LPN...not good enough??

Nurses LPN/LVN

Published

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....

Specializes in Intensive Care.

I have only been an LPN for 1.5 years so I can't speak on the same level as those who have been LPNs for half my age. I work as an agency nurse who primarily does work for hospice. As an agency nurse I already get the short end of the stick, but its worse to be an agency nurse who is a LPN . The nurses I work along side try to have respect for the LPNs, but far too many of them have that "Oh you're just an LPN". It's almost like they think we didn't sit through countless hours of theory courses and clinical's, sit for a state board exam, in order to become a nurse. I will admit I am studying for a RN degree. But it's not to prove a point or to gain their respect, it's only to give me more options [i.e Home Health, Hospital, Clinics etc.]. After all, the ONLY thing RN's get to do more than LPN's and CNA's is paperwork :). Once all my notes are complete and my patients needs have been met, I get to sit back and watch the RN's scramble to finish nursing notes, care plans, medication orders etc. etc. etc.

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Specializes in geriatrics, IV, Nurse management.

Lpns and Rpns are part of the future. Don't let a few staff members bring you down. I'm a Director of Care and all my Charge Staff are RPNs :).

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I am a LVN and I know I am a real nurse. I worked really hard to learn as much as I could in school. I also have taken all of my prerequisites for the RN program at my CC. I hear from people all the time putting down LVN. Or my favorite was, "What exactly is an LVN?" I am proud of all I have done and would never put a fellow nurse down.

I had a talk with a fellow LVN student about this. We think the problem is not that LVN are not great nurses, it's that for profit schools are passing a lot of unskilled LVN. I know in my class quite a few should not have passed, but they had massive amounts of extra credit.

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I know all of you are skilled nurses btw. ;)

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I don't understand why some people say "LPN is a great place to start". Why is the implication made that LPN is fine but there is something wrong with staying an LPN? I am a PN. I am proud of myslef and what I do. I have desire whatsoever to be an RN.There is no reason to feel that as an LPN you and any less of a nurse.

I don't think anyone means that...I think they just mean that there isn't anything wrong with starting as an LPN, instead I just going straight to AAS or BSN.

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Specializes in Intensive Care.

Quote from bookbunny

"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."

I absolutely agree with this. I must admit that I have been infected with the "inferiority complex". Initially, I began to pursue my educational goals in the nursing field in 2006. I delayed that pursuit, when I became pregnant with my fourth child, until 2009. Since I had that "LPN is a waste of time complex" I choose to take the straight-through to Registered Nursing route and failed. I finally realized that in order for me to be the best nurse I can be, I HAD to work my way up that ladder. I am fortunate enough to work along side RN's who don't belittle me for being an LPN. I understand that being an LPN requires me to work under the direction of an RN. And even though writing care plans were a part of my nursing education, that is the sole responsibility of the RN. I also understand that my license has limits regarding intravenous therapy (regardless of my being IV certified). I would also like to state that I believe that the "inferiority complex" a may also apply to the male nurses, especially since the nursing field is female dominated.

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Specializes in Intensive Care.
I have only been an LPN for 1.5 years so I can't speak on the same level as those who have been LPNs for half my age. I work as an agency nurse who primarily does work for hospice. As an agency nurse I already get the short end of the stick, but its worse to be an agency nurse who is a LPN . The nurses I work along side try to have respect for the LPNs, but far too many of them have that "Oh you're just an LPN". It's almost like they think we didn't sit through countless hours of theory courses and clinical's, sit for a state board exam, in order to become a nurse. I will admit I am studying for a RN degree. But it's not to prove a point or to gain their respect, it's only to give me more options [i.e Home Health, Hospital, Clinics etc.]. After all, the ONLY thing RN's get to do more than LPN's and CNA's is paperwork :). Once all my notes are complete and my patients needs have been met, I get to sit back and watch the RN's scramble to finish nursing notes, care plans, medication orders etc. etc. etc.

I have to eat my own words on this post. I have had many shifts end were I too have to scramble to finish nurse notes, MAR's and completion of medication orders. :(

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Specializes in IDD, and private duty.

I am an LPN. I also have an unrelated BS. I make more with my LPN. In fact I only make fifty cents less an hour than a new RN at the hospitals in my area. If more is better then why aren't all RNs NPs? LPN doesn't need to be a stepping stone. I had my BS in education before I went to school for my LPN and that one year was ten times more difficult.

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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.

Well said :)

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Specializes in Psych.

I definitely do NOT think that I as a RN am above any of the LPNs I work with. Do I have a broader scope of practice with wider responsibility sure, but above? No way. I am a newer nurse. At my facility, hands down the best nurse I work with is a LPN. I work psych and she usually is back in the med room while I'm on the unit. If we are paired up I know it will be a great, smooth running shift. She picks up on things even the veteran RNs miss and just has such a way of helping patients to Dr-escalate like no other. I call her "the psychosis Whisperer". I don't think she plans on becoming a RN. So yeah, LPNs rock.

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LPNs do rock! I was one for 8yrs. But i can say i am glad i went back to school for my RN. I was tired of doing twice the work for 2times less the pay. Plus i feel my knowledge base is broader amd i have better critical thinking skills.

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True RNs and LPNs are NOT the same thing. LPNs who claim they're "the same" as a RN are only revealing their own ignorance. But, I think most hospital nurses would be shocked by the extent of the role of the LPN in nursing homes. In the majority of these facilities RNs and LPNs are indistinguishable. You could work for *years* as a RN staff nurse in a nursing home and never once do something that was out of the scope of the LPN working down the next hall. Well, she was obviously just a silly little girl who doesn't know anything about anything.[/quote']

I didn't intend to make this a long post. I hope you all read it though. I neefed to get it off my chest

I agree. However, in some facilities, RNs have to hang IV bags (mostly abx) start the medication for an LPNs resident, then go back to their own floor, care for their residents, and return in 30 minutes to turn off the pump and discontinue the IV line. We also have to trust the LPN to watch out for adverse reactions, (THE RN ADMINISTERED THE IV FLUIDS so if a reaction or something happens THE RNs BUTT IS ON THE LINE TOO, not just the LPN.)because after all, we are back on our floor busy with our work. Then there is the time consuming adventure of trying to find saline flushes and IV lines to even start the abx. In our facility, it was the LPNs job to have all the supplies ready for us to start the IV. I get there, no supplies. So once again we wasted our time and trek back to our unit just to be called down again once the supples are finally there. I've also had an LPN take out the wrong abx ( the resident had 2 kinds). So the abx that was due to be givn was still cold in the fridge. So another waste of time having come all the way to that unit.

It all adds up and it takes away precious time with our own patients, and we get behind on our stuff.

I quit my first nursing job because an LPN was offended by something I said and misinformed rumors spread like wild fire to all the staff, saying I thought I was better than them.

This is what I said to him that threw him into a hissy fit: He was talking about how he was going to school for an LPN to MSN program. I said "wow, that's great." Now....The very night before is when I took up 2 hours for the LPNs patient (something was wrong with the pump so I had to track down another one (more time wasted)That was the first time I realized the difference in responsibilities between the LPNs and RNs. As Brandon and others have said , the majority of the time the LPNs and RNs do the exact same thing. The difference? I'm a newbie and those wonderful LPNs could run circles around me. Anyway, becsuse of the frustration of the previous night, and the realizationt that I did have more responsibility. (Which is what I signed up for and got paid for, thats fine with me even if there are going to be frustrating moments) since my coworker was close to becoming an RN , I said "you know I was actually surprised when I realized the added responsibility when switching from LPN to RN. HE THREW A HISSY FIT saying that was very condescending. I then apologized saying I didn't mean to make it sound like LPNs were inferior. But he kept raving with everyone in the nurses station. Rumors got spread through the entire facility that I think Im better than LPNs. I was leaving one night when I was suddenly surrounded by 6-7 nurses and CNAs raising their voices at me saying "Who do you think you are! "E". Is my guy (not boyfriend, just part of the entire clique) and I will not let you talk to him that way

I was only 2 months into the job, I was still learning the ropes and nobody helped me any more. The CNAs started ignoring me, not doing what I asked. EVERY time I went in to work SOMEONE always had to bring it up. People couldn't let it go. I became miserable and isolsted on the job. One day when I had just clocked in the DON and ADON happened to walk by right then and they noticed sonething was wrong. So I said "I'm sure you've heard of this already.... They both said no, that they had not. But the next day one of my work "friends, "probably two faced, told me she had told the DON a few days before what was going on. Meaning my DON and ADON lied right to my face and allowed bullying behavior. So I quit the next day. There was no coming back from that so I could not stay there. I got up that day, put on my scrubs, gettinh ready to go to work when I suddenly had a severe panic attack and melt down. I called my DON saying I wasnt coming in and that I was resigning. Because of the emotional state I was in, I didnt do the right professional thing and give 2 weeks notice. The ironic thing was that

I had really liked my coworkers. The CNAs, LPNs, and I had ADMIRED them so much. The LPNs could run circles arounde me, and I wanted to learn from them so I could eventually be like them. I had tried telling them that when they were yelling at me, but tbey wouldn't listen. I did the worst thing...I broke down crying in front of them and they still kept going.so I said "Im done talking about this. I completely agree with you. If you're not going to listen to my side, I'm not goinh to stand here and take this. I walked out right then.Worked for 2 more weeks, enduring the most snotty looks and tone of voice when I had to ask a question. Then I quit after I found out the DON and ADON lied to me. I have not worked dince then. It was a year ago. Now im starting a new job Tuesday in LTC/SNF. I feel like I just shouldn't talk to anyine. Be pleasant when they talk to me but not initiate any conversation. As you can see by my loooong post, I had to get this off my chest.

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