Do you find that you get more support from other nurses than your own friends/family?

Nurses LPN/LVN

Published

I just graduated and the LPN program and am so thrilled and happy. I don't think anyone understands the severity of nursing school unless they're also a nurse. I noticed that the majority of people who have been happy for me (with their congratulatory comments) have been nurses, half are some whom I don't know, never met (people on here who have been great), and just nurses. I was at the bank the other day and was having small talk with a stranger - she happened to be a nurse and when I shared that I had just finished the program, she was very happy and so sweet. There are family members and friends who've known I've been in hibernation for 2 years and when they found out, they didn't say anything about it. For the record, I'm definitely NOT expecting to be the center of attention with this. I'm a private person... I rarely go social networks (i just had to post up some pics of the pinning for family members to see). I'm not expecting the whole world to drop to their knees about this (or maybe they think it's "just" an lpn program, so "no big deal") but I have to be honest: it's a bit disappointing that there's not even a simple "congrats", especially knowing what I've been through. I don't want gifts or praise but a simple acknowledgement that hell is over...for now :)

I had an instructor who said, "the people who will understand you most in your career are your fellow classmates. You will always have this bond for the rest of your career, past graduation. People who aren't nurses will never understand." I think this is true.... do you find this to be true also?

Thank you :) I'm learning that it's the nurses that really understand how "big" this is for me. In my culture, LPNs are somewhat looked down upon because it's not an "RN" and most people in my culture have graduated from an RN or BSN. It's been nice though seeing old classmates from pre-reqs and friends from other nursing programs be so nice. I know this isn't over and like many of you - would LOVE to take the lpn-rn-bsn path (please God).

Specializes in Adult/Ped Emergency and Trauma.

Awwwe, I feel like I am part of a sorority here, and that's coming from a guy!!!!Wouldn't trade my spot for anyone's though: )

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.

Congratulations on finishing your program! That's a real accomplishment!You will notice over the course of your career as a nurse that you can discuss things over lunch (or dinner) that will make the average person cringe (or vomit.) My S/D has three parents and a grandparent who are nurses and had to frequently warn us when we all get together about not talking "nursey stuff." No one understands black nursing humor like another nurse, either. Who else but another nurse could laugh at some of the stories on the nursing humor threads? And no one understands what you go through every day like another nurse. I'm so glad I married one!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Trauma, ER, ICU, CCU, PACU, GI, Cardiology, OR.

first of all, congratulations!!! on joining the nursing family. honestly, only a nurse will understand when you have to work back to back 12 plus hrs. plus come home and cook dinner, take care of the household etc. furthermore, only another nurse will understand when you tell her that you had to help manually a fecal impaction. having said that, the family compliments will come with time while they're seeking for your advise, and even then they might not verbally say it, but they will speak about you to other members of your family, and that will be your compliment. wishing you the very best in all of your future endeavors...aloha~

Up Vote Up Vote ×
first of all, congratulations!!! on joining the nursing family. honestly, only a nurse will understand when you have to work back to back 12 plus hrs. plus come home and cook dinner, take care of the household etc. furthermore, only another nurse will understand when you tell her that you had to help manually a fecal impaction. having said that, the family compliments will come with time while they're seeking for your advise, and even then they might not verbally say it, but they will speak about you to other members of your family, and that will be your compliment. wishing you the very best in all of your future endeavors...aloha~

thank you very much :) yeah, i'm glad my mom is a nurse and she "gets it". i also have my cousin (but still has this colonial mentality about it aka "bsn nurses are always smarter bc of education status"), 2 cousins down in cali who also "get it", and many friends throughout the years in school who've been very nice. i'm very glad to be a part of this forum because i don't know what to do without all of you! thank you!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Congratulations on finishing your program! That's a real accomplishment!You will notice over the course of your career as a nurse that you can discuss things over lunch (or dinner) that will make the average person cringe (or vomit.) My S/D has three parents and a grandparent who are nurses and had to frequently warn us when we all get together about not talking "nursey stuff." No one understands black nursing humor like another nurse, either. Who else but another nurse could laugh at some of the stories on the nursing humor threads? And no one understands what you go through every day like another nurse. I'm so glad I married one!

YES! I understand what you're saying! I think growing up with my mom being a nurse, blood/poop/pee - all that stuff never freaked me out. My mom always taught us to watch our for bodily fluids - color, smell, frequency to detect for any thing "bad". There were people who thought i was "weird" when I would casually speak of this (when it was brought up) when it's actually normal. And you're so lucky! My mom always told me to find a nurse hubby and I always thought it was too weird since you're "too much alike" but she said as you get older, you'll wish you'll marry a nurse. 90% of your time is at work 8 or 12 hour shifts are all about nursing... even life after work involves nursing. It's fun to have someone who "gets that". Maybe my mom was right and I should get me a nurse ;) Hopefully I'll find one at the hospital muahaha

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Oh yeah!!! This summer my Dad had his carotid artery "roto-rootered" (his phrasing, LOL) and that evening I drove up to the hospital where he had it done to visit. His nurse was in and out, sweet as could be, my Dad just loved her. My Mom stepped out to get a new water or something and pretty soon she and his nurse came back in together. My sister and I were standing beside each other and the RN looked our way and said "which one of you just passed your NCLEX?" My sister looked at me and took a big step to the right while pointing and saying "her!". The RN rushed right over, gave me a HUGE hug and went on and on about what an accomplishment it was, how everyone I know must be so proud of me, welcome to the ranks, etc. OMG, she almost made me cry so was so sweet!! She, like me, got her degree a little later in life so she could REALLY relate to what it took to get to that point.

Turns out my Mom had bragged me up a little when she was in the hall, which is totally not her style AT ALL!!!

Awww, I get a little misty-eyed just thinking about that hug.....

Aww that's so sweet! That's what I'm realizing as well. I'll have random nurses who I'll meet find out I graduate and give hugs and congratulatory remarks more than family members who know the news. Even though there's some of those mean nurses out there, there are SO MANY MORE who are so sweet, like the one you encountered. It's nice to know they get it too!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Awwwe, I feel like I am part of a sorority here, and that's coming from a guy!!!!Wouldn't trade my spot for anyone's though: )

I LOVE your passion and enthusiasm! It's nurses like you that really make a difference to us also! I would love to hear your input on this (if you don't mind): my mom has been an ICU nurse for more than 30 years; I have an aunt, a cousin (who still has this mentality of "BSN nurses are better"...yeah...), 2 cousins that are going through the LPN-RN bridge program, and many friends who are nurses. I am very thankful for this. Of course, there's always going to be the other group of people who will be negative; that's expected. Some family members are "dumbing this event" because "oh she's just getting her LPN". One family member said, "oh why is she an LPN when she wants to be an RN?" If it's anything I've learned in school, nursing is a continuous process. i thought obtaining a BSN and finishing was it... but that's not true. Many of my instructors have been in school throughout their careers. Nothing is forever. I may have my LPN today but will have my RN in months and possibly my BSN in another year... no one gets it. I don't know if it's just females being catty, a cultural mentality but it bothers me when people downgrade nursing school. They have no idea how hard it is. These family members are secretaries at health clinics that are wanting their master's degree yet don't have their bachelor's yet. I don't mean to sound catty but if I use my "critical thinking skills" (hehe) the "source of information" shouldn't be valid. It shouldn't bother me and I should get used to this but it's unsettling. Do you have any wisdom for a newbie like me? I would APPRECIATE it very much.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Is this another "I Got a Job Hooray" thread in disguise? I can't help but feeling left out when you answered everyone's post who said 'congratulations' but not mine that actually tried to answer a question you posed.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Is this another "I Got a Job Hooray" thread in disguise? I can't help but feeling left out when you answered everyone's post who said 'congratulations' but not mine that actually tried to answer a question you posed.

I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you feel left out. That was not my intention. I have been in and out if this thread all day. I've received alot of great responses and I do get distracted now and then. Thanks for your response, and no, it's not another "i got a job hooray" post ;) I can understand why you would want to keep things like this private. I'm kind of the same way however, the more days that pass by that I'm NOT in school anymore (for right now), everything is really sinking in. I wasn't expecting to be this proud/happy with this occasion but I guess am.

I understand where you were trying to go with the "business school" comment. Some families would be alot more congratulatory/happy with business school or other professions.

In my family, nursing is a big deal, which can go really good or really bad. Because nursing is such a respected and common profession in my culture, there are some people who take it for granted and believe this profession and school is easily attainable. People start to become judgmental and put others down with the mentality that anything below a bachelor's is "not good enough". There are just some people who are like this and they will never change. I am however, grateful to those who have been supportive and very kind in this accomplishment :) who said it was over once I got my LPN? ;)

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Girl, I've been an LPN for over 20 years and now, at 45 am going back for my RN!! I understand one thing.....don't look for people to understand, BE HAPPY WITH WHO YOU ARE AND WHAT YOU'VE ACCOMPLISHED!!! You'll see how rewarding it is to care for and MAKE A DIFFERENCE in the lives of your patients!! You'll gain more knowledge through the years and always remember, if you have questions the internet is a fine place to start!! I think outside the "normal" nurse box and think of what we can do differently to help each individual patient!! Just remember, deal with everyone as if it was YOUR family member and you will NEVER go wrong.

Best of luck to you,

Tiffany

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Adult/Ped Emergency and Trauma.

Always happy to give feedback!!! Lol, anyone can tell you Boston likes to run his mouth (too much).

You have just accomplished something amazing, your are a "Nurse." Not "Just" a Nurse. You went to "Nursing School" and you are going to have a firmer foundation then me (PN + RN). First off, even if you NEVER go back, you will always be a nurse. When they lay you in the ground, you will be "dead nurse," you are a nurse- just as I am.

Now, if you do want to further your education, I hope you do it for you. I hope you have a goal in mind to make it worth it. Mine was Foreign Missions, so it made spending all that money and time worth it, and I never lost my focus. If you know what the end product is, it really helps justify the means.

If its for the money, know that I have "Contract" nursed, and sat by an LPN/LVN in Fort Worth, Texas making 3 dollars more than me an hour. (She was a better negotiater plus 28 years of experience.) I make more now (doing what I could do with a ASN) travel nursing and Per Diem Nursing, than I do with the $58,000 I spent on an education. So the money isn't (always) a reason to advance in nursing. Yes, there are many exemptions such as anesthesia, research, and some other areas such as administration/management, but after 2 years as Emergency Department Coordinator, I never want to be in Management again, thats totally not why I entered Nursing.

When I look at Tax returns, I made the most money during my 2nd and 3rd year of nursing, and now i'm in my 9th year (just too lazy to change it in the profile,) and make less. I have learned busting your butt for an extra 10-15K a year isn't worth my happiness and peace of mind.

Traveling, Contract, and Per Diem allows me to take off work 5 months a year where I do something non-nursing that also provides an income. My wife and I remodeled an "Old Tyme Country Store" and opened it last year in the Smokey Mountains, and really like to get up their as much as possible (we don't live there, family helps manage it.)

This was my first real investment. It makes me a better nurse to get away, and run the store sometimes to give workers a vacation.

I worked with an LPN in her 3rd year of Nursing yesterday, that had made $79K though traveling agencies. She worked 8/12 mos/year!

So follow your heart. If you do it, do it because it's part of your dream to teach, be a HCP, a Nurse Anesthetist, or an Administrator/Manager. But as for now, you have every right to be proud of your accomplishment of becoming a "Nurse!"

Right now, I would just focus on finding what "Niche" of nursing you like. You might even be surprised. My best friend in school hated OB, and Neuro- she is now a Certified Nurse Midwife at a large Houston, TX hospital! I was afraid of the ED, and I got "pulled" there one night, and that was that- I went in pursuit of my Masters/ACNP to be able to practice there (though most of the time I work as a Travel ER RN (It pays alot more)!!!!!

My point is, take just a while to recover from school. I think it takes a year to fully recover from Nursing School (let the nightmares end), and then with a clear head, you can map out your future. I would use this time to dream, and think about all you want out of life! Be good to yourself. Remember, when these early rigors of work get you down, remember what you did accomplish! Take care of yourself, so you can take care of others! Some wait years to go back! Patch Adams was in his 30s or 40s when he went to Med School! Good Luck Nurse!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

OMG I could have wrote this post my self! I totally understand what you mean. My own mother got jealous and told me that I could not do it. Both my sisters do not talk to me. NO ONE in my family has a college degree.

The only advice that I would give you is to surround yourself with positive people and the ones who bring joy. Most people do not like to see others "succeed". Its sad but very true. You accomplished what some can only dream about. Congratulations on becoming a NURSE! Such a wonderful title and a great feeling.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment