Are LPN's not treated as well as they should be?: Law student who wants to LPN

Purple_roses · May 23, 2015

I'm going to be very honest with you: there ARE people who look down on LPNs (and not rightfully so). There are also people who look down on me for doing an ADN-RN program instead of the BSN-RN. Bottom line, do what you want to do. If your desire is to work with the elderly, LPN could be a great option; LPNs have a harder time getting hospital jobs, but a much easier time getting nursing home jobs. Research programs in your area and make sure that your state and the nursing homes in your area truly are hiring LPNs. RNs also work in nursing homes, so you could always continue your education after earning your LPN licensure if you so choose.

bnursebutJD_ugh · May 23, 2015

Awesome. Thank you for not sugar coating anything.

To be honest as long as I am not doing law I should be okay.I will start this journey one step at a time.

I appreciate your input Purple_roses. :) Thanks.

Purple_roses · May 23, 2015

Awesome. Thank you for not sugar coating anything.
To be honest as long as I am not doing law I should be okay.I will start this journey one step at a time.
I appreciate your input Purple_roses. :) Thanks.

Good luck with everything!

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · May 23, 2015

I would create a niche out of this. Attorneys with nursing experience are marketable in the US, especially to represent nurses who need defense when appearing before the state board of nursing for formal complaints against their nursing licensure.

Attorneys with an LPN or RN license and bedside nursing experience are in demand. I would explore this avenue of law practice if I were you.

bnursebutJD_ugh · May 23, 2015

Sounds like a reasonable choice as well TheCommuter.

I have been in the law school for two years (finishing up with summer classes) and will enter into my 3L year with absolutely no sense of direction or specialty that I would like to do. The farthest that I've gotten through within the health arena was in doing some Public Health courses and working with a couple of social workers. This could be another potential avenue and I will also look into this arena to see what it entails.

I will however start my journey through obtaining this LPN license and paying off these scary loans. I've always been a hands on person anyway. Would be a breath of fresh air to get up and help others and not sit down and write legal memos all day.

middleagednurse · May 24, 2015

It will take you a LONG time to pay off 100,000 of loans on an LPN salary.

Lmomma · May 24, 2015

I am in LPN school and will be graduating in 25 days (YAY). I will NOT be going for my RN. I am 40 years old, married, with 2 special needs children. I have no desire to spend another 2 to 4 years in full time school,nor do I wish to spend the money it would take. I can make a good wage and do work that I like as an LPN. I can tell you if you want to work in Long Term Care with the elderly, LPN is the way to go. You will be respected as a nurse, because the vast majority of nurses who work LTC are LPNs. There are a few RNs but they are not considered any "higher" than LPNs. Good luck to you!

bnursebutJD_ugh · May 24, 2015

middleaged nurse. I understand.

I don't want to be trapped writing legal memos. I may have to find a part time job doing legal work, while going to school. That may be where I will have to start. I cannot do this forever. I can't stand it. I was never the kind to say. I want to go to law school and make big money. I have no desire to be rich. I want to be able to pay bills while enjoying the jobs that I like. I don't like this profession (law) and I cry almost all the time knowing I'm stuck with it.

bnursebutJD_ugh · May 24, 2015

Congratulations Lmomma!

I'm so proud you. Please can you let me know what it took to get in? Did you have to take any prerequisites courses? My mom is an RN nurse also and I asked her about the LPN thing she said that where she worked, they all respected LPNs and I do too. I have no idea where some of these LPN's are working where the RN's are giving them a hard time like that.

What did you do while you were in school?

Thanks

armychris · May 24, 2015

I'd say it has more to do with where you work than your certification. Some NP's aren't treated very well in their practice. I know as an ER Tech at my hospital I am treated extremely well. If I were to work at our sister hospital 20 minutes away, techs are treated like crap. Guess which hospital retains ER techs for more than a year?

I'd attribute why some LPN's get little to no respect to why paralegals rarely get respect as well. Having a good one is invaluable, but people will always look down upon someone who has a lesser/different certification than their own. RN's have felt for years that physicians look down on them, etc.

Good luck to you! I'd certainly look to shadowing different levels of nursing. At least in my state, many LTC facilities have a NP as a medical director.

bluegeegoo2, LPN · May 25, 2015

I am a LVN and make a little over 50k/yr working in LTC and I LOVE IT. I absolutely adore this population and can't imagine working for any other group of people regardless of income. That being said, enjoying your job means so much more than merely showing up for a paycheck. I have a truly rewarding job that I love working with people that I love. It really can't get any better than this. :)

As far as naysayer's are concerned about LVN's, I pay them no attention. I have to live with me and at the end of the day, I have no regrets about being a LVN and feel no obligation to defend my choice of education. I'm good with me and that's what matters.

I truly hope you can find fulfillment in your future. You seem motivated to do so, and have no doubt you'll get there. (Even if getting there is the "scenic route.")