LPN...not good enough??

nurseywifeymommy1 · Feb 16, 2013

I'm an LPN, I hv enough credits to bridge and the head of our nursing school loves me and told me she has a slot for me. I hated nursing school, the stress was terrible. My husband is a pilot, I don't need to work. I'm a nurse bc it's what I hv always wanted. Being an RN would open more doors for me, but it's not worth the stress to me and we are financially sound. Idc what ppl think. I never have. I'm happy with who I am and what I do. If someone doesn't think I'm a real nurse it's on them and they can feel free to apply to nursing school. It's what you think that matters.

BrandonLPN, LPN · Feb 16, 2013

I know some LPN's that know more and run circles around the RN's. The honest RN's admit it. What I can't stand is when a RN calls themself a Nurse and a LPN and LPN in the same sentance. "The Nurse must do the initial assesment, the LPN can do the intitial interview." Someone please tell me again what the "N" in RN, LPN, and CNA stands for?

Well, CNA stands for Certified Nursing Assistant. They are not nurses. "Nurse" is a legally protected title that can only be used by RNs and LPNs.

Jeffthenurse · Feb 17, 2013

I've been teaching PN students for the past three years and I'm very proud of the graduates and what they've been able to accomplish after just a year in school. We have an 87% pass rate on the boards and most of the graduates have jobs in nursing. Hospitals are not hiring LPN's in the urban areas of NJ & PA but nursing homes and prisons are. But the writing is on the wall for my students mostly because of a study by Linda Aiken, RN, a Ph.D at the University of PA, who proved (by Dr Aiken and by others replicating her study) that patient outcomes were better if the nurse caring for patients had a BSN. She studied the charts of over 20,000 patients so it was a signficant study size. We've even lost some clinical sites because the hospitals decided to only have BSN students in their buildings and asked the LPN and AD programs to find other clinical sites. I strongly disagree with this practice but there wasn't much I could do; those places no longer hire LPN's and therefore felt they only wanted to teach BSN students because that's who they were looking to hire. I now tell my students to be the best LPN they can be but to look for an RN program ASAP after graduation. My school also now has an LPN to RN Bridge program to assist them in their educational endeavors.

pookyp, LPN · Feb 17, 2013

I've been teaching PN students for the past three years and I'm very proud of the graduates and what they've been able to accomplish after just a year in school. We have an 87% pass rate on the boards and most of the graduates have jobs in nursing. Hospitals are not hiring LPN's in the urban areas of NJ & PA but nursing homes and prisons are. But the writing is on the wall for my students mostly because of a study by Linda Aiken RN, a Ph.D at the University of PA, who proved (by Dr Aiken and by others replicating her study) that patient outcomes were better if the nurse caring for patients had a BSN. She studied the charts of over 20,000 patients so it was a signficant study size. We've even lost some clinical sites because the hospitals decided to only have BSN students in their buildings and asked the LPN and AD programs to find other clinical sites. I strongly disagree with this practice but there wasn't much I could do; those places no longer hire LPN's and therefore felt they only wanted to teach BSN students because that's who they were looking to hire. I now tell my students to be the best LPN they can be but to look for an RN program ASAP after graduation. My school also now has an LPN to RN Bridge program to assist them in their educational endeavors.[/quote']
I'm in Lpn school and my teacher tells me the same thing. Not because we aren't good enough, but the opportunities for us are slim lately because of magnet statuses.

LadyFree28, BSN, LPN, RN · Feb 17, 2013

I've been teaching PN students for the past three years and I'm very proud of the graduates and what they've been able to accomplish after just a year in school. We have an 87% pass rate on the boards and most of the graduates have jobs in nursing. Hospitals are not hiring LPN's in the urban areas of NJ & PA but nursing homes and prisons are. But the writing is on the wall for my students mostly because of a study by Linda Aiken RN, a Ph.D at the University of PA, who proved (by Dr Aiken and by others replicating her study) that patient outcomes were better if the nurse caring for patients had a BSN. She studied the charts of over 20,000 patients so it was a signficant study size. We've even lost some clinical sites because the hospitals decided to only have BSN students in their buildings and asked the LPN and AD programs to find other clinical sites. I strongly disagree with this practice but there wasn't much I could do; those places no longer hire LPN's and therefore felt they only wanted to teach BSN students because that's who they were looking to hire. I now tell my students to be the best LPN they can be but to look for an RN program ASAP after graduation. My school also now has an LPN to RN Bridge program to assist them in their educational endeavors.[/quote']
That was a HUGE reason why I returned to school to get my BSN sooner rather than later. I worked at a local Magnet hospital when I was going to LPN school, and they could not offer me a position after school-this was in 2005. My nurse manager wanted to higher me, was an LPN prior to being an RN; however my previous nurse manager who was higher up the chain was only hiring RNs. I knew about the Aiken study, and I went with LaSalle, who accepted my LPN credits and gave me the option of challenging a couple of classes...I decided to go the traditional route-no challenges! :)
It is unfortunate that there are no other options for PN programs. I saw C-Sections, OR rotation, ER rotation, charge nurse roles, drawing blood, post partum, trauma, wound vac management. It was awesome!
I'm glad to see that your program has a bridge component; at least the will be able to broaden their opportunities in the BSN market!

arronlpn · Feb 18, 2013

I know in Iowa it is tuff to get a job as an LPN if you are set on one certain area in nursing. I know I was hired to be a Camp Nurse before I even graduated. I know that I will have to get my RN and BSN prior to working where I want to work.

I think clinical experience depends on the school. For my PN program we did Geriatrics, Mental Health, Correctional Nursing, Med-Surg, Rehabilitation, Alternative Medicine, Pediatric Mental Health, and Some School Nursing. On my own I even got to so some observation/hands on in PACU, Slow Recovery, ER.

jacole · Feb 18, 2013

I have the same days as you do. Some praise how far I have even come to over come college and a family and praise for the knowledge I have now. Then on the other hand there are others who criticize and put down that I'm not finished with my RN and why did I even take the LPN program well here is what I say to them, It is not easy nothing worth having is and at least I am pursuing something I love who cares if its not what they want from me or expect from me. In the end its all about what makes us happy and just do what you love to do, Don't let any one get you down you'll have you're good days and you'll have you're bad. HANG IN THERE!

wenlpn · Feb 18, 2013

Be proud of what you do. Knowing that you are making a difference.You are needed and we (LPN) have this position because it is a great need. I know many Great LPN's who have so much knowledge and experience and skill that they teach RN's things.

gaonsi · Feb 18, 2013

So, I have been an LPN for the last 5 years and I love what I do. But one of my patients that I've had last week was an RN. Now I do not have anything against RN's at all, but she asked me if I was a nurse, and of course I say yes I am, and the next question was LPN or RN and I answer LPN and she said why are you wasting your time..... I thought that I must have misunderstood what she said and asked her to repeat it again, and the same question came out of her mouth. I never thought an LPN was not good enough, I feel confident in what I do and I feel that the title nurse applies to me too but she had me questioning is this what everyone thinks? The whole time I was doing her lab work, EKG, and instructions, she made sure I knew she was a nurse and she knew more than me and wanted the PA to come and go over some additional questions she had about the instructions I gave her, because apparently I sure could not know what I was talking about... WHY???? I have felt so down about this whole situation, I am proud of what I've accomplished even if it's not what others may want, but honestly she ruined my week....

Don't ever let anyone make you feel inferior. LPN's are a VITAL part of our health care structure! Period. If they weren't, they would be here. Keep your chin up. We need you!

kurtayn · Feb 19, 2013

Please realize that the nursing profession is trying their hardest to get rid of us, period. There are places in the country where you cannot get a job if you are an LPN in anything other than a nursing home. The end goal is to try have the BSN be the entry level for nursing, as can be seen with the push for "magnet" status hospitals requiring only BSN level nurses. What the people trying to make this push don't realize is that if they do this, they are going to create a nursing shortage crisis, as most BSN programs are extremely difficult to get in.

libran1984, ASN, RN · Feb 19, 2013

I wish there was a nursing shortage. The hospitals in my area are so overstaffed that they're planning to eliminate evening shift differentials and weekend option rates.

bookbunny · Feb 19, 2013

Let's be honest here. LPN's and CNA's and PCA's are not RN's. Newsflash: LPN's are less than RN's - with formal nursing education and with professional duties. With that said, LPN's are not less than RN's in character and moral wholeness. We cannot be offended by our "rank" yet we cannot pretend the LPN and RN is "the same." What is more important than a title is the wholeness of our character.

I spoke to an 18 year old CNA who said she is a "nurse". She told me she does what nurses do, and because she works at a nursing home, she feels she has more experience and more responsibilities compared to BSN's who work in a hospital. She feels she does the exact same duties as the BSN nurse at a heart hospital.

Although I smiled at her, I felt very strange at the same time. She was pretending. There are those who pretend and those who actually go through the difficult work and commitment to advance their education. This CNA also frowned upon LPN's, and I realized there is not a flaw with the title "LPN" but instead, a flaw within her insecurity of her superiority complex. No matter who we are or what we do, why do some feel good when boasting to total strangers? There is little room or tolerance for lying in healthcare - we all know CNA's are not RN's. Yet, her need for acceptance from me and her lying and pretending in order to get it really turned me off - I lost respect for her, not because she is a CNA, but because of her character.

All lines of work in healthcare is challenging - we shouldn't go around pretending we are something we are not, no matter what role we may be in. Why do we have to pretend and lie about what we can and can't do, who we are and who we aren't? What are we trying to prove? It appears no matter where many are on the "food chain," there will always insecurities - even some RN's feel insecure because they are not BSN's - some have been told they are "wasting time" too. BSN nurses feel insecure because patients ask them why didn't they become doctors. Doctors feel insecure because they did not go to a "good enough" medical school. Specialists feel insecure because they cannot get "in" with a world renowned institution. Doctor/Scientists feel insecure because they haven't found the next big medical breakthrough.

No time is wasted in healthcare if you put the patient first and work within the best of your ability within the education, skill, and licensing you have received. Keeping professional when we may feel slighted is the best we can do because the patient or our peers are only giving their own thoughts about themselves and expressing their own values - we do not have to take offense, it is their "conditioning" and their own bias. Now, if something inside you is burning to continue your education, than that is your inner voice - I think however, being inspired to do something (like going on to be an RN) rather than doing something out of insecurity (because one feels inferior) will most likely be a more pleasant and rewarding experience when one is truly called to take another professional step up the professional ladder.

Instead of focusing on getting respect from patients and peers with a title, I think we will feel better about ourselves if we focus on what is in front of us and accomplish it to the best of our ability. Just because one is an LPN doesn't mean anything about their character or personality - and yes, every title in any field will trigger biases in people. Learning how to forgive strangers when there is a perceived slight is the best answer I have.