No support or respect

[vintage_RN]

I stumbled upon an article today that praised Canada's nurses for all they do, and their contribution to health-care. The entire article mentioned registered nurses time and time again....but not once gave credit to Practical nurses.

Yes, RNs deserve credit for their hard work as well. But we all do. We're all nurses. In Canada, the Canadian NURSES Association supports RNs only. The Ontario NURSES association supports RNs only. Thank goodness for the RPNAO...the only association that seems to support PNs.

I know this has been complained about on here time and time again....but this is a place to rant and....that is mine.

[T-Bird78]

Andrea, those billboards are funded by the RN professional associations and their unions. We've been through a similar campaign out here in Alberta. It usually happens around their contract bargaining times. A couple of years back the provincial college of registered psychiatric nurses and CLPNA both complained about them.

Ultimately, it comes down to most patients don't know who cares for them until they read the name tag.

BScN students have become more arrogant since the degree only route became the only route to becoming an nurse. My best bud at work is a diploma RN class of 2005 and she gets attitude from the new hires who think they are superior nurses.

All that we have observed in Alberta is the fact that the RN students seem to have the minimum time on practical experience. If the guidlines say 100 hours they do 100 hours. There don't seem to be the long days that we put in back at the turn of the century. I remember spending seven full weeks in LTC alone. My friend remember being there five days a week. Now students tell us their placements are two or three days a week.

Oh, and LPNs are most definitely in the OR. Who does your friend think OR Techs are? Again it is RN organization propoganda that they are the only nurses in the OR.

Exactly the point--LPNs are in the OR but aren't considered nurses, they're a "tech". Why not have them in the OR (and ER) in the same roles but call them LPNs?