No respect for LVN's/LPN's

[Jen01tx]

I won't go into all the details of what happened to me today. I'm just getting off my shift and wanted to vent. The jist of it is I had a negative exchange with my supervior today. I questioned why we were taking a particular approach in patient care and her response was an eye roll and the statement: "Your just an LVN, you don't have the know how to make that call". Words cannot describe how her comment has brought me down.

I'm a recent grad ( working on the unit for about four months). School was time consuming and draining and it seems like we all work so hard to get where we are. There are still places I want to go and I won't stop until I at least have my BSN, but I chose this route for a reason.

The problem is that since I have been out of school it seems like people in general don't have much respect for LVN's. Administrators, nursing supervisors, doctors, CNA's, even family members at times. People always ask that dreaded question: "Oh, you're a nurse? RN?" Followed by body language that reveals an obvious lack of faith in my abilities once I say I'm a LVN. All this, not to mention the fact that I feel stifled, like there are no opportunities out there for me as "just an LVN". Anybody have any thoughts on this. I'm just feeling very down right now, and yearning for the respect I feel I deserve as a nurse.

[ksangel]

good for you

[sparketteinok]

Some thoughts on this subject....

Yes, I've had the "little pretend nurse" joke thrown at me quite a few times...

sure does get your feathers ruffled...

sometimes no matter how good a nurse you are, some patients, families, doctors, "real nurses", and others will NEVER give you any respect, so I think maybe if you just don't expect it at all, then when and if you get it, then it will be a pleasant surprise- to some people, you don't count unless you're an RN...

at my facility, they promote a "SAW" program- School At Work...where you go "school" on their time...the advertisement reads something like: "got your GED yet? Ever think about going back to school to be a nurse aide, unit secretary, or LPN?" I'm sorry, that just really burns me. There it is, in black and white, a sign on all the cafeteria tables. Maybe I'm just sensitive, but it seems to me that an LPN may have to have just a little more training than a CNA or US. Or is it just me? Don't get me wrong, CNAs and USs do have very important jobs to do, and I couldn't live without them. But doesn't administering meds, dressing changes, and all the things we do call for a little more than a GED? So much for critical thinking!!

Anyway, it's amazing to me how little respect LPNs get. But, I think it's a product of our culture. I must admit, before I considered nursing as a career, when my mom was in the hospital many years ago, I got my feathers ruffled that an LPN was taking care of my mom. I don't know why, I just think that movies, TV or whatever leads society in general to believe that we are not real nurses.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

the advertisement reads something like: "got your GED yet? Ever think about going back to school to be a nurse aide, unit secretary, or LPN?" I'm sorry, that just really burns me. There it is, in black and white, a sign on all the cafeteria tables. Maybe I'm just sensitive, but it seems to me that an LPN may have to have just a little more training than a CNA or US.

Unfortunately, the public does not pay attention to the quality of the training. Rather, they completely shift their focus to the quantity of training and its end result. Many of the graduates of my LVN program were GED recipients. We all started and finished our LVN program in 12 months, and the actual end result was a diploma in vocational nursing.

Many academics do not place much value or stock in a 12-month career diploma, and neither does the public. To some people, anything less than a bachelors degree is totally ineffectual. In reality, all of the aforementioned career pathways (CNA, unit secretary, LPN) do not take very long to attain when contrasted with other healthcare occupations.

My LVN license means the world to me, and that is what matters. We will be sorely disappointed if we continually seek affirmation from outsiders who really haven't a clue regarding our sacrifices and knowledge.

[StrikerRN]

Well with regards to your Supervisor, legally LVNs are only suppose to handle specific kind of tasks and specific kind of patients, even if you are fully equip and knowledgeable, your scope is limited as compared to RNs.

It would have been a lot better if she have rephrased.

With regards to respect, it is not what your statute is to life but how you want be looked at by people, I am an RN, and where I have worked they don't even have graduated college, they talk to me like they know everything, but once I get started they shut up.

They know I am an RN from a foreign country, and they know I know more than them, they come to me with respect, even the owner respects me.

My brother did not graduated from college but the way he carry himself makes people respect him, his not arrogant but when he talks he talks with authority, like he knows that much.

I worked in a hospital before as an R.N. Intern, the patients respect even if I come and tell them that I am an intern, maybe it's just the way you present yourself to them.

What I do is go to the patient's room, I greet them and tell them I will be your nurse for today, I am a nurse intern and I will be working with this nurse.

When they tell me so you're an Intern, I boldly answer them yes I am, and go ask them did you slept well last night? Do you have any pain?

I do that not just to divert their attention but also in a way show them that I am there for them, that I mean business and that I know what I am doing.

Oh yeah right now I am neither an RN or an LVN/LPN here in US.

[ozoneranger]

"Little pretend nurse" my foot.

It's" little pretty nurse", thank you very much.

The only time I ever felt my skills were under appreciated was one night when I was pulled to another floor, the clinical director told me I'd be on telem. monitors. When I got there I was given 8 patients & when I asked where the supply cart was, I had my head torn off by the charge nurse.

I called the clinical director, told her what had happened, she called the charge nurse & told her that her little tirade was going to cost her dearly, then I was allowed to go back to my usual floor, and she got to struggle through the night shorthanded.

The charge nurse that was so rude to me was given 10 minutes to come to my floor & apologize. The next time I was pulled to that floor, the same charge nurse thanked me for coming to help her, and we had a good night.

In that facility, LPN's were offered continuing education, allowing us to gain more skill & autonomy. Experience was valued greatly & level 3 LPN's did IV push meds (the only thing I didn't do was hang blood & access life ports) & were in charge when there weren't RN's with the experience to run the show.