Having Trouble telling people I'm an LPN

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Specializes in Licensed Practical Nurse.

so i'm an lpn. when people ask me what i do, i say i'm a nurse to avoid having to give a long explanation! then they ask me what i'm going to school for and i say nursing, so they're like huh??:confused: so then i really have to explain what i do, i try my hardest to but people still dont understand what lpn's are :smackingf. most people have a notion that lpn's: dont give meds, are not ''certified'', cant give injections, the list goes on. and then people really dont think i'm a real nurse because of 1)my age, then 2)the fact that i became a nurse through my hs. my question is how can i explain to people what lpn's are while showing them that yes, we are ''real'' nurses!!???:uhoh3:

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Why go through all of this?

"I'm an LPN. I'm going to school to become an RN."

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Specializes in Hemodialysis, Home Health.
Why go through all of this?

"I'm an LPN. I'm going to school to become an RN."

There you go! Simple enough. :)

And remember.. the "N" in LPN stands for NURSE. Don't ever feel you need to "explain" anything. You are a nurse, and be proud OF it!!! :icon_hug:

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

The OP is 19 years old, and should be commended for becoming an LPN at such a young age.

My only advice is to not place so much weight on the thoughts, opinions, and misconceptions of others. I don't bother going into detailed explanations with people about the differences between the two roles, because I'm not going to engage in a conversation that tires me or features repetitive questions. As we become older, this petty stuff should bother us less and less.

To the OP: I do not feel compelled to explain myself to others, and neither should you. You already have a good start on your adult life, and have accomplished more than many 50 year olds.

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I guess I'll just "ditto" what the others have said, in that the ONLY explanation you should give when asked why you are in school for nursing if you're already a nurse is, "There's different levels of nursing, different licenses needed for different jobs; I'm an LPN now and and am in school to become an RN". Period.

I only put out the first part of the 'answer' because "I'm an LPN and am in school to become an RN" will probably elicit about a thousand questions more than you feel like answering ;)

BEST of luck to you; you have a great focus at such a young age. I commend you!

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I would just say "I'm a nurse. I'm going to school to get a higher nursing degree." You don't have to go into the LPN/RN explanation if you don't want to. Or be blunt, like Suesquatch stated. You're really saying the same thing. Or to make the explanation simple, just say that RNs have more education than LPNs, but both do most of the same duties and leave it at that.

None of this will be a problem anymore once you become an RN.

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Specializes in Addiction & Recovery, Community Health.

How awesome for you @ such a young age!

I'm 41 and just starting school.

You should be very proud and just say "I'M A NURSE!" with your head held high!!!

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Specializes in CNA - starting LPN school January 2009!!.

First of all, CONGRATULATIONS on becoming an LPN at 19! That is a HUGE accomplishment, and you should be very proud of yourself!!!

As far as explaining to others, I agree with the other posters. Saying, I am an LPN, and studying to become an RN should be sufficient. I have found for myself as I have been embarking on my own journey (transitioning from a totally different career field to nursing) that more and more people are hip to the differences between CNA, LPN, RN, ARNP, etc.

More than anything, make sure that you don't feel bad about yourself, who cares if people think you are less of a nurse and that you aren't licensed, cannot give injections, etc. They are probably just jealous of your success!

The bottom line is as an LPN you play a critical role in the care of your patients, and the RNs you work with wouldn't be able to manage their case load w/o your help. To boot, you are in the process of going back to school to further advance your career. All at the tender age of 19.

So, don't let any dummies who aren't familiar with nursing jargon make you feel inferior

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I agree with Suzi-Q. It's great that you've come this far at only 19 years of age!!! I'm almost 46 and just starting.

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Listen sweet heart, there is no need for explanations. Not everyone knows all the diffrent types of nursing out there. That is not your fault. That is just peoples' ingnorance. Who needs to bother with that. Feel pround and never feel an LPN is anything less. When I was a new RN graduate I was trained by a very good LPN. We are all nurses. Don't let it get to you. Like I said that is just some peoples ingnorance and you can't help that. Congratulations on your accomplisment and feel pround and Merry Christmas.

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.

I agree with everyone! Kudos to you for accomplishing this at such a young age. I totally didn't have the maturity to do what you have already. The slightly positive part of what you are experiencing is that you won't ever be an RN who makes LPNs feel like less than a nurse and that is awesome. Keep up the good work. Jules

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Specializes in SICU.

Jumping in on the bandwagon here... kudos to you for your accomplishment! I like the "I'm a nurse and I'm back in school to get an advanced degree." response the best. The public hears "nurse" and that's all most of them know about. No need to go into details!! It just confuses most people.

Have a great Christmas. :)

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