:mad:Just read a headline for a local news station regarding an on going strike at a few LTC facilities here in CT. The first two words of the first line of the article just made me see red and want to spit nails! (I put the offending 6 words in bold)
Published : Saturday, 19 Jun 2010, 10:36 PM EDTHartford, Connecticut (WTNH) - Nurses, LPNs, and other healthcare workers joined members of patients families of Spectrum's four nursing homes to speak out against what they call deteriorating living conditions since the strike began in April
EXCUSE ME?! Nurses, LPN's and other healthcare workers...since when are LPN"s in a seperate catagory from nurses???
I'll just leave it at that as i could go on a tirade about it.
I have always been amused with advertisement that group LPNs with "Allied Health", "Ancillary", or "Support Staff" - its always a good indication or warning not to apply as a LPN for these facilities
The truths is that ,in most cases, LPN's are not treated with any respect for thier knowledge or skills. LPN's are looked at as a step above STNA 's in the respect that we are only thier to be a work horse. ( I personally believe STNA's get abosolutely no credit for the part they contribute to pt. care and how important they are) We are treated as though we have no more knowledge base than how to pop pills out of packages and hand them out, and this line of thinking is DEFINITELY perpetuated from RN education right thru to managment and other RN's. I can't tell you how many new RN grads come on the scene with such and air of superiority and try from the first to tell me what's what. They haven't a CLUE but because they have RN next to thier name LPN's have to tiptoe around because we know when push comes to shove we will loose our jobs over the most minor of things while the RN can screw up BIG TIME and never have to worry for a second !!!!
Most of the time I'm treated like a mindless med pusher whose only purpose is to get the meds out on time. I wish I would have known what I know now when I was in school I wouldn;t have tried so hard to get straight A's. What was the point of all that studying and learning if was never going to be taken seriously or given the chance to use my skills. I could have been a LOT less stressed and still passed the NCLEX
pagandeva2000, LPN
7,984 Posts
I added my two cents worth.