Feeling Upset Please Help

weetziebat · Sep 24, 2006

You are paying $23,000 for your LPN program?!! Sorry, that just sounds so outrageous to me.

A tech is not a nurse. An LPN is. I remember when I was going for my LPN, the material did seem very elementary and I found the program to be very easy, but I thought it was because I went through a twelve month hospital based school of nursing, so no university courses involved.

Since you will be going on for your BSN after you complete the LPN program, I guess you can look at it as a way of getting around the nonsence of trying to get into an RN program directly.

I don't know if you plan to go to school for your BSN, or do it online, nor do I know how much difficulty there is to get into a BSN program, but if need be you can always work as an LPN till you get into a program. And, I believe LPN's make more money than techs.

Good luck with your studies :wink2:

GiantHeart21 · Sep 24, 2006

Thank you. I live in CA and the this was the cheapest LPN program I could find. Others were over 30 grand. These are private schools cause that is the onky way that you can get into a program that won't take you a life time. I am going to go to a private nursing school agian to get my BSN. Thank you agian

TazziRN, RN · Sep 24, 2006

To answer your question, there are some significant differences between LVNs and RNs. In CA LVNs cannot give IV meds except for saline/heparin flushes. They cannot do "official" assessments. They cannot work anywhere except SNF without RNs present. That's just a start.

The language is very basic because the texts are geared to be read by beginning students also, who have no idea about medicine or have any baseline knowledge.

Tweety, BSN, RN · Sep 24, 2006

Yes. You are very wrong.

It is indeed very elemetary and technical those first few weeks. RN programs are the same. They teach us how to wash our hands (duh), how to hold a wash cloth, how to put on gloves, etc.

The juicy stuff comes later. Hang in there.

Dinith88 · Sep 24, 2006

I am an LVN student planning to transfer to a BSN program after I finish. I am a little upset cause I feel like I am kinda waisting my money. Whta exactly do LVNs do that is so different from what techs do. My books have such elemetary subject matter that I feel like I already know most of it before even going into it. I really want to be very involved in patient care and it seems like I am paying 23 grand to go to school for 18 months and then come out knowing how to give a few meds. I hope that I am very wrong. Some one please enlighten me.

I dont think you're wasting your time. IN fact, it's probably a wise move if you're heading for an eventual bsn. First off, after your 18months (as opposed to 4-5 yrs for bsn) you'll be working and making more $ than just being a tech. Also, you should be able to skip over some classes required for bsn...making the 4-5 years less than that (3-4 yrs?). You'll be functioning as a nurse for a few years before you graduate bsn, you will have already been 'indoctrinated' into 'real-life' nursey-stuff, and will have an undisputed edge over your fellow bsn-student counterparts (who, by the way, will do every thing in their power to prove this statement wrong..and will have big chips on their shoulders because of it...consider yourself warned :)). YOu (in general) will also be a 'shoe-in' as far as acceptance into rn/bsn completion programs.

I dont live in CA so i dont know their rules. However, most of the rest of the nation allows lpn's to work as floor-nurses, er's, etc. ...just depends on the place. There ARE restrictions with certain iv medications(pushes, pressors, etc.) , but you'll be able to give the majority of them (piggy-backs, etc.). Because of certain institution-inforced restrictions, you may find it difficult (even outside of CA) to work specialty units like er, icu, etc...but no worries. If you desire those types of units you'll eventually have a bsn anyway. And remeber (most experienced nurses will agree with this), 95% of what a nurse knows/learns, she learns ON THE JOB.

MOst of the differences are minimal(when talking bed-side nursing/direct patient care)...and in reality/practice you will serve the same function as your RN counterparts.

If anyone attempts to sell 'lpn' short, or otherwise insinuate negative stuff, it's mostly because they either 1) dont know what they're talking about (especially true of ignorant lay-persons), 2) are insecure of themselves (mostly 'weak' or 'poor' RN's), or 3) students who are ignorant and dont know it.

LPN's are an INVALUABLE commodity in today's healthcare field...they ARE nurses...and can be an EXCELLENT stepping-stone in acquiring further nursing degrees.

Dont let anyone ever tell you otherwise.

nursemelani · Sep 24, 2006

I went to community college for my LVN, so I didn't pay anywhere near that amount. Yes, the material was fairly basic. I found the clinicals much harder than the "book learning".

Now I am going back for my RN, and the pre-reqs are SO hard. I was considered "the smart one" in my LVN program. Not anymore. I have never had to study so hard.

Daytonite, BSN, RN · Sep 24, 2006

i'm sorry to hear you are so disappointed. the difference between rn and lvns is getting much subtler as time goes on. hospitals would use lvns if they could get away with it, but you guys can't do all the iv things and by state law you can't sign off on the care plan that goes into the chart either although i know you are taught how to do them in school. it's too bad you couldn't wait to get into a community college program as the tuition is only $26 a unit hour in california. here is information about the role of an lpn (lvn in california)

http://stats.bls.gov/oco/ocos102.htm - about lpn nursing from the u.s. department of labor

RNsRWe, ASN, RN · Sep 24, 2006

I think a clarification might be needed here: the OP didn't ask what differences exist between an LVN and an RN; she asked what differences there were between an LVN and a TECH. Her worry is that she's spent a huge amount of money to do basically what a patient care tech does. I think the rest of the answers she got do apply :)

weetziebat · Sep 25, 2006

..... Yes, the material was fairly basic. I found the clinicals much harder than the "book learning".
Now I am going back for my RN, and the pre-reqs are SO hard. I was considered "the smart one" in my LVN program. Not anymore. I have never had to study so hard.

Yes, I agree with this. My LPN courses were so basic I felt like an imposter calling myself a nurse. Graduated with a 3.9 and had lots of free time.

Then when I decided to go for my RN, I did the entire program over again at a Community College. Took over 3 years, and even the pre-reqs were tough. Graduated with a 3.5 and I LIVED nursing that entire time. No free time, only read nursing books, no T.V., my husband did most everything around the house while I holed up studying my butt off. Big difference in my case anyway.

nursesaideBen · Sep 25, 2006

Wow, either I'm just plain stupid or the program I'm in here in VA is harder compared to some others. I'm in an 18 month LPN program and have finished 11 months so far. The first 9 months weren't that bad but ever since we started Med/surg and Pharmacology I've had to live and breathe nursing. On average I study around 4hrs per night and between classwork, clinicals, careplans, and drug cards it sometimes seems overwhelming. LPN's do not "just give a few meds" you will find that many of the patients you work with are on 10-20 meds by themselves and in long term care where often times the patient loads for nurses are at LEAST 30 patients you can see how important it is for an LPN to know his/her stuff. Here in VA the scope of practice for LPN's seems broader than in CA, they can start and maintain IV's, push most IV drugs, in the hospital I work at they can do admission assessments, spike blood but can't hang it without an RN witness. My ultimate goal is to get my bachelor's in nursing but I kind of like working my way up the ladder. I've been a CNA for over a year now and the experience has been incredibly valuble while going to LPN school. Hang in there, you'll make it!

Midwest4me · Sep 25, 2006

Whta exactly do LVNs do that is so different from what techs do.

You stated you wanted to know the difference between LVNs and techs, not between LVNs and RNs. What kind of "tech" do you mean? Do you mean a CNA (Certified Nurse's Aide) or some kind of hospital technician like a surgical tech? The LVN goes through a nursing program. Depending on the specialty, the "tech" goes through some other training, usually involving less time. CNAs usually attend a 6-8week course in the states I've lived in.