Amazing..lpn's actualy needed....

Nurses LPN/LVN

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I just had to comment..I've read so much about how hospitals don't need/use lpns & how ltc is all they're good for, blah blah blah...my dad has been in the hospital all week after having his prostate removed. I never used to pay any attention to the letters on the nametags, but of course now I do. It was an lpn caring for him 90% of the time. They did initital assesement, meds, messed with his IV, wound care, everything. They didn't have to run & ask the RN before they did something & all I saw of an RN was when he needed a new IV started & morphine pushed. When I was talking to an lpn about starting my program next month, she said "good, this hospital is desperate for lpns" They;re in the OR, ER, peds, & she said they hang blood products, too. After all the "lpns are just glorified aides" crap I've been hearing, it felt so good to see them doing "real nursing". If i hadn;t looked at nametags, I would not have ever known which ones were RN & which were LPN. So, all you current & future lpns.....we are needed & appreciated!!!!!

I am having a difficult time finding a job too.

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Specializes in Acute Rehab, LTC.

I didn't think LPNs could hang blood products at all....

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Hmmm, I'm not sure how to respond to that, but that's certainly a skewed perception.

This is kind of an interesting comment. My sister is a colon CA survivor. At the time of her intial dx and surgery she was living in NYC. We were speaking just a couple of days ago about her hospital experience, and from her perspective as a patient, she felt she saw the LPN's regularly and only the RN's when there was a problem or a certain med that needed to be given.

Where I live, our larger hospitals are phasing out LPN's (in fact there is a hiring freeze due to the economy), so the pts would rarely even have an LPN taking care of them.

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Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.

I also live in New York. The hospitals in my area (Queens) have still be using LPNs, but are limiting them to work certain areas such as post partum, med-surg, IV nurses, clinics. In fact, I obtained my license in 2006 and am working in a hospital clinic, but also do per diem on the floors.

The scope of practice issues don't disturb me, really. I prefer the more predictable or mundane (to others, anyhow) than the adrenaline rush. I enjoy giving meds, hanging IVs, dressings, etc... doesn't bother me at all.

I do believe that the role of LPNs may shift totally away from hospitals at some point. Hopefully, I'll have fair warning and I'll do something else. I love being an LPN. Those that feel I am not a real nurse, well...that is their issue, not mine. I am determined enough to make my license work for me and thus far, once I showed my competence, I have not experienced too many people disrespecting what I do.

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Specializes in EMS, ER, GI, PCU/Telemetry.
I also live in New York. The hospitals in my area (Queens) have still be using LPNs, but are limiting them to work certain areas such as post partum, med-surg, IV nurses, clinics. In fact, I obtained my license in 2006 and am working in a hospital clinic, but also do per diem on the floors.

The scope of practice issues don't disturb me, really. I prefer the more predictable or mundane (to others, anyhow) than the adrenaline rush. I enjoy giving meds, hanging IVs, dressings, etc... doesn't bother me at all.

I do believe that the role of LPNs may shift totally away from hospitals at some point. Hopefully, I'll have fair warning and I'll do something else. I love being an LPN. Those that feel I am not a real nurse, well...that is their issue, not mine. I am determined enough to make my license work for me and thus far, once I showed my competence, I have not experienced too many people disrespecting what I do.

you're awesome, deva. :yeah:

i had a patient the other day that one of the other nurses asked me to get an IV on that she couldn't get. i walked in and just said "hi, i'm allison, i'm going to start your IV for you." she said "are you a real nurse?" to which i replied, "yes." so, then she started just hammering me upon walking in the room that she was a RN and couldn't believe that her nurse for the night was a LPN and that LPN's had no place in health care at all because they're not real nurses and are worthless as evidenced by her nurse blowing her IV and blah blah blah blah blah. i smiled and nodded, started the IV and gathered up my stuff. when i was leaving, she said "thanks, i hardly felt that! what was your name again so i can ask for you next time?".... so i flipped my badge around (which says ALLISON B., NREMT-P, LPN) and handed it to her to look at.

you should have seen her face....

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Allison - thats a great story! Good for you. :yeah:

I believe that all of us have a place in healthcare, LPN, RN whatever, and our certifications aren't as important as much as our willingness to work together to provide good patient care.

Just to clarify, my sister the colon CA survivor, had NO trouble having LPN's caring for her. She thought they were great because they were attentive, whereas the RN seemed to be preoccupied with other things.

I wish they hired LPNs at the hospitals here - I love acute care. LTC.... well I guess I will find out as time goes on!

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Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.
you're awesome, deva. :yeah:

i had a patient the other day that one of the other nurses asked me to get an IV on that she couldn't get. i walked in and just said "hi, i'm allison, i'm going to start your IV for you." she said "are you a real nurse?" to which i replied, "yes." so, then she started just hammering me upon walking in the room that she was a RN and couldn't believe that her nurse for the night was a LPN and that LPN's had no place in health care at all because they're not real nurses and are worthless as evidenced by her nurse blowing her IV and blah blah blah blah blah. i smiled and nodded, started the IV and gathered up my stuff. when i was leaving, she said "thanks, i hardly felt that! what was your name again so i can ask for you next time?".... so i flipped my badge around (which says ALLISON B., NREMT-P, LPN) and handed it to her to look at.

you should have seen her face....

:up::bow::chuckle Priceless...simply priceless. And, you are a helluvah gal yourself, my friend...:smokin::coollook:

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