Why won't people stop nagging me about being an LPN and not an RN?

[admiralqueenie]

I recently started my first semester of the LPN program, and I am SO sick of people telling me LPN is a useless career. That I need to be an RN because they make more money, they have better jobs, blah blah. I want to be an LPN. If I wanted to be an RN, I would be. Why do people find it necessary to tell me that I'm going nowhere if I don't get my RN? Why do they tell me I'm going to be resigned to a nursing home for the rest of my life? Have you experienced this problem? How did you deal with it?

[OrganizedChaos, LVN]

I was told to go for my RN & not my LVN when I was applying to nursing school. But at the time I was confused & didn't know what I wanted to do or if nursing was for me. Three years later I do know that I want to pursue my education & become an RN & get my BSN.

[nekozuki, LPN]

I think it stems from the unrealistic expectations LPNs often have about the job market right now. People seem to equate nurse with hospital, and not being able to obtain employment in one will always have people nagging you about it. When I was an LPN student, I appreciated the honesty from people, even if a part of me was gritting my teeth. Heck, as an LPN, I'm the first one to encourage people to stay in school to get their RN as soon as possible!

As far as the "real nursing," I just laugh. The hospital we did clinicals at had LPNs as the heads of most of their departments. Watching a 70-year old LPN (who was head of the OR) verbally eviscerate a surgeon was the greatest clinical experience I ever had.