devalued team members

[laughingrose]

i have been an lpn for 38 years, having gone to a old time hospital program. I have worked in numerous areas, as a floor nurse, med nurse, charge nurse, treatment nurse, and an office nurse. i started my career as an icu nurse, then went to a large hospital as a burn unit nurse. after the birth of my last child i returned to find out i was pushed out of the unit as lpns would no longer be there- i would be in the float pool but was told i would float to the units all the time but would lose my specialty pay and would still need to attend icu classes. that was thirty years ago and we have been loosing ground ever since. it may be unpopular to say, but the quality of the graduates and depth of knowledge from the adult education centers that replaced the hospital schools has been the death knell to our profession and our place, as the bedside nurse. i can hold on for another few years but then when i say i spent my life as an lpn, it will mean so much less then the nurse i have been.

[ChristinP]

Hospital Schools/ Diploma nurses are a dying breed. It's a shame because I've met so many wonderful nurses who graduated from these programs.

[Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN]

:hug:...the same for RN's who have a diploma from a hospital based programs and Associates degree. It's sad we are going to lose these valuable professionals. I don't know what I would have done with the LPN who taught this ASN degree grad how to be a good nurse.

Thanks once again Louise Geyhart LPN :kiss for believing me worthy as a 19 yo fresh naive new grad (RIP).

[SHGR, MSN, RN, CNS]

Can I just say, I just got back from seeing a new specialist, and the LPN that roomed me, did all kinds of testing, taught me how to use the new meds, gave me samples and when she couldn't find a discount card promised to mail it to me, was a very valued part of the team. The doc told me how much she appreciated her too. The LPN made a stressful visit much less so. (How many times do you leave the office thinking, I hope they send a Press Ganey.)

[Midwest4me]

Awww, Laughingrose, I SO understand the melancholy in your post. I have been a nurse for 27 years and though I did not attend the diploma program, I hear what you're saying. It's sad that the many hats we older LPNs wore way back then are not recognized by today's management.

For Hey_suz: what a refreshing post on your experience with the LPN who roomed you at your specialist's office! We SO SELDOM read such stories! I LOVED office nursing and felt I was good at it....but worked in that specialty just a year before I had to leave for "financially greener" pastures. I have never been happier than when I did the office nursing; so glad you had a good experience.