Even the media doesn't consider us "nurses"?!

txredheadnurse, BSN, RN · Jun 20, 2010

Amen sister.

caliotter3 · Jun 20, 2010

I've seen that before, it always sticks out like a sore thumb to me. I was standing between two people a few days ago when one of the individuals insisted that for a certain situation only an RN would do, an LVN wasn't good enough. I almost made my lip bleed from biting it.

HeartsOpenWide, RN · Jun 20, 2010

Typically lay people call RNs nurses. At least you were mentioned, some people do not even know what an LPN/LVN is. I don't think they were separating you from "nurses" I think they were separating you from RNs...which you are separate; again I think the general public means RN when they say nurse. I doubt they mean any offense.

txredheadnurse, BSN, RN · Jun 20, 2010

Typically lay people call RNs nurses. At least you were mentioned, some people do not even know what an LPN/LVN is. I don't think they were separating you from "nurses" I think they were separating you from RNs...which you are separate; again I think the general public means RN when they say nurse. I doubt they mean any offense.

Regardless of whether or not they mean offense it is still disparaging; still a slap in the face of those of us who work hard to give the best nursing care we can. IMO nurses are simply that....nurses regardless of licensure type. My license does not read licensed vocational nitwit. It reads licensed vocational nurse.

CT Pixie, BSN, RN · Jun 20, 2010

Typically lay people call RNs nurses. At least you were mentioned, some people do not even know what an LPN/LVN is. I don't think they were separating you from "nurses" I think they were separating you from RNs...which you are separate; again I think the general public means RN when they say nurse. I doubt they mean any offense.

I don't believe the news station INTENDED any offense but the sure did cause it for me and many other LPN's, just by wording it the way they did. If they wanted to seperate LPN's from RN's it should read, "LPN's, RN's and other health care workers", or even better," nurses and other health care workers". To say Nurses, LPN's..that IS seperating us from nurses.

What cracks me up is most of the picketing nurses ARE LPN's, most of the RN's employed by these facilities are management, not floor nurses and not part of the strike.

pagandeva2000, LPN · Jun 20, 2010

No matter how you slice it, when the phrase is "Nurses and LPNs", it polarizes the two and makes is somehow appear that LPNs are not nurses, while RNs are. Of course, this is hurtful! I have built a tough exterior, but inside, it is painful. I think that the language has to change. If you want to call us by our proper, licensed titles RNs and LPNs, that is fine, because it is true, but when you say "Nurse and LPN", it implies that somehow, we are less than, and this is not fair.

This goes throughout, from what I see. When they mention 'nurses', they usually mean RNs, the LPN is not really included in the equation. When looking for openings in some facilities, LPNs are not always listed under "Nursing", but under "Allied/Supportive Staff". It is interesting to see that while we work under the auspice of RNs, that we also take a licensing exam to practice as Practical Nurses, we still have to fight to be rightfully considered to be nurses. So many times at work, an RN may say "The LPN has to report this to the Nurse"...and I have even seen in LPN textbooks that we have to report to the Nurse, and I say to myself "What does that make ME?". I am a nurse, also. I remember once, a BSN told me "LPNs aren't nurses", and I said to her that it astounds me that an educated person cannot see that the letter N in LPN does, in fact, stand for Nurse.

I always take the time to educate people to let them know that we are, in fact, legitimate nurses with a different scope of practice, but that it does not mean that we are 'less than'. It simply means that we are responsible for the 'practical' side of nursing-more routine things with predictable outcomes, but that we are also legally responsible for what we neglect to do. While we work under the auspice of the RN, we are legally and morally responsible and accountable to do the right thing. Just because anyone, may it be physician or RN tells us to do something does not make it correct. We have to know when something is not included within our scope of practice, we must be consciensous of what we do and we do not blindly follow incorrect orders.

I can easily see why you would be frustrated with this portrayal of LPNs.

Fiona59 · Jun 21, 2010

Do you have a state regulatory body for LPNs? I know that lately whenever LPNs have been getting little respect in the media, my provincial college (our version of your board of nurses) has been on a letter writing campaign and has done tv and radio interviews pointing out that we are indeed nurses with an emphasis on direct, hands on patient care.

ohmeowzer RN, RN · Jun 21, 2010

Shows you how little the media knows about health care.. i would write the person that wrote that article and educate him.. you are a nurse .. grrrrrrrrrr makes me mad !!

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Jun 21, 2010

:mad:Just read a headline for a local news station regarding an on going strike at a few LTC facilities here in CT.

It might be time to write or send emails to this local news station with your tirade to teach them a much-needed lesson. Hopefully, if they hear enough complaints about the issue, they will think twice about their hurtful wording.

In addition, the online article has a comments section where we can respectfully give the public and the news station some pieces of our minds.

OgopogoLPN, LPN, RN · Jun 21, 2010

Comment left on that article.

rn/writer, RN · Jun 21, 2010

It may be that the reporter/writer said, "Registered nurses, LPNs . . ." and someone edited out the first word (thinking it wasn't necessary) in the interest of streamlining the copy.

Let the station know you are unhappy with the omission. Explain that the "N" in LPN stands for nurse. But do keep in mind that a courteous, explanatory letter will probably be taken more seriously (and be more likely to receive a response) than a tirade.

Many people are misinformed. So, inform them. But do it decently and without malice. Going at them loaded for bear is only going to invite defensive attitudes and extinguish any sympathy they might have had.

I suggest something like this--

In the interest of helping your station keep its news accurate, I want to call your attention to an error that was made in this story (give identifying info). Your reporter spoke of nurses and LPNs as if they were separate groups. They are not.
LPN stands for Licensed Practical Nurse. If the reporter had said "registered nurses" and LPNs, that would have been fine. As stated, it only adds to the confusion that many people have about LPNs.
I know this is not a big blip on your radar, but to those of us in the healthcare field (a sizable percentage of your audience), it's a noticeable mistake.
In the future, if you have reason to refer to LPNs, please do so with the awareness that even though they are not RNs, they most certainly are nurses.
Thank you.