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

[bnursebutJD_ugh]

Hello guys,

I am sorry if the title sounds very ignorant but I really don't know much about nursing (I am not in the program yet).

You see.

Currently I am in the process of finishing law school and i have, since day one HATED having anything to do with law. I wanted to get out but i was practically forced by my parents (and dealing with outside pressures) to stay in this torturous school. Now I'm going to be over $100,000 in debt, I don't have ANY desire to be an attorney, and yet I still have to take this stupid bar exam that I don't want too.

It's kind of hard to really explain why my parents have so much control over me but anyone who is a first generation American with foreign parents will understand this.

To make the long story short, I don't want to be a lawyer. As soon as I'm done with this nonsense school I'm going straight to be a nurse. Right now, I cannot afford to take out anymore loans so I want to do LPN and work. I have done a lot of reading about it, and I think this is for me. I have no desire to work in a hospital setting and would like to work for the elderly.

Is LPN okay? Most LPN's I know want to transfer to RN's but I do not have any desire to do that at all financially and emotionally. I am already drained from law school. I'm now also hearing that LPN's are not getting the respect they deserve from nurses etc. Is this true? Why are all these ppl saying LPN's not nurses when its acronym strictly says so.

Once again please excuse my ignorance. I am not well learned in this field and I really want to know about this.

Please inform me more about what to expect.

I really need a lot of support as I have been so depressed over my law school situation.

[Lmomma]

I did not need to take prereqs but some LPN schools will require them.

In school we have taken Fundamentals in nursing, which teaches you basic nursing info (lab values, what they mean, how to do basic nursing care such as foleys, injections, bed baths, transfers of patients with limited mobility, setting up IVs, etc), We took Pharmacology, where we learned about medication calculations and the different types and routes of meds, A&P, Med Surg, which taught us how to work on a Med Surg floor in a hospital, and Maternity, which I am finishing now. In our clinical sites we have been doing basic patient care (basically CNA work) in addition to medications, wound care, treatments and care planning

It's been awesome, but tough. If you want to work with the elderly, LPN is a perfect job :)

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

[Lmomma]

Oh and Thanks! I forgot to say, in order to get accepted, I needed to take an entrance exam (it was pretty easy actually) and get 3 letters of recommendation. Once I passed the entrance exam I had to schedule an interview with the director of the program. She asked me many questions bout why I wanted to be a nurse and if I had the supports in place to make it thru the program, if I planned on working full time, etc,etc. Good Luck!

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

[pixiestudent2]

How would you pay 100k of loans on LPN salary... ?

While if you absolutely hate Law, I understand why you'd want to get out... But I also would hate eating Ramen till I'm on my death bed.

[fawnmarie, ASN]

I was an LPN for 11 years and I never earned more than $35,000/ year. As far as treatment, when I worked in LTC, I was usually always treated well, because the facility was staffed with mostly LPNs. Therefore, we were presented as professional nurses to the patients and their families. When I left that job to work in a psychiatric hospital, I found a completely different environment. Most of the nurses were RNs, and as an LPN, I found that I didn't get the same level of respect that I had in the nursing home. I ultimately returned to school for my associate's degree in nursing when I grew tired of the low pay and lack of respect.

[figureskating]

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.

I've been an LPN for a while but I'll be honest with you. We don't have as many job options as RNs do. It would save you time and trouble just to go ahead and go for your RN instead of having to go back again to school later.

[Boog'sCRRN246, RN]

I'm assuming since you're already in law school that you have a Bachelor's degree of some sort. Why not do an Accelerated BSN program? I don't have anything against LPNs (I used to be one), but if you're looking to pay off debt, being a RN typically pays more.

[cree0165, LPN, LVN]

I'm an LPN. I work in LTC. And you know what? I LOVE IT. I love caring for the elderly. They are so dear to me. We are very much respected where I work and I have never felt disrespected by anyone (I think they know better) about my job title. I have no desire at the moment to pursue a degree to become a registered nurse and I'm not sure I will ever have the desire. I have found that it really does make life a little easier when you enjoy your work. If law is not where it's at for you, don't do it. If you want to enjoy a very rewarding career caring for others GO FOR IT! I promise it will work out. And above all THINK and SPEAK positively. It helps.