As an LPN, I can't help but feel like I'm not a "real nurse"

Mintezia · May 7, 2020

These responses were great!

I became an LPN because I was fortunate enough to get into the Job Corps program. I got in very easily. A lot of people spent months to a year waiting to get in whereas there was maybe 2 weeks between the end of my CNA program and start of LPN.

I never had to work as an LPN because I lived on campus. Everything was provided for free--books, clothing, ATI, a Sanders test prep, transportation to and from clinicals, food and shelter. It was an extremely miserable experience. I got crap from CNA students and other trades for pursing LPN. Maybe they were jealous because it was hard to get in and even harder to stay in. I was on the verge of failing out the entire year I was in. But the first one with an active license.

I dropped out of college years earlier so an RN program would not have been better for me in the beginning. I didn't occur any additional debt either.

I do hesitate to get a BSN because home care works out a lot and I'm not sure I'm cut out for a facility. I'm pretty introverted but I don't regret getting my LPN because it is a good living for me. The last LTC I've been to was a nightmare and had a ratio of 1:40.

If I were to go back for my RN I am certain everything would be an expanded review for me. I graduated in 2018 but I still remember virtually everything I was taught. I am also really comfortable with vents and g tube so I'm sure I could handle those patients at least.

cree0165, LPN, LVN · May 7, 2020

Hi there. I'm a 10 year LPN in the state of MS. From my experience, a nurse is a nurse around here. If people know you're a nurse, they'll tell you their entire health history (it gets annoying sometimes), followed by the questions "So, what do you think is wrong with me??? and should I see a doc?" :-)

I feel you and your situation though. I can relate. Just knowing that RN's are favored more in certain facilities can be challenging to overcome. Especially when you know you'd be an excellent RN yourself! While I have zero desire to work at a hospital, there are some other areas and specialties I'd like to try and guess what? They want an RN. Sigh. What makes the difference for me though is going to work (I work in LTC too) and feeling like my knowledge and skills are valuable to my employer. That could make a world of difference sometimes!

We are LPN's. We are valuable already. But the sky is the limit! And as RN's we could go above and beyond. Ask yourself what you really want out of your career and if an RN license is in there, go for it! And this would probably be a very good time for us to do so. I've been looking into some online programs myself lately. Good luck and best wishes in your career!

guest1143647 · May 8, 2020

On 5/6/2020 at 2:01 PM, Mintezia said:
This is really not a good response. Feel free to ignore this person.
LPNs are highly valuable. There are a ton of ads for LPN positions. I had no trouble finding work as an LPN. Home care agencies rely heavily on LPNs and could not exist without us. There are also clinics, rural hospitals, emergency rooms in certain states (NC and TX), certain mental hospitals, jails and schools that all need LPNs besides your SNFs. Certain states are letting LPNs do IVs and blood draws as well.
I make really good money for an LPN in home health. I get to choose my hours, who I want to work with and am never mandated overtime.
If anyone has been paying attention to the news RN programs have been disrupted. It may not be possible that they are going to be open for enrollment until next year. There are a ton of current students who will have priority in finishing up their program.
I have seen ads asking for LPNs help in Covid response teams. My clients and their families do not care that I'm an LPN. Mostly the only people who care about titles tend to be insecure RNs who weren't taught any better. Places are currently having trouble finding RNs which is why you see them being brought back into emergemcy rooms and even hospitals. An LPN is a good way to make a living with a relatively short school time and you are generally making more than most college grads (this was true in my case). In my field of work I have gotten lots of vent, trach and g tube experience. In this line of work you also have lots of autonomy.
Should you want to go back for RN you'll have a leg up over most of the other students, not to mention you are less likely to need student loans to fund your education. I wish you the best of luck!

That poster was not being snarky. She was honest.

What is happening in my area is that BSN nurses are in the hospitals. LTC facilities only ant Rns in my area now.

BTW,just because someone can start IV's does not mean anything.

A Cna can start an IV too. Hospitals do not even require nurses know how to start them. They have IV teams for that.

Guest757854 · May 8, 2020

On 5/6/2020 at 4:32 AM, caliotter3 said:
Well, the solution is to become an RN. Do it now while you are young or you can face a career of feeling “lesser than” at a lesser rate of pay. There are so many more ads for RN positions over LPN/LVN positions on the employment websites. That alone should be enough incentive.

^^THIS! Best response here!

NotMyProblem MSN, ASN, BSN, MSN, LPN, RN · May 8, 2020

The real issue is the ability to respond (or not) to those individuals with preconceived notions about your chosen profession. Here are a few possible comebacks:

1. Q: Hey, why don’t you get your RN? A: Why don’t you?

2. Q: Do you know RNs get paid more? A: Do you know that it’s not what you make, but what you ‘do’ with what you make?

3. Q: Why don’t you go work in a hospital? A: Who’s going to take care of your grandma?

4. Q: (from the doctors in the family) Why aren’t you what we want you to be? A: Why aren’t you President?

Right or wrong, there’s an answer to every question. But your main one should be that it’s your life, your career, and your choice. In other words, it’s not their concern.

For the record, I was an LPN for 24 years. The economic crash of 2008 is was forced me to go back. I can relate to portions of your and everyone else’s opinion on this thread. There will always be something less appealing to a layperson and even amongst nurses themselves. There’s the med/surg vs ICU vs ER vs whatever-area nurses against each other even within the confines of the hospitals. And let’s not forget the staff nurse vs the agency or float nurse.

Bottom line: It doesn’t matter. Be who or what you want to be. Carry on and leave them scratching their heads.?

phil4_13, LPN · May 9, 2020

Don't you ever let anyone make you think that being an LPN somehow makes you a lesser nurse - because that simply isn't true. A nurse is a nurse is a nurse. We may have different scopes of practice between the license levels, but that does not negate the fact that the "N" in LPN and the "N" in RN both stand for "NURSE." And don't let yourself feel inferior to hospital nurses - there are more fields than just SNF and hospital for nurses. The general public, and many hospital nurses, simply have blinders on when it comes to all we can do. Their loss.

I am a proud LPN, and have been for 8 years. In a week, I will be a graduate RN, and plan to pass NCLEX-RN by end of Summer (would be sooner, but there are so many restrictions on testing sites right now). We are all nurses. We just have different types of strengths - the main one being that we have the power and ability to help people heal. You do you, hon, and help the ppl in your SNF to heal, day by day. It takes a special type of person to be able to stay in that field, and I commend you.

Nurselexii · May 9, 2020

On 5/5/2020 at 10:54 PM, SlowlyButSurely said:
Hi All,
I've been an LPN for about 3 years and I work in LTC. Whenever the topic of my job comes up I can't help but notice that people are disappointed in my response. First I'm an LPN and not an RN and then I work in LTC and not a hospital ... Anyone else? How do you deal with it?
Thanks!

Dear Lovely pratical nurse, you are definitely a real nurse, if its any consolation human nature sometimes airs on the side of judgement, even MD’s argue their degree is superior to DO’s . LTC is great I found for me personally that the geriatric population is the best population for me to work with. Your LTC residents see you as their real nurse for sure. If possible ignore those who may be blinded by titles, and also know that even if you had MD, PHD, RN ,CCRN, #Diety behind your name, there would be someone with something silly to say about it ?

MikeMSN-RN, MSN, LVN, RN · May 9, 2020

I can relate to what you mentioned. I was an LVN for 5 years myself. I know the title doesn't matter because I have worked with MANY LVNs who are way better than RNs. However, some (other nurses or patients) just judge you based on your title.
Some families told me directly they wanted only RNs. Negative comments about my title didn't bother me much because I was proud of what I did for patients and also I loved my hospice LVN job.
I pursued my RN because I strongly felt the need (and also a limitation); I had to be a case manager so I could get involved with patients more deeply and closely. I also hoped that I'd be a more competent and knowledgable nurse once I became an RN.

It doesn't matter if you're an LVM or an RN; you're a "nurse" after all.

Happy Nurse Week, everyone!

Siriusly29 · May 9, 2020

I was an LPN for four years when I started to feel this way. I have just completed my LPN-RN bridge program, and let me just say, this feeling doesn’t really go away. You become an RN and still feel like this because it’s now a popular thought that BSNs are real RNs and ADNs are not (that is NOT what I believe, just what I’ve heard being said). When you get your BSN, there will likely be a time when you won’t feel like a real nurse until you have your MSN, then DNP, and so on. We are ALL valuable. If it does bother you, I would encourage you to go on with school. However, as someone else said, the N in LPN and RN both stand for NURSE?

NotFlo · May 9, 2020

I get it. I've been an LPN for 13 years or so now. I always wanted to go back and become an RN, but life interfered and it never happened for me. I am currently satisfied in my role. Would still like to go back but I'm getting older and not sure if it's worth it at this point. I admit if people ask me I always encourage them to just get their RN if at all possible, and BSN preferably, instead of messing around with LPN-ADN-BSN (not that there is anything wrong with being an LPN or ADN, just if they know they want to be an RN I feel like they are better off going straight for BSN).

I've heard and felt it all - Low Paid Nurse, Let's Pretend Nurse, etc. I did hard time in a SNF for many years and knew that facility and that setting backwards and forwards, and did pretty much everything (my state limits what RNs can do in SNF so much that I could pretty much do everything the RNs could). Luckily, with rare exception, I always worked with a great team and we learned from and respected each other. I've been lucky enough to work with a lot of great nurses, from LPNs and RNs, and with RNs who didn't make me feel less than.

**CommunityRNBSN, BSN, RN** · May 10, 2020

Take some time to think about what you really want to do. Because the reality is, you’ll never feel “enough” approval from other people. I’ve had children ask me if I’m a nurse because it was too hard to become a doctor. I’ve had other nurses imply that because I work outpatient, I’m somehow not “really” practicing nursing. Psychiatric nurses get told that they barely count because their patients don’t have assorted tubes to tend to. So basically, if you want to be an RN, then become one, it’s a great field! But if you’re hoping that an RN license will make you win people’s approval, you’ll probably find yourself disappointed. No matter what you do in life, people gonna have opinions!

BSN-to-MSN, ADN, BSN, RN · May 10, 2020

Work towards the RN.

If you don't feel like a "real nurse", then you are not a real nurse.

It is in your head.