Discouraged Older Student

Nurses Career Support

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I havent even begun my LPN program! Im still working on prereqs and working as an STNA in homecare. Full time LPN program begins in August, but I am rethinking my decision to become a nurse! I hear so much bickering and arguing about RN vs. LPN. I hear so much about how difficult it is to be a "new" nurse because there is no support from the more experienced in the field. Even as an aide in homecare I feel thrown to the wolves out here without nursing support and hear everyday about how this one is better than that one and how so and so is not a proper Christian or that the new nurse on the block is a Lesbian therefore to be shunned by the other nurses. When as an aide, I ask a question about a patient, I am literally sneered at and reminded that Im not a nurse yet! I could go on and on....... THIS is NOT why I decided to become a nurse!!!!!

At 46, I guess I am quite naive. I only wanted to become the best LPN that I could. I want to work bedside, preferably in hospice which is where I feel I personally can do the most good. I knew my studies to become an LPN were just the begining and that I would need further experience, training and testing to become a certified hospice nurse. I have no desire to compete with RNs who have more training than I, but rather was looking forward to learning FROM them! One of the reasons I chose hospice was because I thought there would be more commaraderie and less ego nonsense going on.

Even in classes its we "oldsters" who seem to really WANT our license and who run circles around the others at clinicals. We dont argue about fairness or break time or about having to change Mrs so and so AGAIN because we did it the last time! Yet at the LTC facility we trained at, it didnt seem to matter even to the staff that we were students and trying to learn not to mention that there were patients to be taken care of. Everyone seemed intent on being the "best" or being in charge and arguing even in front of the residents.

PLEASE someone tell me that all facilities are not like this! I am looking for steady long term employment in a facility where I can learn and grow. I want to be part of a team whos main objective is the patients we care for. I am too old for the games and nonsense. Is there a place out there for me where its OK to be "just" an LPN? I think its great that most choose to go on for their RN and they are to be commended for it, but LPN s are an important part of the team too, right?

Any feedback or advice will be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Christina,

First let me start off by congratulating you!!! Congrats for knowing what you want and not being afraid to go out and get it, it sounds like to me that you have more compassion in your little finger than all those nurses you spoke of.

Nurses like those you described in my opinion should not be allowed to work in the field! Its no one elses business who does what with who or who has more education, it is so silly, we are all health care professionals (stress the word professional) and we are all there for one thing only: to provide the best possible patient care! I never talk about religion or politics at work, its just poor judgement and extremely unprofessional not to mention NO ONE ELSES BUSINESS! If a nurse snaps at you for asking a question about a patient maybe you can politely remind her that you have the patients best intersts in mind! Im so sorry that you have to deal with people that ignorant!

I am 24 and entering an MN program this month! I am also a CNA and have worked/grew up in the hospitals in my city, I used to go with my mom to work and volunteer at the hospital she worked for, she has worked there since I was 7 and still works there! I can say at that hospital for the most part the nurses are supportive and provide a good work environment! dont get discouraged you will find your niche, not all nurses are like those but unfort we all run into those types at some point in our career!

Christina-

I think you've just run into a group of bad apples, I sincerely doubt all nurses/nursing students are the way you describe. I'm no expert since I start nursing school in June, but the hospital I volunteer at is full of very supportive and caring nurses. No one complains, judges or compares education levels.

There was a post in the nursing student section of the board about how much a student hated nursing school. It seems a lot of nursing students hate school, but enjoy the work afterwards. Perhaps it's due to being at the bottom on the ladder or not doing clinicals in areas of inspiration and interest, but everyone has to do a certain amount to be a nurse even if it means doing something you don't like for awhile. It works that way with any job, I think some people just don't have that figured out.

Good luck to you, perhaps you should get some exposure to a few different settings and see how you feel.

Don't give up your dream to become a nurse just because of some other people's sorry attitudes.

The bickering and backstabbing that you are witnessing is not just in the nursing profession. I have heard that it exists in other professions also.

If I'm not mistaken I think I read something about it here on this board by a policeman or someone who knew a policeman. They said it existed there and was just every bit as bad. It isn't just us nurses.

We are all human, and these kinds of attitudes are going to be everywhere you look.

I just wish it didn't have to be where I work.

Altho, the bickering and backstabbing where I work has decreased somewhat.

We had some nurses who worked there who did alot of butt kissing, and backstabbing on the rest of us, and it literally made working there very difficult.

Those nurses are no longer there, and it has decreased some, but I still notice little things among the rest of us, that come up once in awhile, so it isn't completely gone.

But it's better than it used to be.

It seems you are in a bad situation where you are! I can tell you it isn't always going to be that way. I was also an older student (only 26, but there is a big difference between 26 and self supporting and 19 and not). But there are also people there who may be younger but with lots of life experience. One of my friend was 18, married with 2 kids and she is a super nurse now. There were times when it was very frustrating, and I did feel a bit left out of the conversations and I did also feel like I took school more seriously than others. I found out later that it is just in my personality to take everything more seriously than others!

Best thing to do is to keep in mind why you want to work as a nurse, and also to remember, that in hospice, which is your goal, you will be able to work more independently and not have to deal so much with all the gossip and strange behavior.

It also helps to put people to shame a little bit. I am a bit of an assertive person. So maybe not for you, but when people are gossiping, it is so easy to say, "You know I don't really care to talk about others that way" and then change the subject to something else...When are our care plans due? DO you like doing them the way the teacher says we have to? Younger people are also sometimes a bit intimidated by people they see as much older than themselves. Sometimes talking about a popular movie or something like that helps bridge the gap as well...

As far as the LPN/RN thing. Do what suits you. I always recommend the RN for people in case they find life circumstances change and they may not be able to go back to school, but I think you need to do what is right for you. One of my ER preceptors was a 65 yr old LPN. She was wonderful and we used to laugh because as she was precepting me, I had to sign her charts, it was entirely ridiculous.

Specializes in ICU, ER, Hemodialysis.

all jobs have gossipers and the "i'm better thans." the important thing is for you to keep in mind that you are not there for them, but rather to care for your patients. as a CNA in LTC, i hear gossip all the time, but i never participate in it. my coworkers like me and i like them, but i am there to provide care for my patients and to assist the nurse in anyway that i can. and that is why i'm there not to be popular or pass on gossip. as far as the LPN/RN thing. well just keep in mind your patient will not yell out LPN they will yell out nurse. and you will answer with the same care if you are an LPN or RN.

please do not deny your patients a great nurse because of these people.

wishing you the best,

j.b.

all jobs have gossipers and the "i'm better thans." the important thing is for you to keep in mind that you are not there for them, but rather to care for your patients. as a CNA in LTC, i hear gossip all the time, but i never participate in it. my coworkers like me and i like them, but i am there to provide care for my patients and to assist the nurse in anyway that i can. and that is why i'm there not to be popular or pass on gossip. as far as the LPN/RN thing. well just keep in mind your patient will not yell out LPN they will yell out nurse. and you will answer with the same care if you are an LPN or RN.

please do not deny your patients a great nurse because of these people.

wishing you the best,

j.b.

I'm having the same problem. I'm in the RN program, ready to go into finals. I have done well in all my class work, but instead of being encoraged, I am being "written up" in clinicals. It is always about nothing. I feel like I am supposed to have a crystal ball that lights up when I am doing something WRONG....not. I think if they can't get me out of the program by failing me, they will make me look really bad and throw me out of the program. I am 56, if they didn't want me there, they should have said you are too old, before they took my money and wasted my time. I have never spent so much time crying. What should I so, drop out or let them throw me out?

I'm having the same problem. I'm in the RN program, ready to go into finals. I have done well in all my class work, but instead of being encoraged, I am being "written up" in clinicals. It is always about nothing. I feel like I am supposed to have a crystal ball that lights up when I am doing something WRONG....not. I think if they can't get me out of the program by failing me, they will make me look really bad and throw me out of the program. I am 56, if they didn't want me there, they should have said you are too old, before they took my money and wasted my time. I have never spent so much time crying. What should I so, drop out or let them throw me out?

PA-dont be discouraged!! Maybe they are just trying to help you be the best nurse possible! If they arent then the best way to show them up is to be even better! Let your frustration drive you to work even harder, if it doesnt stop maybe you can talk to the head of your program? If you really do think it is the people in your program then maybe you can transfer to another program if you really really think that the situation cant be fixed? In the RN program I was enrolled in had lots of older students and we were all treated the same! Im enrolled in an MN program now and there are lots of older students! Our teachers and instructors are all very supportive of all of us! The moral is DONT EVER GIVE UP! dont ever let someone else chase you from your dream! GOOD LUCK! :balloons:

Christina,

Keep your eye on your goal...working in a hospice. Whenever you get those doubts, try to vision yourself as a nurse helping patients in a hospice. You have to do it for yourself and your patients...don't worry about the others outside.

Believe me, I'm in the same boat, but if I can keep my eyes on the prize, I can work through some of the negative stuff. It won't be easy, but it will be worth it. I think that it is a very admirable thing to work in a hospice and takes a special person to be able to handle it.

Good luck!

Kris (Kristina, too!)

You guys are AWESOME!!!! Thank you all so much for your support and vote of confidence. Knowing that there will be nurses out there like you all makes it possible to trudge through the time Im having now. Youre right, there are bad apples in all professions! In the past I have found that it was best to keep busy so I wouldnt have time to get involved in the nonsense and thats exactly the approach I am taking in school and will on the job too. This week Ive been in the hospital visiting one of my elderly home care patients and got to meet some wonderful professionals! My cancer patient is also deteriorating at home and unable to manage solid foods. We are getting more support from the agencies involved and have met some very caring nurses and therapists. All of you and all of them have given me much hope this past week.

I begin medical terminology next month and have been trying to get a jump start on all those thousands of terms! :uhoh3:

To pa0723, I agree with the others. Please dont give up!!!! This is our dream and I look at clinicals as the "dues" we have to pay. Youre almost through!!!!

Like Kristina told me, keep your eye on your goal and envision yourself working as a nurse. We owe that to ourselves and our future patients.Thanks Kris!!

I've been a nurse for 28 yrs and sometimes the dog eat dog atmosphere really got to me over the years. In fact I am currently taking time off... 'just for me'.. from nursing. Its a good thing. :)

One hint to all of you: It is a job, a small part of your life. Do not make it your primary focus. Enjoy your days off with friends and family and cultivate many many other interests and hobbies.

If we allow it, this career WILL consume us, and the behavior of our peers can drive us nuts...LOL! Nursing definitely has a built in dysfunction...been there for generations.

So enjoy your nursing experience, but like all other things...enjoy in moderation. ;)

Hi ChristinaV! Do not be discouraged. Learn everything you can while on the field. People are people and they have their own personalities and culture, too. Just keep on believing in yourself. Have patience and humility. We all go through the "baptism of fire". what's important is keep smiling at the end of the day. Thank God for opportunities to learn everyday.

I havent even begun my LPN program! Im still working on prereqs and working as an STNA in homecare. Full time LPN program begins in August, but I am rethinking my decision to become a nurse! I hear so much bickering and arguing about RN vs. LPN. I hear so much about how difficult it is to be a "new" nurse because there is no support from the more experienced in the field. Even as an aide in homecare I feel thrown to the wolves out here without nursing support and hear everyday about how this one is better than that one and how so and so is not a proper Christian or that the new nurse on the block is a Lesbian therefore to be shunned by the other nurses. When as an aide, I ask a question about a patient, I am literally sneered at and reminded that Im not a nurse yet! I could go on and on....... THIS is NOT why I decided to become a nurse!!!!!

At 46, I guess I am quite naive. I only wanted to become the best LPN that I could. I want to work bedside, preferably in hospice which is where I feel I personally can do the most good. I knew my studies to become an LPN were just the begining and that I would need further experience, training and testing to become a certified hospice nurse. I have no desire to compete with RNs who have more training than I, but rather was looking forward to learning FROM them! One of the reasons I chose hospice was because I thought there would be more commaraderie and less ego nonsense going on.

Even in classes its we "oldsters" who seem to really WANT our license and who run circles around the others at clinicals. We dont argue about fairness or break time or about having to change Mrs so and so AGAIN because we did it the last time! Yet at the LTC facility we trained at, it didnt seem to matter even to the staff that we were students and trying to learn not to mention that there were patients to be taken care of. Everyone seemed intent on being the "best" or being in charge and arguing even in front of the residents.

PLEASE someone tell me that all facilities are not like this! I am looking for steady long term employment in a facility where I can learn and grow. I want to be part of a team whos main objective is the patients we care for. I am too old for the games and nonsense. Is there a place out there for me where its OK to be "just" an LPN? I think its great that most choose to go on for their RN and they are to be commended for it, but LPN s are an important part of the team too, right?

Any feedback or advice will be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

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