Just let me be...

Nurses LPN/LVN

Published

This is not a rant. This is not meant to cause any trouble. It was just on my heart and I thought I would share. Please feel free to add a line of your own :)

Can't you just let me be happy to be a LPN?

Is that too much to ask?

I went to nursing school too.

I took the NCLEX and became licensed too.

Just because there is no R in my initials, I'm not nurse enough for you?

I served our country...

I have 2 college degrees and my nursing diploma under my belt...

But the pants are still too big for me to fill you say.

Because I don't have RN behind my name.

I didn't learn enough in school, I don't work at a hospital.

I get payed less and chastised more.

And my own state's nursing organization doesn't give me support.

Can't you just let me be proud to be an LPN?

Don't I take care of the sick and make a difference in human lives?

Just because they're old, they don't matter as much as you or I?

I can't do an initial assessment...

I'm not allowed to hang blood ...

I didn't go to nursing school for as long as you.

But at the end of the day, they call me nurse too.

What makes a nurse, really?

Is it in the letters in our title?

Is it in the money in our checks?

Is it in the specialty we choose?

What happened to respect?

We are all nurses...allnurses

I just chose a different path than you.

LPN's know the "how to".

RN's know the "why".

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(......and if I ever ask an LPN about becoming an RN, it is because s/he seems to be bright and motivated. It is a complement, not a critique)

Specializes in MedSurg, OR, Cardiac step down.

Can't you just let me be happy to be a LPN?

Is that too much to ask?

Just because there is no R in my initials, I'm not nurse enough for you?

But the pants are still too big for me to fill you say.

Can't you just let me be proud to be an LPN?

So it sounds like you want to be a happy LPN, but people won't let you...

Are they bullying you?

Well, as I am fond of saying, anecdote is not the singular of data. I'll see your tales of mahvelous crusty old LPNs bailing the resident or the new RN out one dark and stormy night, and raise you a dozen truly horrifying anecdotes about situations that were mis-read and mishandled by LPNs whose ignorance of physiology, assessment, and intervention was truly breathtaking.

What I learned of LPNs in my first year out of school from the ones I worked with was that they were completely task-oriented, felt empowered to be mean to patients whose demographics or diagnoses were distasteful to them, they were absolutely uninterested in learning anything new, and were unwilling to take any responsibility for their screw-ups because they weren't in charge and the RN was supposed to take care of problems. Fortunately for my professional development, after that first year I worked for 7 years in an all-RN environment, and the care was exemplary.

Some years later I had occasion to teach in an LPN-to-ADN program when my ADN program put one together with a large hospital that was phasing out LPNs. The hospital put a boatload of bucks into paying for sixteen LPNs to take this program at no cost to themselves, and was going to give them their years of seniority in their new RN positions to boot. We worked very hard to make this program a success; it was taught at a lower level than the generic students' program, and we offered extra time for tests, free tutoring, extra office hours, review sections... the hospital gave them extra days off for school and all... And what happened?

You never heard such ******** and moaning about how mean this was, how they didn't want to be RNs, they didn't want the responsibility, this was too much learning, if they wanted to be RNs they'd have done it in the first place, they hate this. So much for opportunity. Of the sixteen, only four or five made it halfway through, and I think only 2 passed NCLEX RN. The others lost their jobs because they were either too stupid to learn or couldn't be bothered to learn what they needed to keep them.

Generalities? Sure. But no less so than these other rainbows-and-unicorns "we're all on the same team so we're all of the same value." Horsepucky. If that's not you I'm glad to hear it, and I am aware that this is the LPN/LVN forum I'm posting on. But let's not be self-delusional, either.

Up until the above, I'd always enjoyed reading your comments.

Where I live your post would be considered hate speech.

Over the years I've spend reading this forum, I've really started wondering about the American educational system. It seems that every student in the RN educational stream (be it College or University) is almost a "perfect 4.0 GPA) yet many, many write at below a grade 9 level. Many of the PN students sound functionally illiterate (and this was before the mainstream use of textspeak).

People do what they can afford to do educationally. I work with LPNs who have degrees that weren't transferable to the Canadian educational system, they didn't have four years to spend to become RNs, so they became LPNs. I know of one woman who has a Masters in Marine Biology and is a lousy LPN. I've worked with Russian MDs who became diploma RNs because of finances and educational issues.

They manage to work within their scope and nobody has problems.

In fact, LPNs with decades of experience have told me this problem has only really become an issue since the decision to have an all degree RN entry requirement and with an influx of American educated nurses to some areas of my province.

I think people need to grow up and bottle the vitrol.

I'm a happy LPN and I understand the sentiment of the OPs post. I don't like the way it was presented. It does come across as whine-y to write what seems like a sonnet about why "I'm sorry you don't like me because..." and then to make it seem like one is being victimized by certain perceptions from another group, which then serves to make belittling generalizations about the group that you are complaining about.

I have had experiences where RNs have looked down on me, or it could be CNAs or other LPNs, but every where you go you can find someone who is going to look down on you for one reason or another. More often it's an issue with the general public being unimpressed, and what can you do about that? There's not much I can do except to make it a point to treat the people around me with respect for the jobs they do; wherever that job lands them in the hierarchy of healthcare, we're a team.

I'm also out there in the world daring to exist as a "woman of a certain age." Talk about feeling looked down upon. Life isn't fair. You do the best you can to be the best person you can be and try not let it get to you -- live by example and treat others with respect.

Specializes in Medical Oncology, Alzheimer/dementia.

I've worked as an LPN and now as an RN. I know a lot of LPNs. Many who have a chip on their shoulder about being LPNs, some that absolutely love it and will never do anything other than LPN, some who moved onto RN very quickly, and some that hung out as LPNs for a while and really mastered their practice before moving on (like myself). I really don't give a damn how anybody sees me, they don't live my life. I feel you give respect, 90% of the time you get it back.

Thankfully, here in the US, we are still allowed to have and express opinions.

"Hate Speech" ? ! ? And with a straight face???

We are not that socialist and crazily PC (yet......)

Where I live your post would be considered hate speech.

I think people need to grow up and bottle the vitrol.

HATE SPEECH??? I do believe the frigid north has made you and many of your fellows delusional.

Thankfully, here in the US, we refuse to be cowed by political correctness......and have the right to express an opinion that hasn't been vetted by the thought police.

Go have a cuppa, and grown a working epidermis.

Paul in FL,

"Thankfully, here in the US, we refuse to be cowed by political correctness......and have the right to express an opinion that hasn't been vetted by the thought police."

Really? The thought police must not have made it to your neighborhood yet. Sorry, but we are cowed by political correctness! ;)

I digress.....back to your regularly scheduled show.

MC3

Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

Good evening to anyone who happens to read this. . .

This is a directive from the moderation team to please remain polite and civil. Feel free to debate and agree or disagree with other members as long as you do so in an agreeable manner. Name-calling, personal attacks, and spiteful postings are not tolerated.

Thank you all for your anticipated cooperation. :up:

Thank you, Commuter!

mc3:nurse:

Specializes in Orthopedics, and Home care.

I understand where you are coming from.. It's not that you are shamed or unhappy , it's a defense mechanism bc you know what comes next when you tell someone you are a LPN ... I just smile and say " yep I'm a dam good LPN , and love what I do". I never give them ppl a chance to giant further.. It's no ones business who, what , when , where and why...

I feel if your happy with your chocie do not defend it to anyone. I went straight RN because I did not want to take two nclexs lpn and rn and it would have taken be longer to lpn to rn because i know once i graduate from one program it will be hard for me to jump back in to studying again.

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