinion about someone calling themselves whatever they want as long as they can walk the walk. Licensed Practical means exactly what? Practically what? Registered nurse does NOT imply anything professional except that you paid your BON seventy bucks and passed the NCLEX. How about this one? Nursing Assistants, that what their license says but here in NC they are called care partners, patient care specialists, nursing support team members, and other nonsensical terms for the same thing. You wanna call on them, too? Sheesh!

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Here we go again! Nurses ratting out other nurses! God, stop this madness! I really don't have any opinion about someone calling themselves whatever they want as long as they can walk the walk. Licensed Practical means exactly what? Practically what? Registered nurse does NOT imply anything professional except that you paid your BON seventy bucks and passed the NCLEX. How about this one? Nursing Assistants, that what their license says but here in NC they are called care partners, patient care specialists, nursing support team members, and other nonsensical terms for the same thing. You wanna call on them, too? Sheesh!
They are not feigning education that they do not have. By calling themselves professional nurses, the LPNs in question are pretending to be something they are not and to the lay public who does not know the difference, this is misleading - "false advertising" if you will - and implying that you have credentials that you DO NOT HAVE is ILLEGAL!

By the way, my registration certificate that I received from my BON says

PROFESSIONAL NURSE right across the center of it, so it not only implies, but flat out states that I have earned this title - these LPNs have not.

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Trauma, Ortho, Neuro, Cardiac.
Here we go again! Nurses ratting out other nurses! God, stop this madness! I really don't have any opinion about someone calling themselves whatever they want as long as they can walk the walk. Licensed Practical means exactly what? Practically what? Registered nurse does NOT imply anything professional except that you paid your BON seventy bucks and passed the NCLEX. How about this one? Nursing Assistants, that what their license says but here in NC they are called care partners, patient care specialists, nursing support team members, and other nonsensical terms for the same thing. You wanna call on them, too? Sheesh!

I can definately see RN4NICU's point. You wouldn't want a dental assistant calling themselves a hygenists or a CRNA calling themselves an anesthesiologist.

But I agree with you here. What matters to me is not whether I've got BSN RNs, ADN RNs, or LPNs on "my" unit. What matters to me most is can you walk the walk.

I'm all for making the BSN the standard. I could care less what you call me with my ADN. Call me an associate nurse, and the BSN nurses RNs. That wouldn't bother me a bit. (Of course, then give them an NCLEX commiserate (sp?) with their education).

Just give me nurses that work hard and are safe, observants, etc. etc. :)

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They are not feigning education that they do not have. By calling themselves professional nurses, the LPNs in question are pretending to be something they are not and to the lay public who does not know the difference, this is misleading - "false advertising" if you will - and implying that you have credentials that you DO NOT HAVE is ILLEGAL!

By the way, my registration certificate that I received from my BON says

PROFESSIONAL NURSE right across the center of it, so it not only implies, but flat out states that I have earned this title - these LPNs have not.

I think you meant to say they ARE feigning education they do not have. Well, if an LPN is not a professional, I guess we can safely extrapolate that they aren't professional. Oh Lawdy, don't let an unprofessional nurse touch me, Oh Lawdy! I was looking on my license and no where does it say PROFESSIONAL. It just says "Licensed as a Registered Nurse in (state).

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I think you meant to say they ARE feigning education they do not have. Well, if an LPN is not a professional, I guess we can safely extrapolate that they aren't professional. Oh Lawdy, don't let an unprofessional nurse touch me, Oh Lawdy! I was looking on my license and no where does it say PROFESSIONAL. It just says "Licensed as a Registered Nurse in (state).

NO...actually I meant that the CNA's that are called PCT's (or whatever) that you referred to are not feigning education that they do not have.

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NO...actually I meant that the CNA's that are called PCT's (or whatever) that you referred to are not feigning education that they do not have.

Hon, I guess you are a foreign nurse. ALL nurses on ALL levels require not only an education, but licensure. I had a license as a cosmetologist which meant I passed a written and a practical exam. When I passed, I became professional vs someone doing perms in the kitchen. When the CNA recieves his or her license, it specially states, CNAI or CNAII, NOT care partner, or whatever. That might imply they are on the same level as a nurse, MD or other ancillary staff. Now, is THAT what you meant to say? BTW I would rather be called by my education, MSN or PhD, whatever, than registered nurse. But, unfortunately my name tag only says my name, and RN!

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I think you meant to say they ARE feigning education they do not have. Well, if an LPN is not a professional, I guess we can safely extrapolate that they aren't professional. Oh Lawdy, don't let an unprofessional nurse touch me, Oh Lawdy! I was looking on my license and no where does it say PROFESSIONAL. It just says "Licensed as a Registered Nurse in (state).

In all their writings, my BON refers to RNs as "professional" nurses and LPNs as "technical" nurses.

However, my point was not to try and start a debate on whether or not LPNs are professionals.

My point was in how the DON is trying to pull one over on the public, and how she is implying by her actions that being "just" a licensed practical nurse is apparently not good enough in her eyes.

I am incredulous as to why the LPNs working for her do not feel that by changing their titles, the DON is in fact, insulting.

Here's an example to illustrate my point-

How would you feel about it if an RN's boss told her "If pts and families incorrectly refer to you as a nurse practitioner, don't correct them. It will make you and us look like a bigger deal in their eyes. In fact, let me give you this badge with a misleading title on it, so that they will assume you are more than just an RN."

????

See my point?

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