Comment about LPNs made by clinical instructor

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Hello everyone!

Last week, I was attending a post-conference (for clinical) and my clinical instructor was discussing on how one of the LPNs on the unit didn't take out the foley catheter correctly and she made a comment about LPNs. She said something like no offense to LPNs but there are some things that they need to improve on. My mother is a LPN and I know that my clinical instructor didn't know that my mother is a LPN. After she made the comment, I didn't say anything. After I went back home from clinical, I felt sad (and offended of course). My mother is wonderful at her occupation.

:o

What do you think?

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Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.

I would have been offended, because that statement was offensive.. She made an assuming (ignorant) generalization on a whole group.

A good reply would have been "There are plenty of nurses who have plenty of room for improvement", looking straight at her.

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Specializes in Geriatrics, DD, Peri-op.

Of course, I'm biased since I'm an LPN. :chuckle

It's funny that instructor said that. We LPNs in RN school have been kind of intimidating the generic RN students....not that we are trying. I tell them that we have been working in the field for however long and have a broad knowledge background.

My goal in RN school is to show the students that LPNs are not idiots and are a "nurse" in their own right. It always helps to break down barriers and stereotypes. That instructor is ignorant and an embarassment to the nursing profession...I would go out on a limb and say that she is part of the reason there is such animosity between RNs and LPNs.

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Specializes in Nurse Scientist-Research.

I think it would have been great if you had made the comment about "A lot of nurses could use some improvement, my mother, an LPN x ___yrs taught me that". But I know in nursing school it's important to not call attention (particularly negative) upon yourself. I found in my school that generally my clinical instructors were not experts in the field they were teaching. I can only imagine that it's worse nowadays with the shortage of instructors. Don't worry, your real education will start after graduation. I'm sorry, in case you can't tell, I'm really resentful of the quality of education I received and rant about it still 12 yrs later, but that's another topic, for another day. . .

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Yes, it is sad...........very sad that one group of people think they are superior than others.

I've said it many, many times..........I was a LPN prior to RN and I don't think the extra school made me a better nurse. It gave me much more responsibility and more pay.......and yes, I did learn different things, but going throught LPN school was no piece of cake either!!!

I've worked with both LPN and RN who could use more training. I would say that it is about equal on both parts! Just because you an LPN doesn't mean you don't know as much just as being an RN doesn't make you smarter.

Good Luck and don't let bias get you down!!

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I would go out on a limb and say that she is part of the reason there is such animosity between RNs and LPNs.

I agree with this statement.

Breaking down barriers, NOT building barriers, should begin in nursing school.

RN instructors like this will never do anything to help the problem of animosity between RNs and LPNs.

My own boss made a statement once, about the LPN students who come to our facility for rotations......

She said that she was going to try to get RN students to come and stop having the LPN students. She said to me, and I quote, "You just don't realize how much trouble those LPN students are." And me being an LPN .......I just looked at her.

I wish to God I had spoken up and said SOMETHING, but I was so shocked.

Statements like that do not reflect on the ones the statement is made about.....it reflects on the one who MADE the statement.

Just WHAT is it anyway that makes SOME RNs hate us so???

And before I get flamed for making THAT statement, please note I said "SOME" RNs.

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Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.
Statements like that do not reflect on the ones the statement is made about.....it reflects on the one who MADE the statement.

Exactly

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Specializes in Med-Surg.
I agree with this statement.

Breaking down barriers, NOT building barriers, should begin in nursing school.

RN instructors like this will never do anything to help the problem of animosity between RNs and LPNs.

My own boss made a statement once, about the LPN students who come to our facility for rotations......

She said that she was going to try to get RN students to come and stop having the LPN students. She said to me, and I quote, "You just don't realize how much trouble those LPN students are." And me being an LPN .......I just looked at her.

I wish to God I had spoken up and said SOMETHING, but I was so shocked.

Statements like that do not reflect on the ones the statement is made about.....it reflects on the one who MADE the statement.

Just WHAT is it anyway that makes SOME RNs hate us so???

And before I get flamed for making THAT statement, please note I said "SOME" RNs.

LOL, in our school the difference between an LPN and an RN is 6 months... You can't tell me that six months of a college education makes SO much of a difference that I'll be entitled to act oh so superior when I'm done. Please. I'm only just finishing my first year and even I can see my education will only be beginning once I receive my degree.

The real pay difference (and status for that matter) shouldn't be between the LPNs and RNs or the BSNs and ADNs IMO it should be between the new graduates and the seasoned nurses...

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The real pay difference (and status for that matter) shouldn't be between the LPNs and RNs or the BSNs and ADNs IMO it should be between the new graduates and the seasoned nurses...

I believe it should be both. How about rewarding people for education AND experience? Letting new grads earn almost as much as nurses who have been practicing 10, 20, 30 + years is nothing short of ridiculous and is one of my biggest pet peeves about nursing.

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Specializes in Med-Surg.
I believe it should be both. How about rewarding people for education AND experience?

Agreed. I think where I was coming from on that is the idea of a BSN new graduate earning more than an ADN with 10 years of experience. But if you have a pay scale that's graduated based on the amount of time you've been practicing first and then add in an extra amount for extra education, to where the primary compensation is based on experience... I would definitely agree with that. Guess we're getting off topic tho.. Sorry!

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It annoys the heck out of me any time a nursing instructor says negative things about staff. The instructors here seem to be on an "anti-staff" kick right now...allowing students to sit in report while staff stands, telling students which nurses are "good" and which are not, telling staff LPNs what to do and how to do their jobs..."I am an RN and I am telling you to _____." Friday morning, a nursing instructor yelled at a staff nurse for holding a newborn without a cover gown on...the baby was choking and the nursery tech panicked and screamed for a nurse instead of suctioning with the bulb syringe...the nurse just ran in and picked the baby up without taking time to put on the gown. :( We've also has instructors go to our nurse manager when the students don't agree with our assessment! I hate to tell them this, but someone can have clear lung sounds at 0700 and be wheezing at 0800!

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Some people should think before they talk :angryfire I work with 2 LPN'S that are excellent nurses! I would take them over many of the RN'S that work at our hospital. I think RN'S that try to belittle LPN'S are insecure about themselves. Don't let that instuctor dampen your spirits.

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