Are LPN's/LVN's real nurses?

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Here is a question I have been pondering. Is someone who has their license as a LPN/LVN considered to be a real nurse? How do most Helthcare professionals view LPN/LVN? When I get my LVN license will I be a nurse?

I know it says nurse in the title... licensed vocational nurse..... but are you considered by your colleagues to be a nurse? Does hospital administration consider the LPN/LVN to be a nurse? When you go out in public and someone asks what you are, do you say your're a nurse? Or do you say your an LPN/LVN?

Just thought I'd get it straight from the horses mouth :)

I'm attending school right now where they have a LVN program and I am so excited about it. Everyone in my class is striving to get into the program next year. But I keep hearing my mother say about someone else..... "Oh shes just a PRACTICAL nurse." As if the job the woman was doing wasn't important. :o

Thanks for any replies. You know how hard it is to get those repeating mother tapes out of your head. :chuckle

Glad I am not living in California working as a LPN/LVN........

It seems the state doesnt think "we" are good enough to work in a hospital:crying2:

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We don't have ANY RNs at the clinic I am employed at, just LPNs and MAs. So I don't get any flak from other staff about being a 'real' nurse or not. But I do get some flak from patients. Usually it's patients who are RN's. They'll call with questions about upcoming procedures or medications, etc, and will question EVERYTHING I tell them. They think that I couldn't possibly know what the heck I am talking about, never mind the fact that I've been working with my doc for over a year and a half, and am relaying HIS orders to the patients, not my own.

For the most part, the other couple hundred people I interact with in a month's time don't seem to have any problems with my lowly LPN-ness.

I definately consider myself a real nurse.

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We don't have ANY RNs at the clinic I am employed at, just LPNs and MAs. So I don't get any flak from other staff about being a 'real' nurse or not. But I do get some flak from patients. Usually it's patients who are RN's. They'll call with questions about upcoming procedures or medications, etc, and will question EVERYTHING I tell them. They think that I couldn't possibly know what the heck I am talking about, never mind the fact that I've been working with my doc for over a year and a half, and am relaying HIS orders to the patients, not my own.

For the most part, the other couple hundred people I interact with in a month's time don't seem to have any problems with my lowly LPN-ness.

I definately consider myself a real nurse.

I get patients and family members who throw the "I'm a nurse" thing around too whether RN or LPN.

If they feel the need to volunteer this info to me in an attempt to intimidate me or be controlling, I always ask what kind of nursing they do.

Just because you're a nurse, even one with more experience or degrees than me, doesn't necessarily mean that you know anything more than the basics about whatever area I'm treating you or your loved one at.

I've had visitors who are nurses that have never done anything outside of Med/Surg trying to tell me how to wean a patient off the vent and question my titrating drips.

They've had maybe a few days clinical rotation in ICU in school but they now suddenly know more than an ICU nurse.

It makes me wonder how many of these RN's who question your knowledge and ability in the outpatient clinic setting have any experience themselves in outpatient nursing?

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Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.
It makes me wonder how many of these RN's who question your knowledge and ability in the outpatient clinic setting have any experience themselves in outpatient nursing?

That's why i think some of this flack comes from insecure people.

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From reading this thread I take it there is no difference between an LPN and an RN.

I guess it follows that the same applies to EMT vs Paramedics, PA, NP vs MD, DO.

In these days of budget concerns and health care it would make sense then to u se LPN's not RN's, NP's not MD's and EMT's not Paramedics ...:smackingf

And all the time and money spent in education what a waste, they seem to not count for much in the real world of health care. How sad....

:deadhorse

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Whats to blame here are the "antiquated and out dated nurse practice acts". Do you really think that I, as an LPN, could not read the numbers on a bag of blood and compare it to tha patient and then hang it with a bag of saline and monitor the patients tolerance to said infusion? Or do you think I am incapable of pushing IV Solumedrol an at mg/min? There are no tricks to any of that stuff its just that the practice acts "offer a form of protection" to the RN's. These acts were drawn up in days of old when nurses really had to know how to mix drugs on the floor and when transfusions were not as common place as they are today. If you have a shred of intelligence and pay attention to what you are doing then LPN's could do all these things too. I have only worked in acute care since graduating in 2004 and have seen a lot of different things in my time on the floor and to be honest I havent seen one thing that an RN does that I could not do if I was legally able to do it. It takes no special skill to flush a central line or Heparinize a medi-port but because of the way the laws are written we cant do it. I'll tell you one thing If I was able to take the RN Nclex right now I have absolutely no doubt that I would pass with flying colors. Of course I wouldnt be able to talk about such pertinent subjects such as : The history of western civilization or Religious Persons like an Assoc RN which must be why there is such a difference in perception by everyone. Stop beating yourselves up and be proud of what you do after all your license says "Nurse" and that is the only thing you have to worry about......

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From reading this thread I take it there is no difference between an LPN and an RN.

I guess it follows that the same applies to EMT vs Paramedics, PA, NP vs MD, DO.

In these days of budget concerns and health care it would make sense then to u se LPN's not RN's, NP's not MD's and EMT's not Paramedics ...:smackingf

And all the time and money spent in education what a waste, they seem to not count for much in the real world of health care. How sad....

:deadhorse

Well, there are some things that an RN does that an LPN doesn't, at least in the hospital I work in. LPN's can't push narcotics, and they must have an RN take or sign off on their telephone orders, and I'm sure that there are some other things, but we LOVE our LPN's and they are a valuable part of our staff! As far as EMT vs. paramedics, I am an EMT-B, and there are a LOT of things that we cannot do that a paramedic can! We can't start IV's, intubate, give most medications (all we can give is NTG, and we can assist patients in giving their own prescriptions of epinephrine and inhalers, and maybe an aspirin for chest pain, r/o MI.), and we can't do advanced care such as crichotomies or tracheotomies. But we can do the standard trauma and medical care, so that the paramedics can take care of the major care, so both are valuable and needed!!!! (EMT-I's can do a few more things than EMT-B's, but paramedics are the highest trained.)

Terre

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Well, there are some things that an RN does that an LPN doesn't, at least in the hospital I work in. LPN's can't push narcotics, and they must have an RN take or sign off on their telephone orders, and I'm sure that there are some other things, but we LOVE our LPN's and they are a valuable part of our staff! As far as EMT vs. paramedics, I am an EMT-B, and there are a LOT of things that we cannot do that a paramedic can! We can't start IV's, intubate, give most medications (all we can give is NTG, and we can assist patients in giving their own prescriptions of epinephrine and inhalers, and maybe an aspirin for chest pain, r/o MI.), and we can't do advanced care such as crichotomies or tracheotomies. But we can do the standard trauma and medical care, so that the paramedics can take care of the major care, so both are valuable and needed!!!! (EMT-I's can do a few more things than EMT-B's, but paramedics are the highest trained.)

Terre

"Can't" do something such as pushing narcs and not being legally allowed to do something are two completely different things.

The practice acts need the cobwebs cleared and be updated.

LPN's are capable of doing far more than give Tylenol and insert foleys.

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Specializes in Transplant, homecare, hospice.

I know I've responded to this post somewhere along the line. If I haven't responded to this thread or even if I have....here goes...again...I feel pretty strong about this..A co-worker and I were talking about this 2 nights ago...

When I was in RN school, I shadowed an LPN at one of the hospitals we were at. She was soooo good and I learned sooo much. Her clinical skills put all the RNs to shame. We just clicked and I couldn't wait to work with her again. I would always request her. Finally in our transition class, my instructor pulled me aside and said, "I know you like her, but you will be an RN and you can't have an LPN transition you."

I understood, but I was disappointed. I owe a lot to her. She was awesome. She helped with feeling more comfortable with the patients as well.

My co-worker was saying that most LPNs have awesome clinical techniques!

In RN school....we were rushed through a lot of clinical things....I think LPNs are awesome...

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unfortunately the trauma center in n.j. where i work has "reclassified" our lpn,s as pca2,s.this means they give meds but the management has taken the stance that they want all bedside practioners to be r.n;s.a pca2 is demoralizing to our hard working practical nurses.however i think that many lpn;s would agree in the education department an r.n. is required to take more classes,write more papers and do more clinical to earn the title r.n.i;m not saying in my many yrs as an r.n. that i would gladly trade a few of my r.n.,s for my lpn,s!that aside, we are in a day and age where titles seem to undermind actual knoweledge.i;ve worked with both bsn,msn,s and even one working on her phd who value my diploma trained insight more than any professor they have ever had,but the bosses prefer the degree!it stinks!soon just as my beloved lpn,s got reengineered to a different position the diploma nurses will be next......guess i;d better go back to school.....

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"Can't" do something such as pushing narcs and not being legally allowed to do something are two completely different things.

The practice acts need the cobwebs cleared and be updated.

LPN's are capable of doing far more than give Tylenol and insert foleys.

I agree...I know the LPN's I work with are capable of doing the job!!! It's just the hospital "scope of practice" thing that prevents it. Same with me...I am an EMT-B, but work as a health unit coordinator while I go to nursing school. We have had nights where there is only one PCA for the entire unit, and she's running all night, and I'm not busy, but because it's not in my "scope of practice", I can't help with vitals and Accuchecks, even though I am nationally certified to do so! It gets frustrating, because I want to help. But there is nothing I can do about it.

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LPN's are REAL NURSES and don't ever let anyone make you think your not, but boy will they try. I was an LPN for 19 years and finally completed my RN just this year. Thought I would severely hurt those around me that tried to congratulate me with " After all this time your FINALLY a nurse". What the H*ll ya think I been doing for the past 19 years :angryfire . Good luck and go for it

I like your response!!! I went to vocational school at age 16, and graduated & passed boards when I was 18. I have heard many versions of the meaning of LPN..... "Little Pretend Nurse" for one!! No pretending here!! With 5 years under my belt, I am now motivating myself to finish my at home program for my RN....$$$

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