Who Wants to Remain a LPN?

kimmyj74 · May 26, 2008

I too will be starting LPN school in the fall. My goal, as of now, is to be just an LPN. They are the ones who work in Dr's offices and have a better chance at a M-F day job. RN's usually work all shifts. Perhaps in the future that may appeal to me, but with kids I want a day job.

I'm just going to take it as it goes. If an opportunity arrives for RN school in the future I may think about it.

Do what is right for you!

Fiona59 · May 26, 2008

You are never "just" an LPN anymore than you are "just" a human being.

I will remain an LPN because up here in Canada it is just plain ridiculous the hoops we have to jump through to get a BScN. I'm working on a degree in an area that could take me away from bedside nursing and open up other areas.

In my province, we have basically become the hospital trained/diploma RN. If anything I will become more active in my union so that they bargain for better wages and benefits for us.

We have areas of specialty nursing available to us, dialysis, orthopedics technicians, OR technicians, immunization specialist. Every year is bring us the areas that used to be solely RN.

It makes some of us wonder what the future of the BScN is as they are going more and more into management leaving nearly all the hands on areas of nursing to LPNS.

Your nursing career will be what you make of it.

asoonernurse · May 26, 2008

Well, to be the sole dissenter in the group so far, I am one of those who sees my LVN license as a mere stepping stone to my RN, then BSN.

Do I see LVNs as a lower life form? Absolutely not.

However, where I live, LVNs are strictly limited in opportunity (and it's going to get worse, not better).

Nearly ALL of the hospitals in my area have eliminated LVNs from acute care status, thereby banishing LVNs to nursing homes, doctor's offices and corner med clinics.

When I began this trip, I knew I wanted to be in trauma care (of one sort or another.) This means RN, and RN only.

I wish it were different, but it's not. I don't want to spend my career in LTC, nor do I want to be stuck in a doctor's office or med clinic.

Truthfully? I have no choice. That has been taken away from me. I HAVE to go further.

And with RNs pushing from one end, and CMAs from the other, I see LVNs as a dying breed.

Sorry to be so blunt, but there you have it.

Best regards,

Michael

Is there any one out there content with remaining an LPN? On all these forums the focus seems to be becoming an LPN to use as a stepping stone to become an RN. Anyone not interested in futhering their education and love their career as an LPN? I start LPN school in August and am starting to think I might just want to stay an LPN for my career. I guess what I want to know is is there any thing wrong with that type of thinking or should I push those thoughts aside and go for RN after LPN school?:typing

L&D_2b · May 26, 2008

Is there any one out there content with remaining an LPN? On all these forums the focus seems to be becoming an LPN to use as a stepping stone to become an RN. Anyone not interested in futhering their education and love their career as an LPN? I start LPN school in August and am starting to think I might just want to stay an LPN for my career. I guess what I want to know is is there any thing wrong with that type of thinking or should I push those thoughts aside and go for RN after LPN school?:typing

At this point, I just want to "be" an LPN. Still a student here:)

--Marci

kstec, LPN · May 26, 2008

Whether you're an LPN or RN, they both involve a lot of responsibility. I'm a LPN and have worked LTC and at a clinic. The policies and demands put on you are all the same. I'm thinking of going back and getting my RN, but I wonder will it be the same BS with a wider scope of practice or does it really change the way you get to do nursing? By this I mean if I become a RN do I all of a sudden get to give quality care or is it just the same as it is now with a wider scope. Sorry if I sound a little pessimistic but I've been out of school appx. 18 months and nursing in general is not what I thought it would be. Paperwork, politics and coorporate greed should be the definition of nursing nowadays. Around here LPN's can't work in hospitals, but can pretty much everywhere else, but by reading alot of these forums it doesn't sound like hospitals are the miraculous (sp) improvement of quality care and appropriate number of patients per nurse. I hope I either find my niche soon or working as a garbage man (no offense to garbage men, just minimal people/political interaction) is looking pretty good. Don't get me wrong I love taking care of my residents, but my heart bleeds for the nurse/patient ratio and the poor quality of care allowed due to this poor staffing. Enough of my vent. Thanks for reading.

litebrightgirl · May 26, 2008

I'm starting LPN school in august. I live in Illinois and there are jobs in hospitals for LPN's in my area. Not many but there are some. I don't know whether I want to be an LPN for life or eventually go to PA school or med school. All I know right now is that I want to be a nurse!

tothepointeLVN, LVN · May 26, 2008

Well, to be the sole dissenter in the group so far, I am one of those who sees my LVN license as a mere stepping stone to my RN, then BSN.
Do I see LVNs as a lower life form? Absolutely not.
However, where I live, LVNs are strictly limited in opportunity (and it's going to get worse, not better).
Nearly ALL of the hospitals in my area have eliminated LVNs from acute care status, thereby banishing LVNs to nursing homes, doctor's offices and corner med clinics.
When I began this trip, I knew I wanted to be in trauma care (of one sort or another.) This means RN, and RN only.
I wish it were different, but it's not. I don't want to spend my career in LTC, nor do I want to be stuck in a doctor's office or med clinic.
Truthfully? I have no choice. That has been taken away from me. I HAVE to go further.
And with RNs pushing from one end, and CMAs from the other, I see LVNs as a dying breed.
Sorry to be so blunt, but there you have it.
Best regards,
Michael

I have to agree with Michael on this one. I am doing LVN because I can start now as opposed to 2-3 years from now and then I've found a university that will let me doa LVN-BSN ( takes about 3 years) with a small or no wait.

flightnurse2b, LPN · May 26, 2008

i started an LPN program when i got rejected from RN school and told about the "waiting list". i was told i would get right on if i got my LPN first and did the bridge program. which is what im doing.

i honestly, as hard as ive worked for this, cannot wait to become an LPN, but it will be a short lived title. i am hoping to start the bridge program in the spring after i graduate.

i also want to do trauma, flight and ER, and there would be no place for me. i have to become an RN. and i want to become an RN. but i am using the LPN as a stepping stone, and it has been a heck of alot of hard work....

tothepointeLVN, LVN · May 26, 2008

i started an LPN program when i got rejected from RN school and told about the "waiting list". i was told i would get right on if i got my LPN first and did the bridge program. which is what im doing.
i honestly, as hard as ive worked for this, cannot wait to become an LPN, but it will be a short lived title. i am hoping to start the bridge program in the spring after i graduate.
i also want to do trauma, flight and ER, and there would be no place for me. i have to become an RN. and i want to become an RN. but i am using the LPN as a stepping stone, and it has been a heck of alot of hard work....

And at least we'll have a license while we work through getting our RN and be getting some experience and a paycheck

CT Pixie, BSN, RN · May 26, 2008

I am graduating LPN school in a mere 10 days :bowingpur

Like you said I am using my LPN as a stepping stone for my RN. RN schools here are so very competitive and almost impossible to get in to, if you are a older student who doesn't have all those high school classes (chem, bio etc) that are current.

I had two choices

A. Do my pre-reqs, apply to RN school and possibly be put on a wait list or just full out rejected, only to have to keep applying and POSSIBLY in a couple of years get into school

or

B. Go to LPN school, get my license, work as a nurse and in the processess bang out 3-4 pre reqs after graduating LPN school, and applying to the LPN-->RN bridge which is MUCH easier to get into.

In the end although the LPN to RN route is more expensive (I go to a private tech school) its faster in the long run. While those who were rejected from the RN schools they applied to have to wait for another open enrollment or sit on a couple year long wait list I would be though LPN school, have my licence and working as a nurse!

I chose B.

If the NICU weren't my dream job I'd be perfectly happy to remain at the LPN level. I don't think LPN's are any less of a nurse or any less intelligent than RN's, its just that I want to work Critical Care and I can't do that with my LPN.

Fiona59 · May 27, 2008

You see that really is the difference between where you work. PNs work in ICU's, Cardiology Units, pretty much everywhere except NICU in my province.