or do you say you're an LPN when talking to people? Is it common to make a distinction? I know I have friends who say "I'm and RN" when people ask what they do for a living, but it is standard to distinguish between the two, or do most people just say "I'm a nurse"?
When I start LPN school in August, will I say "I'm in nursing school" or does that imply I'm in RN school?
Sorry, probably a dumb question but I just wondered what is normal.
I am in Nursing School.......to become a nurse. I will gladly tell anyone that I will be a LPN if they ask.
Funny thing about my school, all of our books are the same used for the RN program. So I will be all set when I return to become a RN.
A nurse is a nurse to me regardless of being a LPN or RN.
All of our texts are used by RN schools as well. Our instructors give us specific pages of chapters to read though. I have read ahead to other pages/chapters and there is definately more complicated stuff in there that we are not instructed on. Especially in my med/surg text. I will be keeping most of my texts though and reading through procedures and theory that we were not instructed, mostly for my own knowledge.
I am a LPN in home health I see up to 7 patients a day, I am Not a case manager(RNs do that) I am a nurse! I intend to pursue my RN after 13 years as a LPN I will continue to be a NURSE. I work with a girl in my office(she is not a nurse) who said her family (a long line of RNs) told her that LPN are "practically nurses" and I called her on it. I am proud of my accomplishments as a LPN, I believe I will be equally proud of my RN accomplishments. I am a nurse and introduce myself as one, I will further identify myself as a LPN if needed for clarification.
I am proud to be a nurse. An Lpn. I do not imply that i have taken course " like in RN school" and I do not imply that " I do just about everything an RN does". What I do is important. I am a nurse. The "N" behind my initials stands for nurse. I thank god that I have an RN working with me, and I thank god I have a CNA working with me. We are a team. We all need each other to do what is best for out residents. It is not a competiton, it is a team. Yes, I went to nursing school, yes, I am a nurse. I have no desire to ever contract a case of horrible "RN- itis" or "nurse-itis". I am a team player, and I am proud of it.
:yelclap::up::yelclap: Two thumbs up for a great attitude. I bet the RN and CNA love working with you and your patients appreciate your teamwork. Attitude is very important in this profession!!
anyways, first off, i must say sorry to dgood for stating that you made a fool of yourself. i understand that your going to school to learn about your scope of practice and not mine(lvn/lpn). the truth is, in nursing/healthcare there is always tension, whether it be ma vs lvn, lvn vs adn, adn vs bsn, then np vs pa. i think the best way to ease this tension is through education and collaboration. to ultilize and take advantage of each others strengths. soooo... sorry dgood, and good luck in school.
anyways, i said i was gonna try that one line and i did. i had a patient this weekend and she asked me what i am, i said i was a nurse and she asked "what kind." i stated that i am the kind you'd want in an emergency. she and both chuckled and i told her that i was her lvn for the night and she was okay with that.
just thought i should share that since i thought about this post as soon as she asked me what kind of nurse i was.
If asked what my background education was in Nursing I say LPN. Some people I have met do not realize LPN's are Nurses as well as RN's are. Our LPN instructors, use to say we learn all the same stuff as the RN's do, in one year vs 2 years (based on Associates degree program) for RN's. RN's get more time with each area they learn. Plus their degree. What angers me is nurse aids, medical assistants and some who did not get any training, waltz in to work for a Dr and call themselves Nurses. I know, that's another topic sorry...
Specializes in Med/surg,orthopedics,emergency room,.
You know, it was this kind of mentality that will ALWAYS hurt us as a group. There are ALWAYS going to be people,( even within us) I am not ashamed that I am an LPN, because I'm a GOOD NURSE. When I identify myself, I am a NURSE. If people want to know which one, I say I am an LPN. NOW the next question is always, " Oh, you should go back to school for your RN at least you get paid more money, and you'll be a good nurse then. What is my reply? Usually I smile, and tell them whether I have 2 or 3 letter after me name doesn't make me a better nurse, and I never became a nurse for the money. Besides, I really like seeing peoples' faces when I tell them I am an LPN with a Bachelor's Degree! People will be people. It's just a matter of how they display their ignorance. and when I say ignorance, I'm not calling anyone names, I'm referring to a lack of knowledge.:icon_roll
Specializes in Med/surg,orthopedics,emergency room,.
WOW! I had to post again after reading a few more comments!! DGOOD, we didn't mean to come off hard, but at least he/she WANTED the knowledge. See, long ago when "we" started as nurses, the distinction was made. In our early years LPNs were just over glorified CNAs, ( not belittling CNAs!!!) It was all a matter of money. If you had it you went 4 years, if you didn't you went 2. THEN the big wave of how all RNs should have their BSN. well what will be next? I think that nursing has come such a long way, but in many aspects we have stepped back in those early years. I have done more and seem more RNs, but I contribute that to experience, and whenever I can pass on what I've learned, and that's what it's all about. And yes, sometimes we "bite our young" but it should always be done with it being a learning experience. Some people DO get this "holier than thou" attitude, you just have to chalk it up to inexperience and lack of knowledge. I am an LPN,( with a BS degree) and I am proud of what I do, as we should all be.:yeah:
Generally, I say I am a nurse. I teach LPN and CNA students and wearing our name tags with our role plain to see is a state DOH requirement. Then I say RN Instructor. I tell my class, that usually, when a pt. puts their call bell on, they just say they need their nurse, and are grateful when SOMEONE, ANYONE answers it. Frankly, I haven't been asked, (yet ) I need to see my master's prepared, teacher certified, ACLS credentialed, and not too tired from the previous shift of mandated overtime, nurse.LOL:yeah:
I am an RN and before that I was an LPN and before that I was a CNA. I refer to my title depending on how I feel at that moment. I may say "I'm a nurse" or I may say "I'm an RN". There is a distinction in the two titles and job responsibilities. LPNs do not "have virtually the same role" as RNs. I will say I'm an RN because I worked VERY HARD to obtain that title - I went through many hurdles and obtained a long-awaited goal. I am proud of MY accomplishment (not to say becoming an LPN is not an accomplishment, because it is for you as it was for me). People are entitled to their own opinions and they are entitled to use whatever distinction they choose for their title. But please realize that while LPN/LVN nurses are in fact nurses your roles are very different than the RN's.
...I have to say that I am totally outraged that someone would actually say that to mention I am a NURSE is misleading! Does this mean that the BSN, MSN and Advanced Practice nurses can say to an Associate Degree RN that she is not really a nurse? NO, they CANNOT... it does mean that their education and scope of practice is advanced, yes, but they all sat through NCLEX-RN...
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A BSN prepared RN does have a "higher" degree than an ADN RN, however their jobs are exactly the same. There is no difference in their scope of practice in any job. The ONLY thing a BSN does for an RN is allow that nurse to have a few more open doors in their career - and that is purely dependent on what the facility is going to allow. An MSN does however give an RN a different scope of practice if they earn their MSN in a specialized field such as Nurse Anesthesia or Nurse Practitioner or Nurse Midwife, etc. I earned my ADN first and immediately followed it with my BSN. And I am educated on the subject.
:up::yelclap: Two thumbs up for a great attitude. I bet the RN and CNA love working with you and your patients appreciate your teamwork. Attitude is very important in this profession!!
:yeah:
) I need to see my master's prepared, teacher certified, ACLS credentialed, and not too tired from the previous shift of mandated overtime, nurse.LOL:yeah:
OgopogoLPN, LPN, RN
585 Posts
All of our texts are used by RN schools as well. Our instructors give us specific pages of chapters to read though. I have read ahead to other pages/chapters and there is definately more complicated stuff in there that we are not instructed on. Especially in my med/surg text. I will be keeping most of my texts though and reading through procedures and theory that we were not instructed, mostly for my own knowledge.