Why do I always hear, why are you ONLY doing LPN?

Nurses LPN/LVN

Published

I am tired of explaining this to people. I tried the RN but did not get lucky..

Oh, if I had a dollar ($0.75 after taxes) for every time I heard....

"So, are you going on to be a doctor?" :uhoh3:

To which I reply, "No, I've seen their job, and I don't want it." :lol2:

Don't let it bug you. The sooner you realize that they're only making small talk and it's not an indictment of your educational career, the happier you'll be.

Haha, it is bugging to have those passages consistently trying to make the other person to feel guilt. The problem is not the question itself though, it's how you address yourself by those questions. If negative would be your intervention, then you should expect negative drive. It's better to assume that you did not hear those questions than to sleep in with them that could carry load of stress. You said it best, "Don't let it bug you."

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Specializes in Onco, palliative care, PCU, HH, hospice.

*vent* Sometimes I swear, that if I have ONE MORE person ask me "Well, when are you getting your RN?" I'm going to scream! I'm 19 years old, graduated from LPN school 5 months ago, tried classes this semester but couldn't do them due to personal conflicts and just stress of working full time and school. Yet, all I hear is "When are you going to get your RN?" I hear it from co-workers, my family, friends, patients, my manager, sometimes I just feel like saying "Well, maybe if everyone would quit asking and pushing I'd go back." Lord, it's just exhausting sometimes, I mean I spent 18 months in LPN school while working my butt off as a CNA, don't I deserve some time to breathe and enjoy the education I've gained so far? Well, apparently not lol Don't get me wrong I DO want to become an RN but right now I'm just not up to the challenge of jumping through the flaming hoops in order to achieve it. I have one friend who is an EMT who is constantly putting me down for being "just an LPN". I got so sick of it the other night that I said that if he didn't stop I was going to put a sock in his mouth. Oh well sorry for the vent!

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Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.
*vent* Sometimes I swear, that if I have ONE MORE person ask me "Well, when are you getting your RN?" I'm going to scream! I'm 19 years old, graduated from LPN school 5 months ago, tried classes this semester but couldn't do them due to personal conflicts and just stress of working full time and school. Yet, all I hear is "When are you going to get your RN?" I hear it from co-workers, my family, friends, patients, my manager, sometimes I just feel like saying "Well, maybe if everyone would quit asking and pushing I'd go back." Lord, it's just exhausting sometimes, I mean I spent 18 months in LPN school while working my butt off as a CNA, don't I deserve some time to breathe and enjoy the education I've gained so far? Well, apparently not lol Don't get me wrong I DO want to become an RN but right now I'm just not up to the challenge of jumping through the flaming hoops in order to achieve it. I have one friend who is an EMT who is constantly putting me down for being "just an LPN". I got so sick of it the other night that I said that if he didn't stop I was going to put a sock in his mouth. Oh well sorry for the vent!

What about the EMT...basically, they carry people from place to place...ask him why he doesn't become a chauffer? I encountered this again today. Two RNs transfered from the ER to our clinic, and I basically oriented them to our area. They say to me "When will you become an RN?" and I said "Never". They started trying to toot their horns, and I told them that I am not half as stressed as they were or will be, and I am FINE.

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Specializes in Wound Care, LTC, Sub-Acute, Vents.
*vent* sometimes i swear, that if i have one more person ask me "well, when are you getting your rn?" i'm going to scream! i'm 19 years old, graduated from lpn school 5 months ago, tried classes this semester but couldn't do them due to personal conflicts and just stress of working full time and school. yet, all i hear is "when are you going to get your rn?" i hear it from co-workers, my family, friends, patients, my manager, sometimes i just feel like saying "well, maybe if everyone would quit asking and pushing i'd go back." lord, it's just exhausting sometimes, i mean i spent 18 months in lpn school while working my butt off as a cna, don't i deserve some time to breathe and enjoy the education i've gained so far? well, apparently not lol don't get me wrong i do want to become an rn but right now i'm just not up to the challenge of jumping through the flaming hoops in order to achieve it. i have one friend who is an emt who is constantly putting me down for being "just an lpn". i got so sick of it the other night that i said that if he didn't stop i was going to put a sock in his mouth. oh well sorry for the vent!

yes i feel you medicallpn. we just have to learn to deal with them. i guess it will be worst when i finish my program but i will deal with it when it comes. yeah i will do my rn as well hopefully right away but i don't know if some things would change when i do finish my lpn program. wow i commend you for being a nurse at 19. about your emt friend, maybe he is just horsing around but you can get back at him by saying "hey what about you, you're only a technician". i don't know....maybe we should not stoop to their level....but you know best, he is your friend.

take care,

angel

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Specializes in Geriatric.

I'm an LPN that just graduated in March and my mom has been an RN for 17 years but she was an LPN first then an RN. She always teases me that I'm just a "Let's Pretend Nurse" while she's a "Real Nurse" :lol2:. I am going to become an RN soon though because I honestly miss school and want to go back lol Plus more pay is nice too.

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My mom is an LPN and loves her job, and has no interest in becoming an RN. She is content where she is :)

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MedicalLPN , take a deep breath and ask them why does this mean so much to you?

if you are happy being an LPN(I sure am!) then enjoy this for a while and if you choose to go for RN, do so at your own speed. I am a LPN for >35 years now and feel this is my calling. I will be 54 in november and feel no need to do what others want of me. This is my life and I will do what I wish. and I hope you also find your happiness and do what you wish, best of luck to you!

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Specializes in Cardiac Telemetry, ED.

I find it helps to be able to laugh at myself and not take myself so seriously. I've been called a "Little Play Nurse" and I've even referred to myself as a "Licensed Practical Nuisance", because I have to bug RNs to help me out so often. It doesn't bother me because I don't let it. When I can turn it around and have a little laugh at myself, it just doesn't seem to be such a big deal.

I am a "real nurse". My scope of practice is just limited, that's all. To be honest, there are days when I am so glad for that!

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Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.
I find it helps to be able to laugh at myself and not take myself so seriously. I've been called a "Little Play Nurse" and I've even referred to myself as a "Licensed Practical Nuisance", because I have to bug RNs to help me out so often. It doesn't bother me because I don't let it. When I can turn it around and have a little laugh at myself, it just doesn't seem to be such a big deal.

I am a "real nurse". My scope of practice is just limited, that's all. To be honest, there are days when I am so glad for that!

Licensed Practical Nuisance is a new one on me...:lol2::lol2:

I am also eternally grateful for having 'limited scope' of practice. Those days that I see the RNs hollar for dear life, I ask them for my assignment and leave them to their business.

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Specializes in Wound Care, LTC, Sub-Acute, Vents.
i find it helps to be able to laugh at myself and not take myself so seriously. i've been called a "little play nurse" and i've even referred to myself as a "licensed practical nuisance", because i have to bug rns to help me out so often. it doesn't bother me because i don't let it. when i can turn it around and have a little laugh at myself, it just doesn't seem to be such a big deal.

i am a "real nurse". my scope of practice is just limited, that's all. to be honest, there are days when i am so glad for that!

licensed practical nuisance eh, good one! haha. :lol2:

that's good so that we can say that we are licensed to annoy and do practical jokes to those rns who keep asking us this question. :devil:

thank you all for replying to my thread. you guys are great!!! i'm glad i found this website. i am even recommending this site to my classmates.

angel

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Specializes in Physical rehabilitation.

I totally agree with yall on this. I too have always heard "You're just an LPN?", and get so tired of this. I can take care of you or your momma just fine and don't need RN behind my name to do so. Ma dad always makes fun of the for my "vo-tech degree" and while he thinks is funny, it infurriates me!! Oh, and yes the name of my school did have technical center in the title, but I still feel it was very good and I obviously learned alot. My dad found it absoulutly hilarious that in the other side of the bulding was the mechanical/welding classes. I worked HARD for this liscense and to have someone laugh at you for it, feel horrible, espiecially when it your own family. I dont know what causes people to think like this. It sucks!

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Specializes in rehab-med/surg-ICU-ER-cath lab.

I graduated from LPN school and followed two years after with my RN. I was asked the same question about being an LPN and then it became why did I become a diploma RN instead of a BSN. You just can't win with this. I have worked in a Cardiac Cath lab for 1 1/2 years. It takes a good year or two to really know this job. To me the most qualified person in the whole lab is an LPN. I tell her all the time that to me she is equal to a master's prepared RN. Her depth of knowledge, kindness to patients, assitance to me in learning this position and her professionalism are amazing. She is the best nurse in the lab. The bottom line = it is L.P.NURSE and a good nurse is a good nurse is a good nurse!

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