LPN Petition to Take RN Boards

EXCUSE ME I WENT TO A COMMUNITY COLLEGE MY 1ST 2SEMESTERS RN STUDENTS HAD THEORY CLASSES WITH US THE LPN STUDENTS THEY HAD1 CLINICAL A WEEK WE HAD 2 CLINICALS A WEEK. JUST BECAUSE YOUR A RN DON'T GO AROUND SAYING LPNS GO TO LESS THAN A COMMUNITY COLLEGE MOST OF US DID GO TO COMMUNITY COLLEGE. THINK BEFORE YOU LOOK DOWN ON LPN'S YOU MAY HAVE ONE OF US GIVING YOU CARE IN THE FUTURE

Huh?


Edited to add: most if not all of the people responding to this thread are or were LPNs. Is there a particular post you are replying to?

There will always be a debate over skill level, competency and education. There are identical theads on the ADN vs BSN board as well. There are those who feel that most educational levels are "equal" such as LPN's being as skilled as RN's and ADN's who feel as skilled as BSN's. All nurses are contributing members of the nursing proffession and each have a valuble role to fill. However....The education of the nurse does make a difference. Not to say one nurse is better than another...but one is more formally educated than another. If all levels from LPN to MSN were clinically the same why differentiate at all? I dont see how anyone can argue that two sememsters of nursing classes in the LPN program are equivalent to additional years of nursing education in an BSN or MSN program. LPN's and ADN's are entry level nurses. Each level of nursing should be recognized for the additional education and hard work that it takes to attain each level of accredidation. I am an ADN prepared RN. I think the education served me well to enter the proffesion. I am now preparing to go back to school in an RN to MSN program. I do think that additional eduation will make me a better nurse and more fufilled as a person.

Hiya Sandwitch883,

Just wanted to add that generic BSN graduates are also considered entry level for nursing & take the same NCLEX-RN as do AAS/ASN/Diploma graduates. In fact, there are some advance placement BSN/MSN for second degree graduates with no nursing experience considered entry level once they've passed the NCLEX exam & begin to work in their respective specialties. They just get to go through their respective nursing programs at an advance pace due to the previous non-nursing bachelor's degree.

That's the confusion & debate that continues within the topic...what really *is* entry level nursing? Some say that entry level is at the "Practical/Vocational" level such as LPN/LVNs are; then there's the "Technical" or Associate/Diploma level RNs; while others (ANA) suggest it start at the "Professional" level, Bachelor's & direct entry MSN degree level for those with no prior nursing experience.

Cheers ,
Moe

While I agree that each educational level is different, I will also state that there are 4 (four) entry mechanisms into nursing. They are all "entry-level."

1. There's the basic nurse, known as the LPN/LVN
2. There's the professional nurse, known as the RN. The three levels of entry into the RN licensure are the ADN, three-year diploma, and BSN. An RN with a BSN degree and no prior nursing experience is still an entry-level RN. The BSN degree simply happened to be his/her entry point into nursing.

The ANA can bite me.

I was thinking the same.

I have to say that this, I agree with. I hate to hear how many LPNs feel that RNs are lazy and are 'just sitting on their butts giving orders'. I have seen lazy everything...physicians, RNs, LPNs, CNAs, housekeepers, and more. Many of the LPNs I am friends with that have moved on to the RN level were very overwhelmed, because they literally thought that they would be simply re-learning all that they did before, with a tiny bit more responsiblity and bigger money. They were in the shock of their lives when they really learned that they are not only responsible for themselves, but those that work under them, and this includes LPNs. The difference, in my eye, is that the RN is the delegator/overseer and responsible for the entire outcome of patient care, while the LPN, in most cases, even in expanded roles are responsible and licensed for the task and we have to incorporate the nursing process of ADPIE within those tasks, or we are held liable and responsible. If I am wrong, someone can feel free to correct me (again, this is from my personal experience and observations).

I have seen some LPNs that are true whizzes in their craft. They can see that a patient is crashing, be able to intercede and a great deal of other things. I found, moreso that these are the LPNs that have worked in nursing for many years. I did not graduate in such a time where nursing education on any level was really the greatest. But, from my limited experience working in the clinic and per diem on the floors, I saw a great difference in how the LPNs are RNs function; moreso on the floors.

What I noticed on the med-surg unit I go to under the agency, is that the LPNs are primarily administering medications and doing basic nursing care, however we are not interrupted or as distracted by outside entities in our day the same as the RNs were. The doctors, the ER, other floors, admissions, social workers, the AOD, everyone calling or coming needed the services and intervention of the RNs. They didn't come looking for us (and I am forever thankful). The RN disseminated to me what I needed to know at the time, but, otherwise, she was bombarded moreso than I was (which is why, again, I could not do their job). What I did discover, however, was that the RNs were grateful for me, because when I came to them, it was with a legitimate issue, not a gripe. Because of my training and observation, I basically knew what I can do myself, or when I needed their intervention. An LPN that can critically think within their own scope of practice can be valued and appreciated (or at least, this has been MY experience). Sometimes, the best way to help out is to just hold down your end.

What I do destest is when a person does not consider the LPN as a nurse at all, especially from RNs who have not done the LPN route. We learned a great deal, and those of us that have paid close attention have great retention and know from the training of disease processes and interventions can be great assets to the health care team.